4 Housing and home
Home is more than four walls with a roof. It is the cooking, eating, talking, playing, arguing and family
living that go on inside which are important as well. Some people feel that home is their birthplace; others
say it is the place where they feel safe and relaxed.
Houses, however, look different in different countries. In cold countries, there is often a fireplace in the
living room or a woodstove in the kitchen with a comfortable chair placed next to it for warmth. In
southern countries people prefer cool stone floors and no carpets. Homes are different because people's
attitudes and needs differ so much. Larger families prefer big houses and some people like the idea of
several generations living together. In many developed countries, people move more often, especially after
their children have grown up and moved out on their own. Sometimes they retire to a warmer climate or
simply want to change jobs. In less developed countries, on the other hand, people do not usually move
away from the homes they built when they were younger. For example, in Central and Eastern Europe,
older people prefer to rent the upper floor of their house and live on the ground floor rather than move into
something smaller.
Some people who live in cities just to work have houses in the countryside where they go every weekend.
A house is a building for people to live in and often has more than one level. A house built on only one
level is called a bungalow. Multi-storeyed houses are called semi-detached houses (AmE duplex) when
they have one common wall and terraced houses (AmE row houses) when they neighbour both walls and
all stand in a row. Some people live in a block of flats. (AmE high-rise, condominium or apartment
building). A set of rooms, including a kitchen and bathroom, within a larger building is called a flat (AmE
apartment).
Every country has some typical features of its homes. In Britain, they have always a garden and sometimes
a cellar. They have separate bedrooms and living rooms. On the other hand, they don't have balconies or
terraces which are more typical for countries where the weather is warmer. In mountainous countries like
Austria and Switzerland, there are balconies full of geraniums and other flowers which attract visitors in
summer.
Everybody likes coming home and people all over the world take care of their homes and make them
homely (AmE homey). Many homes in England have gardens, and people tend their garden just as they do
anywhere else in the world. If you wander around a housing estate, it seems so quiet because most people
spend their time either inside or in their backyards. But sometimes there would certainly be people washing
their cars, mowing the grass, watering the lawn or working in the flower beds. Sometimes, though, the
prettiest or nicest house is not the one where people are the happiest. It is always nice, however, to see a
family who is able to get along well and live in harmony together.
What does home mean to you?
Home is an emotional word that consists of many parts including geographical location, emotional ties,
housing, interior furnishings and decor. In terms of location, some people live where they do because of
work, while others live close to family. There are those who are quite happy with just occasional visits.
Other people choose their homes based on the activities that they feel make their lives worth living: sunny
skies, good schools, the low cost of living, good health care, sufficient shopping facilities, satellite TY
reasonable Internet access and good infrastructure - roads, communications and utilities. People usually try
out several different places till they find the one that suits them best. Inside their homes, people surround
themselves with beautiful and meaningful things, making their home their sanctuary and refuge.
Post-reading activity
1 Compare housing in Britain and in your country
2 Would you prefer to stay in a house or a flat? Give the pros and cons of both.
3 How do you feel if your neighbours poke their noses into what is not their business? What would you do?
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4 Do you like the idea of having tea in the garden? Why/why not?
5 Explain the expression 'an Englishman's home is his castle'. Do you think it's true for all people? For
both genders?
MO 4. Housing and Home – Text comprehension Questions
¶ 1 What does the word home mean for people?
Home not only means the building where people live but also the relationships, household duties,
people who live there and the memories that we have. It is a place where we feel safe and relaxed.
¶ 2 Why are the types of houses so different in different counties?
Because different people have different attitudes and needs for life.
What is the difference between the houses in cold and southern, warmer countries?
People in cold counties build their houses so they could prevent them from cold weather outside,
people in warmer countries build their houses to protect from hot weather.
What kind of houses do large families build? Why?
They prefer big (more storeys) houses in which live more generations under one roof.
¶ 3, 4 What different types of buildings are given in this part.? What is the difference among them?
bungalow-a house built only on one level, multi-storeyed house-semidetached houses (2 houses have
one wall common), terraced houses-they stand in a row and have neighbours in both sides, block of
flats with the concrete flats
¶ 5 What is typical for the image/style of the houses in each/different country?
The houses in different counties have some typical features.
What is the difference between the houses in Great Britain and the houses in Austria or
Switzerland?
British houses have always a garden and a cellar without balconies or terraces. Austrian houses have
balconies full of flowers.
¶ 6 How do people take care of their homes? Why do they do that?
They mow the grass in the garden, wash their cars, water the lawn, work in the flower beds. Because
the home means a lot to them.
¶ 7 How do people choose their home?
According to the place of their work, according to the activities that make their lives worth living, friends,
opportunities/facilities for entertainment, health care, shopping, weather conditions, infrastructure
(roads, communications and utilities)
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