IV. A Busy Saturday

I'm a very busy person. This Saturday is a good example. I have a lot to do, so I'm getting up early, at 6 o'clock. I'm having breakfast and then I'm going to the supermarket. I like getting there early, because it's much quieter than it is later in the day. At nine o'clock I'm meeting my friend Jo at the sports centre, and we're playing tennis. We always do this on Saturday. After that, I'm taking the bus home and making some sandwiches and a salad, because at twelve o'clock I'm having a picnic lunch with my boyfriend Rob in the park. Then we're doing some shopping in town because I want a new dress and Rob needs a new jacket. After that we're seeing a new film at the cinema. In the evening we're having a drink in a local bar with my brother Mick and his wife, and then we're all eating at a new Italian restaurant near my house.

HOME

1. Read/listen to four people talking about where they live and answer the questions below.

I. George: I live in a small cottage in the country with my wife and my mother-in-law. The great thing is my kitchen. I have a big kitchen with a lovely view of the garden. We have not got any children but we have got three cats.

Sarah: I live in an apartment in the city center with my husband and two daughters. It is not very big, but it has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a living room. We haven’t got a garden but we’ve got a small terrace.

Anton: I live in a small house near the beach with my girlfriend. I love my house. It is so quiet. And I can swim in the sea every morning before I go to work.

Muriel: My sister and I live in a house next to a big river. It is a very big house: there are four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen a big hall and an enormous garden with lots of trees and a small lake. We even have a boat and I often go sailing along the river. It is lovely and quiet. I don’t like living in noisy cities. That is why I moved to this house.

Questions: 1.Who lives in the city? 2. Who lives near the sea? 3. Who lives in a big house? 4. Who lives with animals? 5. Who doesn’t live with his or her family?

II. Read/listen to Serena’s description of her country house:

I live in a big house in the country with husband Harry. The house has got four bedrooms and a big garden. We have got two children and three cats – they love the garden. They play in it every day. And we’ve got a garage – I haven’t got a car but my husband has. I am an artist and I work at home. I use one of the bedrooms. It’s got a big terrace. I can sit on the terrace in the summer and paint the garden – it is lovely. Harry is a computer programmer. He has got three computers. Actually, he has got lots of electronic things in the house. He has got a digital camera and he makes DVDs. In fact we have got forty DVDs now. In the evenings we eat dinner in the kitchen – we haven’t got a dining room. Then we watch TV in the living room – we have got a fantastic widesreen TV.

III. Read/listen to Amanda and Pete speaking about Pete’s house:

Amanda: So, where do you live, Pete? Have you got your own house?

Pete: No, I haven't. I have a modern studio apartment in the center of town.

Amanda: Has it got a garden?

Pete: No, it hasn't got a garden, but it's got a small terrace.

Amanda: Is there a kitchen in the apartment?

Pete: No, there isn't but there's a kitchen area with a fridge, a cooker and a sink. But I haven't got a microwave.

Amanda: What about furniture?

Pete: I've got a coffee table, and there are two chairs. And I've got a beautiful sofa. I love that sofa, I use it all the time. I eat my meals there because I haven't got a dining table!

Amanda: Is there a TV?

Pete: Yes, of course. And I've got a music system.

Amanda: Have you got a computer?

Pete: Yes, I've got a laptop computer - I use the Internet a lot.

Amanda: And have you got a mobile phone? Pete: Yes, I have.

IV. Student’s Accommodation

Moving away from home to study in higher education is an exciting time in life. There are new friends to be made, new places to discover, and the chance to develop many new interests. An important part of the process is finding somewhere to live. Opportunities for students to live in University accommodation are better at Belarusian – Russian University than most other Universities in Belarus have. All undergraduates are guaranteed a place at University Halls of Residence. There are three Halls of Residence located not far from the center of Mogilev.

The accommodation is of a good standard, well-equipped and heated, and above all it is provided at a reasonable cost. It consists of shared study-bedrooms with shared bathrooms and there are shared kitchen facilities, where meals can be cooked.

Furniture includes beds, chairs, desks, built-in wardrobes, and book shelves. A catering service is available in dining-rooms, or snack-bars in the Halls. Each room has beds, a desk, a wardrobe and chairs. Bed linen is provided by the Hall. The Halls also have common rooms, a launderette, telephone facilities, gyms and a 24-hour portering service.

Halls are mixed gender and are close to libraries, shops and bus and railway station. Hall may differ in character, but the real attraction lies in the friendliness and stimulus of a congenial community.

V. Key vocabulary to help you speak about your home:

Types of home: house, apartment, condominium, cottage

Rooms and parts of house: bathroom, bedroom, dining room, garden, garage, hall, living room, terrace

Equipment: answering machine, CD player, coffee machine, cooker, dishwasher, DVD player, fridge, MP3 player, shower, vacuum cleaner, washing machine.