Housing

My flat

Maturitní téma z anglického jazyka

Gymnázium F. X. Šaldy

Hana Kyselová

4.A

Housing

In my opinion every country, every government has its problems with housing. Some countries have problems with an earthquake which destroyed a lot of houses and then people have no choice, they must leave their houses. It is the same with floods.

• In Britain

There are lots of terraced houses and semi-detached houses everywhere and it makes a fine show. It is beautiful when there are not any huge blocks of flats. The English prefer small base houses to blocks of flats and it looks better in my opinion. Houses are made of red bricks or concrete, stone and wood, somewhere you can still find half-timbered houses with thatched roofs. The houses have usually 4 to 6 rooms, two floors, small front and back gardens and are either semi-detached (it means that it is joined to another house on one side only) or detached (joined on both sides). On the ground floor there are: a hall, kitchen, living room with a fireplace and on the first floor there are parents`and children's bedrooms and bathrooms. They have no mess there.

• In the Czech republic

In our country there are a lot of displaced persons who live anywhere they can. For example, under bridges or they sleep at stations. But there are also people who have not any flat but just because there are not enough chances for living in one or the flats are very expensive, for example, for a young couple.

• In the USA

Americans are a mobile nation. The average owner stays in a house only five years, before moving somewhere else. Due to low interest rates, the majority of families in the USA own their own homes. Usually these are separate houses with yards. Houses in US are still very inexpensive compared to Europe.

There is a dark side to families moving so much, and such distances. Family ties are not nearly so strong in the US as in other countries. Some parents and grown children living on opposite coasts may only visit each other twice a year.
LIVING IN THE CITY

Groups of owned apartments in one building (called “condominiums“ or “condos“) are not so popular as in the rest of the world. Usually they only are common in downtown areas. They are popular with people who want to buy their own home but do not want to maintain a yard or a garden. Condominiums often have a lot of communal amenities, such as laundry room, swimming pools and fitness rooms. Young people, especially when they are single, normally cannot afford to buy a house or a condo right away. They usually live in rented apartments. There are apartments in older buildings, especially in big cities, but there are also a lot of modern apartment complexes. These apartments are almost always furnished, usually very nicely.
AMERICAN HOUSES

Houses vary greatly, but the dominant style of the last 30 years has been the ranch-style house. Houses are usually made of wood and built by carpenters. In the southern states, where wood is scarcer, brick and stucco houses are much more common than in the northern states. Modern stucco houses are often built in a Mexican style. Victorian houses are painted in bright colors, specially blue.

NEW WAYS OF LIVING

Many retired people move into mobile homes, which are usually permanently located in mobile home parks. They offer inexpensive housing that is easy to take care of, especially since they have little or no yard space. Americans are always willing to try something new, especially if it has to do with living alongside nature. Some people are going back to the housing of the earliest settlers and building log houses. Today they usually use a kit, which means that the logs are pre-cut. Since someone discovered that the shape of the geodesic dome is extremely energy efficient, many people have built their homes like this.

IN AN AMERICAN HOME

Gadgets: Americans like gadgets to make a job easier or quicker to do. There is an incredible variety of gadgets in the American home. In the kitchen you can find a garbage compactor that squeezes garbage into small cubes and neatly packs it into bags; a refrigerator that dispenses iced water and ice cubes without having to open the door; and a sink with a three faucets - a normal one, a water hose with a spray nozzle for washing dishes, and one with its own small heater that gives boiling water. Some houses have a small computer system that controls all the different electronic gadgets. It will turn the heating on, switch the light and the radio on, and make the coffee.

The living room is usually used for more formal occasions such as entertaining guests.

The kitchen: This room with all its appliances and gadgets, also has an informal eating area where the family usually takes its meals.

The laundry room: This is where the washer and dryer are kept and used.

The dining room is also used for formal occasions when there is company for dinner. The best china and silver are used in this room.
The family room is a large room for the whole family where they watch television, play games, listen to music, do crafts and exercise. It is the most important room in an American house. It is the hub of activity.

The bedroom: It is not uncommon for each member of the family to have their own bedroom. People like to have their own space. Many bedrooms have a television and a telephone as well as exercise equipment and a study area with a desk. Americans like to have things neat and tidy, or at least out of sight.

The bathroom: Newer homes have two and a half bathrooms. The main bathroom is for everyone's use. The second bathroom is usually off the master bedroom and is reserved for the adults using this room. Half a bedroom is a toilet and a sink, usually used by guests. Showers and tubes are becoming quite sophisticated. Americans like showers - with lots of water pressure - because they are quick. Showers often have jacuzzi heads which give a massage while washing.

A family with an average income can usually afford to live in a nice house with all the necessary amenities that are expected in any civilized nation. The utility bills, such as electricity, telephone and gas are very affordable and do not cause a significant financial burden to the home owner.

Poor people: The US government built huge apartment buildings for the poor in the 1950s and 1960s, mostly in the inner cities. These proved a failure. The poor frequently destroyed their apartments, so the maintenance cost was very high. Crime in such “housing projects“ , as they are called, became famous, with gangs shooting at each other to control illegal drug trade. Most of these buildings were demolished. US government now pays homeowners to house the poor, if they will do it. The same problems are still there, and few of them will agree to do that.

In urban areas the division between “the upscale neighbourhoods“ and the “slums“ or “ghettos“, as they are called, can be only a couple of blocks and is extremely drastic. Part of crime in America is committed by minorities, especially by African-American or Latino minorities.

• My home

I live with my parents and my sister in a small family house. Our house is located in a small town so we also have a nice garden surrounding the house. The house is fenced with low wooden fence from the front. There is also hedgerow from barberry. When you walk along the right side of the house, up the stairs and go on a perron, you get in front of the entrance door.

When you walk into the house you will be standing in a large entrance hall where the utility room, two cupboards, three armchairs by the fireside, the first bathroom and toilet-room is located. If you walk forward to the right you will come to our living room. There you will see a oblong table with several covers, two comfortable armchairs and a long couch. We also have cabinet where my mother displays her favourite china, crystal items and ceramics. There is also a television, and large bookcases filled with books.

If you walk forward to the left from the entrance hall you can go to the kitchen. In the kitchen you will see white cabinets and many appliances like a refrigerator, a stove, an oven, a microwave, a toast maker, and a dishwasher. You will also see a big window and a sink.

If you go up the stairs in the firs floor you will come to my and my parent's bedrooms. My parents have the usual bedroom furniture like a bed, a chest of drawers, cabinets and a wardrobe for clothes, and night tables. On the bed they have a white bedspread and if you look down you will see brown carpet on the floor.

Opposite the bedroom you will see my room. I share this room with my sister. Even though I try to keep my room tidy, sometimes I have a real mess in there. In this floor there is also the second bathroom with a toilet and a washbasin.

Under the ground floor there is a cellar full of potatoes and preserves. It is ghostly room, I think. Our car is in the garage and my father works in a workshop, also in this floor.

• My favourite room

My favourite room is my room because I have my favourite things there. Like my books and my recorder and CD-player. The room is on the first floor. I live there with my younger sister. But during the year we live in a boarding house in the town where we are attending the school.

When you want to enter my room, you have to walk up the stairs. The first you see a partition in the middle of our room. My father built this because I had a argue with my sister very often. Now we both have own room.

My space is on the right next to door. There are two windows with nice view on our garden and a near pond. In front of the window there is my desk. Opposite the desk there is my bed in an alcove. Next to my bed on the both sides there are bookcases. It is my world. In the smaller bookcase there are historical novels and the rest of my favourite books. On the weekend when I am at home I like sitting in a big armchair with my book and some musical background. It is kind of relaxation for me. Recently there were many posters but my taste is changing so I put they down. Now on walls there are remembrances from my holidays in Croatia and Bulgaria e.g. scarf, pictures. Next to the bigger bookcase there is also my wardrobe. It is not so big because our separated room with much furniture is quite small. In our room there is a television. It stands on a small cupboard and we both can watch it from our spaces.

Vocabulary

Household Duties
- to wash up ( the dishes ) - umývat nádobí
- to use a plate rack - používat odkapávač
- to use detergents - používat čistící prostředky
- to rinse the cups and plates - opláchnout hrnečky a talíře
- to dry the dishes with a dish-cloth - utřít nádobí utěrkou
- to put the dishes in the cupboard - položit nádobí do kredence
- to sweep the kithcen with a broom or a sweeper - zamést kuchyň smetákem nebo koštětem
- to tidy up - uklízet
- to make beds - stlát postele
- to turn the mattresses - otočit ( obrátit ) madrace
- to put a clean pillow-case on the pillow - povléci povlečení na polštář
- to clean the carpets with a vacuum ( hoover ) - čistit koberce vysavačem
- to dust the furniture - utírat prach z nábytku
- to use a stiff brush and dustpan - použít kartáč ( smeták ) a lopatku
- to wash the was-basin and the bath in the bathroom - umýt umyvadlo a vanu v koupelně
- to wipe the floor with a cloth ( floor clothe ) - utřít podlahu hadrem
- to spread a floor a polish on the floor - rozestřít leštidlo na podlahu
- to polish the floor - vyleštit podlahu
- thoroughly turn out each room - do hloubky ( důkladně ) pozměnit každý pokoj ( vyprázdnit)
- to clean the windows - čistit okna
- to vacuum the carpets - vysavat koberce
- to polish the wooden panelling - leštit dřevěné obložení
- to do spring cleaning - dělat jarní úklid
- to brush down wall-papers with a long handled broom - omést tapety koštětem
- to beat the carpets with a carpet beater and brush them - klepat koberce klepátkem na koberce a kartáčovat je
- to repolish the floors - přeleštit podlahy
- to wash blankets and coverlets - vyprat deky a přehozy
- to decorate the flat - vymalovat, vytapetovat, vyzdobit byt
- to repair electrical appliances - opravovat el. Spotřebiče
- to put right anything that goes wrong - opravit vše co se zkazí
- to wash the laundry in the washing machine - prát prádlo v pračce
- to iron the bed linen - žehlit povlečení
- to mend the clothes - zašívat oblečení
- to darn the socks - štepovat ponožky
- to use electric sewing machine - používat el. Šicí stroj
- to be a do-it-yourself man - být DIY
- bucket - kýbl
- handbrush - kartáč
- cleaning materials - čistící prostředky
- duster - prachovka
- bin - koš
- pedal bin - šlapátkový koš
- mop - mop
- carpet sweeper - mechanická metla ( vysavač bez el. pohonu )
- ironing board - žehlící prkno

Electric Equipment
- toaster - toustovač
- mixer - mixér
- cooker with electric oven - sporák s el. troubou
- fridge, freezer - lednička, mrazák
- grill - gril
- cooking pot - hrnec na 220 V
- washing machine - pračka
- vacuum cleaner - vysavač
- dryer - sušička
- iron - žehlička
- el. shaver - el. holící strojek
- hair-drayer - fén
- fan heater - větrák
- extractor heater - přímotop ( topení na 220 V )
- dishwasher - myčka na nádobí
- water heater - ohřívač vody
- coffeemaker - kávovar
- juice extractor - odšťavňovač
- curling irons / tongs - natáčky na vlasy

Housing
- to live on the fifth floor - bydlet v pátém patře
- there is no lift there - není tam výtah
- to walk up and down the stairs - jít nahoru a dolů po schodech
- the rooms are heated by coal fires - pokoje jsou vytápěny uhlím
- the coal has to be carried from the cellar - uhlí musí být přineseno ze sklepa
- the hygienic conditions are poor - hyg. podmínky jsou mizerné ( ubohé )
- the old houses were pulled down - staré domy byly zbořeny
- to live on a housing estate - bydlet na sídlišti
- to have a central heating and modern convebiences in flat - mít centr. Vytápění a moderní vymoženosti v bytě
- there are furnished apartments in skyscrapers - v mrakodrapech jsou zařízené byty
- my friend lives in London's suburb - můj kamarád bydlí v Londýnském předměstí
- the council houses were built by the Local Authorities - obecní domy byly postaveny místními úřady
- the residents pay a rent - bydlící platí nájem
- all the rooms in a bungalow are on one level - všechny přízemní byty jsou na stejné úrovni
- there are no stairs to climb up and down - nejsou tam schody ( k šplhání / chůzi ) nahoru a ( ani ) dolů
- the English are proud of their gardens - Angličané jsou hrdí na jejich zahrady
- there are charming thatched cottages still to be found - jsou tam okouzlující doškové chalupy stále k nalezení
- the living-room has a French window opening into the garden - obývák má francouzské okno otevřené do zahrady
- there is a dinning recess in the kitchen - v kuchyni je jídelní stůl
- some bedrooms face the garden, the others face the street - některé ložnice jsou „zírají J“ do zahrady, ostatní na ulici
- the British are used to open fires - Angličané používají otevřené ohně ( krby ? )
- they liked looking into the fire - rádi se čoučaj do ohně
- There are various little ornaments on the mantelpiece above the fire - nad krbem jsou různé malé ornamenty
- Most fireplaces were replaced by modern central heating - mnoho krbů bylo nahrazeno centrálním vytápěním
- There can be a fireplace in the living-room, but it's more for decoration - V obýváku může být krb, ale je to spíše na dekoraci
- There are a lot of flowers and a nice / lovely lawn in the garden - Na zahradě je mnoho květin a překrásný trávník
- Grass never dries up - Tráva nikdy neuschne
- to trim a hedge - zastřihovat živý plot
- to cut the grass with a lawn mower - sekat trávu sekačkou na trávu
- to water the flowers - zálevat kvítka J
- to attend to the garden - navštěvovat zahradu
- to toil in the garden - dřít se na zahradě
- a flat is easier to run than a house - byt je jednodušší na údržbu než dům
- You can find residential estates with prefabricated blocks of flats in GB - Ve Velké Británii můžete nalézt obytné sídliště s průmyslově upravenými paneláky
- The lift doesn't work / is out of order - Výtah je mimo provoz
- to enter the flat - vstoupit do bytu
- to take the shoes off - sundat boty
- to take slippers from the shoe-rack - vzít bačkory z botníku
- to put the shoes on - obout se ( nazout si boty )
- to wipe the feet on the door-mat - utřít boty na rohožce
- The furniture is built-in - nábytek je vestavěný
- It is easy to clean and doesn't take up much room -
- Kitchen is combined with a tiny pantry - Kuchyň je kombinovaná s mrňavou J spíží
- The fitted kitchen units with easy-to-clean plastic surfaces hold all kinds of kitchen appliancies -
- To turn on the tap - otočit kohoutkem
- To turn the tap off - zakroutit kohoutek
- To fill the tub / bath with a water - naplnit káď / vanu vodou
- To let the water out - nechat přetéci vodu
- We also have other labour-saving devices - Máme také jiné zařízení ulehčující práci
- An automatic washing machine washes better, rinses and spin dries - Automatická pračka pere lépe, máchá,
- I help my mother about the kitchen.Pomáhám máti v kuchyni
- I scrub the floor - drhnu podlahu
- I wash the tiles with a sponge - myju dlaždice houbou
- Our bathroom is tiled - Naše koupelna je obložena
- There is a mirror cabinet with a wash-basin - Je tam zrcadlový koutek s umyvadlem
- The living-room is a pleasant looking room - Obývák vypadá příjemně
- It gets all the morning / afternoon sun - dostává všechen ranní / odpolední sluneční svit.
- The settee is convertible and thus serves a double purpose as a spare bed as well - Pohovka je rozložitelná a tak slouží dvojím účelem stejně dobře jako postel
- There are two comfortable matching armchairs - Jsou tam dvě stejná komfortní křesla
- The wall-to-wall carpet goes nicely with all furnishing and the curtains -
- In the bedroom there is a double-bet between two bedside tables - V ložnici je letiště mezi dvěmi nočními stolky
- On the bedside table there is a battery operated alarm-clock and several books handy for reading - Na nočním stolku je baterka, fachčící budík a četné knihy jsoucí po ruce
- The walls are covered with wallpapers - Stěny jsou pokryté tapetami
- There are two small overhead lights over beds - Nad postelí jsou dvě malé lampičky na hlavou
- My room isn't very tidy - Můj pokoj není moc špinavý
- There are always some things lying about - Jsou tam vždy nějaké věci, které leží okolo
- We've got bunk-beds there - Dostali jsme tam palandu
- We often make campfires / bonfires and roast sausages - Často děláme oheň ( kempingový ) a opékáme klobásky

Give the names of various types of dwellings ( budova - obecně )
- villa - rodinný domek
- detached house - samostatný domek
- semi-detached house - dvojdomek
- terrace house - řadovka
- bungalow - přízemní
- block of flats - panelák
- tenement house - jsou tam nájemníci
- council house - obecní byty
- cottage - chata, chalupa
- hunting lodge - lovecká chata
- log cabin - srub ( kanadský )
- hut - chatrč
- week-end house - zděná víkendová chata
- chalet - chata s ubytováním
- hostel - ubytovna, internát, kolej, noclehárna
- hotel - hotel
- ( a family ) house - rodinný dům
- skyscraper - mrakodrap
- castle - hrad
- chateau - zámek
- mansion - velký dům
- mansion house - budova městské zprávy
- the Mansion House - londýnská radnice
- palace - palác
- tower - věž
- towerblok - věžák

dvojdomek

beton

hrázděný

doškový

průčelí

nepořádek

dvorek

v porovnání

družstevní domy

udržovat

vymoženost

lišit se

tesař

nedostatečný, vzácný

štukovaný

karavan, obytný přívěs

ochotný

vedle

log - kláda, poleno, špalek

nářadí

kupole

lednička

vydává

kohoutky

hadice

tryska

zařízení, přístroj

řemeslo, práce

střed, centrum

uspořádaný

důmyslný

tlak vody

užitkový

podstatná finanční zátěž

vnitřní

prokázat

rozpor

luxusní, nóbl

spáchaný

dřišťál

dečky

sporák

trouba

dřez

skříň na spodní prádlo (chest = truhla)

i když, přestože

zavařeniny

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