6. Reading: English houses

  

    

  

About 51 million people live in England and most of them (84%) are largely concentrated in London. Like in any other capital city there are a lot of blocks of flats with modern flats and a lot of people prefer living there. But people who are more conservative and value the traditions of their country live in the countryside.
The houses in the countryside are usually more expensive than the flats in big cities.

 

I think it is normal because when you live in the countryside, you pay not just for the house but for the marvelous views, fresh air and the possibility to spend your free time in a garden (gardening is one of the most favourite hobbies among the British).

 

English houses often have two floors and an attic. There is a kitchen, a dining-room and a living room on the ground floor. In almost every house there is a fire-place in the living room, which is the favourite place of the family in the evenings or on holidays. There are bedrooms and several bathrooms on the first floor.

 

There is always a room for guests. Usually houses in England are built with stones or bricks (from the local area), which are different in colour. And sometimes it seems that Britain is a country of multicoloured houses.

 

In England there are many types of houses. People can live in a flat as it was told above. In most towns all over England there are streets of houses joined together in long rows. Such houses are called terraced houses. Two houses joined together are called semi-detached houses. If the houses are not joined to any other buildings they are called detached houses. The most popular types of houses among British people are semi-detached and detached houses.

 

Though more and more people tend to buy a house in the countryside, it has become a great problem for the English to buy a house because the prices are increasing much faster than the wages. But it is always possible to take a mortgage in a bank, call upon rich relatives or buy a house jointly with friends.

 

  

1. What is the most popular hobby among the British? 

    

• Gardening is the most popular hobby among the British.
• Knitting is the most popular hobby among the British.

 

 2. Where can you see terraced houses?

    

• You can see terraced houses only in London.
• You can see terraced houses all over England.

 

 3. What are the most popular types of houses among British people?

    

• The most popular types of houses among British people are semi-detached and detached houses.
• The most popular types of houses among British people are country houses.