Read the text below and talk about
a) building houses by primitive people;
b) building houses by Egyptian and Greek builders.
Since the beginning of time, people have huddled together in the warmth of the family unit, first in caves, then in crude shacks, and finally in modern homes of all varieties. Some of the modern ones are luxurious, others are very simple, but all have one aspect in common, love and affection that we know as ‘home’.
Houses are built of wood, brick, stone and concrete.
The primitive people’s first houses were tents or huts. The invention of tools permitted the cutting of stones and timber. People began to use stone widely to build their houses many centuries ago.
About 4,000 years before our era the Egyptians possessed great constructional know-how. They built simple houses by present standards. They used bricks which in their most primitive form were not burned, but they were hardened by being dried in the sun. Since the Middle Ages, brickwork has been in constant use everywhere. They made flat roofs because there was very little rain in Egypt. Their buildings were simple in construction but very beautiful. We still admire their monuments, sphinxes and palaces.
Greek builders learned much from Egyptian builders. They built their houses with slanting roofs because the climate of these two countries differs greatly. Soon Greek builders became second to none in column making.
Now people often use concrete to build their houses. But stone and wood are getting more and more popular again.
Use the information below to describe
a) a lovely house four miles away from town
· upstairs – 3 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms (bath, shower, toilet, sauna)
· downstairs – spacious living-room; kitchen; dining-room; study
· large garden; double garage; hot house; swimming-pool
b) an attractive flat
· 2 bedrooms, large bathroom (bath, shower, toilet); modern kitchen (built-in furniture); comfortable living-room; study (bookcase)
· small garden; garage
6. You are looking for a new flat or a house. Make use of the following advertisements. Choose the one that suits you best. Explain your choice.
· There are fantastic views from the balcony of this modern, one-bed roomed, sixth-floor flat. The luxury block has a private underground garage.
· For a larger family, or a gardening enthusiast, this detached house is ideal. It has five bedrooms and is surrounded by a beautiful mature garden which also guarantees complete privacy.
· If you are looking for three good-sized bedrooms and an easy-to-maintain garden, this semi-detached house is perfect for you. It has recently been modernized and has a double garage attached.
· This delightful country cottage is the perfect place to escape from the stresses of city life at the weekends. The inside of the house has been completely rebuilt, while the outside keeps its traditional appearance.
· Few homes in downtown are as comfortable as this well-kept Victorian terraced house. There is a small garden at the front of the house and a sunny patio at the back.
Use a dictionary to find out the Russian equivalents for the following adjectives.
House
| What is the house like? | How big is it? | What shape is it? | How old is it? | What colour is it? | What is it made of? |
| country-style cozy lovely quiet simply-furnished well-planned | average-sized huge large small spacious tiny | oval rectangular round square triangular | antique modern new old | Beige black blue brown coral green magnolia red white | brick concrete marble stone wood |
Using the adjectives above make up a description of the house a) you b) your friends c) your relatives, etc. live in.
8. Work with a partner. Make up a conversation using the cue cards below.
| CUE CARD 1 You are thinking of renting a room. Your partner is the landlord. Ask him about 1) bathroom; 2) deposit; 3) house rules; 4) public transport. | CUE CARD 2 You are thinking of buying a house. Your partner is an estate agent. Ask him/her about: 1) conveniences; 2)location of the house; 3) number of rooms; 4) price; 5) size of the kitchen. | CUE CARD 3 A friend of yours is asking you to help to furnish the house he\she moved in not long time ago. Find out: 1) about the colours of the room; 2) which room he wants to furnish; 3) which style he prefers. |
PART 2
INTRODUCTION TO ARGUMENT
The nature of argument: One of the definitions is ‘Argumentation is the art of influencing others to believe or act as we wish them to believe or act’. The kinds of argument we deal with in this text-book resemble ordinary conversation about controversial issues. You may, for example, overhear a conversation like this:
A: ‘This morning while I was eating breakfast I heard an announcer describing a couple living in a modest house and growing vegetables, trees and flowers.’
B: ‘Okay, but I think that living in the country is not very ambitious.’
A: ‘Well, I read an article that said that people who lived out of town had longer life-spans.’
B: ‘... that means living around the corner and ignoring things more central to the good life, does it?’
A: ‘I don’t want to idealize life in small places, but the urban (городские) pleasures – restaurants, museums, theatres, crowds in the streets – cannot make up for a quiet and healthy life.’
In this dialogue people explain and defend their own beliefs and oppose those of others.
Arguments do not always take the form of dialogues. They may take the form of monologues, both oral and written.
Why study argument?Studying it can give you tools for distinguishing between what is true and what is false in what politicians, advertisers, friends, fellow-students, neighbours, etc. say trying to persuade you to accept a belief or adopt a course of action (зд. линия поведения). It can even offer strategies for arguing with yourself about a personal dilemma.
The structure of argument:A model of argument is based on three elements: claim, support, and warrant. The two principal elements are CLAIMand SUPPORT. They answer the questions:
1. ‘What are you trying to prove?’ (CLAIM);
2. ‘How can you prove it?’ (SUPPORT).
Claims can be of three principal kinds: claims of fact, claims of value and claims of policy.
Claims of fact are based on facts. They attempt to prove that something is (was or will be) true. For example:
1. Modern builders use the constructional know-how developed by the ancient Egyptians.
2. First houses in different countries of the world were made of wood.
3. Five per cent of American homes started as mobile homes.
Claims of value (ценность) emerge when people argue what is good or bad, beautiful or ugly, important or unimportant. For example:
1. A home is a place with deep and happy memories.
2. The most important thing about the house is its appearance.
3. Living out of town is better than living in a big city.
Claims of policyassert what should be done to solve a problem.
For example:
1.Local authorities (местные власти) should build more houses for the population.
2.We should respect other people’s right to privacy.
CLASSIFYING CLAIMS
There is a list of claimsbelow. Which of them are a) claims of fact b) claims of value c) claims of policy? Which of them do you agree / disagree with? Why or why not?
1. Men build houses but women make homes.
2. There’s no place like home.
3. Home is where the heart is. (Pliny the Elder)
4. The most important thing about the house is its appearance.
5. Blocks of flats are most common type of houses in Russia.
6. Living out of town is better than living in a big city.
7. The richer the person is the richer house he has.
8. Housing in Great Britain is better than in most countries.
9. Seeing the person’s home you can arrive at a true impression of his relationship with other people and the world.