BRITISH HOMES

For most English people the basic idea of home is a brick house with rooms upstairs and downstairs and a garden. The brick houses were first built during the industrial revolution. Millions of workers came to towns and cities looking for a job. The houses were small and cheap. They were heated by open fire. Today houses are much bigger, and with larger rooms.

In Britain different sorts of people live in different houses. It depends on money, work and social status. People can buy or rent a house from a private landlord or from local authority. Houses in Britain are very expensive but many people prefer to have their own houses rather than to rent them. Money is a very important problem for many families.

Of course, not all people like to live in houses. Some people enjoy flat-life. There are a lot of modern block of flats in cities and even in the country. The flats are cheaper, though very often they are not very large and beautiful. But they are homes for millions of people.

For the British home is much more personal, much warmer. Your home is the place where you live, which you have created. The British like to say that there is no place like home.

THE TRADITIONAL BRITISH HOUSE

Many British people live in small brick houses which are built close together. The typical British house has two floors: the ground floor and the first floor. The front door, which faces the street, opens into the hall. There are usually two rooms on the ground floor: a dining-room and a living-room with wide windows looking on to the garden. The kitchen is at the far end of the hall.

The stairs lead to the bedrooms on the first floor. There are usually two or three bedrooms in the house. One is for the parents, the others are for the children. The rooms upstairs are often very small, that's why there is much built-in furniture in the rooms. Bedrooms are very private and used exclusively for sleeping. There is often a bathroom and a lavatory upstairs, but a separate lavatory downstairs.

As a rule, the dining-room is the most comfortable room in the house and it is used all the time. In the evening all the members of the family come downstairs to watch TV or read a newspaper. The children do their homework there. The fireplace has always been the centre of interest in the room. People are fond of sitting round the fire talking, reading or just watching the flames. Fireplaces are often decorated with woodwork. Above the fireplace there is a shelf on which you can see a big beautiful clock and some photographs. There can be a painting or a mirror here. In some ways, every little detail, every little picture, every little vase of flowers gives the place a homely atmosphere, makes it cosy and special.

British homes have similar basic furniture - beds, tables, chairs, armchairs, cupboards, shelves, lamps, radio, television, and compact-disc players. The kitchens and bathrooms are quite large and full of useful consumer goods. Many people have a microwave oven, a washing machine, a fridge and a freezer for frozen food. There you can find excellent kitchen knives and other tools, expensive but good-quality pans and saucepans.

Englishmen are fond of gardening. They like to grow plants and look after them. Special attention is given to every bed of flowers, bush or tree. The British always try to make their homes better. They take a lot of time to buy furniture and decorate their homes. They buy books and magazines about houses, furniture and gardening. They love their homes and spend much time there.

AMERICAN HOMES

What is the difference between American and European people? In Europe there are people who do not like or want any change to something new. They live in the same houses and have the same job. They like to stay at home with their families and do all sorts of housework.

As for the Americans, they love change; they call it "the spirit of adventure". They hate to stay in one place for a long time. They change jobs and homes. They are not sentimental and they are very energetic. And their houses are big and open to their friends.

To own a home is a part of the American Dream. Private houses are rather expensive, that's why many Americans cannot afford to buy a house of their own. But some people really want to live in me house. So they build or buy a house, sometimes an old one which they remodel and decorate with beautiful furniture. After their children grow up and leave homes, they sell their houses and move to a cosy flat. It is not easy for them to take care of me houses. Old people do not live with their children, as a rule.

Young people often move away from home when they leave school. They prefer to rent a flat and do their own cooking and cleaning. Young married couples may move to new suburbs. They like to make new friends and are always ready to help each other.

Americans are always on the move because they want a bigger or a smaller house or a new well-paid job. And they do their best to make their homes better. They really like their homes.

 Discuss the following questions.

1. What is the difference between British and American homes?

2.  What makes a house cosy?

3.   Who can afford to buy a house of their own?

4.  Explain the meaning of the following saying: "Men make houses, women make homes."