1. A detached house stands in its own
grounds.
2. A mansion is a very large, impressive and expensive house.
3. A cottage is usually a small house in the country.
4. A block of flats (UK), or apartment building (US) is a large
building divided into flats or apartments.
5. A bungalow is a house with only one floor.
6. Terraced houses are in a row of usually small houses that are
connected together on their side walls.
7. A semi-detached house, or ‘semi’, is attached to another house on
one side only.
Check your answers.
Listen and repeat.
Before you listen about a married couple who live in an unusual house, read the
following true or false questions.
1. Michael and Suzanne Breene are
retired now.
2. The Post Office was built 5 years ago.
3. The Post Office has changed more inside than outside.
4. Michael and Suzanne Breene made a beautiful new ceiling when they
renovated the Building.
5. The Post Office used to sell pens, paper, greeting cards and
office equipment.
6. The windows are the same shape as they were before.
Now listen and answer the questions.
Check your answers.
Now read the text and put the verbs in brackets into the most suitable verb form,
active or passive. Follow the examples.
Michael and Suzanne Breene
(live) in a very unusual house. A converted post office in North Yorkshire,
England.
The Breenes
(own) the Post Office for many years, and they (1)
(retire) when it eventually
(2)
(close). They spent
quite some time (3)
(look) for a new home, but in the end they decided (4)
(stay) and convert the post
office, which (5)
(build) in the 1930’s. They (6) (live)
in their new home for over 5 years.
As you can see from the photos, it (7)
(not changed) much from the
outside.
Before
After
The interior of the building, on the
other hand, (8)
(transform)
beyond recognition.
This is the original oak door of the Post Office. Customers (9)
(come)
in and (10)
(turn)
left into the shop, there was a wall just in front of the door which
(11)
(remove)
to make a magnificent hallway for the house.
This was the view from behind the
counter. You can just see the beautiful plasterwork on the ceiling.
This is an original feature and people who (12)
(visit)
the house since it was converted are amazed to find out it was
always there, they just (13)
(not look up)
before.
The Post Office counter (14)
(be)
at the back of the shop, you can just (15)
(see)
the shelves of stationery in the corner.
It's hard to believe, but this is how
the Post Office (16)
(look)
today! It (17)
(convert)
into a wonderful living room. The counter was where the dining table
is now, just behind the lamp.
The original arched windows of the
Post Office flood the new living room with light. There used to be a
clock above the central window, but it (18)
(take down)
a long time ago.
Before the conversion, the inside of
the Post Office (19)
(not have)
so much light. The shop area used to be quite full of greeting cards
and stationery.
The Breenes in their living room. They
(20)
(convert)
the old Post Office into a beautiful and unusual home.
to own = tener, poseer, ser dueño de / oak = roble / hallway =
vestíbulo, entrada / counter = mostrador / plaster = escayola /
ceiling = techo / stationery = papelería / to flood (with light/sunshine)
= entrar a raudales
Listen to translations of some vocabulary from the previous text in Spanish and
try to say the English words before you hear them. Then, repeat the word to
practise pronunciation.