Unit 2 My Home

Warm up

People around the world live in different kinds of homes. In Central Asia, many people live in yurts. Since people in Central Asia often move to different places, yurts are easy to take apart and move. Teepees are also easy to move. These are the homes of indigenous people in parts of Canada. They are made of animal skins and wood. Igloos are the homes of the Inuit in northern areas like Greenland. They are made of snow, but they are warm on the inside. In warmer areas, you can find stilt houses. These are in many countries, like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. They are made of wood, and are built near or over the water. This helps to save them from floods.

1. Label each picture above with the place where this type of house can be found.

2. Which kind of house can be found in the coldest places? Which can be found in the warmest places?

3. Why are yurts and teepees easy to move?

4. Which type of house would you most like to live in? Why?

I would most like to live in a…

Vocabulary　U2-V-L1

Vocabulary Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word. Use plural form or change the verb tense if necessary.

traditional　northern　region　dome　block　unique　lean　crack

upward　straight　self-supporting　hole　temperature　melt　freeze

1. Your clothes are so_____ , where did you buy them?

2. His mother is very_____and doesn’t want him to marry a girl from another country.

3. The northern_____of Canada is very cold.

4. You should fix your pants, there is a_____in them.

5. The boy made a tower out of_____in his bedroom.

6. The new sports stadium is shaped like a_____ .

7. In the winter, this river_____completely.

8. Water comes into the house through a_____in the ceiling.

9. The summer had the hottest_____we’d seen in ten years.

10. Mickey has been_____since he was 17 years-old.

II. Match the words with their translations.

III. Connect the beginning of each sentence with the correct ending.

Reading Passage 1　U2-P1

The igloo is the traditional home of the Inuit in the northern regions. Igloos are made of snow, and are shaped like a dome. Some Inuit today still use igloos, but it is getting harder to find snow that is good for building them.

The snow used to build an igloo must be strong. The best snow to use is snow that has been compacted by the wind. When there are no trees to stop the wind, it blows hard and compacts the snow. This snow is hard enough to be carved into blocks to build igloos.

One unique part of the igloo is its dome, which is made only using ice blocks. The blocks lean on each other and fit closely together. The blocks are laid in an upward spiral, instead of straight. This makes a dome that is self-supporting.

After the igloo is built, a door is cut. Small holes are made so that air can come in and CO2 can go out. Snow is put into the cracks outside for better insulation. The entrance of the igloo is lower than the sleeping area. This keeps the warm air inside the igloo. It also stops cold air from coming inside. Sometimes, a short tunnel is made at the entrance to stop the wind. Because of this, animal fur is enough to keep a person warm when they are sleeping.

An igloo can be 40°C higher than the outside temperature. The insulation of the igloo actually gets better a few days after it is built. Body heat and sunlight make the inside of the igloo melt a little. When no one is in the igloo, the melted snow freezes again. After a few days of melting and refreezing, the igloo turns into ice. This makes it warmer, and also very strong.

Reading Exercises

I. Select the correct answer for the following questions.

1. Why are there fewer igloos now?

a) The Inuit all live in houses now.

b) It’s hard to find the right snow to build them with.

c) All of the Inuit have moved to warmer places.

d) Igloos are too cold to live in.

2. Why is wind important for building igloos?

a) The cold wind helps to freeze the snow.

b) The wind helps keep the inside of the igloo warm.

c) The wind makes the snow soft and easy to move.

d) The wind compacts the snow.

3. In paragraph 3, which refers to

a) the igloo.

b) the dome.

c) the blocks.

d) the wind.

4. Why is the dome self-supporting?

a) Because the blocks are laid in an upward spiral.

b) Because the blocks are laid straight.

c) Because the igloo becomes ice.

d) Because the blocks are very heavy.

5. What keeps the warm air inside of the igloo?

a) Small holes in the igloo

b) A short tunnel at the entrance

c) The entrance is lower than the sleeping area

d) A heater inside the igloo

6. Inside the igloo, the temperature

a) can be 40℃ higher than the outside.

b) can be up to 40℃ after several days.

c) can be 40℃ immediately after it’s built.

d) is the same as the outside temperature, but without wind.

7. Why does the igloo become ice?

a) The temperature outside becomes colder.

b) It slowly freezes.

c) The snow inside melts and freezes again.

d) The cracks in the igloo are filled with snow.

II. Number the sentences in the order as they appear in the passage.

1. The blocks are placed in an upward spiral to make the igloo self-supporting._____

2. The entrance to the igloo is lower to keep the heat inside._____

3. It is getting harder to find snow to make igloos._____

4. Wind compacts the snow and makes it hard enough to make blocks._____

5. The insulation of the igloo gets better in the days after it is built._____

Grammar Focus—Verbs

Verbs describe an action or a state.

Action verbs are things that you can easily see or do.

Look at the following sentences:

I can jump.

The two men hit each other.

We will eat dinner at 6 o’clock.

State verbs are things you cannot see. They include verbs of perception, cognition, sense, and emotion.

Look at the following sentences:

I need more money.

She seems very nice.

Tina doesn’t know where her bag is.

Here are some common action and state verbs:

Grammar Exercises

I. Read the following sentences. Underline the verb then decide if the verb is an action verb or a state verb.

II. Sort the following verbs into the correct category.

go　play　see　think　agree　watch　jump

grab　wonder　taste　breathe　dislike　hear

III. Choose 10 verbs from above and write sentences with them.

1. _______________________________________

2. _______________________________________

3. _______________________________________

4. _______________________________________

5. _______________________________________

6. _______________________________________

7. _______________________________________

8. _______________________________________

9. _______________________________________

10. ______________________________________

Vocabulary　U2-V-L2

Vocabulary Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word. Use plural form or change the verb tense if necessary.

rent　afford　belong　nothing　investment　value　payment　renovate

tax　fee　percent　disappointed　break　landlord　fix

1. How can you_____to buy such expensive clothes?

2. I need to call my_____about fixing the A/C.

3. During the financial crisis, their home lost a lot of its_____.

4. Last year we spent a lot of money_____our house.

5. My uncle_____part of his house to earn some extra money.

6. Jack’s parents were very_____with his low exam scores.

7. I’m angry and have_____to say to you right now.

8. That coffee machine_____to me, please tell me if you want to use it.

9._____are very high in countries like Germany, Sweden and Norway.

10. You can use Visa or MasterCard to make your_____.

II. Match the word with its definition or synonym.

III. Put the parts of the following sentences in order.

1. a car./to buy/I can’t afford

2. this book/Who does/belong to?

3. did nothing/Neil/all weekend.

4. while skiing/broke her leg/Cathy/on the weekend.

5. The value of/has increased/our house/a lot.

6. park your car here./There is/if you want to/a $5 fee

Reading Passage 2

Reading—850L　U2-P2-R

Renting an apartment or house is smart for people who are younger, but buying a home is smarter for those who can afford it.

First of all, when someone buys a home, they are buying an asset. The house will belong to them. Renting, on the other hand, is like throwing money away. A renter pays a lot of money to live in a home, but has nothing after moving out.

Second of all, buying a home is an investment that increases in value. The price of houses usually goes up, so the owner can sell the house later and make money. For a renter, the only thing that will increase in value is their rent payments.

Finally, buying a home gives you control over the space. If you want to make renovations to the home, you can. Renters, however, may not be able to make changes. If renters do renovate, they can only enjoy those renovations for as long as they live in that place. Homeowners can renovate to make their homes more valuable.

Listening—780L　U2-P2-L

Buying a house might not be as great as most people think.

First, it’s true that home owners get an asset and renters don’t. But buyers spend more money per month. They not only have monthly mortgage payments, but also taxes, fees, and maintenance costs. Renters don’t have these payments, so they can invest that money in other assets, like stocks. These investments can become as profitable as buying a house.

Next, property prices aren’t always rising. We’ve seen in the past that prices can drop very quickly. But look at the stock market. It has returns each year of between 8 and 10 percent. This has been about the same for decades. If people buy homes hoping to make money, they may be disappointed.

Finally, it is true that renters can’t make big changes to the place they rent. It’s not theirs, so they can’t just change it as they wish. But renters also don’t have to spend money if something breaks. They can just call the landlord. But the owner of the house is the landlord, so they have to fix things themselves, or pay someone else to do it.

Reading Exercises

I. Briefly describe the three arguments made in the passages above.

II. Read the sentences. Are they true (T) or false (F)?

1. Homes will always increase in value._____

2. Renting is a good idea for young people._____

3. If you rent a home for a long time, it will belong to you._____

4. If you are renting, you do not need to pay for maintenance._____

5. Homeowners can make renovations to their homes._____

6. To have a house, you only have monthly mortgage payments._____

7. Stocks can be a better investment than buying a house._____

8. People who buy a home will have an asset._____

III. This chart compares buying and renting a house. Review the two passages and choose the correct box.

Functional Vocabulary　U2-FV

Writing

I. You are going to write about your dream house. Use the table below to plan out the details of your dream house.

II. Use the information above and write about your dream house. Use full sentences and write as much detail as possible.

Example: My dream house will be in Hawaii. It would have 10 rooms. I want a big living room. I will have a huge television and an unique sofa in my living room.

_______________________________________