8. Amazing architecture

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ABOUT YOU

06 Watch the video and then answer the questions. What is your favourite building? Do you prefer old or modern buildings? How important is it to have local facilities near your home?

My favourite building is the House with Chimaeras in Kyiv because of its unique architectural style and fascinating sculptures of mythical creatures. I generally prefer modern buildings because they are usually brighter, more energy-efficient, and have convenient layouts. Having local facilities like supermarkets, public transport stops, and sports grounds near my home is very important because it saves a lot of time every day.

VOCABULARY

1 Match the sentences to the houses in photos 1–3 on the opposite page.

1 a (The solar panels and glass walls on this house make it look brand new. Its original shape is spectacular to look at. It’s more contemporary than the other houses.) 2 b (This house is unusual because it’s very narrow. Inside this home is very stylish thanks to its bright, fresh design.) 3 c (This house is a classic example of a historic tower. Its design is very traditional but it could be quite cosy inside. It’s not as modern as the other houses.)

2 Complete the chart with the adjectives from Exercise 1.

3 Look at the photos again. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in each building.

• Photo 1 (The contemporary solar house):

  • Advantages: It uses eco-friendly solar energy, has large windows that let in plenty of daylight, and has an innovative, spectacular design.
  • Disadvantages: Because of the large glass walls, there is very little privacy, and maintaining large glass surfaces can be difficult.

• Photo 2 (The narrow house):

  • Advantages: It has a stylish and modern interior, makes smart use of urban space, and is situated in an exciting city location.
  • Disadvantages: The living space is extremely limited, making it hard to fit large pieces of furniture, and moving between levels can feel cramped.

• Photo 3 (The historic tower):

  • Advantages: It offers spectacular panoramic views from the top floor, has historic charm, and feels warm and cosy inside.
  • Disadvantages: There is no lift, so climbing multiple flights of stairs every day can be exhausting, and each floor only contains a single small room.

4 Listen to two people talking about the buildings in Exercise 1. Do they mention any of your ideas?

Yes, they mention many of the same ideas. For the modern house, they talk about the temperature advantages (staying cool in summer and warm in winter) and the disadvantage of glass walls reducing privacy. For the historic tower, they highlight the spectacular views from the top, the cosy rooms, and the disadvantage of having no lift with too many stairs. For the narrow house, they mention the stylish interior as well as the problem of carrying furniture inside and having to walk up and down stairs constantly.

5 Discuss the questions.

1 How much space do you need to live in? Why? I do not need a huge amount of space, just a private bedroom to study and sleep in, and a comfortable living room to spend time with my family. A compact living space is easier to keep tidy and much cheaper to heat.

2 What sort of house would you like to live in? I would like to live in a modern, eco-friendly house with large glass windows and solar panels on the roof. It should have a cosy garden where I can relax with friends after school.

3 Describe the most unusual building you have ever visited or read about. The most unusual building I have read about is the Upside-down house in Bukovel, Ukraine. In this building, the roof touches the ground and all the furniture and decorations inside are attached to the ceiling.

READING

1 The five students below are learning about unusual homes around the world. Each student wants to find out more about one unusual home, which they will write about for an architecture project. Read the information about each student and underline the things they are interested in. The first one has been done for you.

1 Marcelo: modern home that has been designed for a famous sportsperson, buildings by the ocean 2 Gloria: old buildings, in the countryside, fantastic views of the landscape 3 Harry: well-known architect who designed a building which the architect then lived in, interest in furniture 4 Sofie: smallest of its kind, city buildings, located in an interesting neighbourhood 5 Kurt: modern home that is better for the environment than other buildings, won competitions because of its original architecture

2 Read the descriptions of eight unusual homes (A–H) quickly. Which two are shown in the pictures on the opposite page? Decide which home would be the most suitable for each student (1–5) to write about.

The pictures show A (Keret House, photo 2) and D (Freston Tower, photo 3) (as well as B Crossway, photo 1).

1 E (Pas House: This unusual house is located near the beach in California and was created for a former skateboarding world champion.) 2 D (Freston Tower: This historic building in the countryside has lasted for several centuries and offers fantastic views of the river and fields from the top floor.) 3 G (Gropius House: The famous architect Walter Gropius designed it as his family home, and visitors can see a collection of chairs and other family items inside.) 4 A (Keret House: It is the world’s narrowest home, located in a capital city in an area full of things to see and do.) 5 B (Crossway: This passive house uses solar electricity, has a living roof to reduce pollution, and has won architectural prizes.)

TALKING POINTS

In what ways are some modern buildings better for the environment? Modern buildings are better for the environment because they often use renewable energy, such as solar panels, and feature green roofs that reduce air pollution. They are also designed with better insulation to use less energy for heating and cooling.

What makes a good family home, in your opinion? A good family home should be warm, bright, and cosy, with enough space for everyone to have their own privacy. It also needs a comfortable kitchen and living room where family members can spend time together.

Would you prefer to live in a city or the countryside? Why? I would prefer to live in a city because it has better infrastructure and everything is close by. It is much easier to get to school, sports clubs, libraries, and cinemas without travelling long distances.

GRAMMAR

1 Read the examples and write C for comparative or S for superlative.

1 This is certainly not the world’s biggest house! — S 2 The floors are at different levels, like branches, making it easier for the people who live there to move around. — C 3 Kurt wants to learn about a modern home that is better for the environment than others. — C 4 It’s only 122 cm at its widest point. — S 5 Located in the most beautiful part of England … — S 6 The Heliodrome is situated in one of the least busy areas of the country. — S 7 Other architects may be more famous. — C 8 … making the house warm without heating – and therefore cheaper to live in! — C 9 Most houses without views are less expensive than those with views. — C 10 Keret House is as narrow as a car. — C 11 We’ve just read about a house that is narrower than any other. — C

2 Read Exercise 1 again and answer these questions.

1 The irregular adjective is good (comparative: better, superlative: best). 2 We add -er to form comparative adjectives and -est (with the) to form superlative adjectives. 3 For one-syllable adjectives ending in a single vowel followed by a single consonant (like big), we double the final consonant before adding the ending (e.g. bigger, biggest). 4 The final -y changes to -i before adding -er or -est (e.g. easier, easiest, busier, busiest). 5 For positive forms, we use more + adjective (comparative) and the most + adjective (superlative). For negative forms, we use less + adjective (comparative) and the least + adjective (superlative). 6 We use as + adjective + as to show that two things are the same.

3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the adjective in brackets.

1 I picked this house because it’s quieter than the houses in the city centre. 2 My parents would be happier in the countryside than in the busy town. 3 I think my town will be bigger in 20 years’ time. 4 In Spain, one of the most popular festivals is in January. It’s Día de los Reyes Magos. 5 Henry is the most intelligent person in our class. 6 My cousins live further from my grandparents than me. 7 I think this is the best advice I can give you. 8 This mirror is cheaper than that one. I think I’ll take both!

4 Rewrite the sentences so that they have the same meaning. Use the words in brackets.

1 Maggie’s house is not as big as mine. 2 The design was less traditional than I thought. 3 Homes with sea views are the most expensive. 4 The first film was more entertaining than the second one. 5 Our old house was farther from shops than our new house. 6 My new bike is better than my old one.

5 Answer the questions about your town or city. Talk to your partner. Do you have the same ideas?

1 The biggest building in my city is the Gulliver shopping and office centre, and the oldest building is the Saint Sophia Cathedral, which was founded in the eleventh century. 2 The House with Chimaeras is the most unusual and beautiful building because its facade is decorated with extraordinary sculptures of mythical creatures and exotic animals. 3 The least attractive building is an old abandoned factory near the railway station because its walls are grey, covered in peeling paint, and falling apart.

VOCABULARY

1 Look at the photos and the captions. Which adjective has a stronger meaning?

Enormous has a stronger meaning because it means extremely large or huge, whereas big is a regular adjective.

2 Put the adjectives into matching pairs.

3 Read the examples and complete the rules.

With normal adjectives we use the adverbs extremely, very, incredibly, really.

With strong adjectives we use the adverbs absolutely, really.

4 Work in pairs. Turn to page 135.

Student A: Look at the photo of this modern building. The view from the top is absolutely spectacular! Student B: Yes, it is amazing. The rooms inside look incredibly big, and the design is brand new. Student A: I would be exhausted after walking up all those stairs, but living there must be a great experience. Student B: Definitely! It looks very warm and cosy inside, even when it is freezing outside.

LISTENING

1 Read question 1 and look at the underlined words. Can you think of words with a similar meaning? Listen to the first part of the recording, which is about people who are moving to a new place. Choose A, B or C.

Similar meanings:

• sad: upset, unhappy
• see her friends: visit friends, meet pals
• excited: looking forward to, thrilled
• more interesting: fun, lots of things to do
• glad: pleased, happy
• not too far: close, takes hardly any time to get there

Answer: 1 C (glad it isn’t too far from where she’s living now)

2 Now listen to the rest of the conversations about people who are moving to a new place. For each question, choose the correct answer.

2 A (how good the facilities are) 3 B (She expects people will be friendly towards her.) 4 C (He will have his own bedroom.) 5 B (keen to do a new activity in the town) 6 A (it will be a good place to practise their hobby.)

SPEAKING

1 Look at the photo of skateboarders inside Pas House on page 136. How would you describe it?

The room looks like an indoor skate park with curved walls that blend into the ceiling. It is very modern, spacious, and unusual because the furniture is made of skateboards and you can skate directly on the walls.

2 Listen to Julia. Does she mention any of your ideas from Exercise 1?

Yes, she mentions that the room looks more like a skate park than a house, that the walls are curved and not straight, and that the furniture is made out of skateboards.

3 Which adjectives in the box does Julia use? Listen again and check.

Julia uses the following adjectives from the box: comfortable, normal, perfect, soft, strange, unusual.

4 Read the ‘order of adjectives’ table below. Then put the adjectives in the correct order in the phrases below.

1 a gorgeous brand new leather sofa 2 some beautiful little glass bowls 3 a big square table 4 some comfortable large red chairs

5 Read the Prepare to speak box. Which phrases does Julia use? Listen again and complete the sentences below.

1 I can see a room in what looks like a house. 2 It’s got designer lights and things like that. 3 A guy is sitting on some kind of seat. 4 Not pillows exactly, but a bit like pillows? 5 It seems to be made out of skateboards. 6 This place looks more like a skate park than a house.

6 Work in pairs. Turn to page 136.

Student A: In my picture, I can see a spacious modern living room inside an unusual round house. There is a comfortable large grey sofa in the centre and some beautiful little glass tables near the windows. It seems to be very bright because of the huge glass walls, and it looks like a really cosy place to live.

Student B: In my picture, there is a bedroom located in what looks like an old wooden tower. I can see a tall square bookcase against the wall and a gorgeous brand new leather armchair next to the window. It looks more like a historic castle room than a modern flat, but it seems to have a very peaceful atmosphere.

LIFE SKILLS

1 Ask and answer the questions with a partner.

1 In my free time, I enjoy reading fantasy novels and detective stories because they have exciting plots and keep me guessing until the end. 2 The last book that I read was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was very captivating and full of adventure. 3 I sometimes imagine my own stories when I listen to music or walk in the park, and I occasionally write short mystery stories for school projects.

2 Read the article on the opposite page about how to plan a story. Do you use a similar process for writing stories? Complete the sentences in the article with the words in the box.

I use a very similar process when I write stories because planning the characters and setting first makes the writing much easier.

1 There are fictional stories that writers imagine, and true stories about events that really happened. 2 Most stories have one or two main characters. 3 The narrator is the person who tells the story. 4 Most stories take place in a particular place and time, or setting. 5 In the middle, there is often a problem that the characters have to solve.

3 Complete the sentences about the article with two or three words.

1 There are ways to plan the creative writing process. 2 The villain is someone who makes problems for other characters. 3 Sometimes the narrator knows what a character is thinking. 4 The setting includes facts about the location and weather of the story. 5 Most writers revise and change their work many times before they are happy.

4 Match the highlighted words in the text to the meanings.

1 unusual or unknown — strange 2 well-known and easy to recognise — familiar 3 work to find an answer — solve 4 the feeling of a situation — mood 5 working in the best way — efficient 6 think or believe that something will happen — expect

CREATIVE WRITING

5 Listen to Sam and Kate. How does Sam describe the genre of his story for English class?

Sam describes his story as a mystery, but not a typical one, saying it is both a mystery and a suspense story at the same time.

6 Listen again and answer the questions.

1 Why hasn’t Sam finished writing his story yet? He hasn’t finished writing it because they only had to write a plan for today to help them write the story later.

2 What location is Sam thinking about for his story? He is thinking about an old house in the countryside in the middle of winter, possibly in Scotland.

3 Who are Sam’s four main characters going to be? They are going to be a group of friends or cousins around their age, two boys and two girls.

4 What happens when they go down to the basement? All of a sudden, the door closes and they get locked inside and cannot get out.

5 Why can’t the characters call the police for help? They cannot call the police because the story is set in the past in the nineteenth century, before people had phones.

6 What type of ending is Sam planning for his story? Sam has not written or planned the ending yet, so readers will have to wait until he finishes the story to find out.

7 Complete the list of narrative connectors in the Useful language with connectors from the box which have a similar meaning.

1 At first / First of all 2 Then / Next 3 After a while / A while later 4 Suddenly / All of a sudden 5 Fortunately / Luckily 6 Finally / In the end