Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 10 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 2: Home and Town

The most unusual homes in the world

Houseboats in Amsterdam, cave homes in Italy and a hotel made of ice in Sweden. Discover unusual homes, design your dream home with an architect, and give your final talk of Block 2.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Dream homes

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. What does your dream home look like?
  2. Would you like to live by the sea or in the mountains?
  3. What is the most important room for you?
  4. Would you like a big house or a small flat?
  5. What is the most beautiful home you know?
  6. Do you like decorating your home?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say if you would like it in your dream home.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. My is a wooden house in the Carpathians.
  2. From the window, there's a beautiful of the mountains.
  3. I'd like a with roses and apple trees.
  4. In summer, we swim in our .
  5. In winter, we sit by the and drink tea.
  6. I'd like a room under the roof — an — for my books.
  7. The living room is — 60 square metres!
  8. I'd like to the kitchen in yellow.
2.3

Opposites and meanings

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. huge ↔
  2. bright ↔
  3. a room under the roof = an
  4. a room under the ground = a
  5. a boat you live on = a
  6. normal ↔
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to describe your dream home.

  • My dream home is...Мій будинок мрії — це...My dream home is a small house by the sea.
  • I'd like to have...Я б хотів(-ла) мати...I'd like to have a big kitchen.
  • It would have...У ньому було б...It would have three bedrooms and a garden.
  • The most important thing for me is...Найважливіше для мене — це...The most important thing for me is a nice view.
  • I wouldn't like...Я б не хотів(-ла)...I wouldn't like a house in the city centre.
  • It's the most... house in...Це найбільш... будинок у...It's the most unusual house in our town.
  • There would be...Там був би...There would be a swimming pool in the garden.
  • Home is where the heart is.Дім там, де серце.It's small, but home is where the heart is.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Unusual homes

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

The most unusual homes in the world

Most people live in flats or houses. But some people around the world live in very unusual homes.

In Amsterdam, there are about 2,500 houseboats on the canals. Some are old and small, and some are modern and very beautiful. People living there wake up on the water every day!

In Matera, in the south of Italy, people lived in caves in the rocks for thousands of years. In the 1950s, the government moved the families to new homes because life in the caves was very hard. Today the caves are hotels, restaurants and homes again, and the old town is a famous tourist attraction.

In the north of Sweden, there is a hotel made of ice. Every winter, artists build it again with ice from the river. The beds are made of ice too, but don't worry: guests sleep in warm sleeping bags! In spring, the hotel melts and goes back to the river.

Would you like to live in an unusual home? Or do you prefer a normal flat with central heating?

3.2

True or false?

  1. There are about 2,500 houseboats in Amsterdam.
  2. In Matera, people lived in caves for only ten years.
  3. Today some caves in Matera are hotels.
  4. The ice hotel in Sweden is the same every year.
  5. Guests sleep in warm sleeping bags in the ice hotel.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Which unusual home would you like to try? Why?
  2. Which would you never live in?
  3. Could you live on a houseboat?
  4. What unusual homes are there in Ukraine?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

would like / would + verb

For dreams and wishes.

I'd like a garden. It would have a big kitchen. There would be a pool.

Superlatives

the + -est / the most + adjective.

the biggest room, the most beautiful view, the best house

Block 2 review

Use the grammar from this block.

there is / are (L6) · some / any / much / many (L7) · imperatives (L8) · comparatives (L9)

would like + noun / to + verb: I'd like a big house. I'd like to live by the sea. Careful: ✗ I would like have... → I'd like to have... ✗ the most big → the biggest.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I'd like
    in the mountains.
  2. My dream home
    a big terrace.
  3. It's
    house in the street.
  4. a fireplace in the living room.
  5. three bedrooms upstairs.
  6. There aren't
    shops near the house.
  7. A house is
    than a flat.
  8. left and you'll see my house.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I would like have a garden. →
  2. It would has a pool. →
  3. It's the most big room. →
  4. There is two bathrooms. →
  5. My dream house is more better than my flat. →
  6. There aren't some trees. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use would like / would and superlatives.

  1. Describe your dream home in detail: where, how big, what rooms, what would there be?
  2. What is the biggest and most beautiful home you know?
  3. What would you change in your home if you had money?
  4. Compare your dream home with your real home.
  5. Describe the most unusual home you know or have seen in a film.
  6. Where would you NOT like to live? Why?
5

Design your dream home and a final talk

8 min
5.1

Three dream homes

Compare the three homes: which is the biggest, the most beautiful, the most practical? Which would you choose? Then design your own dream home.

Home A

The city penthouse

  • Top floor, city centre
  • Huge windows, amazing view
  • Terrace with a jacuzzi
  • No garden, a lot of noise
Home B

The mountain chalet

  • Wooden house in the Carpathians
  • Fireplace and big kitchen
  • Forest all around
  • 2 hours from the city
Home C

The seaside villa

  • Next to the beach
  • Swimming pool and garden
  • Bright white rooms
  • Very expensive
5.2

Mini-talk: my home and my town

This is the final speaking task of Block 2. Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: your home now: what is there and what isn't there (there is / are, some / any).
  3. Part 2: your neighbourhood and town: compare it with another place (comparatives).
  4. Part 3: your dream home (would like, superlatives).
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What would your dream bedroom look like?
  2. Would you like a garden? What would you grow?
  3. What colour would your living room be?
  4. Would you like to live alone or with others?
  5. Would you prefer an old house or a new flat?
  6. What is your favourite thing in your home now?
  7. Where would you put your dream home?
  8. Would you like a home with a lot of technology?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. What is your parents' dream home?
  2. Who has the most beautiful home you know?
  3. What do your friends' homes look like?
  4. What would your children like in a house?
  5. Which famous person has an amazing home?
  6. What kind of homes do people in villages have?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is a big house better than a small one?
  2. Is it better to buy an old house or build a new one?
  3. Should homes be more eco-friendly?
  4. Do people spend too much money on their homes?
  5. What makes a house a home?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

The architect

You

Client

An architect (your teacher) is going to design your dream home. Tell them exactly what you want:
  • where the house will be and how big
  • what rooms you would like and what would be in them
  • what would be outside (garden, terrace, pool)
  • what is most important for you
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use would like / would and there would be.
Your teacher

Architect

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. How many bedrooms would you like?
  2. Would you like a big kitchen?
  3. What colour would the walls be?
  4. Would you like a garage?
7.2

The home swap

You

Home owner

You want to swap your home with a family from another country for a holiday. Describe your home and your town to them (your teacher):
  • your home: rooms, furniture, view
  • what there is near your home
  • why your town is better than many others
  • how to get to your home from the station
You do most of the talking. Use: There is / are... · There are a lot of... · It's more... than... · Turn left at...
Your teacher

Foreign family

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. Is there a garden for the kids?
  2. Is it near the sea?
  3. Are there any good restaurants?
  4. How do we get there from the airport?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

dream homeviewgardenfireplaceattichugebrightdecorate
  1. My is a cottage by a lake.
  2. We have a beautiful of the sea.
  3. I grow vegetables in my .
  4. We sit by the on cold evenings.
  5. My old toys are in the .
  6. Their living room is .
  7. I like rooms with big windows.
  8. Let's the room for the party.
H2

Block 2 review: choose the correct form

  1. I'd like by the sea.
  2. It's house in the street.
  3. two parks near my home.
  4. There aren't shops here.
  5. How rooms are there?
  6. right at the bank.
  7. Lviv is than my town.
  8. My dream home a big garden.
H3

Correct or incorrect? (Block 2 review)

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I'd like to have a swimming pool.
  2. There is three bedrooms.
  3. It's the most beautiful view.
  4. How much shops are there?
  5. Turn left at the traffic lights.
  6. London is more big than Kyiv.
  7. There would be a fireplace in the living room.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. My dream home is
  2. I'd like to have
  3. It would have
  4. The most important thing for me is
  5. I wouldn't like
  6. There would be
  7. It's small, but

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.