step by step 3lesson 115

Lesson 115 Part I

Lesson 115

Part Ⅰ Warming-up Exercises

Note-taking: Finding Out the House Rules

Training Focus:

Note-taking: important points of a conversation

Directions: You are going to hear a short conversation between a landlady and a new tenant. Listen carefully. Take brief notes for the things the landlady does not allow her tenants to do.

Key:

----Well it's a lovely room. It's quite a nice size.

----Oh yes. It's a good-sized room and it's well-furnished.

----Yes. Yes I can see that. Erm … is there anything that I should know ?

---Well, I don't allow the cat to go upstairs at all.

----Oh ? Not at all.

----No, absolutely not. I don't like cats upstairs. (Oh right.) And I don't allow people to smoke in bedrooms.

----Oh no, no. I agree with that. I don't smoke anyway.

----And … erm … I don't allow people to stick pictures up on the walls with sellotape. (Oh ?) Well you see, when you take the picture down the sellotape leaves… erm … a mark on the paper.

---- Oh I see. Can I use blu-tack or something ?

----Oh yes. Something like that (Oh right) is quite acceptable. (Lovely) And there are just two more things (Oh) if you don't mind. (Yes.) If you do go out, would you please remember to close the window.

----Right. I'll do that.

----And there's the kettle here, as you can see, (Yes) but when you boil the kettle could you please put it on the floor and not on the chest of drawers?

----Oh I see. Does it make a mark or something ?

----Yes it would probably leave a mark.

----Oh right. I'll do that then.

----Is … is that all right ?

----Well it sounds very fair. Thank you very much.

----Yes all right. (OK) Good.

Lesson 115 Part Ⅱ Types Of Houses

Lesson 115

Part Ⅱ  Types Of Houses

Ex. Ⅰ

Directions: Gomplete the statements with what you hear on the tape.

Key: (see tapescript)

Ex. Ⅱ

Directions: Note down the relevant information about the different shapes of the houses and windows in different geographical and climatic regions.

Key: (a) plan of house open, rooms arranged round courtyard

(b) houses compact

(c) steep roofs

(d) flatter roofs

(e) flat roofs

(f) large

(g) small, shaded by balconies or verandas, shutters outside

Tapescript:

Types Of Houses (2'43")

The primitive dwellings of many native tribes are often little more than shelters of mud, skin, or wood, hardly deserving the name of‘house.’It is only in settled civilizations that permanently constructed houses have developed. Their forms differ widely according to the kind of life people live, the climate, the materials available for building, and the skill with which these are used. In modern times houses differ less from country to country because people do not depend solely on local materials and because ready-made building components are widely used. Nevertheless, many local characteristics persist.

The shape of the house is strongly influenced by the climate. Where it is warm, as in the Mediterranean and Arab countries, the plan of the house is open, with the rooms often arranged round a courtyard which admits air but not too much sun. In the north, houses are more compact so that they can be more easily kept warm in winter; where there is much rain, they have steep roofs to throw it off; but where there is much snow and frost, as in Switzerland, they generally have flatter roofs where the snow will lie, making a warm blanket over the house. Tiled roofs in the south of France and in Italy have a still flatter pitch than those of the north. In hot countries flat roofs are common because no slope is needed to throw off rainwater and because a flat roof is useful for sleeping on in the hottest weather.

The shape of windows is also dependent on the climate. They are large in the north to admit sunlight, though not so large as to make the rooms too cold; in the south, windows arc small so as to keep the house as cool as possible inside,  and are often shaded from the direct glare of the sun by balconies or verandas which provide a cool sitting place in the open air. Shutters outside the windows also provide protection from the sun. Windows are placed facing away from the sun in hot countries and, where possible, towards the sun in cold climates to let in as much light and warmth as possible. Chimneys are a prominent feature of the exterior of the northern house.

Lesson 115 Part Ⅲ The Open-Air Museum

Lesson 115

Part Ⅲ The Open-Air Museum

Ex.

Directions: Note down the relevant information to answerthe questions.

Key: 1. At a conference, 1965.

2. 1971, Edward James Foundation.

3. Rescue good examples of vernacular architecture, re-erect them at the museum.

4. Some 40 buildings, humbler buildings (farmhouses, small town and village houses threatened with destruction).

5. Private, non-profit-making organization registered as limited company and charity.

6. Volunteers, professional director and master craftsmen employed.

7. Keep buildings on original sites, (move to museum second best solution), awaken public interest in English architecture, encourage people fight for preservation of buildings.

Tapescript:

The Open-Air Museum (2' 10")

The idea of an open-air museum was first publicly launched at a conference held specially for the purpose in 1965. Two years later a site was offered by the Edward James Foundation, and the museum opened to the public in 1971. The main purpose of the museum is to rescue good examples of vernacular architecture, that is, humbler buildings, such as farmhouses and small town and village houses which are threatened with destruction and to re-erect them at the museum. The present site could house some forty buildings which, by careful selection, will illustrate the history of vernacular architecture from medieval times to the nineteenth century. The museum also shows traditional crafts and trades, and a social history of rural life in southeast England. The museum is a private, non-profitmaking organization registered as a limited company and charity. It is entirely responsible for raising its own funds and receives no regular grants for subsidies. It should also be appreciated that the museum is largely run by volunteers. A professional director and master craftsmen are employed, but a great deal of the work of preparing the site and constructing the actual buildings is done by a large and enthusiastic team of volunteers, many of them people with professional skills. It must be emphasized that the museum is primarily a preservationist body, and in the first instance will always fight to keep buildings on the original sites. Then the move to the museum is inevitably a second best solution, and no building is accepted unless destruction is shown to be otherwise inevitable. Finally, it is hoped that the existence of the museum will awaken public interest in these humble but important examples of English architecture and encourage people to fight more actively for the preservation of such buildings in their own neighbourhoods.