Home styles, lifestyles CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

UNIT 18

Home styles, lifestyles

A	Home styles A squat /skwɒt/ is an empty building where people start living without the owner’s permission. A hovel /ˈhɒvəl/ is a very small, dirty house or flat in a bad (or run down) condition. Rented accommodation can be either furnished or unfurnished. [with or without furniture] A penthouse is a luxury flat at the top of a building. Council or social housing is rented accommodation provided by the state for people who have low incomes. A council estate is a large group of such housing. High-rise (flats) or tower blocks are flats in a tall, modern building with a lot of floors. A granny flat is a set of rooms for an elderly person, connected to a relative’s house.
B	Idioms and expressions relating to house and home expression meaning example get on like a house on fire get on very well with someone Happily, my mother-in-law and I have always got on like a house on fire a household word/name something/someone everyone knows Nike has become a household name. on the house free of charge The restaurant owner offered us coffees on the house. home truths information that is true but not pleasant or welcome It’s time he was told some home truths about the way he’s been behaving! nothing to write home about nothing special The town is OK but nothing to write home about. hit home become fully understood or fully felt The difficulty of managing without a regular salary is hitting home now. make yourself at home make yourself feel comfortable in someone else’s home Please just make yourself at home while I get dinner ready.
C	Idioms and metaphors relating to life expression meaning example life in the fast lane a way of life that is full of activity and excitement As a rock star, Joe lived life in the fast lane. have the time of your life have a wonderful time Paula’s having the time of her life in Canada. get a new lease of life become more energetic and active than before When Georgie moved jobs, she seemed to get a new lease of life. a dog’s life a very unhappy and difficult life Ryan had a dog’s life in the army. lead a sheltered life have a life that is protected from unpleasantness (also lead a busy/ quiet/normal, etc. life) Kyoko has led a very sheltered life and may find it hard to adapt to the big city. (not) be a matter of life and death (not) be very serious If we miss the last train, it’s not a matter of life and death. take your life in your hands do something very dangerous You’re taking your life in your hands if you cross the road here – go to the zebra crossing! breathe new life into bring new ideas and energy to something When Orla joined the staff, she breathed new life into the school.

EXERCISES

18.1	Complete the following table about the types of accommodation in A opposite. accommodation What kind of person lives there? Would you like to live there? Why/ Why not? squat Example: a homeless person, or someone who wants to make a political statement about property ownership Example: I wouldn’t like it because you never know when you might be evicted. furnished accommodation social housing granny flat high-rise hovel penthouse
18.2	Fill the gaps in these sentences with words and phrases from B and C opposite. 1 From the moment we met, we got on like a house _________________. 2 Jenna’s so selfish, she deserves to be told a few _________________. 3 The new restaurant is OK but nothing really to _________________. 4 So what that you didn’t get the promotion – it’s not a matter of _________________. 5 I’m not sure I’d like to have a celebrity lifestyle, living life in the _________________. 6 As a child, the writer _________________a sheltered life in a small village in the back of beyond. 7 We need someone to come and _________________some new life into the project. 8 We soon managed to _________________ourselves at home in our holiday cottage.
18.3	Choose expressions from B and C opposite to replace the underlined words in these sentences. 1 We had the most marvellous time on holiday this year. 2 As soon as spring comes, I feel as if I’m becoming energetic and active again. 3 The problems caused by the floods are only making themselves fully felt now. 4 I imagine that being a servant in the past must have been very hard and tedious. 5 All over the world, everybody knows about McDonald’s. 6 He’s taking a big risk if he gets in a car with Ben at the wheel! 7 Because we were such frequent customers, the restaurant gave us a meal free. 8 Our holiday apartment was quite adequate but not particularly special in any way.
18.4	Here are some more expressions with home and life. Use the context to work out what the underlined expressions mean. 1 The poet said that he had had a period of depression but that he had never considered taking his own life. 2 The comedy duo’s superb performance brought the house down. 3 Our customers come from many different walks of life – we have doctors, shop assistants, computer programmers, you name it! 4 The system turned out to be a house of cards – it didn’t take much to bring it down. 5 Whenever my nephews arrive for a visit, they eat us out of house and home. 6 I love having George around – you can rely on him to be the life and soul of the party.

ANSWER KEY

18.1 18.2 1 on fire 2 home truths 3 write home about 4 life and death 5 fast lane 6 led 7 breathe 8 make 18.3 1 We had the time of our life/lives on holiday this year. 2 As soon as spring comes, I feel as if I’m getting a new lease of life. 3 The problems caused by the floods are only hitting home now. 4 I imagine that being a servant in the past must have been a dog’s life. 5 All over the world, McDonald’s is a household name. 6 He’s taking his life in his hands if he gets in a car with Ben at the wheel! 7 Because we were such frequent customers, the restaurant gave us a meal on the house. 8 Our holiday apartment was quite adequate but nothing to write home about. 18.4 1 committing suicide 2 was extremely popular with the audience 3 occupations 4 very unstable 5 eat an enormous amount 6 be energetic and funny at a social occasion