The Reading / Listening - London Property - Level 4

House values are rising worldwide. The price of a house in London is raising eyebrows. It is 2 metres wide and is on sale for $1.3 million. This could buy you a seven-bedroom mansion elsewhere in the UK. The "skinny" house has five floors and two bedrooms. The real estate agent said: "It started life as a hat shop and was converted by a fashion photographer - the ultimate designer house....It's quirky and charming and great for entertaining."

The property is 1.6 metres at its narrowest point and 8 metres long. There is a kitchen and dining room on the first floor, and a living room on the second floor. The main bedroom is on the fifth floor. Despite its cramped space, it is a one-of-a-kind design, like a luxury yacht. The agent said it "makes the most of small spaces". It is ideal for a young couple or single person. The agent said: "It is a unique part of London history. It's a bit of London magic."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    London Property - Level 5 or  London Property - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/london-thinnest-house-sale-scli-intl-gbr/index.html
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13989405/londons-narrowest-house-950000/
  • https://www.winkworth.co.uk/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. House values are
  2. raising
  3. on sale
  4. a seven-bedroom
  5. elsewhere
  6. real estate
  7. It started life
  8. the ultimate designer
  1. agent
  2. mansion
  3. eyebrows
  4. house
  5. rising worldwide
  6. as a hat shop
  7. in the UK
  8. for $1.3 million

Paragraph 2

  1. 1.6 metres at its narrowest
  2. the main
  3. it is a one-of-a-
  4. a luxury
  5. it makes the most of small
  6. a young couple or
  7. It is a unique part
  8. It's a bit of London
  1. yacht
  2. of London history
  3. bedroom
  4. magic
  5. point
  6. spaces
  7. single person
  8. kind design

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

House (1) ___________________ worldwide. The price of a house in London (2) ___________________. It is 2 metres wide and is on sale for $1.3 million. This could buy you a seven-bedroom (3) ___________________ the UK. The "skinny" house has five floors and two bedrooms. The real estate agent said: "It (4) ___________________ a hat shop and (5) ___________________ a fashion photographer - the ultimate designer house....It's (6) ___________________ and great for entertaining."

The property is 1.6 metres at (7) ___________________ and 8 metres long. There is a kitchen and dining room on the first floor, and a living room on the second floor. The (8) ___________________ on the fifth floor. Despite its cramped space, it is a (9) ___________________ design, like a luxury yacht. The agent said it "(10) ___________________ of small spaces". It is ideal for a young (11) ___________________ person. The agent said: "It is a (12) ___________________ London history. It's a bit of London magic."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Housevaluesarerisingworldwide.ThepriceofahouseinLondonisraisin
geyebrows.Itis2metreswideandisonsalefor$1.3million.Thiscouldbu
yyouaseven-bedroommansionelsewhereintheUK.The"skinny"ho
usehasfivefloorsandtwobedrooms.Therealestateagentsaid:"Itstart
edlifeasahatshopandwasconvertedbyafashionphotographer-theu
ltimatedesignerhouse....It'squirkyandcharmingandgreatforentertai
ning."Thepropertyis1.6metresatitsnarrowestpointand8metreslong.
Thereisakitchenanddiningroomonthefirstfloor,andalivingroomonth
esecondfloor.Themainbedroomisonthefifthfloor.Despiteitscramped
space,itisaone-of-a-kinddesign,likealuxuryyacht.Theagentsaidit"
makesthemostofsmallspaces".Itisidealforayoungcoupleorsingleper
son.Theagentsaid:"ItisauniquepartofLondonhistory.It'sabitofLondo
nmagic."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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