Read the text and choose the correct answer (A-D).

Unusual homes

[A] Brazilian artists Tiago Primo and his brother Gabriel live on a climbing wall on the side of a building in Rio de Janeiro. There aren’t any stairs or a lift, so they have to climb from one ‘room’ to the next. The ‘house’ has got a hammock to sleep in instead of a bed, but the brothers have to use the bathroom in the art gallery next door.

[B] Another artist, Moussa Kalo, designed the Crocodile House in Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast. He built it with the help of his apprentice, Thierry Atta, who wanted to become an artist like him. The house looks like a large crocodile, but there’s enough space inside for a bedroom. Mr Kalo died before it was finished, but Thierry completed it, and then went to live there.

[C] Czech builder Bohumil Lhota isn’t an artist, but people say that his house is a work of art. The 73-year-old was bored with building ordinary houses, so he designed a new place in a village to the north of Prague. Mr Lhota’s house turns around, so that he can choose the view that he wants. He can also move it up and down by pushing a switch.

[D] Liu Lingchao’s house also moves, but that is because he is carrying it. The house is made of bamboo, pieces of plastic and bed sheets, and it weighs around 60 kg. Mr Liu collects used water bottles on the road and sells them at the next town he gets to. He travels all over southern China and he carries everything he needs with him.

2. Read and listen to the dialogue. What two outdoor and indoor changes do the speakers mention?

(Đọc và nghe đoạn đối thoại. Người nói đề cập đến hai thay đổi ngoài trời và trong nhà nào?)

Alfie: This is an amazing place. I wish I lived here.

Macy: Me too. If only I were a member of the Howard family!

Alfie: But if it were my house, I wouldn't allow people to visit.

Macy: That's mean! You'd get bored on your own.

Alfie: Oh, I'd let my friends visit, of course. But not the public.

Macy: If you had a party, you could invite hundreds of people!

Alfie: I know. The parties would be better if I made a few changes, though.

Macy: What kinds of changes?

Alfie: Well, if those trees weren't there, there'd be room for a swimming pool!

Macy: You could make some changes inside as well. I mean, look at this corridor.

Alfie: The Antique Passage, you mean?

Macy: Yes. If you took away all the statues, you could build a great bowling alley there!

2. Quickly read texts A-C and check your ideas.

(Đọc nhanh văn bản A-C và kiểm tra ý tưởng của bạn.)

A. Living sculptures

Gregory Kloehn is a sculptor with a difference. Not only are his sculptures created from bits of rubbish, but each of his unique creations offers a homeless person somewhere to live. Gregory works in California, where there are a lot of people living on the streets. Each of his sculptures is no bigger than the average sofa, but the tiny, one-roomed shelters are as wonderful as mansions for a person who is sleeping rough.

Gregory searches on rubbish dumps to find pieces to use. A washing machine door is as good as a normal window. A fridge door can make a fine front door, and has useful shelves on the inside. And each home is on wheels so that it can be pushed around easily.

B. The Crazy house

With a view to bringing humans closer to nature, architect Dang Viet Nga created this surreal artistic guesthouse in Da Lat, Viet Nam. The Crazy House has gained recognition for its creative and unique architecture. There are almost no straight lines and no right angles at all. The structure of the house does not follow any rules, but everything looks harmonious. This weird structure is a maze of winding flights of stairs, dangerous-looking bridges, and sculptural rooms, each of which is named after an animal. In one room, guests are watched over by the glowing red eyes of a kangaroo. In another room, the window looks like the cobweb of a giant spider and the fireplace is in the form of an eagle's egg.

C. Well-contained housing

If you heard that they were putting homeless people into shipping containers, you might be shocked. But that's exactly what is happening in Brighton, England. The Brighton Housing Trust has been inspired by a similar housing estate in the Netherlands. It is developing 36 studio flats in the town centre, using old shipping containers. The flats will have a window at each end and a toilet and shower room in the middle. On one side there'll be a kitchen and small dining table, and on the other side a living room with a sofa bed. At 24 square metres, they are smaller than a shared room in a homeless hostel. But they are much more desirable and certainly spacious enough for one person. They are also stackable. The containers will sit on top of one another with stairs connecting them.

3. Read the Reading Strategy. Match two of the texts with the photos below. Say what evidence you found to support your answers.

(Đọc Chiến lược đọc. Ghép hai trong số các văn bản với các bức ảnh dưới đây. Nói những bằng chứng bạn tìm thấy để hỗ trợ câu trả lời của bạn.)

4. Match the texts (A-C) with the sentences (1-4) below. Make a note of the evidence you found to support your answers.

(Nối đoạn văn (A-C) với các câu (1-4) bên dưới. Ghi lại bằng chứng bạn tìm thấy để hỗ trợ câu trả lời của bạn.)

1. The designer of this house wants to raise public awareness of protecting nature.

(Người thiết kế ngôi nhà này muốn nâng cao nhận thức cộng đồng về bảo vệ thiên nhiên.)

2. The builder of these homes uses only recycled parts.

(Người xây dựng những ngôi nhà này chỉ sử dụng các bộ phận tái chế.)

3. Each room in this house has a different animal theme.

(Mỗi phòng trong ngôi nhà này có một chủ đề động vật khác nhau.)

4. These homes can be put together to make a block of flats.

(Những ngôi nhà này có thể được ghép lại với nhau để tạo thành một khối căn hộ.)

6. Read the texts again. Answer the questions.

(Đọc văn bản một lần nữa. Trả lời các câu hỏi.)

1. Where does Gregory Kloehn find the parts to make his houses?

(Gregory Kloehn tìm các bộ phận để làm nhà ở đâu?)

2. What does Gregory sometimes use as a front door?

(Đôi khi Gregory sử dụng cái gì làm cửa trước?)

3. In what way does staying in the Crazy House bring guests closer to nature?

(Bằng cách nào mà việc ở Crazy House mang khách đến gần với thiên nhiên hơn?)

4. Apart from the UK, in which country have containers been made into flats?

(Ngoài Vương quốc Anh, container đã được biến thành căn hộ ở quốc gia nào?)

2. Read the email. Do you think Ellie is happy or unhappy with her new home? Find evidence in her email.

(Đọc email. Bạn nghĩ Ellie hạnh phúc hay không hạnh phúc với ngôi nhà mới của mình? Tìm dẫn chứng trong email của cô ấy.)

To: anna@email.com

Hi Anna,

Hope everything is OK with you. We've just moved to a new flat nearer the centre of town. It's brilliant being so close to the shops, and the flat is bigger than our old one. It's quite noisy, though, as there is a lot of traffic. I'd rather it was further from the main road. I met one of our neighbours yesterday. She is about my age and she is very friendly. She has invited me to a party next weekend. Can you go with me? I hope so. To be honest, I'd rather not go alone. Also, would it be OK if I used your bike for a few days? Mine is at the bike shop and I'd rather cycle to school than get the bus.

Got to go now. I'd better finish my homework before bed. I look forward to receiving your reply.

Love,

Ellie

2. Cover the fact file. Discuss and try to guess the answers to the quiz about Hue Citadel.

(Che lại phần tập tin thực tế. Thảo luận và cố gắng đoán câu trả lời cho câu đố về kinh thành Huế.)

1 When was Hue Citadel built?

a 17^thc

b Early 19^thc

c Late 18^thc

2 Which emperor started its construction?

a Minh Mang

b Gia Long

c Bao Dai

3 How many workers were involved in the building of Hue Citadel?

a More than 10,000

b At least 100,000

c Just under 1,000

4 The height of the outer walls measures:

a 10 km

b 6.6 m

c 21.5 m

5 How many gates does Hue Citadel have?

a 8

b 6

c 10

6 What was the function of the Purple Forbidden City?

a The Emperor lived there

b The Emperor and his family lived there

c The Emperor's family worshipped there

3. Read the fact file and check your answers to exercise 2. What do you think is the most interesting or surprising fact?

(Đọc tập tin thực tế và kiểm tra câu trả lời của bạn cho bài tập 2. Bạn nghĩ điều gì thú vị hoặc đáng ngạc nhiên nhất?)

Hue Citadel

* Located on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the Imperial City of Hue was not only the administrative centre but also the royal residence of the Nguyen Dynasty.

*Its construction began under the reign of Emperor Gia Long in the early 19th century and it was completed during the reign of Minh Mang, involving huge expenditure and the recruitment of tens of thousands of labourers.

*The Citadel comprises three concentric walled areas: the Citadel (Kinh Thanh), the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh) and the Purple Forbidden City (Tu Cam Thanh). The entire square-shaped complex with a perimeter of nearly 10 km is enclosed within the outer walls which are 6.6 m high and 21.5 m thick.

* Gates were built into the Citadel walls - four on the south front side and two on each of the other sides.

*During the Nguyen Dynasty, there used to be more than 100 buildings dedicated to specific functions such as palaces for worshipping deceased royal family members, royal government ministries and residential quarters. The Purple Forbidden City was reserved exclusively for the emperor and his close family.

*The restoration work is currently under way to restore the splendour of this iconic site.

*Hue Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Read the three texts and choose the best answer (A-D).

(Đọc ba văn bản và chọn câu trả lời đúng nhất (A-D).)

Back in time

As she stepped into the hall after nearly thirty years of absence, she realised at once that she shouldn't have come back. The smell of wood smoke, damp stone and ancient paper brought the past back so powerfully that it nearly knocked her backwards. In an instant she felt like a young girl again, alone and frightened in the house. She remembered feeling very, very cold-not from the damp and the near-freezing temperature, but because a terrible new life was beginning. And she could do nothing to stop it.

1 What is true about the woman's feelings when she entered the house?

A She realised that she had missed her old home.

B She was happy to return to the house

C She understood that coming back was a mistake.

D She was sad about the condition of the house.

Future home?

Every few years, trend-watchers tell us that the house of the future has arrived, and gadgets from science fiction films will soon be in every home in the country. So far they've been wrong-and after viewing the 'Home of the Future' exhibition, I suspect that they are still wrong. Why do I need a super-intelligent fridge or an internet- surfing mirror? I would much rather see my face clearly in an ordinary bathroom mirror than try to surf the Internet while I'm combing my hair! If only they could design a device to stop me killing all my houseplants. If they did that, then I might be interested!

2 What was the writer's reaction to the exhibition?

A He found it very interesting.

B It reminded him of a science fiction film.

C He wanted to buy the gadgets online.

D He didn't see the use of many of the inventions.

Ackerman dream homes

Since 1893, Ackerman homes have created some of the most charming neighbourhoods in the south of England. Our homes combine a sense of history with the most modern advances in home design and technology. Now you can have the opportunity to own a beautiful contemporary Ackerman home in our new development in Acreage Woods. Experience the quality, beauty and comfort of Ackerman homes, the most trusted name in home building. With spacious semi-detached and detached homes from £275,000 to £425,000, we are sure that you will find what you're looking for. So why not visit us today?

3 The purpose of the text is to

A describe a particular home.

B attract the interest of people who are looking for a new home.

C outline the history of a home builder.

D explain what makes a quality home.

3. Read the texts. Look at the photo and match it with the correct text.

(Đọc văn bản. Nhìn vào bức ảnh và nối nó với văn bản đúng.)

Strange places to live in…

[A] THE SLIDE HOUSE, JAPAN

Did you love going down the slide in the playground as a child? Perhaps you secretly wish you still could? If so, then the Slide house in Japan is the house for you!

Japanese architects have designed an unusual three-storey house with a huge slide that connects each level. This fun house has two staircases on one side going up, and the slide on the other going down, and together they form a circular route around the central area of the house.

The house is in the suburbs of Tokyo, and it functions as a real family home.

[B] THE SKATEBOARD HOUSE, USA

Are you a skateboarding fan? Would you like to live in a house where you could skateboard everywhere? This is exactly what a former skateboard champion wants to build in California. It will be the first house that can be entirely used for skateboarding as well as living in.

A prototype of the house is currently on display in a French museum. It has three spaces: a living area, a sleeping area and a skateboard practice area. However, you can skateboard everywhere because the floor becomes the wall and then the ceiling in a continuous curve. You can also skate on and off all the furniture!

[C] THE GIANT SEASHELL HOUSE, MEXICO If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to live inside a seashell, then this house in Mexico City would be the home for you. This amazing shell-shaped house was designed and built in 2006. As strange as it looks, it's a real home built for a family. The parents were tired of having a traditional house and wanted to live in a home that was inspired by nature.

All the walls and furniture in the house are curved and all the surfaces are smooth. There are round windows and doors, coloured glass walls and even flowers growing in all the rooms.

4. Match the texts (A-C) with questions 1-4 below. One text matches two questions. Underline the evidence in the text that supports your answers.

(Nối các văn bản (A-C) với các câu hỏi 1-4 dưới đây. Có một văn bản phù hợp với hai câu hỏi. Gạch dưới bằng chứng trong văn bản hỗ trợ câu trả lời của bạn.)

In which text does the author...

1 mention that the house isn't built yet? ☐

2 refer to an indoor garden? ☐

3 make it clear that the house has more than one floor? ☐

4 suggest that the house will suit someone with a playful nature? ☐

Listen to someone describing their ideal home. Complete the description with the missing words.