Unit 1 Housing in Britain

Unit 1 HOUSING IN BRITAIN
In the past few years housing in Britain has been a problem with many aspects.
One is the supply of houses. Due to the expanding population, to the low rate of building
new houses and to the age of many existing houses, there have not been enough houses to
go around. Not only have many people been homeless but also many others have been
living in overcrowded buildings of a low standard. Though the government and charities
such as Shelter have been trying hard to remedy this situation, there are still immense
problems, particularly around the centers of the large cities.
There are three basic forms of accommodation. In the first place, some own their
own houses or flats, often the money for this is borrowed from the building society on a
"mortgage" and is paid back over twenty or thirty years. Secondly, many people live in
council flats or houses, these are owned by the local council and rented out. Council
housing has aroused controversial political issues about whether council tenants should
pay the full rent or should be subsidized and whether they should have the opportunity to
buy their houses if they like. Thirdly, some people rent accommodation from private
landlords, either furnished or unfurnished. A complicated set of laws and regulations
defines the right of landlords and tenants, governing, for instance, when landlords can
force tenants to leave and how much rent they can charge.
A further problem since about 1970 has been the tremendous rise in the price of
housing. In the London area the value of houses doubled in about two years, although
prices have levelled off, they are unlikely to return to their earlier levels. People who
already own houses have not been too badly affected, since the rise in the value of the
house they are selling to some extent cancels out the rise in the price of a house they wish
to move to. However, it has made house-buying extremely difficult for those who are
buying a house for the first time such as young married couples.
(Source: V.J.COOK, English Topics, Oxford University Press, 1974)
VOCABULARY
commission (n) : nhiệm vụ
aspect (n) : mặt, khía cạnh
expanding population (n) : dân số gia tăng
rate (n) : tốc độ, mức
existing (adj) : hiện có, đang tồn tại
go around/round (v) : cung cấp cho mọi người
arouse (v) : khơi gợi, làm xuất hiện
controversial (adj) : có khả năng gây ra tranh luận, bàn cãi
define (v) : nói rõ, định rõ
political issue : vấn đề chính trị
rent (n) : tiền thuê nhà, giá thuê nhà
rent (v) : thuê
furnished (adj) : có đồ đạc
unfurnished (adj) : không có đồ đạc
govern (v) : cai quản
level ( ~ off/out) (v) : đứng lại, chững lại
cancel (~ out) (v) : làm cân bằng với
charity (n) : tổ chức từ thiện
tenant (n) : người thuê
subsidize (v) : trợ cấp
a complicated set of laws : một bộ luật phức tạp
affect (v) : làm ảnh hưởng
remedy (v) : khắc phục
immense (adj) : mênh mông, to lớn
mortgage (n) : sự thế chấp
regulation (n) : qui tắc, qui định
COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. What has happened to housing in the past few years in Britain?
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Have there been enough houses to go around? Why?
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3. Where have people lived?
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4. What have the government and charities been trying to do?
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5. How many basic forms of accommodation are there?
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6. What is the first form?
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7. What is the second form? What has council housing aroused?
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8. What is the third form?
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9. What does the set of laws and regulations define?
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10. What has happened to the price of housing since about 1970?
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11. Have people who already own houses been too badly affected? Why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………

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