英国的住宅有很多种，最常见的有独栋房、连排房、公寓等。英国人理想中的家是什么样的？维多利亚式房屋和乔治王时代房屋分别有哪些特征？听 “随身英语” 节目介绍英国最常见的住宅种类。

词汇: houses 住宅，房屋

There are many different types of houses in the UK. You may see detached, semi-detached, terraced houses or even end-of-terrace houses on a typical street. You might see mansions in more affluent parts of town, or people residing in bungalows, preferring to live a life without stairs. Quaint cottages may dot the countryside, while heading to the cities you could see any number of types of flats, including houses turned into converted flats, studios and duplexes. But one thing you will notice is that many houses come from different eras, and asking a British person about their ideal home, many of them will have a specific period property in mind.

For some, it could be Victorian houses, which are often seen with bay windows, high ceilings, stained glass doors and coloured brickwork. During the Victorian era, a huge number of houses, particularly terraced, were built in towns and cities to accommodate vast numbers of workers who were moving from more rural areas.

Georgian architecture refers to houses built during the period of 1714 and 1830 during the reigns of four British monarchs, all called George. Usually houses with this architectural style have a more symmetrical theme, both internally and externally, with a small square garden in front. For those not into older properties, new builds from the 1990s onwards offer better insulation against the cold and newer electrics. And those who prefer less maintenance could always go with the open-plan or minimalist look of the modern era.

So whether it’s high ceilings, better insulation, brickwork, bungalows or square gardens, people in Britain have a wide variety of preferences when it comes to where they live. And their ideal home may just simply be a case of what style feels like home.

词汇表

detached 独栋的
semi-detached 半独栋的
terraced 连排的
end-of-terrace 连排房最边上一幢的
mansion 大豪宅
reside 居住
bungalow 平房（区别于两层及以上的房子）
quaint 雅致的
cottage （乡村）小屋
flat 公寓
converted flat 改造而成的公寓
studio （兼具客厅、起居室、卫生间等的）单间公寓
duplex 跃层房屋
ideal 理想的
period property 某个历史时期的房屋
Victorian 英国维多利亚时代的
bay window 飘窗
ceiling 天花板
stained glass 彩绘玻璃
brickwork 砖墙
Georgian 英国乔治王时代的
new build 新建的房产
insulation 隔热材料
open-plan 开放式的，敞开式的

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What types of flats might you see in cities?

2. What are the typical features seen in Victorian houses?

3. In which years were Georgian houses built?

4. What are the typical features seen in Georgian houses?

5. Why might some people prefer new build homes?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. My dog loves to sit in the _______ window and watch the people walking past.

bay may hay ray

2. It looks like a mansion on the outside, but it’s been turned into _______ flats.

covered cover converse converted

3. You live in such a _______ little cottage. I love it!

brickwork quaint ceiling reside

4. I live in the middle house in a row of 11 _______ houses.

terraced studio converted flats ceiling

5. I’d rather live in a modern home than a _______ property.

reside bay window stained glass period

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What types of flats might you see in cities?
You could see many types of flats including houses turned into converted flats, studios and duplexes.

2. What are the typical features seen in Victorian houses?
Victorian houses often have bay windows, high ceilings, stained glass doors and coloured brickwork.

3. In which years were Georgian houses built?
They were built during the period of 1714 and 1830.

4. What are the typical features seen in Georgian houses?
They have a symmetrical theme, both internally and externally, with a small square garden in front.

5. Why might some people prefer new build homes?
They offer better insulation against the cold and newer electrics.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. My dog loves to sit in the bay window and watch the people walking past.

2. It looks like a mansion on the outside, but it’s been turned into converted flats.

3. You live in such a quaint little cottage. I love it!

4. I live in the middle house in a row of 11 terraced houses.

5. I’d rather live in a modern home than a period property.