Speak Clear English - Enroll Today
Lesson Forty-Five:
Listening Activity: Different Types of Houses
In this English lesson, we’re going to discuss eight different types of houses. This is a listening activity, so listen closely as I describe each type of house. At the end of this listening activity, I will ask you eight questions related to what you hear. So listen up!
Let’s get started. here are two way to listen along.
Watch this lesson…
Listen to the lesson…
Let’s Get Started
Houses can come in all shapes or sizes. Most modern houses have special areas or rooms for people to do the things that they need to live comfortably. A modern house has a place to cook food, a place to eat, places to sleep and a place to wash. These things are usually done in separate rooms, which are called the kitchen, the sitting room, the bedrooms, and the bathroom.
Detached house
In some countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand many families live in a “detached house” which is separate from other buildings and surrounded by its own yard, but is close enough to town to have shops, good transport and entertainment nearby. Detached simply means separate, or not connected to other houses.
Cottage
A small house is often called a cottage. Apart from it, its also called small space. In England, where this word comes from, it is used to mean a house that has one main story, with a second, lower story of bedrooms which fit under the roof upstairs. Cottages are usually found in villages or in the countryside. In many places the word cottage is used to mean a small old-fashioned house. In the United States, the word cottage is often used to mean a small holiday home.
Townhouse
A townhouse is a building that has more than one house side-by-side covered by one roof. Semi-detached houses are very common in some cities, and can be single story or several stories high.
Bungalow
In some places, the word “bungalow” is used for any house that is all on one level. The word came from India and for a long time was used for a house that is built all on one level and has a verandah where people can sit or work outdoors, but under a shady roof. A bungalow often has a hall down the middle of the house to let the breeze blow through. Bungalows are often seen in countries with hot summers, in India, South East Asia, South Africa, parts of the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Hut
A hut is a primitive dwelling, usually made of materials such as wood, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, fabric, or mud. People who build and live in huts use techniques that have been used for hundreds of years.
A hut is of lower quality than a house, but higher quality than a simple shelter. Huts are transportable, meaning they can be moved from place to place more easily than you could move a traditional house.
Farmhouse
A farmhouse may look like a cottage, a bungalow or a mansion, but in many countries a farmhouse can look quite different to a house in a town, because, as well as having a place for people to live, it also has a place for animals. Many farm houses are long and have two doors. One door leads to the rooms used by the family. The other door opens into a stable for the cows, sheep and chickens.
Mansion
A mansion is a big grand house, usually with two stories and sometimes more. A mansion often has beautiful architecture, and shows that the person for whom it was designed and built was rich. Mansions often have beautiful gardens. Sometimes a mansion does not belong to a private family, but to a town council, to a big business company, to a church or college and is a place for a person with an important job to live and to entertain guests. A mansion often has rooms which are not found in ordinary houses, such as a drawing room, a ballroom, a library and a music room.
Well-known mansions are the White House in Washington, D.C. where the President of the United States lives and Mansion House in London where the Lord Mayor of London lives.
Palace
A palace is a house that is very grand. Many palaces are homes of royal or aristocratic people. Some old palaces been changed by people who lived there over many hundreds of years.One of the best-known palaces in the world is Buckingham Palace, a royal palace in London. The largest palace in the world is the Louvre which was built in Paris for the Kings of France. It now holds a famous art gallery.
Comprehension Questions
- What type of house is usually only on story high, and is found in places with hot weather?
- What type of house is usually the home of royalty?
- What type of house shares a roof with the other homes next to it?
- What type of house type simply means ‘disconnected’ from other houses?
- What type of house is extremely large, with a variety of rooms, but is not as grand as a palace?
- What type of house is a basic home that is made of mud, straw, or palm branches?
- What type of house is set on a large area of land, often near a stable.
- What type of house is usually located in the country, and often used as a vacation home.
Comprehension Answers
- Bungalow
- Palace
- Townhouse
- Detached House
- Mansion
- Hut
- Farmhouse
- Cottage
As always, with our monthly supporter program you can get free audio books and 50% off all video courses! Just visit our You can become a monthly member here. to join today!
Until next time, Happy learning!
Andrea
Speak Clear English - Enroll Today
The following is a TOEFL Reading practice test to help you prepare for the Reading section of the TOEFL test.
Instructions: Read the sample passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
TOEFL Reading Practice Passage
Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forest of central Sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Gorilla is divided into two species: the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas (both critically endangered), and either four or five subspecies. They are the largest living primates. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans, from 95 to 99% depending on what is included, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos.
Gorillas' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although their range covers a small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa, gorillas cover a wide range of elevations. The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200 to 4,300 metres (7,200 to 14,100 ft). Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level, with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near its border with Rwanda.
(#1) Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking, although they sometimes walk upright for short distances, typically while carrying food or in defensive situations. (#2) A 2018 study investigating the hand posture of 77 mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (8% of the population) found that knuckle walking was done only 60% of the time, and they also supported their weight on their fists, the backs of their hands/feet, and on their palms/soles (with the digits flexed). (#3) Studies of gorilla handedness have yielded varying results, with some arguing for no preference for either hand, and others right-hand dominance for the general population. (#4)
The eastern gorilla is more darkly colored than the western gorilla, with the mountain gorilla being the darkest of all. The mountain gorilla also has the thickest hair. The western lowland gorilla can be brown or grayish with a reddish forehead. In addition, gorillas that live in lowland forest are more slender and agile than the more bulky mountain gorillas. The eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla. Like humans, gorillas have individual fingerprints. Their eye color is dark brown, framed by a black ring around the iris. Gorilla facial structure is described as mandibular prognathism, that is, the mandible protrudes farther out than the maxilla. Adult males also have a prominent sagittal crest.
A gorilla's lifespan is normally between 35 and 40 years, although zoo gorillas may live for 50 years or more. Colo, a female western gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was the oldest known gorilla at 60 years of age when she died on 17 January 2017.
Questions
1. According to the passage, gorillas can live in
a. a variety of altitudes.
b. several different countries in Africa.
c. thick forests.
d. lowland forests only.
2. All of the following is true about gorillas EXCEPT
a. they primarily eat smaller animals.
b. they live in a forest habitat.
c. their genetics are similar to humans.
d. their diet consists of vegetation.
3. Look at the word predominantly in paragraph 1. The word predominantly in this passage refers to
a. impulsively
b. unfortunately
c. mainly
d. lastly
4. Look at the word inhabits in paragraph 2. The word inhabits in this passage refers to
a. lives in
b. protects
c. goes
d. works
5. The author implies that
a. most gorillas prefer using their left hand over their right.
b. gorillas rarely walk on their knuckles.
c. gorillas regularly walk upright for long distances.
d. studies haven't solidly proven which hand gorillas prefer using.
6. Why does the writer mention that the eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla?
a. To validate the importance a broad chest in western gorillas
b. To define the meaning of "broad"
c. To highlight a physical difference between types of gorillas
d. To demonstrate that most gorillas are identical in physical build
7. Which of the following statements is true for BOTH eastern and western gorillas.
a. Both eastern and western gorrilas are brown with red foreheads.
b. Both eastern and western gorrilas have unique fingerprints.
c. Both eastern and western gorrilas have thin hair.
d. Both eastern and western gorrilas have light brown eyes.
8. In Paragraph 3, look at the four numbers (#1, #2, #3, #4) that indicate where the following sentence would be added to the passage.
Such a range of hand postures was previously thought to have been used by only orangutans.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(View all the correct answers below.)
Great job! If you're ready to take your TOEFL preparation to the next level, go to StudyWithAndrea.com/TOEFL.
Answers: 1. d 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. b 8. #3
Click on one of the following links to start speaking clearer English!
1) TOEFL MASTER CLASS
2) free mini-course "punctuation mistakes to avoid"
3) Clear English Pronunciation Video Course
4) English Vocabulary - Audio Files & PDF - TOEFL & IELTS
About Andrea
Andrea Giordano is the founder of StudyWithAndrea.com and has taught more than 1,000,000 students from 180 countries. Andrea holds a Master of Education (TESOL) from Shenandoah University, and is the former Executive Director of TESOL and ESL programs at Campbellsville University. Andrea is a proven leader in online English teaching and is driven by her passion to help you speak English clearly.
Previous Lessons
Audio Lessons
