A THOROUGH NEWS ANALYSIS: LONDON'S THINNEST HOUSE SELLS FOR $1.3 MILLION

 

An interactive 3 slot lesson plan with an article taken from breakingnewsenglish.com

Analysing news is an interesting way to improve students’ English by using the essential four skills namely reading, listening, writing and speaking.

London's thinnest house sells for $1.3 million

Step 1

      As a warmer students were asked about properties and their prices in Turkey and in Istanbul.

Step 2

Students were told that they are going to listen to an audio about a house in the UK.

 

Step 3

      A short discussion was held about sizes of properties and students tried to make comparisons with the price they heard and the prices in Turkey.

 

Step 4

     Students were told to open the worksheet they’ve received through chat and fill in the gaps by listening to the news a second time.

GAP FILLING Worksheet

Even (1) ____________________ are sky-rocketing around the world, one property's price tag in London (2) ____________________. A house billed as "the skinniest" in London is on the market for $1.3 million. In other areas of the UK, one could (3) ____________________ seven-bedroom mansion with sprawling grounds for that sum. However, the skinny house is just 2 metres wide, although it does have five floors. The two-bedroom house is in west London and is being sold by (4) ____________________ Winkworth. The agent said: "It started life as a hat shop and (5) ____________________ a fashion photographer - the ultimate designer house....It's (6) ____________________ and great for entertaining." 

The (7) ____________________ is just 1.6 metres at its narrowest point and is 8 metres long. There is a kitchen, dining room and patio garden on the first floor. On the second floor there is a living room, with (8) ____________________ that leads up to the third floor, which has a study, bedroom and roof terrace. The main bedroom is on the fifth floor. Despite its cramped space, Winkworth says it is a (9) ____________________. It said: "The interior design (10) ____________________ approach of a luxury yacht, making the most of small spaces." It added that: "The house is ideal for a young couple or an individual who sees the beauty for what it is and will (11) ____________________. It is a unique part of London history. It's (12) ____________________ London magic."

 

 Step 5

     In groups of four in break out rooms, students were told to discuss their answers and were told to do a vocabulary match activity worksheet which they received through chat.

VOCABULARY MATCHING Worksheet

Paragraph 1 

1. sky-rocketing             a. Causing people to be surprised or disapproving. 

2. tag                              b. A price, rate, or amount that is increasing very steeply or rapidly. 

3. raising eyebrows        c. Acquire something by paying for it; buy. 

4. purchase                    d. Having lots of room; covering a wide area. 

5. spacious                     e. A label attached to someone or something for the purpose of                                                    identification or to give other information (like price). 

6. sprawling                    f. Characterized by peculiar or unexpected features or qualities. 

7. quirky                         g. Spread out over a large area. 

Paragraph 2 

8. eye-catching              h. Constantly turning in one direction as it rises. 

9. spiral                          i. Made for a particular customer or user. 

10. study                        j. Immediately appealing or noticeable; striking. 

11. cramped                   k. A room used or designed for reading, writing, or academic work. 

12. bespoke                   l. A way of dealing with something. 

13. approach                  m. Uncomfortable because of a lack of space. 

14. unique                       n. Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else. 

 Step 6

      After 15 min breakout session groups have exchanged their answers afterwards.

      Step 7

       Students were put again into breakout rooms for 15 minutes to complete another worksheet about synonym match and phrase match.

      SYNONYM MATCH Worksheet

     Match the following synonyms. The words in bold are from the news article. 

     1. sky-rocketing 

     2. spacious 

     3. sprawling 

     4. real estate 

     5. quirky 

     6. eye-catching 

     7. cramped 

     8. approach 

     9. ideal 

    10. magic 

     a. perfect b. extending c. method d. distinctive e. roomy 

     f. charm g. eccentric h. shooting up i. confined j. property 

      

      PHRASE MATCH (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.) Worksheet

     1. house prices are sky-rocketing 

     2. raising 

     3. A house billed as 

     4. a spacious seven-bedroom mansion 

     5. It's quirky 

     6. The eye

     7. a spiral 

     8. it is a one-of-a

     9. making the most 

    10. a unique part 

     a. "the skinniest" in London 

     b. of London history 

     c. and charming 

     d. staircase 

     e. eyebrows 

     f. kind abode 

     g. around the world 

     h. of small spaces 

     i. with sprawling grounds 

     j. catching property 

       

      Step 8

      Groups exchanged their answers in general session.

     

      Step 9

       As the last activity students were asked comprehension questions.

       1. What does the article say is happening to house prices? 

       2. What does the article say you could buy for the price of the thin house? 

       3. How many floors does the thin house have?          

       4. Who or what is Winkworth? 

       5. What was the house before it was a house? 

       6. How long is the house? 

       7. What connects the second and third floors of the house? 

       8. What is on the fifth floor of the house? 

       9. Who did the real estate agent say the house was ideal for? 

     10. What did a real estate agent say the house was a unique part of?