36% in UK will never buy own home

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

U.K. house prices are so high that a third of British people will never buy their own home. A report from the Halifax Bank said home ownership and getting on the property ladder was no longer an achievable goal for many Britons. A fifth of twentysomethings have no plans to buy. The report suggested the desire to own a home is being replaced by the idea to simply live in one. It added: "It seems that people are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting."

Britain's Office for National Statistics said U.K. house prices rose by 10.5% last year, with London prices going up by 18%. It said there were "runaway train" house prices. The average house was valued at $425,000 nationwide and at $610,000 in London. The report warned of possible long-term social problems because of the haves and have-nots. It said without first-time buyers, "the market will come to a standstill". If this happens, prices will come down.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.shropshirestar.com/shropshire-business/money/uk-money/2014/04/17/36-downbeat-about-home-ownership/
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/generation-rent-1-in-5-have-no-desire-to-own-home/7003324.article
http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/globalassets/documents/media/press-releases/halifax/2013/1706_halifax_generation_report.pdf

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	U.K. house prices	a.	simply live in one
2.	getting on the property	b.	are so high
3.	an achievable	c.	of renting
4.	A fifth of	d.	goal
5.	replaced by the idea to	e.	ladder
6.	accept a lifetime	f.	twentysomethings

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Britain's Office for	a.	and have-nots
2.	house prices	b.	-term social problems
3.	The average house was	c.	to a standstill
4.	The report warned of possible long	d.	valued at $425,000
5.	the haves	e.	rose by 10.5%
6.	the market will come	f.	National Statistics

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

U.K. house prices (1) ___________________ a third of British people will never buy their own home. A report from the Halifax Bank said home ownership and getting on (2) ___________________ was no longer an (3) ___________________ many Britons. A fifth of (4) ___________________ have no plans to buy. The report suggested the desire to own a home is being replaced by the (5) ___________________ live in one. It added: "It seems that people are now beginning to accept (6) ___________________."

Britain's Office (7) ___________________ said U.K. house prices rose by 10.5% last year, with London (8) ___________________ by 18%. It said there were "runaway train" house prices. The (9) ___________________ valued at $425,000 nationwide and at $610,000 in London. The report (10) ___________________ long-term social problems because of the haves and have-nots. It said without (11) ___________________, "the market will (12) ___________________ ". If this happens, prices will come down.

HOME OWNERSHIP SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about home ownership in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about home ownership for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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