1.01 Задание 1. Задание на понимание основного содержания прослушанного текста

Speaker A 

I think modern people lead such a hectic life that it's practically impossible to devote some proper time to house cleaning. Luckily, I have found a way for myself to clean my house without spending too much time on it. Every evening, before I go to bed, I walk around all the rooms looking for the things which are not on their places. It helps me not to have piles of things around, and my rooms always look tidy enough. It takes me no time, really, and it helps.

Speaker B

I think once you have decided to get rid of your clutter, it's very important to understand where you should start. I believe the worst place in most people's houses is their wardrobe. We just don't understand how much we already have when we buy a new T-shirt or a pair of trousers. I throw away the items of clothing which are old-fashioned or torn, and put aside the ones which can be interesting for some of my friends or relatives. It works magic for me.

Speaker C

My flat is usually spic and span and the only way I can find myself having unnecessary things is when I get useless presents. It's unbelievable how many people give you souvenirs which you neither need nor want. My solution for this problem is quite simple. I have a big box where I put all those small gifts and souvenirs. Once a month or so, I give them to my friend who is a teacher, since she needs such small inexpensive things as prizes for students’ competitions.

Speaker D

In my opinion, we buy too many things. Those sales are a complete nightmare. You see a tag with a low price, and you buy it without even thinking whether you need it or not. So, my solution for the clutter problem is that I never ever buy things on the spot. I never buy things spontaneously because I know that this item is likely to end up in a garbage bin, but my budget is limited and I can't afford to waste my money. I always plan what to buy beforehand.

Speaker E

My parents hate to throw their things away, even if they are broken or unnecessary. At the same time, my mother doesn't like it when there are things in the house which no one in the family uses. What my parents did was build a storage closet in our backyard. Now as soon as they understand that they don't need a certain thing anymore, they put it into this closet. Maybe it's not a solution to the clutter problem, but just a way to pretend the problem doesn't exist.

Speaker F

I think our houses are often a mess not because we are particularly untidy, but because we don't know how to organize our living space. We often have piles of things on our coffee tables or windowsills just because it is easy to put your car keys or a newspaper there and forget about. All those things then pile up until we can't find anything anymore. If you have convenient ways to organize your clothes or cosmetics, they won't be lying in a total mess.

Speaker A: Говорит, что у современных людей нет времени на уборку ('impossible to devote some proper time'), но нашел способ убирать, не тратя много времени ('without spending too much time on it'). Каждый вечер он проходит по комнатам и убирает вещи не на своих местах ('looking for the things which are not on their places'). Это занимает мало времени ('It takes me no time really'). Результат: Соответствует утверждению 3: You don’t have to devote much time to house cleaning. 

Speaker B: Говорит, что важно понять, с чего начать избавление от хлама ('where you should start'). Считает, что худшее место - гардероб ('worst place... is the wardrobe'). Предлагает выбросить старую одежду и отложить ту, что может пригодиться друзьям или родственникам. Результат: Соответствует утверждению 6: You should sort out your clothes first. 

Speaker C: Говорит, что ненужные вещи появляются из-за бесполезных подарков ('useless presents', 'souvenirs which you neither need nor want'). Решение - складывать их в коробку и отдавать подруге-учителю, которой они нужны для призов ('give them to my friend who is a teacher since she needs such small and expensive things as prizes'). Результат: Соответствует утверждению 1: Worthless things may still be needed by someone.

Speaker D: Считает, что мы покупаем слишком много вещей, особенно на распродажах ('buy too many things', 'sales are a complete nightmare'). Решение - никогда не покупать спонтанно ('never ever buy things on the spot', 'never buy things spontaneously'), всегда планировать покупки заранее ('always plan what to buy beforehand'). Результат: Соответствует утверждению 5: Making a shopping list helps to have fewer things.

Speaker E: Рассказывает о родителях, которые не любят выбрасывать вещи, но и не любят хлам. Они построили кладовку ('storage closet'), куда складывают ненужные вещи. Говорит, что это не решение проблемы, а способ сделать вид, что ее нет ('pretend the problem doesn't exist'). Результат: Соответствует утверждению 2: A possible way out is to put your clutter out of sight. 

Speaker F: Считает, что беспорядок возникает не из-за неаккуратности, а из-за неумения организовать пространство ('don't know how to organize our living space'). Вещи скапливаются на столах и подоконниках. Если бы были удобные места для хранения, беспорядка бы не было ('If you have convenient ways to organize...'). Результат: Соответствует утверждению 4: One should devote a certain place to certain things.