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Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

1.The text is about people who ......

Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

2.The Hendersons’ own home is …

Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

3.What the family particularly liked about their holiday was …

Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

4.Why did Jane and David enjoy the holiday so much?

Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

5.The children enjoyed the holiday because they …

Discover the world in an authentic way

Exchanging homes is a popular way of having a different kind of holiday. Jane and David Henderson and their two children, aged twelve and fourteen, recently did exactly that. They exchanged their comfortable three-bedroom house in a quiet, very green London district for a flat in Florida.

We asked them if they would recommend the experience.

‘Yes, most certainly,’ David told us. ‘It’s a marvellous opportunity to enjoy a completely different lifestyle. The flat was huge and had all the modern equipment that makes life easier, but that wasn’t what we liked most. It was the place itself that was incredible, situated on a piece of land with the sea on two sides. We even had a private beach; there was white sand and sunshine. It was beautiful.’

‘We both have jobs which involve a lot of responsibility,’ continued Jane. ‘David works with computers and I’m a journalist, and of course our spare time is spent with our children.

In Florida, they entertained themselves. So, to do nothing but sunbathe, swim and shop was a new experience for us. And, because we had no hotel bills to pay, it was much cheaper and we could afford to stay for six weeks – it was wonderful!’

And what about the children? What did they do? Did they enjoy themselves?

‘Yes,’ said David. ‘They had an absolutely amazing time. You see, when you live in somebody else’s home, you don’t just stay with the tourists and go on sightseeing trips, you meet the local people. Our children met the local children and explored all the best places in the area.’

But were there any problems when they returned to their home in England?

‘None at all,’ said Jane. ‘The family from Florida left it clean and tidy. All our plants had enough water and looked happy, and they’d left us some beautiful flowers as a thank you. We never met them, but we talked a lot on the phone and they seem like nice people. We still write to them.’

So, will the Henderson family exchange their home again next year?

‘Oh, yes!’ David told us. ‘Maybe we’ll exchange it for a house somewhere in a far-away part of the countryside. That would be a completely different lifestyle again.’

6.The two families …

Read the text and decide if the statements 1–5 are true (T) or false (F)

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

1.The writer’s guests are very similar to each other.

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

2.People in the office prefer to avoid their manager

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

3.His secretary behaves differently when he is around

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

4.When the secretary leaves the room, she feels happy

Similarities attract

‘Similarities attract.’ This phrase comes to mind as I look around at my guests. I can’t believe how many differences there are between the people I know. Let’s take the example of my manager. He is so arrogant that people in the office prefer to keep out of his way. His poor secretary speaks very timidly when he’s around, as if she were very shy. But it’s surprising how she comes alive the minute he leaves the room. You can see her happiness suddenly grow! My cousin Suzie, on the other hand, is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I have ever known. The problem is that when she starts talking, she simply can’t stop. Still, there are far worse habits than being talkative.

And finally, there is Ben. I love him quite a bit, but I’m definitely getting annoyed with his mania for computer games. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he knows what’s real and what’s just fantasy. But I guess it would be boring if everyone was the same.

5.Ben loves fantasy games