Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Home Exchange
简体
Home Exchange
房屋交换

Learn the First Conditional

Date: Jul 25 2012

Themes: Travel

Grammar: First Conditional

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

The expression “the grass is always greener on the other side” means that we often think other people’s lives are better than our own. We only focus on what they have that we don’t have, and we don’t think about the difficult or negative things they might have to deal with. But what if you could trade lives with somebody else—or at least houses? You might learn to appreciate your own home more. Or who knows, you might find that the grass really is greener on the other side.

House exchange sites help people trade houses for a brief vacation, or even longer. Amy wants to do a long-term home exchange so she can experience life in a different city. Hear her chat with Jason about swapping houses.

俗话说“邻家芳草绿”,这说明,我们总觉得别人活得比自己好。我们经常只关注别人有而我们没有的东西,我们不会想到他们必须要处理的困难或消极的事情。但是如果你能和别人进行生活交易,或者至少是能够交易房屋,那会怎样呢?你可能会知道更加喜爱自己的房子。或者,你可能发现,果然是邻家芳草绿。

房屋交换网站帮助人们交换房屋来短期休假或者居住更长的时间。艾米希望长期交换房屋,这样她可以体验不同的城市生活。听听她与詹森谈论有关交换房屋的事情。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Amy

Jason

Jason

Amy:  I have this brilliant plan to do a house exchange for, like, three months. Like just go have a life somewhere else.

Jason:  That would be so fun. You just have to hope that your house looks somewhat like it did when you left, upon your return.

Amy:  I know. That is the question. Can you trust a stranger to just live in your house for a while?

Jason:  Of course, you have their house too.

Amy:  That’s the thing!

Jason:  But you don’t…I mean, maybe you could have your friends come and look at it every now and then and make sure things are OK.

Amy:  Definitely. I think you could have people check in on the place. But I think it’s also kind of just a leap of faith, like, you know, this mutual arrangement, where both parties just agree, “I won’t mess up your house if you don’t mess up mine.”

Jason:  Call me cynical, but people make those agreements and then proceed to do exactly the thing they agreed not to do, even if they don’t mean to.

Amy:  You know, that’s true, but home exchange sites are huge. They’re all over the Internet.

Jason:  It’s true. So it must work sometimes, right?

Amy:  I haven’t read a lot about terrible things happening as a result of a home exchange deal.

Jason:  Well, if it works for you, maybe I’ll give it a shot. ‘Cause it does sound awesome.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "First Conditional" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Amy wants to do a home exchange for a few months. She wants to live in someone else’s home in another city, and let that person stay in her house in return. This is becoming a more and more common way to see different cities and experience life in a new place.

Jason says that sounds like a lot of fun. But you have to trust a stranger to take good care of your home. In a home exchange, both parties agree to be respectful of each other’s property. It’s an arrangement built on mutual trust.

Jason tells Amy that if she does a home exchange, she should have friends check in on her house while she’s gone. If she does it and it works out well, Jason might want to do a home exchange too.

Would you ever do a home exchange? Where would you want to go? How long would you want to stay there?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

tonyzhou00

China

it can not be happened here. different country, so different culture.

11:25 AM Dec 27 2012 |

Maria Mraish

Jordan

it is interesting, i would like to try someday. 


I sould find somboday lives in Spain, and exchange lives with him. 

12:41 AM Aug 06 2012 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

May be I would) I’d like to go to Spain, Italy, France, England, Australia or USA at least for a month. I think it would be an adventure.

06:11 PM Jul 30 2012 |

tingying

China

I think home exchange is a good idea,maybe we can learn some new cultures, and  we can learn new lanuages,I’m a China girl and I want to make frends with a America girl to improve my English.


 

12:59 PM Jul 28 2012 |

Jullieta

Jullieta

Russian Federation

By the way it is a good idea! In big cities hotels are too expencive.It is the best way to solve this problem.

10:28 AM Jul 27 2012 |

vampair

vampair

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I haven’t done home exchange and I never want to do that.


I love my home and it drives me crazy that someone else manages my house or changs the place of the furnitures.


But it is a good new experience. If I can find a trustworthy person who accepts to stay in my home; I will do it.!!!!!!!!!!!!

06:03 PM Jul 26 2012 |

lejl@

lejl@

Serbia and Montenegro

I don’t know, i think that’s like evrything have their positive and negative side. Positive is that u have new experience (and evry expirience is valuable) , u can much appriciate what u have in your life etc. Bad side , u leting in home totally stranger :)

01:10 PM Jul 26 2012 |

bluestarrr1990

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

I think it is a  great idea ,,, if you do home exchnge you will experience a different life with different calture and make a new friends that is so nice….

12:57 PM Jul 26 2012 |

Nattka

Nattka

Russian Federation

I don`t let strange people my home, because I let strange home. 

05:28 AM Jul 26 2012 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

I haven’t heared about home exchanges before, but it doesn’t seem a good idea for me. I can move to a new home leaving the old one, but to exchange mine with another for some while allowing strangers living in mine seems a bad idea.


once i want to see new places and experience new lives, i’m sure i’ll find proper ways to  implement..

01:59 AM Jul 26 2012 |

1 person likes this

sanaa2000

sanaa2000

Egypt

Id never do ahome exchange before,& I think I wont do it at all.But I hope I can travel to another place to learn more & more & to have fun too.I dont know how long Id want to stay there,cuz I will miss my lovely country Egypt sure.

10:39 PM Jul 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

I  don´t like the whole idea  of swapping houses, is not that I am so attached to it, but  my house is my house  and  and I prefer to keep my  personal belonging  private, although  I wouldn´t object  to entertain    a guest for a short period of time.Cool 

08:34 PM Jul 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

ola33

ola33

Japan

Petarian, just throw the strangers out of your house and leave the dog with good neighbours. Tongue out


The snow is in Canada ) but this year it disappeard in Europe. I’ll let you know about this year. With the first snowstorm, you can buy a ticket ;)

06:42 PM Jul 25 2012 |

jossef 002010

Morocco

I find it an interesting idea, but am i ready to live that experience?! well..i’m not so sure,at least at the moment, I think it’s good for those who have their own place. and for who loves traveling, home exchange is a chance to discover many things ( to have a new friend or friends even his/her neighbours , living in a house instead of a hotel for while), I’m sure there’re many other things to discover i should try to know it, Where would i go..hmm i’ve nowhere specific ,and i wloud stay for a week as maximum . 

05:18 PM Jul 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

nastaran.k

nastaran.k

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

home exchange?It’s a good idea for those who don’t care very much about their house.but for me it would be hard to let others live in my house and another reason that i think i would never do that is that I feel comfortable just in my house and even i can not sleep anywhere except in my own house and in my own bed.I know it’s a negetive attitude to have, but anyway peale are different.Wink

02:50 PM Jul 25 2012 |

Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

Actually it’s very brilliant idea to get to know other countries and have fun without spending too much money and the country that i’d like to visit is Greecei love itthe grass is always greener on the other side: i think we always think that the others are having a sweet life without problems and we just have problems but over time we realize the others have problems too and maybe bigger than ours so i think this experience home exchange maybe  a way to be grateful for our lives and of course have fun tooWink

02:31 PM Jul 25 2012 |

Crizsearch

Crizsearch

Indonesia

That’s good idea, sounds interesting indeed but I don’t think I would do it, I love my home and I don’t really trust strangers to take care my home, beside I also afraid to mess up other people house, yeah…it’s too risky to do it. Maybe it sound alright for best friend , just exchange for short a while and everything will be fine, well… mutual agreement. As for me, emmm..I don’t think would ever do it. :D that’s the thing . If I want to stay somewhere, I will stay at hotel or losmen, not other people’s house. 

02:20 PM Jul 25 2012 |

S&W

S&W

China

Talk to the home exchange ,honestly i don’t have the experience but if i have chance i’d like to do .The precondition is change the house with people in china .I want to go YuNan Maybe one year is long for me to get to know the custom in here.Laughing

10:54 AM Jul 25 2012 |

saeed16

saeed16

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hi!


How are you dear friends?


((“the grass is always greener on the other side” means that we often think other people’s lives are better than our own.))


I like this proverb; it was the first time that I read it entire my life.


Let me say, we have a proverb in my culture which is so similar, we say “the chicken of the neighbor is goose


It means: all people think the chicken of other people is more valuable than a simple chicken, which it would be a goose and they don’t have it..


In fact the meanings of both proverbs are the same.


Thanks for this cool lesson


Have a nice time


Sina 


Please look at this picture and the neck of the chicken that is look like a Goose!!!


lol



alzhbeta

alzhbeta

Belarus

we need changes and home exchange is one of the ways to do smth different. for the first I’d like to chasnge house not in the other country but in my own. in another regoin for example – cool. to meet new people enjoy new things. and if I would like to go to another country I use perfect resources. there some net agencies where you interview the person with whom want to deal with. and pack your bag!)

09:16 AM Jul 25 2012 |

Likes (28):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast