The Reading / Listening - Homes for Sale - Level 5

It is a dream come true if you want to get on the property ladder - a home for one euro. Sambuca in Sicily, Italy is a picturesque town that is selling houses for just €1 to attract people. This is because of a decline in its population. Like many towns in Italy, the number of residents is falling because young people are moving to cities. Sambuca's mayor believes the houses will be easy to sell because his town is so attractive. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is close to gorgeous beaches. It has retained its heritage with its cobbled streets and Arabesque architecture.

There is a small catch to this one-euro bargain - the buyer must spend $17,000 on renovating the property within three years of buying it. The deputy mayor said the town owns the houses, so there would be little red tape when buying a property. He said the town does not liaise between old and new owners, and that, "you'll get [a house] in no time". He promised potential buyers would love the town. He said: "We're located inside a natural reserve, packed with history. Gorgeous beaches, woods and mountains surround us. It's silent and peaceful - an idyllic retreat for a detox stay."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Homes for Sale - Level 4 or  Homes for Sale - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/one-dollar-home-sambuca-sicily-italy/index.html
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sambuca-italy-house-buy-town-sicily-property-a8731761.html
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6600011/Sicilian-town-sells-dozens-homes-glorious-views-Med-just-90p.html


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. It is a dream
  2. get on the
  3. a picturesque
  4. because of a decline
  5. the number of residents
  6. the houses will be
  7. cobbled
  8. Arabesque
  1. town
  2. is falling
  3. architecture
  4. easy to sell
  5. streets
  6. come true
  7. property ladder
  8. in its population

Paragraph 2

  1. There is a small
  2. renovating the
  3. there would be little red
  4. you'll get a house
  5. potential
  6. a natural reserve, packed
  7. It's silent
  8. an idyllic retreat
  1. and peaceful
  2. in no time
  3. for a detox stay
  4. property
  5. tape
  6. catch
  7. buyers
  8. with history

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

It is a dream (1) ___________________ you want to get on the property ladder - a home for one euro. Sambuca in Sicily, Italy is (2) ___________________ that is selling houses for just €1 to attract people. This is because of (3) ___________________ its population. Like many towns in Italy, the number of (4) ___________________ because young people are moving to cities. Sambuca's mayor believes the houses will be easy to sell because his town (5) ___________________. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is close to gorgeous beaches. It has (6) ___________________ with its cobbled streets and Arabesque architecture.

There is a (7) ___________________ this one-euro bargain - the buyer must spend $17,000 on renovating the property (8) ___________________ of buying it. The deputy mayor said the town owns the houses, so there would be (9) ___________________ when buying a property. He said the town does not liaise between old and new owners, and that, "you'll get [a house] (10) ___________________". He promised potential buyers would love the town. He said: "We're located (11) ___________________ reserve, packed with history. Gorgeous beaches, woods and mountains surround us. It's silent and peaceful - (12) ___________________ for a detox stay."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Itisadreamcometrueifyouwanttogetonthepropertyladder-ahomef
oroneeuro.SambucainSicily,Italyisapicturesquetownthatissellingho
usesforjust€1toattractpeople.Thisisbecauseofadeclineinitspopulati
on.LikemanytownsinItaly,thenumberofresidentsisfallingbecauseyo
ungpeoplearemovingtocities.Sambuca'smayorbelievesthehouseswi
llbeeasytosellbecausehistownissoattractive.ItoverlookstheMediterr
aneanSeaandisclosetogorgeousbeaches.Ithasretaineditsheritagewi
thitscobbledstreetsandArabesquearchitecture.Thereisasmallcatcht
othisone-eurobargain-thebuyermustspend$17,000onrenovatingt
hepropertywithinthreeyearsofbuyingit.Thedeputymayorsaidthetow
nownsthehouses,sotherewouldbelittleredtapewhenbuyingapropert
y.Hesaidthetowndoesnotliaisebetweenoldandnewowners,andthat,"
you'llget[ahouse]innotime".Hepromisedpotentialbuyerswouldlovet
hetown.Hesaid:"We'relocatedinsideanaturalreserve,packedwithhis
tory.Gorgeousbeaches,woodsandmountainssurroundus.It'ssilenta
ndpeaceful-anidyllicretreatforadetoxstay."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You