ENGINEER ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT ODD NEW HOME

 

PORTLAND,OR, USA. Bruce Campbell recently bought his dream home. Campbell, 49, is not someone who follows the crowd. Instead of a traditional house in the suburbs, he got a 727! He paid $ 1,000,000 for his new home, which used to belong to the Greek airline Olympic Airways. 

Campbell’s unusual home is parked on his rural property near the city of Portland. He cleaned the cabin and took out most of the seats. “Now it’s a palace in here!” he says. The cabin is huge, but the bathrooms, on the other hand, are tiny. Campbell plans on using the cockpit as his office.
Campbell, an engineer, is enthusiastic about his new home. The plane is much stronger than most homes, he points out. And the roof will never leak!
At present, Mr. Campbell is a bachelor. But what if he meets his soul mate? Then, he jokes, he’ll buy a new 747.

COMPREHENSION CHECK

1. How much did Campbell pay for his new home?
2. Who did the plane belong to before Campbell bought it?
3. What did he do to the cabin?
4. What does he plan to do with the cockpit?
5. Why is Campbell enthusiastic about his new home?
6. What is his marital status at present?
7. What if he meets his soul mate?
8. Do you think Campbell will easily find a soul mate? Why or why not?
9. Would you be enthusiastic about living in a plane? Why or why not?

 VOCABULARY AND EXAMPLES

1.727: is a mid-size, single-aisle (narrow-body) commercial jet airliner.

2.suburbs: a usually residential area or community outlying a city.

3.cockpit: the space set apart for the pilot and crew, as in a helicopter, large airliner, or transport aircraft.

Examples:1) I'd like to try traveling on a 727!
2) When I retire from my job, I plan to live in the suburbs with my family.
3) If you're looking for the pilot of the plane, you'll find him in the cockpit.  

IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS 
Be enthusiastic about something ……like something very much
Follow the crowd……………………do what everyone else does
Instead of (doing) something……… in the place of (doing) something
Pay for something…………………... give money for something
Belong to someone…………………. Be the property of someone
Take out something………………… remove something
On the other hand………………….. however; in contrast
Plan on (doing) something…………… expect to do something in the future
Point something out……………………explain something; show something
At present ……………………………now
What if…………………………………what will happen if
Soul mate………………………………perfect life partner

FREE TALKING QUESTIONS

1. What are you enthusiastic about?
2. Do you like to follow the crowd?
3. What kind of person will be a soul mate for you?
4. What things do you have to pay for every month?
5. Where are you living at present?
6. What do you plan on doing this weekend?