Page 38 - Think 3. Teacher's Book B3+

Unit 2
A hard life Reading
Warmer
Write on the board: What do you
know about life in your country in the
17th century? How was it different
from life today? Where did people
live? What did they eat? What did
they wear? Ask students to discuss
in pairs or small groups. After five
minutes, bring the class together and
listen to some of their ideas.
1 Before students read the article,
get them to cover it and just look
at the pictures and answer the
question.
2 2.05 Read the article or play
the audio. Then discuss the
question as a class.
3 2.05 Check/clarify: medieval,
perfumes, petals, bakeries,
concerns, hygiene, public baths,
saltwater, rural.
Ask students to underline the key
parts of the text which give them
their answers.
1 T 2 F 3 F 4 T 5 F 6 T
4 Monitor and prompt students
to keep talking, but as this is a
fluency activity, do not interrupt
to correct mistakes. While
monitoring, note down any
common errors, to review as a
class at the end. At the end of
the exercise, listen to some of the
students’ ideas and encourage
open class discussion.
more
Workbook
Reading p22, Ex.1–4
T24 A hard life | Unit 2
READING
1 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Look at the pictures.
SPEAKING
What are the problems with baths like these?
2 2.05 Read and listen to the article. Then check your answers.
A short history of
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
bathing in the UK
These days most people in the UK have access to hot water by simply
turning on a tap. People know how important it is to keep clean and take
baths and showers daily. But of course, it wasn’t always so easy.
In medieval times most people knew that washing your body with water was a good
thing to do and there were instruction books that explained the importance of keeping
your body clean. Some, though, offered rather strange advice, such as to avoid taking
a bath in the summer or not to take long baths because they would make you fat.
In the palaces and houses of the rich, people enjoyed bathing in a wooden bathtub
that servants filled with hot water. They would often add perfumes and flower petals to
make the water smell nice. Having your own private bath was a sign of importance and
make the water smell nice. Having your own private bath was a sign of importance and
King John, for example, used to take his bathtub with him whenever he travelled.
Most people had no bath of their own, but they might visit one of the many public
baths that started to appear in most cities by then. These were often beside bakeries,
and the heat from baking the bread was used to warm up the water.
People with no access to public baths would wash using only cold water and a cloth.
When the weather was warm enough, they would jump in the nearest river for a wash.
By the early 1800s there were serious concerns about the dreadful conditions in crowded
cities and people started to recognise the importance of hygiene. Some now bought
metal bathtubs for their homes, although for most people there was no bathroom and
the water still had to be carried in from outside and heated up. Many people still didn’t
use to have baths in their homes, but some could afford to make a weekly visit to the
7 F new public baths that opened in the 19 th century. At the same time, bathing in the sea
became popular as people looked to saltwater to help cure skin problems.
Bathing habits changed for good in the late 19 th century when pipes could carry century when pipes could carry
water directly into homes. Bathing became a lot easier and people started
taking many more baths. However, many homes in the UK, especially those
in rural areas, had to wait until as late as the 1960s before they had running
water directly connected to them.
2.05 Read and listen to the article again.
3 Mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).
1 In medieval England many people believed water was
important for your health.
2 Flower petals helped to keep people clean. 4 SPEAKING Work in pairs.
3 King John had a bathtub made for him everywhere he went.
SPEAKING
4 Bathing in rivers was common in medieval times. Discuss these questions.
5 By the early 1800s some people had hot water in their homes. 1 How do medieval bathing habits
6 In the early 1800s bathing in the sea was thought to help compare with those of today?
skin problems. 2 How might bathing habits change in
7 Most homes in the UK had running water by the 1940s. the future? Why do you think this?
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