Iimothy Scott was leisurely leafing through a local

newspaper when he saw a small advert for a "concrete

reservoir for sale".
loTt I
fne couple, known locally as
'the
moles', have decided to go underground not just
bcause they want one of the most unusual homes in
Britain, but for good ecological reasons too.
FTI
Instead, they found a sweet-smelling 10m by 20m
space,4m high. The massive concrete roof, and the
earth above it, was supported by eight large original
brick pillars.
'We
knew immediately that it would make a wonderful
home,'says Timothy.
l2Tl
these will be the main
source of light and heat for the house. Natural light will
spread through glass wdls to the three bedrooms, two
bathrooms and kitchen off the central area.
We expect virtually no heating bills,' Timothy says.
'The
surrounding earth and the inside of the walls should
provide an arnple storage area for the solar energy we
gain through the pyramids during the day.
l:Tl
we
$timate
that this will cut our electricity bills by at least a
third.'
The couple's belief in the benefits of living underground
i s genui ne. Li vi ng underground, whi ch i s qui te common
in Americ4 in parts of Spain and in Chin4 has many
advantages for families.
lZTl
what's more, they are
naturally protected from wind and draughts. Earth
sheltering also provides greater security and at the same
ti me a bui l di ng that wi l l l ast a good 500 years. There are
fewer than a dozen earth-sheltered homes in Britain,
which makes their inhabitants into pioneers of a sort.
Bui l di ng thi s way i s al so compati bl e wi th the new
conservationist methods.
lETl
fo avoid living in
'shoe
boxes' and to keep agricultural land green, there is really
onl y one way of bui l di ng: underground.
' l n
100 years'
time, or less,' says Timothy,
'l
believe that large
numbers of peopl e wi l l be l i vi ng i n earth-shel tered
homes i n Bri tai n.'
Earth-sheltered homes don't have to be like Timothy's
reservoi r.
l 0Tl
n pati o i s al so possi bl e, as l ong as there
i s enough space i n front of a house.
However, according to Peter Carpentier, secretary of the
Bri ti sh Earth Shel teri ng Associ ati on, who l i ves i n hi s own
underground home, there are a few disadvantages. For
instance, because there are so few earth-sheltered
homes i n the U( i t i s usual l y hard, al though not
i mpossi bl e, to get pl anni ng permi ssi on.
l i l
When a
lot of excavation is needed, building costs can be higher
than for conventional homes, although savings can be
made in other ways.
40
+J
ossibfy,
af? Yes,
fou bet.
rision to
"-l runtry.
I
:eresting
I
he need
I
rgy and
I
)m most
I
rlly with
I
lies only
I
ive wide
I
old iron
I
:cted to
I
:e large
I
ee
slass
I
rsulated,
I
ificantly
I
rbout to
I
I
4
$
3
Vocabulary Practice
a. Match the hi ghl i ghted words i n the text to thei r
synonyms below
.
expenses
.
al most
o
gi ganti c
.
more than enough
.
resi dents
.
unhurri edl y
.
cal cul ate approxi matel y
o
practi ces
b. Which words or phrases in the text describe the
materi al s used for thi s ki nd of bui l di ng?
a. Look at these two phrases from the article.
What i s the meani ng of the word
' good'
i n each
sentence?
r
... not j ust
because they want one of the most
unusual homes i n Bri tai n, but for good ecol ogi cal
reasons too. (lines 4-6)
.
... a bui l di ng that wi l l l ast a good 500 years.
(line 28)
b. Look at the following phrases from the article
and explain them in your own words.
o
The coupl e' s bel i ef i n the benefi ts of l i vi ng
underground is gen u ine. (lines 22-23)
o
Bui l di ng thi s way i s al so compati bl e wi th the new
conservati oni st methods. (l i nes 31-32)
5
What advantages/disadvantages of living
underground does the arti cl e menti on? Li st them,
then tal k to the cl ass about the pros and cons of
l i vi ng underground.
6
The article states that "Society is going to have to
look at energy usage ... " (sentence A). What ways
are there to save energy i n our homes? Thi nk about:
.
al ternati ve energy sources
.
recycl i ng
o
i nsul ati on
-:=:- .
.
"
Di scussi on
i ; r. l
7
In pairs, discuss the following.
.
Coul d earth-shel tered houses be the homes of the
future? Why (not)?
o
What other types of houses mi ght peopl e have i n
the future?
8
In pairs, take roles and act out a dialogue between
Ti mothy and Sarah, whi l e they are vi ewi ng the
house for sal e.
63
ffi
r.it Analysis