Read the report findings at:
1.
www.shropshirestar.com
2.
www.lloydsbankinggroup.com
Key words and phrases:
house prices / third / a new report / an achievable goal / property ladder / aspiration / statistics / concern / bleaker / capital / social problems / homeowners / standstill
LANGUAGE - CLOZE
House prices in the U.K. are now so high that a (1) ____ of British people believe they will never buy their own home. This is according (2) ____ a new report published by the Halifax Bank. Home ownership was once an achievable goal for generations of Britons. However, rising prices now mean the (3) ____ of getting on the property (4) ____ are on the decline. The report says that one in five twentysomethings has no desire to own their own home. Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax, said: "We may be (5) ____ towards the point where the aspiration to own a nice home will be replaced by the aspiration to simply live in one." He added: "It seems that people are now beginning to accept a (6) ____ of renting."
Britain's Office for National Statistics earlier this week stated that house prices have risen by 10.5% in the past year. It (7) ____ concern at what it describes as "runaway train" house prices. The average U.K. house was valued at $425,000 in 2013. Things get (8) ____ for house hunters (9) ____ to buy in London. Prices in the capital have risen by 18 per cent in a year to an average of $610,000. The Halifax report writes about possible long-term social problems (10) ____ from, "the division between homeowners and non-homeowners". The report warned that if there are (11) ____ first-time buyers, "the market will come to a (12) ____ ". If this happens, prices will have to come down.
Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
| 1. | (a) | thrice | (b) | thirdly | (c) | third | (d) | third-time |
| 2. | (a) | to | (b) | by | (c) | of | (d) | on |
| 3. | (a) | prospects | (b) | prospective | (c) | prospectus | (d) | prospector |
| 4. | (a) | ladder | (b) | steps | (c) | stairs | (d) | staircase |
| 5. | (a) | backing | (b) | heading | (c) | stomaching | (d) | arming |
| 6. | (a) | living | (b) | lifer | (c) | livelihood | (d) | lifetime |
| 7. | (a) | ushered | (b) | sequestered | (c) | expressed | (d) | fast-tracked |
| 8. | (a) | beaker | (b) | breaker | (c) | blacken | (d) | bleaker |
| 9. | (a) | wishing | (b) | wished | (c) | wishes | (d) | well wishers |
| 10. | (a) | arising | (b) | arousal | (c) | arisen | (d) | arousing |
| 11. | (a) | lesser | (b) | fewer | (c) | smaller | (d) | dearth |
| 12. | (a) | stood | (b) | standing | (c) | standstill | (d) | standard |
Read more and find the key at: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1404/140423-home-ownership.html#ixzz31V2Bt2Jd
