walidyousef.com
(prepared by Mr. Walid Yousef)

Passive Houses & Articles

Reading Comprehension & Grammar Practice

Exercise 2 Read the Article

PASSIVE HOUSES

Traditional houses need a lot of energy to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Old houses are also often inefficient. For example, in the winter, a lot of the heat inside a house is lost through windows, doors and even the walls. For that reason, people often want to live in a passive house. A designer first invented passive houses in Germany and they are popular in Europe.

تحتاج المنازل التقليدية إلى الكثير من الطاقة للتدفئة في الشتاء والتبريد في الصيف. كما أن المنازل القديمة غالباً ما تكون غير فعالة. على سبيل المثال، في الشتاء، يُفقد الكثير من الحرارة داخل المنزل من خلال النوافذ والأبواب وحتى الجدران. لهذا السبب، يفضل الناس غالباً العيش في منزل سلبي. اخترع مصمم المنازل السلبية لأول مرة في ألمانيا وهي تحظى بشعبية كبيرة في أوروبا.

They use solar energy from the sun for hot water, and even treat waste water so that it can be used again. A passive house also has very good windows and wall insulation, which means that heat does not leave the house: materials keep the house warm, just as a jumper can keep you warm in the winter. A special device also takes old, wet air from the house and replaces it with fresh air. For this reason, passive houses are the best way to save on energy bills and to live a comfortably warm house all year. However, because passive house technology is quite new, they are expensive and are usually bought only by the rich.

تستخدم هذه المنازل الطاقة الشمسية من الشمس للحصول على الماء الساخن، بل وتعالج مياه الصرف الصحي بحيث يمكن استخدامها مرة أخرى. يحتوي المنزل السلبي أيضاً على نوافذ وعزل جدران جيد جداً، مما يعني أن الحرارة لا تغادر المنزل: تحافظ المواد على دفء المنزل، تماماً كما يمكن لـ سترة أن تبقيك دافئاً في الشتاء. كما يقوم جهاز خاص بسحب الهواء القديم الرطب من المنزل واستبداله بهواء نقي. لهذا السبب، تعتبر المنازل السلبية أفضل طريقة لتوفير فواتير الطاقة والعيش في منزل دافئ ومريح طوال العام. ومع ذلك، نظراً لأن تكنولوجيا المنازل السلبية جديدة تماماً، فهي باهظة الثمن وعادة ما يشتريها الأغنياء فقط.

Exercise 3 Grammar Rules: Articles

Complete the rules 1-10 with a/an, the or no article (-) based on the underlined examples in the article. Instant feedback is provided!

Example: People often want to live in a passive house.

Example: A designer first invented passive houses in Germany.

Example: Traditional houses need a lot of energy.

Example: Materials keep the house warm in the winter.

Example: I live near the River Thames.

Example: Passive houses are the best way to save on energy bills.

Example: They are popular in Europe.

Example: He lived in a tent. The tent was in a remote area.

Example: They are usually bought only by the rich.

Example: A designer first invented passive houses.

Exercise 4 Gap Fill

Complete the article with a/an, the or no article (-).

Leaving home comforts to enjoy nature

At the age of 16, Zaid Alkhayyat decided to give up his home comforts and live alone in tent. At the time, he was youngest student doing a two-year course at the School of Adventure Studies on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. tent was in a remote part of island and almost impossible to find without detailed directions. Every morning, he would get up at 6 a.m., wash in river, light fire and drink cup of tea before going to college. While studying at the Adventure School, he also gave lessons to conservation experts about how to survive in wild.

Exercise 5 Sentence Construction

Complete the sentences by adding a/an, the, or selecting (-) where no article is necessary.

1 I / live / in / flat / near / city centre / in / Amman

I live in flat near city centre in Amman.

2 I / have / dream / of climbing / Jabal Umm ad Dami

I have dream of climbing Jabal Umm ad Dami.

3 I / prefer / mountains / to / sea

I prefer mountains to sea.

4 I / once / went / to / hospital / for / operation

I once went to hospital for operation.

5 I / live / near / River Thames / which flows through / London

I live near River Thames, which flows through London.