BBC 6分钟英语 poor doors

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BBC, learning English. Hello, and welcome to Six Minute English.

I'm Rob, and I'm Neil. Hello, hello, neil.

You look very pleased to Daniel.

I am pleased. I just moved into my new flat.

OK, fantastic. Congratulations. So where is this new flat?

It's in the city. It's a one bed flat, so it's bees, you meaning small, but attractive.

There's a balcony. I've got a couple of deck chairs and a barberkin.

I can't wait to see it.

It sounds perfect. Well, today, we're discussing housing, and why in some buildings, there are separate entrances for rich and poor residents.

So are you ready for today's quiz questionnaire?

I'm all ears. OK, so you mean you're listening?

Care if I am right, what does social housing mean?

Is it housing for people who A, want to buy or rent at a low price?

B, who want to live together, sharing facilities, or see who aren't able to pay any rent at all?

Okay, I think the answer is A, to buy or rent at a low price.

OK Well, we'll see if you're right or wrong later on in the program.

So have you met your neighbors yet?

Neil Yes. I bumped into one couple as I was leaving for work this morning.

Ah, I see, bump into means to meet somebody by chance.

So were they friendly? Well, they complained about me blocking the communal area with my bike, ah, and also about my guitar playing.

But apart from that, they seem nice.

A communal area is an area that's shared by a number of people.

Well, I hate to say it, er Neil, but Yokottopling is annoying.

God, rob genius isn't appreciated here, I think.

OK, let's listen to the journalist, tom Baitman talking about rich and poor doors.

In front of us, here is a 20 story building right above me.

It's got tinted blue glass windows and balconies on every floor as you look from the street, and there is a very plush foyer, A sign in the window says, luxurious penthouses with spectacular views.

But this is what the journalist Tom Bateman saw when he went round the other side of the same building.

So as you come down the side of the building, you can see the windows, quite small windows of the flats above here.

Certainly no balconies. This is a big grey concrete wall as you walk down an alleyway toward the other door.

So this building has one entrance with a plush, or expensive and luxurious, and foyer means entrance hall.

Then there's another entrance down an alleyway, or narrow passage between the buildings.

This entrance leads to flats with small windows and no balconies.

Why is that? Rob that's because the alleyway entrance is the so called poor door.

There's no swanky foyer or tinted glass windows for these residents because they pay less rent than the people living in the apartments at the front.

Swanky means something fashionable and expensive that's designed to impress people.

And tinted glass is colored glass so people can't look through your windows.

That sounds useful. Do you have a tinted glass windows?

Neel No, I don't. Tinted sunglasses are all I can afford.

So what do people think about having a rich and poor door for the same building?

ROB Well, some people think it's terrible.

They say it's segregation or separation and different treatment of people.

And I can't believe the poor door.

People put up with it. Really.

To put up with something means to accept something that's annoying without complaining about it.

The thing is, though, the poor door people don't pay nearly as much rent, and they don't have to pay the same service charges that the rich door people pay.

A service charge is an amount of money you pay to the owner of an apartment building for things like putting out the rubbish?

Well, let's listen to an experience of a poor door resident.

We can't use the lift. And because it's for the rich people, so whenever the door is open, I use it.

Yeah? So they try and tell me off for using us, take me to court.

I don't mind. So what has Abdel been doing that the rich door residents don't like?

Rob? Well, he's been using their lift because it's near his apartment door.

And what does Abdul mean when he says, come take me to court?

He's inviting the rich door residents to take legal action against him.

But Abdul doesn't really think he's doing anything wrong.

Okay, it's time to hear the answer to today s quiz question.

Yes. What does social housing mean?

Is it flats or houses for people who A, want to buy or rent at a low price?

B, who want to live together, sharing facilities, or see who aren't able to pay any rent at all.

And I said, A to buy or rent

at a low price, and you will write So well done

for that meal. Now, shall we listen to the words we've learned on today s program?

Good idea, we heard be you bump into communal area, plush foyer, alleyway, swanky, tinted segregation, to put up with something service charge.

Thank you. Well, that's the end of today s six minute English.

I hope you felt at home with us on today's program.

Please join us again. Soon. Bye.

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