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Cleaning Habits
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Cleaning Habits
清洁习惯

Learn English with this housekeeping English lesson

Date: Feb 18 2013

Grammar: Passive Voice

Intro

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Are you a slob? A neat freak? Are you the kind of person who folds and puts away your clothes as soon as you get changed for bed, or who just dumps your clothes in a pile on the floor? There are probably as many different cleaning habits as there are people in the world.

Being super neat or super messy isn’t that much of a big deal when you live by yourself. When you live with roommates or a spouse or partner, you have to worry about whether your cleaning habits are compatible with the person you live with. If your cleaning habits differ, you’ll probably have to learn how to compromise, or else decide that living together isn’t going to work out. Find out how Greta and Mason deal with each other’s cleaning habits in this housekeeping English lesson.

你是懒汉吗?你有洁癖吗?你是只要换衣服睡觉就把衣服叠好后再睡,还是只将衣服堆在地板上的一类人?可能世界上不同的人有不同的清洁习惯。

一个人生活时,超级整洁或超级凌乱都没什么大不了的。当与室友、配偶或同伴一起生活时,你不得不考虑自己的清洁习惯是否与和你一起生活的人一致。如果你们的清洁习惯迥异,你可能不得不学习如何妥协,或决定无法生活在一起。在本节家务管理英语课中,看看格里塔和梅森是如何处理彼此的清洁习惯的。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Greta

Greta

Mason

Mason

Greta:  I would say probably the thing that has been most annoying for the various roommates that I’ve had over the years is the fact that I can’t leave a dish in the sink. If it has food on it, if it has been used, it needs to be washed right away.

Mason:  Well, right away, like 24 hours?

Greta:  Right away like within 20 minutes after finishing your meal.

Mason:  That sounds terrible. I mean, what if there are other things that you want to do, or what if it needs to soak for a little bit, or what if you just want to make sure that a good amount of dishes get there so that you don’t waste your energy washing just one or two dishes?

Greta:  I need the sink to be clear. Otherwise I go a little crazy. Just like if you can walk into a room and you can see that there are things on the floor, it needs to be swept right away.

Mason:  Things like toys?

Greta:  Things like, if you can see any particles of dust, or a piece of dirt, if you can see that there is junk on floor, you need to sweep it. Right now.

Mason:  I am definitely not that anal about my cleanliness.

Greta:  I guess I’m a bit of a neat freak.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Greta has very particular cleaning habits. She likes to wash dishes as soon as she’s done eating. She also doesn’t like it when she walks into a room and can see any dirt or dust on the floor. She thinks if dust is visible, then it should be swept up.

Mason is definitely not as much of a neat freak as Greta is. He just doesn’t understand what the point is of washing your dishes right away, or picking up every last bit of dust on the floor. He has other priorities.

What are your cleaning habits? Do you identify more with Mason or Greta in this conversation? Have you ever lived with someone whose cleaning habits were very different from yours?

 

Comments

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kowatch

kowatch

Hungary

I totally agree with Mason. It is very complicated to live with a person who is neat freak. I don’t have so much time and energy to clean the house everyday.


But I had a roommate who was slob. He never dished or cleaned the room, he was too lazy. I cleaned the room only once a week and he thought I am a neat freak.

01:36 PM Feb 23 2013 |

masoudhsn

masoudhsn

Canada

Being clean everywhere  that I am is always my favorite, but being neat freak which means obsession of cleainess isn’t my interest. Also, having compatibility with others who are slobs is impossible for me. Oveall, I am an average person  with good compromise with people and without anal idea about cleaniness.

02:14 AM Feb 19 2013 |

IMOdraude

Brazil

It’s a little complicated to keep things all clean everytime, because it takes time to wash, clean or sweep.


I’ve already heard that people who are super neat are more likely to get sick, because all the cleanliness make your body far away from microorganisms and bacterias, so your body doesn’t improve your antibodies.

09:54 PM Feb 18 2013 |

1 person likes this

Miss.Seba

Miss.Seba

Yemen

well it depends on my time if i amn’t busy i am super super neat :)  ..i amn’t like greta neither mason ..i haven’t lived with with any body..:)

09:26 PM Feb 18 2013 |

I M P E R I V M

United States

I like cleaning my apartment but the work NEVER ends! even though I have only a few furniture items, but I sell stuff from home so if you visit me my house looks like a warehouse

08:56 PM Feb 18 2013 |

Olga_Alina

Germany

I’am defently a neat freak. I hate junk on the floor or duty dishes.

08:44 PM Feb 18 2013 |

vicmay_lo-flo@live.com.mx

Mexico

I think it’s important to have clean habits.


Life is better in a clean place.


07:41 PM Feb 18 2013 |

1 person likes this

Fernandinha

Brazil

I’m not neither a slob nor a neat freak. I am in the middle. but I agree with Greta about wasing the dishes. It must be done after having meals.

07:05 PM Feb 18 2013 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

NAIRA, don´t need to be crazy, usually   children are the “terminator” of  a tidy house, the important thing is to know that they are happy , no need to go after them picking up the mess  that they leave behind. :)))) 

05:28 PM Feb 18 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

 i should at least give the credit to Greta that she admits that she is a lil neat freak.  I am remembering the movie “the odd couple”  with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau , their ideas of housekeeping were as different as night and day.Greta now knows that Mason is not a compatible roommate.lol.  I am kind in the middle ,I am not a neat freak, but  ,i would never leave the dishes in the sink to be washed the next morning.

05:13 PM Feb 18 2013 |

Al-issawi

Al-issawi

Iraq

I do agree with Greta and ghost, being clean is an impression about what type of human live there. Some people find it a tiring task to clean a lot, but once you get to used to it, it will be a daily demand for you. I cannot read nor do anything if there is mess around me.  Sometimes when I got home so tired then I put my clothes on the sofa and my wife became mad about that…. 

03:50 PM Feb 18 2013 |

faakram

Iraq

hi

03:15 PM Feb 18 2013 |

1 person likes this

ale_serrat

ale_serrat

Brazil

I’m more like Greta but I’m not exaggerated. Things like dishes that need to be done soon I’m like her but things like dusting off only on the weekends. I’m not a neat freak but I like to be in a clean and organized place.

02:58 PM Feb 18 2013 |

naira71

naira71

Azerbaijan

I am a neat freak,I like when there is an order everywhere,in the kitchen,in the bedroom,in my closet.But my little daughter often does a great mess in the rooms and it makes me crazy.

12:33 PM Feb 18 2013 |

Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

I have the same cleaning habits of Greta, i can consider myself a neat freak, i don’t like to leave any of my stuff out of my closet as soon as i get home and i wash my dish or my glass as soon as i’m done and i completely understand how annoying to live with people unlike you, my sisters are not so neat so it’s impossible to me to live with messy spouse.

10:23 AM Feb 18 2013 |

1 person likes this

Wielomian

Wielomian

Poland

My year is divided on two parts. Frist one is short and regards session time on University. I have no time to clean so… I have a mess around, but only in my private places. Kitchen and bathroom is clean all the time because other people also want to use them without any obstacles:D For the rest year I am a neat-freak. I like when everything lies on proper place. I am kind of minimalist in decorating flat, so I have only few things in room what implies that it is easier to keep tidiness all the time:D

09:06 AM Feb 18 2013 |

Behnazz

Behnazz

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

it is more frightening to me When it comes to having to compromis with someone who can not seem to be compatible in anyway!! whether i am a neat freak or slob, at that moment won’t mater anymore, me and my roomate will end up in a big unavoidable fight or argue, and in the end will will face this drama of someone being kicked out of the room. :D…....Unless we come to an agreement, finally. ;o)

09:01 AM Feb 18 2013 |

Jawsome

Jawsome

Turkey

I can’t feel at ease if stuffs are untidy around me. i think i’m close to neat-freak. but not so much.. “cleanliness is next to godliness”

08:25 AM Feb 18 2013 |

ghost.w0506

Germany

ahhhhhhh


I hate those, who don t clean their flat, room or something


when you enter someone s property, you will see, what kind of human is living there.  To live in a clean sorrounding should be the first rule in every life. Isn t it?

07:34 AM Feb 18 2013 |

khaethe

khaethe

Philippines

i want a cleaan sorrounding, im not comfortable with my bed crampled, i make sure that everything is in order.

05:48 AM Feb 18 2013 |

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