~- The 1900 House ~ The Bowler family was one of more than 400 families ‘who applied to 7900 House, a reality IV show which took a typical family back a hundrod years to see how people lived in the days before the Internet, computer games and even electricity ‘The Bowler family spent three months in a London. homo without a telephone, fridgo, computers, radio, TV, fast food or central heating. TV cameras recorded their day. The Bowlers wore clothes from 1900, ate only food 10 which was available in England at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove which also gave them their hot water. Paul Bowler still went to work every day (dressed in @ nineteenth-century uniform), and the children went to 15 school as normal. They changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn't know about their unusual home life. Joyco stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time. ’'m jealous, because if t's 1900 or 2005 my husband 20. gets the better deal,” she said. ‘Everything takes three times as long, like the cooking and everything.’ The stove took twenty-eight minutes to boll water, and cleaning the house and clothes without a vacuum eleaner or washing. machine was a nightmare. 25 So does Joyce think that people's lives were better in the old days? ‘I think they had just as many troubles and worries, and I don’t think their life was better or worse. There ‘were lots of things back then that I'm happy I don't have 30 to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler, Eloven-year-old Hilary said, ‘We had a lot more time with our family, and It was hard being nice to each other all the time, Having contaet with your farnily all the time 35 isreally, really weird. ‘What did the Bowler family miss most about modern, life while living in the 1900 house? Paul, 39: ‘a hot shower Joyce, 44: "a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just 40 turn on” Kathryn, 17: telephone, shampoo and hot water’ Hilary, 11: ‘computer games, music and normal sounds like the washing machine’ Joseph, 9: ‘pizza and the computer’ A Which member(s) of the family didn’t wear 1900 clothes all the time? stayed at home all day? © found it strange being with the family all the time? missed talking to his/her friends? € sees positive things about life in the past? Explain your answers 5 Lookaat the phrases in bold below from the text, Find the best meaning for the word or phrase in bold in the box problems really dificult hasan easier life strange people could buy dificult 4... ate only food which was available at that time... (line 9) b_... my husband gets the better deal dine 19) ¢ ...¢leaning the house ... without a vacuum cleaner .. was a nightmare. ine 23) 4... [think they had just as many troubles ine 27) ... it was hard being nice to each other all the time. (line 33) £ Having contact with your family all the time is really, really weird. (line 35) {6 Imagine you have to lve in a 1900 house. Look again at the list of things that the Bowler family missed about modem life. Which would you miss most? Compare your ideas in groups. “Toul tive without ny telephone C 31