SchulLV Logo
Lerninhalte
Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part C

The art of living small

1
1 People have lived in small spaces for as
2
long as housing has existed. Over the last few
3
decades, though, small homes have become
4
increasingly popular. Towards the end of the
5
1990s an English-born and American-based
6
architect wrote a book with the title The Not
7
So Big House – A Blueprint For The Way We
8
Really Live. This was the beginning of the so-
9
called “tiny-house movement” in the United
10
States of America, which has now become a
11
worldwide trend. In the past, owning a big house was important and was seen as a sign
12
of success in life. Lately, the idea of “bigger-is-better” has lost its attraction. The rea-
13
sons for this vary from financial instability to the ability to move house easily, as well
14
as a rising interest in environmental matters. As a result, the market for tiny houses is
15
growing both in big cities and in the countryside.
16
2 As the name suggests, tiny houses are small buildings with less than 50 square
17
metres of living space. Quite often they are compared to mobile homes and campers
18
because of their compact size. There is an important difference, however. The main
19
feature of a mobile home is the ability to move it easily – sometimes daily and often
20
quite spontaneously. Tiny houses, in contrast – even if set on wheels – are meant to
21
remain in one place. The practical advantage compared to regular houses is the fact that
22
you do not need as much land and material to build them, which makes construction
23
cheaper and faster.
24
3 People who choose the tiny-house lifestyle need to cut down the number of per-
25
sonal items they own to fit into the smaller space. While giving up a lot of our most
26
valued possessions may sound impossible to many of us, tiny-house enthusiasts con-
27
sider it one of the major advantages of their chosen way of life. By removing unneces-
28
sary things, they create a new and minimalistic reality. This mindful lifestyle influ-
29
ences other areas of life as well. A survey shows that people who have lived in tiny
30
houses for over one year have reduced their carbon footprint1 30 by more than 45 per-
31
cent. How is this possible? Well, for one thing, heating 50 square metres of compact
32
space takes a lot less energy than keeping a big house or mansion warm. Secondly,
33
power-saving electrical equipment is essential, so a big flat screen with an elaborate
34
sound system has no place in a tiny house. For many, this new lifestyle also includes a
35
focus on buying regional food and minimizing waste.
36
4 Despite the limited space, tiny houses still have everything one needs for daily life:
37
a kitchen, a bathroom, a living space with a table and seating options and a bedroom.
38
To fit all of these into the tiny house, architects have come up with some innovative
39
ideas and creative solutions. For example, movable walls and doors can create privacy,
40
and the overhead ceiling area can be used for storage. Many shelves are double-sided,
41
which means you can put plates or glasses on top of them but also hang cups and tow-
42
els underneath. Many tiny houses have a bedroom set on an upper level above the
43
living room or they have bunkbeds. The stairs leading up to the bedroom gallery often
44
have cupboards built into them which can be used for storing books or boxes. The bed
45
frame uses the space beneath the mattress for drawers. Wardrobes and baskets which
46
hang from the ceiling make creative use of the space without blocking any light from
47
the windows.
48
5 While a tiny house in Germany needs a building permit – and an official address if
49
it is your main residence – this is not necessary in the United States of America.
50
In many states people have the right to live wherever they want. For this reason,
51
Americans are increasingly choosing to live “off-the-grid”, i. e. to move far away from
52
the more populated areas like towns or big cities and to live a completely self-reliant
53
lifestyle. The first step is to buy a small piece of land in the wilderness and to build the
54
new home there. More and more people include space for a well-planned garden,
55
which offers the possibility to plant and grow vegetables and food. Solar panels and
56
battery packs can be installed to provide energy; a solar oven or outside grill can be
57
used for cooking. A small, wood-fired unit inside provides a cozy heating option. Peo-
58
ple who live off-the-grid give up most modern luxuries willingly in exchange for the
59
freedom to decide everything for themselves and to do everything exactly the way
60
they want to.
61
6 Moving into a tiny house is a big step which involves rethinking your lifestyle. If
62
you are curious about this minimalistic approach and want to experience living in such
63
a small space yourself – but are not ready to give up your comfortable way of life for
64
good – there is a solution. Tiny houses are available to rent all over the world. Instead
65
of booking a hotel room for your next weekend break, you could look for a tiny house.
66
The selection on offer has something for everyone, whether it is a simple off-the-grid
67
tiny house in the woods, a romantic country-style one, or a trendy urban tiny house.
68
The options are endless – even if the space inside is not!
Haus mit Person davorHaus mit Person davor

1 carbon footprint: ökologischer Fußabdruck

1.

Read the text above. Then decide in which paragraph (1–6) you find the information (A–G).

You can use the numbers (1–6) more than once.

There is an example (A) at the beginning.

Name the paragraph which tells you ...

A

that people’s values regarding their homes are changing.

B

the definition of a tiny house.

C

about making maximum use of one’s living space.

D

about storage options in a tiny house.

E

about the different types of tiny houses there are.

F

what a minimalistic lifestyle requires.

G

what it means to live in the wilderness.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

1

6 Punkte

2.

The following words have different meanings. Which of the meanings below is the one used in the text above?

Tick () the correct meaning. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

0. as (line 11)

wie (Adjektiv)

als (Konjunktion)

weil (Konjunktion)

wie (Konjunktion)

1. set (line 20)

bereit (Adjektiv)

fest(gesetzt) (Adjektiv)

Drehort (Nomen)

Paar (Nomen)

2. need (line 36)

Bedarf (Nomen)

Notwendigkeit (Nomen)

brauchen (Verb)

müssen (Verb)

3. level (line 42)

ruhig (Adjektiv)

Ebene (Nomen)

Ausmaß (Nomen)

gleichmachen (Verb)

4. break (line 65)

Bruch (Nomen)

Chance (Nomen)

Pause (Nomen)

zerbrechen (Verb)

4 Punkte

3.

Answer the questions using information from the text above.

Short answers are possible. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

0. Why do you need less energy when you live in a tiny house?

less heating is necessary / fewer electronic devices

1. How is a tiny house different from a mobile home?

________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. What solutions for sleeping space do tiny houses offer? Give one example.

________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Why do many Americans choose to live “off-the-grid”? Give one reason.

________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

4. What can you do if you want to test the tiny-house lifestyle?

________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

4 Punkte

4.

Five of the following statements (a–j) are true according to the information given in the text above. One true statement (a) is given.

Find the remaining four true statements and write the letters in the table below.

(a) Moving into a tiny house means people must downsize.

(b) Building a tiny house in Germany does not require a permit.

(c) The tiny-house movement started at the end of the 20th century.

(d) You can only build tiny houses in the countryside.

(e) The popularity of tiny houses is good for the environment.

(f) The minimalistic lifestyle is suitable only for young people.

(g) An increasing number of tiny-house owners grow their own vegetables.

(h) Tiny houses do not have a living room.

(i) All tiny houses look the same.

(j) People have different reasons for choosing a tiny house.

a

4 Punkte

Weiter lernen mit SchulLV Plus!

monatlich kündbarSchulLV Plus-Vorteile im ÜberblickDu hast bereits einen Account?
  • Link zur App im AppStoreLink zur App im PlayStore

SchulLV