Neighbours from Hell

Max: Hi Charlie,

What are you doing?

Charlie: Oh, I’ve been playing “Neigbours from Hell” for about two hours! Can’t stop… It’s so cool!

Max: Neighbours from Hell? Er... What is it?

Charlie: It’s a computer game. It's about a guy named Woody who plays all kinds of pranks on his neighbour.

Max: Do you really find it funny!?

Charlie: I do! Look…

This morning I came across an interesting post on the Internet. The woman is telling about her new neighbours.

Today I’d like to talk about the relationships with neighbours.

First, sort the adjectives into positive and negative.

Positive: sociable, helpful, caring, patient, smart, kind.

Negative: selfish, rude, arrogant, forgetful, talkative, silly, easy annoyed, nosy.

Which of the adjectives would best describe your neighbours? What are they like?

For example: My next-door neighbor, Mrs Johnes, is very sociable. She often visits us for a chat.

Let’s read the article from the newspaper.

I’ve lived in a rented flat for the last six months and my life has been very quiet and peaceful. But now a new couple have moved in next door and they are making my life impossible.

The main problem is that they have parties during the week that go on all night. Sometimes their friends turn up at their flat at two or three in the morning and when I complain they just tell me to go away.

My two children can’t sleep because of the noise, so I don’t get enough sleep either. I was doing evening classes twice a week, but I’ve had to give them up because I’m too tired to go. Now when I get home I just take off my coat, sit down in front of the TV and fall asleep – until the party starts next door, of course.

All this is making me very depressed and I can’t put up with the noise any longer. I like living here and I get on well with other neighbours, but these people are a nightmare.

Do your readers have any advice for me?

Linda

Max: What problem does Sarah have?

How has she tried to solve the problem?

How has this problem changed her day-to-day life?

How does she feel now?

Finally, what advice can you give Sarah?

Max: A new report out today says that one of the biggest causes of stress is our neighbours. Let’s listen to an interesting programme to find out what the people think about.

Listen to 5 people talking about their neighbours. Put pictures A to E in order.

Interviewer: Excuse me, can I ask you if you get on well with your neighbours?

1. Oh, yes. I’ve got fantastic neighbours – well, they’re friends really, not just neighbours.

We often, you know, visit each other for er coffee and um just talk about the day. And when I go away for the weekend they, you know, always look after my cats, which is really useful.

2. Well, I don’t have any neighbours, actually. I live in a big house in the country and er there’s nobody near me. The nearest house is about um 4 miles away. And I like the quiet, you see.

3. I get on well with all my neighbours except one. They’ve got a teenage son, you see, and he’s, like, learning to play the drums. They are really loud and it drives us crazy! I’ve talked to his parents, but you know, they just don’t care. We’re thinking of moving house to get away from them.

4. Well, most of my neighbours are, you know, OK, but it’s the kids that are the problem. There isn’t enough place for them to play, you see, so they just get into trouble. It’s er it’s not really their fault, they’re … just bored really and there’s not much to do round here.

5. Well, in our street there’s not enough places to park. So you know, people just park anywhere. So sometimes I have to leave my car a long way from my house, which is, you know really annoying. I’ve got two kids under the age of 2, you see, and sometimes I have to carry them quite a long way. So, yeah, my neighbours are a bit of a problem.

Listen again. Answer these questions.

1. What do the first person’s neighbours do when she goes away?

2. How far away is the second person’s nearest neighbour?

3. What is the third person thinking of doing?

4. Why does the fourth person think the children get into trouble?

5. Why is it important for the fifth person to park near the house?

Do you have any problems with your neighbours?

What do you do to sort them out?

OK, guys, it’s time to finish. Have a good day! And I want to pop in and make sure Charlie’s stopped playing that silly game.