General Listening Quiz

Besides price and size, what other questions would you ask a landlord before renting an apartment?

1. 1. Living in an apartment is better than living in a house.
   2. Renters should have the same rights as homeowners.
   3. Apartments are more convenient than houses in big cities.
   4. Living alone is better than living with roommates.
   5. Apartment complexes should have strict rules to keep peace.
   6. Pets should be allowed in all apartments.
   7. Apartment living is more affordable than owning a home.
   8. Sharing walls with neighbors is a major disadvantage of apartments.
   9. Apartments should include more communal spaces like gyms or gardens.
   10. People who live in apartments are less connected to their community than those in houses.

“live out of a suitcase” = travel a lot from place to place and not settle down
“I’m really tired of living out of a suitcase, so I’ve decided to find a different job where I can live in one place.”

“dirt cheap” = very inexpensive
“Rent for apartments near campus is dirt cheap during the summer months because there isn’t a high demand for housing.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• furnished (adjective): having furniture in a living area such as an apartment
  – Our first apartment wasn’t furnished with any appliances, so we had to buy them.
• steep (adjective): expensive
  – The rent for the condo we looked at this morning was a little steep, so we decided to look for something else instead.
• split (verb): divide and share something
  – The rent for housing near campus was a little steeper than I expected, so I decided to find a roommate to split the costs.
• utilities (noun): services such as electricity, gas, and water
  – I’m looking for a place where the utilities are included in the cost of the rent.
• lease (noun): a legal agreement giving permission to use something for a specific period of time
  – Be sure to read carefully the terms of the lease before you sign it because you will be bound to the agreement.
• deposit (noun): money given as security to use something temporarily
  – Don’t expect to get your deposit back when you move out if you haven’t taken good care of the place.
• wear and tear (noun): the amount of expected damage of something from normal use
  – A certain amount of wear and tear is pretty normal when renting an apartment.
• tenant (noun): someone who rents a house or an apartment
  – The tenant next door always holds wild parties on the weekends, and I never can get any sleep.
• trash (verb): destroy something through carelessness
  – My roommate trashed our place while I was gone on vacation.
• trade-off (noun): a balance or exchange between options requiring compromise
  – There is often a trade-off between living on campus and renting an apartment off campus.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  | Gap-fill Exercise

Describe your current living arrangement. Do you live in an apartment, house, or dormitory? How many rooms does the place have? Is it conveniently located to shopping and transportation? Is there anything about your current situation that you want to change? If so, how would you like it to be different?

Assume that you are moving to the United States, and you are looking for a new two-bedroom apartment. First, decide on a city of your choice, and then search around to find the best place for you based on location, price, convenience, and amenities. Use newspapers, the phone book, information from friends, and the internet. Discuss your findings with others.