General Listening Quiz

What are three qualities you look for in a college roommate (or a roommate at any time in your life)? Why are these qualities important to you?

1. 1. Having a roommate in college is an important part of the experience.
   2. Roommates should always become friends, not just people who share a space.
   3. It is better to live with a stranger than with a close friend.
   4. Roommates should split everything 50/50, from rent to cleaning duties.
   5. Sharing a dorm room helps students learn important life skills.
   6. It is fair to change roommates if you don’t get along.
   7. Quiet roommates are easier to live with than outgoing ones.
   8. Living alone in college is better than sharing a room.
   9. Roommates should always respect each other’s schedules.
   10. Conflicts between roommates make students stronger in the long run.

“be at home with” = feel comfortable with something
“My Japanese roommate is really at home with the culture here in the United States.”

“squeaky clean” = someone is very good and honest and never gets into trouble
“My roommate is squeaky clean. He never does anything dishonest, and he always stays out of trouble.”

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

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

• respond (verb): answer or reply to something
  – When are you going to respond to his email message?
• nutritious (adjective and verb): healthy, good for the body
  – My mother makes very nutritious soup and bread.
• tidy (adjective): clean, organized
  – Her room isn’t very tidy. Her clothes are all over the place.
  – Please tidy (up) your room before your grandparents arrive.
• midnight (adverb): 12:00 a.m.
  – My brother doesn’t come home until after midnight.
• major (adjective): important, serious, or significant
  – If you have major problems with your roommate, you should talk to him directly.

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

• Mixed-Up Sentence  |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

What are some positive reasons for having roommates from other countries? Are there any possible challenges? If so, what are they? Explain your ideas.

Finding a good roommate can be difficult because there are so many things to think about. What is the person like? How well will the roommates get along? Do they share the same interests? Now, more and more websites can help you with this search, but you need to know what to look for in a quality service. Search online for a company that helps you find roommates and answer these questions:

1. How does the website help you search for compatible people in your area?
2. How much does the service cost to search for roommates and to leave your own profile?
3. How does the website keep your information private?
4. What reviews can you find about the service?