General Listening Quiz

What kinds of information do you hear in typical radio or TV commercials, let’s say, for a department store (e.g., store hours, telephone number, etc.)? What types of promotions do companies advertise to get you to buy their products?

“on ice” = do nothing about something until a future time
“We were going to buy some new furniture, but the low advertised prices ended yesterday, so we’ve put the plan on ice.”

“tighten your belt” = spend less money
“She wanted to redecorate her house with new furniture, but she has had to tighten her belt since she lost her job.”

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Describe your current housing situation. Discuss the number of rooms it has, its location and convenience to other area attractions and businesses, and the terms of the housing agreement. Then, explain what you like most about the place.

Imagine you are renting a two-bedroom apartment in the US while you are studying English. You have about $2,500 to furnish your apartment with some basic necessities including a sofa, a table and chairs for the kitchen, a bed, and a TV. Find two Web sites that sell such household furnishing and compare the prices of the items above. Also, determine whether the company delivers to your local area and how much taxes and handling fees would cost.