General Listening Quiz

“Apartments for Rent”

Level:	Topic:	Speakers:	Length:
easy	renting apartments	man – woman	00:49

Pre-Listening Exercise

People often look for cheap apartments or condominiums to rent when going off to college. Other students choose to stay with a homestay family, but this isn’t always possible. Therefore, what are three things you look for in selecting a place to live? Put them in order of importance to you and discuss them with a partner.

Idioms

“feel at home” = feel comfortable or relaxed
“The more you learn about the culture here, the more you will feel at home.“

“move in” = start living somewhere
“Some of my adult children have moved back in because they want to save money.“

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

What is the main topic of the conversation?

the cost of rent near universities

a search for a new apartment

the problems with living in an apartment

Ann: "Well, that's what I'm calling about. You see, I've decided to look for a new place."

Why doesn't Ann like her current apartment?

It's far from campus.

It's too expensive.

The neighborhood is noisy.

Ann: "Oh, I do (like my apartment), but it's a little far from campus, and the commute is just killing me.

How much money does Ann want to pay for rent?

a little more than $200

around $200

no more than $200

Roger: "Okay, what's your budget like? I mean how much do you want to spend on rent?" Ann: "Uh, somewhere under $200 a month, including utilities, if I could."

Ann wants to rent an apartment that _____.

is in a good neighborhood

already has furniture

is close to campus

Ann: "Uh, (I want to rent an apartment) under $200 a month, including utilities, if I could. Oh, and I'd prefer to rent a furnished apartment."

To help Ann, Roger is going to _____.

check out an apartment

look online for rentals

call his friend

Roger: "Well, I know there's an apartment complex around the corner that seems to have a few vacancies. I'll drop by there on my way to class today."

Vocabulary Practice

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

Mixed-Up Sentence | Gap-fill Exercise | Multiple-Choice Questions | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

Talk about the type of apartment Ann is trying to find. Discuss the ideal living situation for students going to a college or university in your country and abroad. Compare living in an apartment, house, and dormitory. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of privacy, price, space, and location? Discuss your opinions on the topic with a partner.

Online Investigation

As an international student, deciding on a place to study is only the first step to living overseas. The next step is finding a place to live, but which is better: living on campus in a dormitory or off campus in an apartment? Use the Internet to compare these two possible living arrangements in a city of your choice. Use the ideas in the Post-Listening section to help guide your ideas.

Back to Easy Quizzes

See Listening Script