General Listening Quiz

What points do you consider when making a hotel reservation? Rank these ideas in the order of importance to you and share your reasons for your choices.

1. 1. Staying in a hotel is more comfortable than staying in a friend’s home.
   2. Expensive hotels are always worth the price.
   3. Hotel reviews online are more important than the hotel’s star rating.
   4. A hotel’s location matters more than its services.
   5. Guests should always tip hotel staff.
   6. It’s better to stay in a small family-run hotel than in a large chain.
   7. Free breakfast is one of the most important features of a hotel.
   8. Hotels should not charge extra for Wi-Fi or parking.
   9. Staying in a hotel is safer than staying in a rented apartment.
   10. Eco-friendly or “green” hotels are the future of the hotel industry.

“kick back” = relax
“After we checked into the hotel, we kicked back at the pool and enjoyed the sun.”

“crash” = go to bed because you are very tired
“I crashed as soon as I got to my room because I was exhausted from traveling all day.”

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

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

• mile (noun): A unit of distance. 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers
  – Drive down this road about three miles, and you’ll see the hotel on the right side of the street.
• treadmill (noun): a piece of exercise equipment that moves a belt as you run or walk on it
  – The exercise room at the hotel has two treadmills, so you should be able to run a little before we go out tonight.
• irk (verb): bother someone or something
  – It really irks me whenever a hotel room isn’t clean.
• nickel-and-dime (verb): take away someone’s money by making the person pay small amounts for something (also an adjective as in “a nickel-and-dime store”)
  – That hotel will nickel-and-dime you to death for every service they provide. It’s not worth staying there.
• buddy or buddy boy (noun): used when speaking to a man or boy, especially when you are annoyed with that person (use with caution because it can be rude depending on the situation)
  – Look, buddy. I’m in the room next door, so if you don’t turn down the TV and start the loud party, I’m going to call the hotel’s front desk and complain.
• be flustered (adjective): be in a bothered or confused state
  – The hotel guest was really flustered when I couldn’t figure out how to open his hotel room door.
• provide (verb): give or make something available
  – The mall can provide you with everything that you need for the trip.
• amenities (noun): things or services that make you comfortable
  – We chose this hotel because of the many amenities available to guests.
• I’ve had it (idiom): used to say that someone is tired, annoyed, and done with something
  – My wife has had it with this hotel’s poor service, so we’ve decided to check out and go somewhere else.
• fee (noun): an amount of money you pay for something
  – Many hotels charge additional fees for wireless internet and other services, so be sure to check carefully before making a hotel reservation.

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

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

Think about good and bad experiences you have had when staying at a hotel or other travel accommodation. How was the service and room? Did the hotel promise something that it didn’t provide in the end? Do you feel you were charged unreasonable fees?

Choose a city you want to visit and use the internet to find three cheap, affordable accommodations (hotels, youth hostels, etc.) that interest you. Then, compare prices, location, and amenities of each.