★ Little Sunshine's Wonderland ★

Topic 1: Apartment for Rent
Conversation,
Roger: Hello.

Ann: Hello Roger? This is Ann.

Roger: Oh hi, Ann. How have you been? And how's your new apartment working out?

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

Roger: Oh, what's the problem with your place now? I thought you liked the apartment.

Ann: Oh, I do, but it's a little far from campus, and the commute is just killing me. Do you think you could help? I thought you might know more about the housing situation near the university.

Roger: Alright. So, what kind of place are you looking for?

Ann:Well, I'd like to share an apartment with one or two roommates within walking distance to school.

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. Oh, and I'd prefer to rent a furnished apartment.

Roger: Hmm. And anything else?

Ann:Yeah, I need a parking space.

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.

Ann: Hey, thanks a lot.

Roger: No problem.

Key Vocabulary,

• work out (phrasal verb): going well
  - My new job schedule has really worked out for me.

• commute (verb): to travel between home and work or school
  - I have to commute two hours each day to get to work.

• utilities (noun): public services including water, gas, and electricity
  - How much do you pay for utilities each month?

• furnished (adjective): containing furniture, for example, a sofa, tables, and washing machine
  - I decided to rent a furnished apartment so I wouldn't have to buy so many things.

• vacancies (noun): rooms not being used or rented
  - Do you have any vacancies starting next month?

Post-Listening Exercises,
Ann wants to share the apartment with one or two roommates within walking distance to school. So, she can pay less in renting an apartment and get to school quickly. In my college, girls often live in dormitory because there is enough space to move in all girls. This is a good and fast way to make friend with others. However, boys are not as lucky as girls. The space of dormitory is not enough to offer to all boys. Some of them live outside the campus and pay a lot if they live closer to campus. Also, they spend much time on getting familiar with other classmates.