英語聽力練習(xí)中級訓(xùn)練23：租房

英語聽力練習(xí)題目：Great Apartment Living

1. Which statement is NOT true about the apartment for rent?

A. It includes a washer and a dryer.

B. The apartment is partially furnished.

C. The rent is over $900 a month.

2. What utilities are included in the rent?

A. gas and water

B. electricity and phone

C. gas and electricity

3. Under which circumstance could you lose your deposit according to the conversation?

A. You end the agreement before the minimum leasing period of four months.

B. You cause damage beyond normal use of the apartment.

C. You remove any of the furnishings without permission.

4. How would you describe the location of the apartment?

A. The woman can catch a bus to school in front of her apartment.

B. A supermarket and shopping center are only a few blocks away.

C. The apartment is in a relatively quiet neighborhood.

5. What kind of pet is a tenant allowed to keep in the apartment?

A. a dog

B. a cat

C. a rat

答案：

1. It includes a washer and a dryer.

2. gas and electricity

3. You cause damage beyond normal use of the apartment.

4. The woman can catch a bus to school in front of her apartment.

5. a rat

英語聽力原文：

Apartment Owner: Hello.

Caller: Hi. I'm calling about the ad for the apartment found in today's newspaper.

Apartment Owner: Okay.

Caller: I'm kind of desperate, and I need something right away.

Apartment Owner: Okay. What would you like to know?

Caller: First of all, how big is it?

Apartment Owner: It's a two-bedroom apartment with a living room, dining room and kitchen, and one bathroom. There's also a place for a washer and dryer.

Caller: Okay, and how old is the apartment complex?

Apartment Owner: Well, let's just say it has a lot of history. To be honest, my great grandfather built it during the 1920s, but it's a very sturdy and sound structure.

Caller: Oh, and . . . so, is the apartment furnished at all?

Apartment Owner: Oh, yeah. The apartment is partially furnished with a refrigerator, stove, and my grandmother's old dishwasher.

Caller: Your grandmother's old dishwasher? Okay. What's the rent?

Apartment Owner: It's $950 a month.

Apartment Owner: Whoa. That is a little steep for me.

Caller: But you could always split the cost with a roommate.

Caller: Perhaps. Does that include utilities?

Caller: Well, the rent includes gas and electricity, but not the phone bill. And the water pump is right out the back door.

Caller: Water pump! [Yeah.] Oh, yeah. Well, can I rent month-to-month, or do I have to sign a lease for a longer period of time?

Apartment Owner: We require a 6-month commitment for the apartment, and if you cancel the agreement anytime during that period, hey . . . you lose your deposit.

Caller: Oh, and how much is the deposit?

Apartment Owner: It's $400, and, of course, this money is used to repair damage or general wear and tear on our apartment, like the leaks in the old roof from last year's snow storm. Man, that was ugly. Plaster falling down from the ceiling. And I didn't even know there was a rat's nest up there, but we got that taken care of.

Caller: A what? Do I get my deposit back after I move out? That's assuming that I even move in.

Apartment Owner: Generally speaking, we return the deposit, minus a small fee for, you know, cleaning the apartment for the next tenant, but if you trash the place, then don't expect to get anything back.

Caller: Okay. Oh, um . . . how close is the apartment to the university campus?

Apartment Owner: It's about eight blocks from campus, but you can catch a number of busses right out in front.

Caller: Oh, so, then, if there's a busy road out front, is it noisy?

Apartment Owner: Well, there are always trade-offs: it's a little noisy with the road outside and the airport behind you, but the place is really convenient because there's a supermarket and shopping center right across the street. Just keep the windows closed and a pair of ear plugs handy, and you'll be fine.

Caller: Okay, and one last question. Are there parking spaces for tenants?

Apartment Owner: Yeah. The apartment has two covered parking spaces, which are really convenient during certain times of the year.

Caller: Uh . . . I don't know. Is it possible for me to drop by and visit the apartment tomorrow morning?

Apartment Owner: Sure, but just remember we rent the apartment on a first-come, first-serve basis, so there's no guarantee it'll still be available then.

Caller: Okay. Thanks. Um . . . and where exactly is the apartment located?

Apartment Owner: It's one block west of the waste water treatment plant.

Caller: Ah . . . . Are pets allowed?

Apartment Owner: Well, you can keep small pets like a hamster in a small cage, but we don't allow larger animals like dogs, cats, or snakes. Things like that.

Caller: Um, I have a rat . . .

Apartment Owner: You don't have anything like that, do you?

Caller: Well, I have a rat that I keep in a cage. Will that be okay?

Apartment Owner: Well, as long it doesn't escape, I guess that's okay.

Caller: And what's your name?

Apartment Owner: It's Norman. Norman Bates.

Caller: Alright, Mr. Bates. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.

Apartment Owner: Bye.

英語單詞短語：

furnished adj. 家具，有家具的 (adjective): having furniture in a living area such as an apartment

- Our first apartment wasn't furnished with any appliances, so we had to buy them.

steep adj. 陡峭的;不合理的;夸大的;急劇升降的 (adjective): expensive

- The rent for the condo we looked at this morning was a little steep, so we decided to look for something else instead.

split vt. 分離;使分離;劈開;離開;分解 (verb): divide and share something

- The rent for housing near campus was a little steeper than I expected, so I decided to find a roommate to split the costs.

utilities n. 公用事業(yè) (noun): services such as electricity, gas, and water

- I'm looking for a place where the utilities are included in the cost of the rent.

lease n. 租約;租期;租賃物;租賃權(quán) (noun): a legal agreement giving permission to use something for a specific period of time

- Be sure to read carefully the terms of the lease before you sign it because you will be bound to the agreement.

deposit n. 存款;保證金;沉淀物 (noun): money given as security to use something temporarily

- Don't expect to get your deposit back when you move out if you haven't taken good care of the place.

wear and tear 磨損 (noun): the amount of expected damage of something from normal use

- A certain amount of wear and tear is pretty normal when renting an apartment.

tenant n. 承租人;房客;佃戶;居住者 (noun): someone who rents a house or an apartment

- The tenant next door always holds wild parties on the weekends, and I never can get any sleep.

trash vt. 丟棄;修剪樹枝 (verb): destroy something through carelessness

- My roommate trashed our place while I was gone on vacation.

trade-off n. 交換，交易;權(quán)衡;協(xié)定 (noun): a balance or exchange between options requiring compromise

- There is often a trade-off between living on campus and renting an apartment off campus.