11. Renting a house 租房
Word Storm
(un)furnished （无）有家具的
dormitory 学生宿舍
detached house 独立房屋
block of flats 公寓楼
studio flat 一居室公寓
bungalow 平房
surroundings 环境
facilities 设施
shower 淋浴
air-conditional 有空调的
radiator 电暖气
central heating 中央暖气
sign a contract 签合同
deposit 押金
landlord\landlady 房东\女房东
tenant 房客
agency 中介
lease 租期
let 出租
renew 续约
preferences 优先考虑0
leak 漏水
balcony 阳台
basement 地下室
fitting\suite 装置、家具
furnish 布置
fit up 装备
ensuite bathroom 独立浴室
pets not allowed 禁养宠物
utilities 公用事业费
Hannah: How is your house hunting going?
Logan: Not very well. I haven’t found anything within my price range yet.
H: How much are you looking to spend?
L: I can only afford about 300 pounds a month.
H: Looks like you’re not going to get more than a bedroom in a shared flat w ith that. L: Really? That’s a lot of money to pay for one room.
H: Well, if you want to live in London, you have to pay the price!
L: Do you know of anyone who needs a roommate?
H: I can ask around at work. Do you have a preference for smokers or non-smokers? L: I’d prefer non-smoking roommates, but I guess I’ll have to take what I can get! H: How long do you want to sign a contract for?
L: I can sign a contract up to a year. I don’t know where I’ll be after that.
H: Do you need a furnished or unfurnished apartment?
L: I don’t have any furniture, so it’d be great if it were furnished.
H: You know that you’ll have to pay utilities on top if the rent, right?
L: No, I thought that would be included in the rent.
H: It’s not usually included, so you’ll have to fa ctor in about 100 pounds more each month for utilities.
L: I don’t think I can afford that.
H: Don’t worry. Sometimes people will give you a discount if you promise to do the cleaning or take care of the children.
L: That’s a good idea. I’ll look into find ing something like that.
L: What’s your apartment like?
H: It’s a furnished two bedroom flat in a three-story building on campus.
L: What is it like living in on-campus housing?
H: It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. The freshmen that live nearby ar e really loud, especially on the weekends. But, the rent is much cheaper than private housing, so it’s worth it.
L: Did you have to pay a deposit?
H: No, but we do have to pay 9 months rent in 6 months, so for the first 6 months we pay 1/2 month’s rent each month.
L: Do you have to pay utilities on top of your monthly rent?
H: No, it’s all included. Besides, students don’t have to pay council tax, so we’re saving quite a bit of money by living here.
L: How long is your contract for?
H: That’s the bad thing—the contract ends in June, so we’ll have to find a new apartment soon.
L: Have you started looking again yet?
H: Not yet. I’m hoping we’ll be able to find something cheap once all the students leave the city for the summer.
L: Good luck!
12. Living in a House
Word Storm
fence 栅栏、围栏
hedge 树篱笆
villa 郊外独栋别墅
courtyard house 带院子的住宅
garage 车库
lawn 草坪
rockery 假山
chimney 烟囱
lounge 客厅
ceiling 屋顶、天花板
fireplace 壁炉
yard 院子
shed 小屋
fittings 装置
instalment 分期付款
down payment 首付
real estate 房地产
mortgage 抵押
mortgage loan 按揭贷款
interest 利息
