IELTS Recent Actual Test 33 - Part 1 (Listen and Read)

Good afternoon and welcome to Habitat Hunters.

You must be Joseph?

Yes, that's right. You said on the phone that I could come by at 2 o'clock.

Sorry, I'm a little early.

No, no problem at all.

In Calgary's market, you have to move fast if you want a good apartment!

Actually, I'd settle for almost anything.

I've been here ten days and the hotel is ruining me.

My father has me on a strict budget.

Sit right down here now, sir.

Let's talk a little about the places before we go have a look.

Now, we have 4 apartments available.

OK, could you tell me more about those 4 apartments?

Sure. The first one is on Beatle Road, just a block off campus.

It's a 3-bedroom with a bathroom and a living room and a great Italian restaurant right next to it.

How much?

Well, it's $435 a month, including Internet and utilities.

Okay, that sounds reasonable.

Any drawbacks to the house?

There's a really big garden, but it hasn't been taken care of over the years and

is just too big to clean up nicely.

Hmm. That sounds okay.

Tell me about the next option.

The other 3-bedroom apartment is on Oakington Avenue on campus.

It is right near the building where you have classes,

and the kitchen and living room are newly furnished.

Wow, that sounds like a pretty good option.

Well, it is a cool apartment,

but since it's a dormitory, the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and washing machine are all shared.

It would be nice not to have to buy living room furniture, though.

And how much is this one?

$400 per month for a bedroom with an air conditioner.

For a bedroom without an air conditioner, you would pay less,

$340 for it.

Yikes, even with the air conditioner, it sounds really inconvenient to have to share facilities.

I'll never cook if I have to walk down the hall to use the kitchen.

Yeah, that's true.

Anyway, the next place is a 2-bedroom on Mead Street.

Oh, I like Mead Street - that's off campus, right?

Yep. It's pretty cool, but it only has 2 bedrooms, plus a living room and a study.

But I want to live together with my 2 friends.

So you could make the study into a small bedroom if you end up living with them.

Also, we guys want a TV and DVD player since we're all so much into movies.

Well, this place has a great TV and VCR, but no DVD player.

No DVD? That's so weird.

Are any other facilities provided?

As you said, weird enough, it also comes with a washbasin.

Is there a washing machine?

I think we need that more than just a washbasin.

I'm afraid there's no washing machine in the apartment.

Wow, that's so old-fashioned!

Maybe it's not the best choice for 3 college guys.

How much is it?

Well, it's $600 per month,

but of course it would be cheaper if you made it into 3 bedrooms instead of 2.

Where is the apartment located?

It's 2500 Mead Street, where there are a lot of bars.

It would be affordable, but it would get pretty noisy.

And that sounds really expensive for an old place in a noisy area.

How about the last place?

This one's on-campus in the Devon Close complex.

It's a one-bedroom so it will be a little quieter than the Mead Street place.

One bedroom huh? That could be good for focusing on my studies.

What else does it have?

It comes with a living room and a study,

and includes a really nice lamp in the study that has a bunch of different settings.

You know what else is cool?

There's a dining hall downstairs so all evening meals are free.

You can purchase breakfast and lunch, but meals after 6 p.m. are free.

Wow, this place sounds too good to be true.

Is it really expensive?

It's alright - $500 per month, but there's no bathroom.

What? No bathroom?

Well, there's no bathroom in the apartment, but there's one at the end of the hall.

Hmm. Thanks, I think now I just have to decide whether I want to live alone or not.

Yeah, which one do you prefer?

I think I'd choose either this apartment or the one on Beatle Road.

OK. You'd better think about it, and then you can contact me ASAP

Fine, thanks for your help!