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Places People Live
In America, a home can come in many different styles
In America, you can choose from a variety of places to live. Your choice will depend on your needs and your budget!
You can rent or lease an apartment. If you rent an apartment, you live in it month by month. If you want to move out, you must tell the landlord 30 days before you leave. If you lease an apartment, you sign a contract to live in the apartment for a longer period of time. If you leave before contract ends, you must pay a fine.
You can also buy a condominium. Individuals own these apartments, but the public areas in building belong to all the condominium owners.
Maybe you’d like to live in a townhouse or duplex. These share at least one wall with other homes, and they do not have big yards.
If you live in a single-family home, you must take good care of the house and the yard. If you don’t, your neighbors will complain.
Word Bank:
budget (n)预算
with my budget, I can afford $1 000 a month for rent.
lease (v)租用；出租
Stephen won’t buy that car. He’ll lease it for three years.
contract (n)契约；合约
Lance will work for this company for five years. He signed a contract.
take care of someone or something (idiom)照顾或保养某人或某物
Kendra takes care of the dog every day.
Conversation A
(Jack and Laura are talking in their apartment.)
Jack: Our lease is up in a few months. Do you want to move?
Laura: Yes. I’d like to buy a house.
Jack: We have been put away some money. I think we can afford a small one.
Laura: If the down payment isn’t too much.
Jack: Right. We can afford about $15,000 for that, I think.
Laura: Then let’s start looking! I really want to have our own place.
Jack: Me too.
Conversation B
(Jack and Laura are looking at house.)
Jack: What do you think of this townhouse?
Laura: I like it. It has three bedrooms. I think it’s big enough for us.
Jack: I like it because the yard is small. There isn’t much to mow!
Laura: I know you don’t like yard work!
Jack: I don’t. But there is a place for a flower garden in the backyard.
Laura: That’s good. I’d like to plant some flowers.
Jack: But remember I don’t want to pull the weeds!
Word Bank:
up (adj)终止的；结束的
The time is up. We have to go now.
put away (phr v)储存
Max has been putting away money for three years to buy a car.
mow (v)除草
Can you mow the front yard? The grass is too long.
weed (n)杂草；野草
This flower garden looks terrible. There are too many weeds in it.
vi. 抱怨，悲叹，控诉
