这是一个典型的social survival situation,考的是一种很基本的生存技能。
常考特色词汇为:
accommodation(住宿),flat(公寓的单元住房),apartment(一套公寓住房),bedroom, kitchen,furnished, stove, air-conditioning, stove, radiator, central air-conditioning, electric fans, furnished(配备家具),rental price, available, near, far from, noisy, shared kitchen, no privacy,road (常缩写成Rd.), Street (常缩写成St.), lane (小路,车道)。
其中flat和apartment都是指一套房子,可能包含不止一见房间,所以each room 和整个flat或apartment是从属关系,经常会涉及到单复数的问题,这是一个经常出现的考点。
如Each room has an air-conditioning.而题目问题是How is the flat/apartment cooled? 答案应为By air-conditionings.
又如, There is a radiator in each room. 问题为 How is the flat heated? 答案为 radiators.
找房子的过程一般都是先看报纸的广告或是通过学校的介绍,先弄到尽可能详尽的资料,从中选出几个自己比较中意的,然后打电话询问并进行再次筛选,最后决定去看房子。
许多外国城市在周六晚上就可以买到周日的报纸。想租房子的人买到报纸,仔细研究一下,选出适合自己的房子,第二天一早便开使着手办理具体事情。
租房时的规律是,离市中心越近,房价越贵;位置如果稍偏僻一些,价钱会比较有吸引力。但便宜的房子一般都会有不理想的地方,如:not near the center , not near the railway station,far from the bus stop,near the airport,noisy, shared kitchen
(与别人合用厨房),insects ,noisy,there is always a stranger in the next bed。
初步研究For rent (房屋招租)的广告后,就要打电话询问更加具体的情况。
如, Is it available now? 现在能否如住? When will it be available? 何时可以入住? Is there a telephone? 有电话吗?
How far is it from…? 离…有多远? Is it furnished? 房间配备家具吗? How is it cooled/heated? 怎样制冷/制热? What is the rental price? 房价多少钱?
制冷一般用air-conditioning,有的新式公寓还会有central air-conditioning(中央空调)。老房子一般用electric fans(电扇)来制冷。electric stores(电炉),radiators(暖气)来取暖。