Why does Dave need a roommate to pay for rent?

Randal and Dave

Randal: Hi Dave, come on in.

Randal: Uh, Yeah! I stopped to see if you were still looking for a roommate to share your house.

Dave: Yeap! I sure am since I cut back on my working hours to go to school. I’ve been really strapped for cash.

Randal: Hm.

Dave: Hey! Let me show you the place. Here is the living-room.

Randal: Oh! It looks like you could use a new carpet… and those stains…

Dave: Well, I’ve had a few problems with my former roommate. I know it needs to be cleaned. But I just don’t have the money to do it right now.

Randal: Oh! And what about the kitchen?

Dave: Right this way! Look! It is completely furnished with all the latest appliances except…

Randal: What?

Dave: Well… The refrigerator door is broken… a little bit… and it won’t shut all the way. It needs fixing but don’t worry – I’ve just improvised by pushing a box against it to keep it shut.

Randal: Hmm… Great!

Dave: And it isn’t bad!

Randal: How about the bathroom?

Dave: Well…

Randal: No, no! Don’t tell me the toilet is clogged and the sink has some leaks!

Dave: No, those work fine… But the tile in the shower needs to be replaced and the window needs fixing.

Randal: Let me see. The.. the… what??? The window? Where’s the window pane?

Dave: Well… That’s another slight problem. I’ve put up a piece of cardboard to keep out the …hmmm… rain and snow and if it gets a little cold you can always turn up the heat. Well… you used to until the central heating went out. Oh, boy…

Randall:Hey, I think I've seen enough. I can't believe you've survived under these

conditions.

Dave:So what do you think? You really can't beat a place like this for $450 a month. So it has its problems, but we can fix those.

Randall:Uh, no thank you. I think I've seen enough.

I. a) Find the words and word combinations in the text that can be defined as
follows:

1. have little money

2. to use another way of doing something to accomplish your goal

3. use together

4. be better than

5. having furniture and appliances

6. electronic devices often used in the kitchen including the stove, microwave, blender, dishwasher, and refrigerator

7. the glass part of the window

b) Complete the sentences with a word from (a)

1. We still need to buy a couple of________________ to furnish our kitchen,

including a refrigerator and stove.

2. Because we didn't have glass to fix the broken window, we decided to

____________ a little by putting a board over the broken glass until we have the

money to buy a new window. This will do for now.

3. Our family has been really_____________ for cash, so we haven't been able to

make repairs on the house.

4. If we____________ the work, the two of us should finish repairing the fence in a couple of hours. Doing it alone would take twice the time.

5. I've been to a number of other stores, and this store________ any of their prices.

6. Renting a___________ apartment will cost you more, but you'll already have all the things you need to start living there.

7. I'm looking for someone who is willing to_________ housing expenses.

II. Choose the most appropriate answer to the questions bellow: