Unit 9- Reading Practice
Unit 9 Reading Practice (6)
Reading Passage One
All about Renting
To make your move into an apartment as smooth as possible, we would like to make you
aware of what will take place before you are settled. Being prepared and avoiding problems can
make it an easier and happier experience.
The first thing you must decide is how much of your income can be spent for your monthly
rental. Besides the rent, the coverage of the monthly electric bill and your phone charges should
also be considered. Heat and water costs are almost always included in your rent. Some rental
units contain an individual heating system, in which case you will have heating costs.
APPLICATION- When you make application to rent an apartment, it has always been com-
mon practice to check your credit and references. You may now be required to pay a fee to have
your application professionally checked.
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If you do not want to hold up the process of confirming your rental, you should be prepared
for the costs of application, security and pet deposits.
DEPOSITS -You must expect to pay a deposit which can come under the name of security,
damage or cleaning deposit. They can range from a fee of $50 and up, or equal to a full month's
rent. This is insurance for the building owner against damage or unusual cleaning after you have
left, which means part or all of the deposit could be retained; otherwise, it is refunded to you.
The exact requirements for the deposit should be in writing so that you know what the money is
for and under what circumstances it can be retained or returned to you. You must also expect to
pay an additional deposit if you have a pet.
Many buildings may have a form available to check off items in the apartment and indicate
their condition. If there is a tear in the carpet or a scratch on an appliance, it will be a matter
of record and you cannot be charged for that later. If such a form is not available, you can walk
through the apartment with the manager making your own list, having it signed by the manager
and yourself.
All of this is a protection for you as well as the building owner and note that under a law
enacted in 1973, your deposit will earn interest at an annual rate of 3%. The deposit must also be
returned to you within 3 weeks after you have vacated, or the owner must provide you a written
notice about the specific reason for withholding the deposit. You are required to provide your
building owner with a mailing address in order to receive your deposit within 3 weeks.
COMPlAINTS- It is not unusual that something may not function properly in your apart-
ment. It certainly has happened wherever you have lived before. If an appliance is not working, a
faucet is leaking, and so on, put the problem in writing and give it to your manager or caretaker.
If you have any serious complaints, you should call the building manager. If some action is
not following, you can call the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association "Hot Line" at 858-8222
between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. during weekdays for help or service.
Decide which of the following choices is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the
sentence and write down the corresponding letter.
1. This is insurance for the building owner against damage or unusual cleaning after you
have left, which means part or all of the deposit could be retained; otherwise, it is refunded
to you.
A. withheld B. repaid C. lent
2. The deposit must also be returned to you within 3 weeks after you have vacated, or the
owner must provide you a written notice about the specific reason for withholding the
deposit.
A. agreed B. moved out C. signed
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Unit 9- Reading Practice
3. It is not unusual that something may not function properly in your apartment.
A. be repaired B. last C. work
Sentence Completion
Refer to the passage headed All about Renting I and choose from the passage NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS to complete the following sentences.
4. You will have to be responsible for the heating costs if you rent a unit with an
5. The minimum amount of the deposit that you are expected to pay can be
6. Ifyou break anything in the apartment, part or all of the deposit could be
7. Small problems of the items in the apartment would be recorded and you cannot be
that later.
8. After you move out of the apartment, the building owner is required to return your deposit
within
9. If the owner wants to keep your deposit for an extra month, he must let you know the
reason with
Yes/No/Not Given Questions
Read the passage All about Renting I and look at the following statements. Write
YES if the statement agrees with the writer;
NO if the statement does not agree with the writer;
NOT GIVEN , if there is no information about this in the passage.
~ ~~4 'U»~::." ;;:_ I
10. The electric and telephone bills are probably excluded in the monthly rental.
11. When you apply for renting an apartment, professionals hired by the building owner will
check your application.
12. If you want to have a pet in the rented apartment, you should pay the deposit for the pet.
13. Making your own list of the items in the apartment is better than using the form provided
by the buildings.
14. The building owner is not supposed to send the deposit to you after you have left.
15. It is quite common that something in the apartment may not be working properly.
16. You are advised to call the manager if the TV set in your apartment is not working properly.
17. The Minnesota Multi-Housing Association "Hot Line" offers help and service seven days
a week.
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Basic IEL TS Reading
appliance /a'plaians/ n. insurance /injuarans/ n.
application /,repli'keij"an/ n. item /'aitam/ n.
bill /bil/ n. leak /li:k/ u.
caretaker /'keateika/ n. pet /pet/ n.
confirm /kan'f3:m/ u. process /'prauses/ n.
coverage /'lvwarid3/ n. reference /'refrans/ n.
credit /'kredit/ n. refund /ri'fAnd/ u.
damage /'dremid3/ n. rental /'rentl/ n.
deposit / di'pozit/ n. retain /ri'tein/ u.
enact /i'nrekt/ u. scratch I skrretf/ n.
faucet /'fo:sit/ n. security /si'kjuariti/ n.
function /'fAIJkfan/ u. smooth /smu:o/ adj.
income /'inkAm/ n. tear /tea/ n.
indicate /'indikeit/ u. vacate /va'keit/ u.
individual /,indi'vid3ual/ adj. withhold /wiO'hauld/ u.
: ...................................... ................ ..-... ......... ....................................... .......................... .
_. .- '"' ._.
Reading Passage Two
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Unit 9 - Reading Practice
All about Renting
SAFEIY- It is important to all of us to feel safe and secure in our homes. First of all, your
neighbours and the building manager begin to know about your schedule, and any irregu- '
larity would make them question any activity that was out of pattern. It is better for you to
notify your neighbours or the manager that you will be gone for a few days and ask them
to pick up your mail or paper.
A building with controlled entry systems seems the ultimate in safety, but not when
residents carelessly let anyone through the door as they enter, or let anyone in who rings
with a particular reason to enter the building. '
Fire protection in the form of alarm systems and many neighbours to warn you if there
is a fire in the building is extra security in an apartment building.
In addition, you should know that apartment owners carry extensive insurance on the
apartment building and property within the building or the rental unit, but not on the ~·
property belonging to you. Burglary, damage from fire, smoke, windstorm, explosion, or
other misfortunes must be covered by you. It is recommended that you contact your insur-
ance agent regarding a Renter's Insurance Policy. ~
LE4SE - A lease or rental agreement becomes your next task and could be your most
important consideration. A lease term could be for month to month, 6 months or one year.
Your rent may be more per month on a short-term lease, typically if for under 6 months. ~
Some buildings will require a one-year lease and some will accept or only give a 6-month '
lease. I
When it comes to terminating your lease, you must remember that Minnesota State
Law requires that you give the building owner 30 days notice of your intent to vacate. *'
You should present this notice in writing and deliver it the day before your rent is due. If
the owner needs to evict a resident, he is also required to give 30 days notice in writing and
deliver it the day before the rent is due. However, the owner may require 60 days notice of
termination of a lease as stated in the rental agreement. It is important that you read your
lease and understand it before signing. It is for your protection as well as the owner and
~
here are some of the reasons:
I) It specifies in writing what the building owner's responsibilities are and what yours are.
2) It protects you against rent increases for the term of your lease and against being
I
evicted without any proper reasons.
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Basic IELTS Reading
3) It describes policies and procedures to avoid misunderstanding and problems in the
future.
4) It explains procedures for terminating your lease if the necessity arises.
If there is any part of your lease or rental agreement that you do not understand, be sure to
que~tion it before signing. The management prefers to clear up any confusion at the start
than have an unhappy resident at some later date.
Decide which of the following choices is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the
sentence and write down the corresponding letter.
1. It is better for you to notify your neighbours or the manager that you will be gone for a
few days and ask them to pick up your mail or paper.
A. convince B. inform C. warn
2. When it comes to terminating your lease, you must remember that Minnesota State Law
requires that you give the building owner 30 days notice of your intent to vacate.
A. ending B. signing C. changing
3. You should present this notice in writing and deliver it the day before your rent is due.
A. copy B. read through C. hand over
4. If the owner needs to evict a resident, he is also required to give 30 days notice in writing
and deliver it the day before the rent is due.
A. force to leave B. criticise C. refuse
5. It specifies in writing what the building owner's responsibilities are and what yours are.
A. discusses fully B. describes fully C. controls fully
Read the passage All about Renting II and choose, according to the passage, one phrase
(A-H) from the list of phrases to complete each key point below. There are more phrases
than the key points, so you will not use them all.
6. It is suggested that before you leave you'd better
7. It seems to be quite safe to live in the building with
8. Residents are careless when
9. Your neighbours may
10. If the property belonging to you in the apartment is stolen,
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Unit 9- Reading Practice
t.'"'"r.·. P.mt:~~ ·:~·-: ~ - .L :·
A~':fYo.u .will be 1respbnsiblc for the loss
·"·'" .:,. . , . .. • I . , :.
~;~;'~,]f:~·?n}~olled e1~1try systems
~2":C:-,ihfomi the 1~eighbours or the manager of your absence
1
,;·;:: D:avery responsible building owner
~~i-¥: :jl1~:'ins~rance
f}:z, . ::r~J."~-----·: .·•·
. _ -: _-
carried by the owner will cover the loss for you
,
· · F:'J.varn you ifthere is a fire in the building
G.. they let anyone in who claims to have some special reason
F~ H:'tlieydonot contact their insurance agent
i!~)J~t;:,:tf' ..!'lv-:t ...'.k.-.::•:,.__ ,,_,: ... · .·L,~~ .. >1. --~~ .L-_ :
Exercise 3 rue/False/Not Given QJ.testions
Read the passage All about Renting II and look at the following statements. Write
TRUE if the statement is true;
FALSE if the statement is false;
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage .
. ' "- ~
11. Your neighbours and the building manager will ask you about your schedule when you
move m.
12. According to the passage, the longest term for the lease could be one year.
13. The building owner will charged you double if the lease term is only for two months.
14. You can either phone to inform the building owner of your plan to move out or give him
a written notice.
15. The building owner is required by law to give the resident 60 days notice if he wants to
end the lease.
16. You can find in the rental agreement the building owner's responsibilities as well as yours.
17. According to the rental agreement, the building owner cannot evict the residents without
any proper reasons.
18. You should ask before signing about any part of the lease which you do not understand.
agent /'eid3o:mt/ n. mail /meil/ n.
agreement /a'gri:mant/ n. pattern /'pretan/ n.
burglary /'b3:glari/ n. property /'propati/ n.
confusion /kan'fju:3an/ n. resident /'rezidant/ n.
deliver /di'liva/ u. specify /'spesifai/ u.
due /dju:/ adj. task /ta:sk/ n.
evict /i'vikt/ u. termination /,t3:mi'neifan/ n.
intent /in'tent/ n. ultimate /'Altimit/ n., the -in sth (infml)
lease /li:s/ n. !
• -.. ~.,.,..,.. • ._. • • • • -.- -- -• • • • • .._. • • ao• • • •c. • • • • • - •~ • • • • • ..._.,_.. • • • ...,_.... ... ,._,-.. • ·• • • • ._. • • • • .::e,._,. ~ • • .,.,.,. • ,...._. • ._., • ._. • • r • • - . - -• ..-• ..._ • ..._..-.... • ._.... • • • ..,_ ._...._.,. ,.._ ,,. • ...,.
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