Vol 3 Test 4 Part 1

Section one.

You will hear a student from overseas phoning the student accommodation office of a college in the UK for some information.

First, you have some time to look at questions one to four on page two.

You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.

Accommodation Officer: College Accommodation Bureau, Darren speaking. How may I help you?

Student: Oh, good morning. I'm starting at the college in September and I need to find some accommodation.

Accommodation Officer: Right. Well, there are various options. The first one is to stay in college accommodation. That would be a single room.

The first type of accommodation is a single room in the college. So single room has been written in the space.

Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time.

Listen carefully and answer questions one to four.

Accommodation Officer: College Accommodation Bureau, Darren speaking. How may I help you?

Student: Oh, good morning. I'm starting at the college in September and I need to find some accommodation.

Accommodation Officer: Right. Well, there are various options. The first one is to stay in college accommodation. That would be a single room.

Student: How much would that cost?

Accommodation Officer: Well, it depends. For a standard room, you're looking at 3,276 pounds for the year. That's just for a room with a washbasin, or 3,834 pounds if you want an ensuite. That's with your own small bathroom.

Student: I see. That's more than I expected.

Accommodation Officer: It does include heating. That's quite a saving because energy costs can be high, especially in winter.

Student: Does that include meals as well?

Accommodation Officer: No. All our rooms are self-catering now. There's a shared kitchen on each corridor where you can cook if you want to, or there are plenty of places to eat out on campus.

Student: Okay. And you said that's the price for the whole year?

Accommodation Officer: Well, you pay annually, but actually it's for 36 weeks. It doesn't include holidays. You have to vacate the room then.

Student: Oh, I need somewhere to stay in the holidays. I can't afford to go home. The flights are too expensive.

Accommodation Officer: Well, there is another option. Several families who either work at the college or have children studying here offer visiting students a room in their homes.

Accommodation Officer: We call this arrangement “home welcome”, and we've still got a few places left at the moment.

Accommodation Officer: You pay 150 pounds per week, and that includes breakfast, a packed lunch, and dinner, as well as heating.

Student: Is there a contract? Do you have to stay for the whole year?

Accommodation Officer: No, it's flexible.

Student: It sounds really good, but I'm not sure. I really want to be a little more independent.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions five to ten on page two.

Now listen and answer questions five to ten.

Student: What about finding somewhere to live off campus?

Accommodation Officer: Yes, you can rent a property in town privately. You might want to rent a room in a shared house. You'd have a room of your own and share the kitchen and bathroom with other students.

Student: What about if I don't want to share?

Accommodation Officer: You can get what we call a studio. They're often quite small, but they'll have everything you need.

Student: Right. How much would those two options cost?

Accommodation Officer: Well, prices vary depending on which part of town the property is in. Generally speaking, the cheapest is around 275 pounds a month for each student.

Student: Oh, that's not too bad.

Accommodation Officer: Yes, but it can also be as high as 490 pounds. And then you'll have to pay all your other bills.

Student: What sort of amount would I be looking at for those?

Accommodation Officer: Well, last year students were paying, on average, about 43 pounds per month each for gas and electricity. This year it will probably be somewhere in the region of 48 pounds.

Student: That's a lot.

Accommodation Officer: Yes, they've gone up quite a bit. And on top of that, you have to pay for water, and that'll probably be around nine pounds.

Student: That didn't occur to me. And I guess I'd have to pay for transportation too.

Accommodation Officer: That's right. Most of these properties are quite a long way from the college.

Student: It just gets worse and worse. What's the minimum contract on this type of accommodation?

Accommodation Officer: Six months, and you have to pay a deposit. But of course, you can stay there over the holidays.

Student: That's true.

Accommodation Officer: And you'd have to provide references. They want them from someone in this country.

Student: I see. But that's not a problem.

Accommodation Officer: If you do choose this option, we can't find the property for you. You'd have to go through the estate agent which manages the property for the owner.

Student: Right. Thanks. Well, I think I'd like to see what's available privately. Could you give me the estate agent details?

That is the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

Now turn to section two on page three.