Happy and Unhappy Renters

Samantha, like many renters, is tired of renting. One reason is that her annual rent goes up like clockwork. Every year her landlord raises the rent five percent. Another reason is her neighbors. “New neighbors always seem to be more inconsiderate than the ones who moved out,” she said. “My first neighbor was a door-slammer; I always knew when he came home or left home. After he moved out, a saxophonist moved in. A saxophonist! He practiced two hours a day. On Saturday his friends would come over and I’d get to listen to a whole band. I called the police, but they said saxophone playing is permitted in apartments for up to four hours a day, because saxophone playing is job-related. They told me I was lucky that the guy was only playing two hours a day!”

There are many unhappy renters, but there are also happy renters. “I’ve been lucky my whole life,” said Howard, a middle-aged man. “My neighbors couldn’t have been any better if I had picked them myself. One neighbor was a chef. He’d bring me the best leftovers in the world. Another neighbor was a pianist. She played the most delightful music. Another neighbor was a mechanic who did my tune-ups and changed the oil in my car. My latest neighbor is a birder; we go birding every weekend with our binoculars.”

Remember vocabulary

attitude	n.	отношение
binoculars	n.	бинокль
chef	n.	повар
clockwork	n.	часовой
complain	v.	жаловаться
delightful	adj.	восхитительный
inconsiderate	adj.	невнимательный
irritate	v.	раздражать
landlord	n.	домовладелец
leftovers	n.	остатки
mechanic	n.	механический
pianist	n.	пианист
raise	v.	увеличивать, поднимать
rent	n.	арендовать
roof	n.	крыша
saxophone	n.	саксофон
slam	v.	хлопать

 

Answer the questions

Different persons have different attitudes. Samantha saw the saxophone player as irritating, yet Howard saw the piano player as delightful. Millions of people would be happy just to have a roof over their head. Yet there are millions who would complain that their roof is the wrong color. What is Samantha tired of?
Why is Samantha tired of renting?
How often does Samantha’s landlord raise the rent?
How much is Samantha’s annual rent increase?
Why does Samantha dislike her neighbors?
What does a saxophonist play?
How long did the saxophonist practice?
Which day would the saxophonist’s friends come over?
What does Howard do every weekend with his neighbor?
How often does Howard go birding?
Is Samantha a homeowner?
Does Samantha get a kick out of paying rent?
Does Samantha’s rent rise yearly?
Does Samantha’s landlord increase the rent five percent annually?
Have Samantha’s neighbors been considerate?
Did Samantha’s first neighbor come home quietly?
Was Samantha’s second neighbor a musician?
Did Samantha’s musician neighbor play the xylophone?
Did the musician practice a couple of hours a day?
Would the musician’s friends accompany him on Saturdays?

 

Ask questions

Samantha’s rent goes up annually. (What)
Samantha’s landlord raises the rent every year. (How often)
Her landlord raises Samantha’s rent every year. (Who)
Her landlord raises the rent five percent. (How much)
Samantha’s first neighbor slammed doors. (What)
Her first neighbor slammed doors when he came home or left home. (When)
A saxophonist was Samantha’s second neighbor. (Who)
The saxophonist would practice with his friends. (Whom)
The saxophonist practiced two hours a day. (How many)
The saxophonist’s friends would come over on Saturday. (When)