BBC learning English
Word on the street: Flathunting
Transcript
"Ashlie is not happy with her flat, so Stephen offers to help her find somewhere better. That sounds easy, doesn't it?"
Ashlie: Can you pass me the wrench, Stephen?
Stephen: This one?
Ashlie: No, that’s a screwdriver. The big one next to it.
Stephen: This?
Ashlie: Thanks. Right... I think that’s done. Phew!
Stephen: Well done, Ash.
Ashlie: That's the third time the taps have leaked this month. Just look at them. I'm fed up with living here.
Stephen: Ashlie's flat is falling apart. She's always repairing things.
Ashlie: I hate this flat! I can't stand the kitchen. I can't bear pink. I want to move out!
Stephen: That’s a great idea!
Ashlie: I want to rent somewhere a bit more modern, stylish, you know? Somewhere where everything works!
Stephen: I know what you mean. This place, I mean, look at this, it’s horrible... and it’s full of old rubbish.
Ashlie: Stephen, that’s mine!
Stephen: Mm, really? Nice...
Ashlie: I’ve decided. I’m going to start looking for somewhere else to live.
Stephen: I’ll help you look if you like.
Ashlie: Ahh... Thanks, Stephen.
….
Stephen: What about this one?
Ashlie: Ahh.. That one looks just right, yeah - give them a call.
Stephen: Hi. I'm calling about the flat for rent on Kings Road. Is it still available? It is? Great! Can we see it? Really, OK, see you there. Come on, Ash, let’s go - we can see it now.
Ashlie: Oh great! Come on, Poppy.
….
Ashlie: Hi, I’m Ashlie, and this is my brother, Stephen.
Estate Agent: Hi, I'm Chris. Is it for the two of you? Are you looking for a place together?
Stephen: Ah no, no... it’s just for Ashlie.
Ashlie: Well, it looks great from the outside, and this is a really nice area.
Estate Agent: Yes, it’s lovely, isn’t it? And this flat is perfect for one person. Let’s go and have a look around. After you - this way.
Ashlie: Thanks.
…..
Ashlie: Hmm... It’s not very big, is it?
Estate Agent: Like I said, this place is just perfect for one person. It’s got everything you need.
Stephen: It’s a bit small, isn’t it?
Ashlie: Erm... Where's the bedroom?
Estate Agent: Ah - well look, here’s the bed, and it can also be a sofa.
Ashlie: Do you have anything else?
Estate Agent: Yeah, I can show you something else.
…..
Ashlie: No...
…..
Stephen: This seems better. It’s got much more room, Ashlie. It’s more modern. It’s quite stylish.
Estate Agent: I can really see you living here.
Ashlie: Mmm. It is quite a good size. And the kitchen’s quite big. I like the carpet. No pink in sight!
Stephen: What’s it like round here? I don’t know the area very well.
Estate Agent: Er… It’s really close to the train station. There’s trains every ten minutes into Central London. I’ve got the paperwork with me. You could move in tomorrow.
Ashlie: So how much is the rent?
Estate Agent: What did you say?
Ashlie: Trains every ten minutes? No way!
…..
Stephen: Wow! What a beautiful kitchen!
Ashlie: Ahhh... I love it, it’s so spacious!
Stephen: I think this is the one.
Ash: Come on then. Let’s tell the estate agent. Come on, Poppy.
….
Ashlie: Oh Stephen, that flat was wonderful! I’ve got to have it!
Stephen: Yes, it’s great, but are you sure?
Ashlie: Yes, I mean I feel really at home here. It’s such a peaceful street.
Stephen: Yes, it does seem pretty quiet.
Estate Agent: If you’d just like to sign the rental agreement, we can go back to the office, get the keys, and you can move in when you like.
Ashlie: Great! I can't wait. Where do I sign?
Estate Agent: Just there.
"Now Ashlie has found her new flat, there's only the packing, moving, cleaning and unpacking to do. What could possibly go wrong?"
Stephen: Here’s another box for you, Ash.
Ashlie: Thanks, Stephen. I can’t believe how much stuff I’ve got! I’ve filled all these boxes already.
Stephen: Do you want a hand?
Ashlie: Yes, please. Here you go.
Stephen: Ashlie’s moving into her new flat today.
Ashlie: It’s going to be the perfect place to live. But first I’ve got to finish packing.
Stephen: Ash, are you really keeping this?
Ashlie: Of course I am. It was Grandma’s. It reminds me of her.
Stephen: OK, but you can’t keep everything. There’s a lot of rubbish here.
Ashlie: I'm not taking everything. I'm getting rid of lots of stuff.
Stephen: What shall I do with this?
Ashlie: Ah, OK - that’s rubbish.
Stephen: And this? Rubbish?
Ashlie: Ah, wait! That’s Annabel, I told you. I’ve had her since I was six. Look, if you want to make yourself useful, you can take the boxes down to the van.
Stephen: Alright, alright… This is really heavy. You’ve definitely got too much stuff!
…..
Ashlie: Great! That’s it. All packed up.
Stephen: Shall we go?
Ashlie: You go on ahead. I’m going to clean up this place, but I’ll meet you at the new flat later.
Stephen: OK. Oh, Pete’s coming over to give us a hand to unload boxes.
Ashlie: Great. Oh, will you get rid of those boxes of rubbish on the way?
Stephen: Sure. See you later.
Ashlie: Great. Thank you. See you.
…..
Stephen: Hi, Pete.
Pete: Hi, Stephen.
Stephen: Here, help me with this box.
Pete: OK... Wow, that’s heavy. What’s she got in here?
Stephen: Phew, that’s it! My sister’s got too much stuff! Listen, I need your help with a housewarming gift for Ashlie’s new flat.
Pete: That’s nice. What sort of housewarming gift?
Stephen: I want to surprise Ashlie. I want to make this chair look really nice for her new flat.
Pete: OK.
Stephen: There’s some paint and paintbrushes in that box there.
Pete: That’s a great idea; it does look a bit old. I’ll get the paint... Stephen, are you sure Ashlie’s going to like this colour?
Stephen: What? Oh no, Ashlie’s going to kill me! She hates pink. I thought that was white paint.
Ashlie: Oh hiya, Pete. Hi, Stephen. How’s it going?
Pete: Hi, Ash.
Stephen: Oh hi, Ash. Yeah, great. Look, we've brought in all the boxes.
Ashlie: Thanks, guys. So what do you think of my new flat, Pete? I think my antique furniture is going to look great in here.
Pete: Yeah… er… antiques! I’m sure they’ll look great.
Ashlie: It was really kind of you to come and help. And Stephen, you've done a great job too!
Pete: Yeah… er, I think I’m going to go now.
Ashlie: Right. Er, Stephen, what's this? These were the boxes you were supposed to get rid of.
Stephen: Oh no! I'm sure I got rid of all the boxes with rubbish...
Ashlie: Stephen, where is my stuff? Where are those boxes? Where’s my doll, Annabel? Ah, Stephen, where’s my stuff? Er... and what have you done to my chair?
"Homes don't always seem hi-tech, but Amandeep finds that some of the latest innovations in house design and furniture are space-age!"
Good morning. Today I'll be experiencing a taste of the future.
From the latest in home design to incredible gadgets, I’ll be looking at how we could be living in the future.
A hot shower is a great start to the day, but this is no ordinary shower. It’s using rain water collected from the roof and heated by solar energy, or heat from the sun.
I’m surrounded by some of the most modern houses in the world. Each one has been built as an experiment; designed to test the latest technology and ideas for living.
Some of these houses can evolve as people’s lives change. Thinking of having more housemates? Just add on another layer - like children’s building blocks.
Peter White is the Marketing Manager of the Innovation Park, where the houses are built.
…..
Amandeep: Peter, are these houses really a glimpse of the future?
Peter White: They are. In the next few years, we’ll be living in houses that look like this.
Amandeep: Just how much do they vary from ordinary houses?
Peter White: In some ways they’re very similar. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the televisions are just like now but the technology in the houses makes them much more energy efficient.
…..
You may have seen the next invention in the movies, and it could mean no more lost keys in the future. It’s called fingerprint recognition technology. And it lets you back in.
Now this control panel is the brain of the house. You can set the temperature, and the shutters close automatically when it’s hot outside. And this is one of my favourites: you get to control the music in every part of the house. So how about a bit of this... Or... maybe we should go for this...
Now, can you guess what this is? It redefines the simple... chair. This rocks - literally. And it’s a library as well. So I can grab my favourite book and just sit back and relax. I think I could spend some time here. So would you mind coming back a little later?
…..
I asked some people who are interested in house design what they would like to see in the house of the future.
Woman 1: I would love a self-cleaning house.
Man 1: I'd like an eco-house that uses renewable energy and doesn't impact on the environment.
Woman 2: I’d like a device that could carry me up to bed when I feel tired.
Man 2: I’d like a house where I could watch the football in every room.
Woman 3: In my house of the future, I’d like a robot man that I can turn off.
…..
It’s time to relax, and my favourite programme, Word on the Street, is about to start - and on a solar-powered TV!