Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
When you were a kid, you probably spent time looking for things you thought were valuable. Perhaps you looked for money on the ground, searched for shells at the beach, or went digging for diamonds in the earth. Even though they were difficult to find, you tried your hardest. You knew that if something is hard to come by, you should spend your time looking for it.
An item or a person that is hard to come by is difficult to find because it’s rare or he or she has very specific qualifications. Some people spend all of their free time searching for a particular thing because they find the search enjoyable. Or an employer might spend extra time trying to hire an employee who has particular skills. It all depends on how much time is available and how much patience a person has to spare.
Are you willing to wait for things that are hard to come by? Find out what Lily thinks is important enough to search for in this English lesson about roommates.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Lily: So, here’s my dilemma. I’ve got this great new apartment and it’s awesome, but it’s also awesomely expensive. I need to get a roommate.
Marni: Well, that’s not a problem. There are tons of people looking for a place to live right now.
Lily: I know, but I don’t want to live with just anyone. I have very specific qualifications! And I think it might actually be really hard to find the right person. A good roommate is hard to come by.
Marni: It can be a challenge, for sure, but if you place an ad describing what you’re looking for, that will weed out people who aren’t a good fit for you.
Lily: OK. I guess.
Marni: OK. You talk, I type. All right. What kind of roommate are you looking for?
Lily: OK. Either a guy or a girl is OK.
Marni: OK.
Lily: Actually, I think I’d rather live with a guy. Guys seem like they’re easier to live with. Right?
Marni: Really? OK.
Lily: They should be relatively clean and also not coming in super late at night every night.
Marni: OK. Got it.
Lily: Also, it would be really awesome to have a roommate who is a really good cook and liked to hang out and have a glass of wine after I got off of work. Oh! And it would be awesome if we could get a dog together!
Marni: A pet dog?
Lily: Yeah, I love dogs! We could take care of it together.
Marni: OK. Anything else?
Lily: It would be cool if we liked the same authors so that then we could share books. And somebody who would go to yoga class with me. I think that’s it.
Marni: Uh, yoga. All right. OK. So this is what I have so far: “Looking for a male roommate to share my new apartment. Must clean up after himself and work normal hours. Should enjoy cooking and sharing the occasional glass of wine together. Roommate who likes the same music as me preferable, and the same authors as I do. Seeking someone who will go to yoga class and is interested in getting a dog together. Email me at lily@americandreamd8.com.”
Lily: That’s perfect! That just says everything.
Marni: Lily, are you sure you’re not looking for a new boyfriend?
Lily: Uh, I don’t know what you mean.
Marni: I mean your ad sounds like an online dating profile. A roommate like this is going to be really hard to come by.
Lily: I really don’t know what you mean.
Marni: OK, listen. “Should enjoy cooking and sharing the occasional glass of wine together. Seeking someone who’s interested in getting a dog together.” Come on, Lily. If you post this, you’re going to be getting responses from guys looking for dates.
Lily: Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need a roommate! I am not looking for another boyfriend.
Marni: Fine. You’re not looking for a boyfriend. But we need to write this ad again.
Lily: What? OK, fine.
Marni: OK. Let’s start with the basics. How much is the rent?
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Discussion
Lily needs a roommate, and she has very particular qualifications. She prefers that a guy move in to her apartment, for example. She wants him to be clean and someone who doesn’t stay out late. She wants him to cook with her, drink an occasional glass of wine with her, go to yoga together, and maybe get a dog together. Lily has a lot of specific things in mind when she thinks about the person she wants to live with.
Marni is writing Lily’s ad on the internet that will help her to find a new roommate. As she listens and writes, Marni starts to think that Lily is describing the boyfriend she wants to meet and not the roommate she wants to move in with her. Marni points this out to her, but Lily acts like Marni’s a little crazy. She’s not looking for a boyfriend, just a roommate!
Do you think that Lily only wants a roommate, or could she be looking for a boyfriend, too? From your experience, is the right roommate hard to come by?
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