ChubbyGO 俏皮狗

Professor: Jeff just rented an apartment, and today he is meeting Steve to see if they would get along as roommates.

Professor: In this section, listen for the word "compatible," meaning "similar" or "suitable."

Jeff: Hi Steve, it's nice to meet you. I hear that you're looking for an apartment, and I just rented a two-bedroom downtown. I'm looking for a compatible roommate.

Steve: Great, I'm looking for a place right in that area. Your apartment sounds ideal.

Jeff: Alright. So tell me, how would you describe yourself?

Steve: I'm pretty social and outgoing, and I like making new friends. But I'm not a party animal, and I like to keep the apartment clean.

Jeff: I'm like that too. I like to invite friends over sometimes, but I don't want to have lots of crazy parties at the apartment.

Professor: A "party animal" is someone who loves to go out to crazy parties all the time.

Professor: in the next section, listen for the word "laid-back."

Jeff: You know, I'm a pretty laid-back person. I don't like to have lots of arguments or worry about lots of things. For example, I like to keep the apartment clean too, but if it gets a little dirty once in a while, that's not a big deal.

Steve: I totally agree. I really like my lifestyle to be drama-free, and I don't want to argue about cleaning the apartment. My last roommate was a drama queen. Every time I forgot to take my shoes off, she got really mad and made a big deal out of it.

Jeff: Yeah, I really don't want a lot of drama in the apartment. It's important that we don't get on each other's nerves.

Steve: That's right. We should try to be laid back and not do lots of things to bother one another.

Professor: "Drama" is a short form of the word "dramatic." If someone is always taking small problems and acting as if they are a really big deal, you can say he "creates a lot of drama."

Professor:  If you lived with a drama queen, he or she would probably "get on your nerves," meaning "bother you a lot." Well, Winnie, in this next section, listen for the word "pet peeve," meaning "a small problem that really bothers you."

Jeff: Well I'm glad you're laid back like me. But tell me, do you have any pet-peeves?

Steve: Actually, yes. I really hate living with mooches. They always eat all of your food and ask you to pay for everything.

Jeff: I know! Mooches really get on my nerves. My last roommate was a big mooch. Every time we went out to a restaurant, when the bill came he would always say he didn't have any money and ask me to lend him some. And he never paid me back!

Steve: I really think it's important for each roommate to pull his weight around the house. It's really unfair if only one of the roommates is doing all the work.

Jeff: Exactly. We each need to pull our weight by cleaning the dishes, taking out the garbage and paying the bills. I think we would be good roommates. Do you want to move in?

Steve: Sounds great!

Professor: People who don't pull their weight are those who don't do their share in a common task. If you had a roommate who doesn't pull his weight around the house, you would have to do all the housework.