Compreensão de Texto: renting an apartment

O texto de hoje é sobre uma pessoa que está procurando apartamento para alugar.

[Jessie] Hi, I'm calling about the apartments for rent.

[Manager] Sure. What kind of apartment are you interested in?

[Jessie] A two-bedroom.  Do you have any available?

[Manager] Well, I have plenty of one-bedroom apartments available. I have one two-bedroom that's still occupied, but the tenant's moving out in two days. When do you need it?

[Jessie] Sometime around next week would be fine.

[Manager] Next week the unit will be empty. It's yours if you want it.

[Jessie] What's the apartment like?

[Manager] Well, it's got two bedrooms, the living room and the bedrooms have hardwood floors and very large windows. The monthly rent is $960, with a $450 security deposit.  Both the heat and stove are gas. You pay electricity only, gas and water are included.

[Jessie] Excellent. Does it come furnished?

[Manager] Nope, unfurnished.

[Jessie] Does it include a parking space?

[Manager] Sure thing. You'll be assigned a sheltered parking space at no additional charge.

[Jessie] Sounds good. What about the neighborhood, is it quiet enough?

[Manager] It depends on what you call "enough". On weekends it can get a little noisy, but during the week it's definitely more on the quiet side. The residents are very friendly and respectful of each other and they usually keep the noise to a minimum.

[Jessie] Great! Can I come over tomorrow and have a look?

[Manager] Sure, if you don't mind that there are people still living in it.

[Jessie] That's fine by me. How about 9 AM?

[Manager] Good.  May I have your name?

[Jessie] Jessie.

[Manager] Jessie.  I'll see you tomorrow.

Glossário

rent = aluguel, alugar

a two-bedroom (apartment) = um apartamento de dois quartos

plenty of = muitos

What's ... like? = Como é ......?

tenant = inquilino

furnished = mobiliado

both the heat and stove = tanto o aquecedor quanto o fogão

sure thing = com certeza

hardwood floors = piso de madeira

security deposit = quantia paga no início e devolvida quando o inquilino sair do imóvel, se este for deixado em boas condições

a sheltered parking space = uma vaga coberta para o carro

it can get noisy = (lit.) pode ficar barulhento; (aprox.) às vezes é barulhento

more on the quiet side = mais para quieto

keep (something) to a minimum = tentam fazer/manter (alguma coisa) o mínimo possível

Faça o quiz

Compreensão de texto: summer jobs

O texto de hoje é sobre o summer job (trabalho de verão) de uma moça.

It's easy to find a summer job in this town because there are plenty of restaurants and bars that need extra help in the tourist season.

I've had a lot of different jobs here - I've been a pizza delivery person, a babysitter, a kitchen assistant... but this is the first time I've worked in a bar. The pay is alright and people here are cool, but I have to put up with late hours... oh, and drunk customers once in a while.

I've been here for about two months now. All in all, I like it, but the best part is – I have already saved enough money to spend a couple of weeks in New York visiting my old college roommate Christine.

We have been best friends since we were eighteen years old. Chris has been here to visit me twice, so now it's my turn to visit her. I've never been to New York before so I'm really looking forward to this trip.

I've already booked the flight, bought new clothes and arranged with a neighbor to water my plants while I'm out. I can't wait!

Glossário

plenty of = muitos

to put up with = aguentar

late hours = horas de trabalho tarde da noite

once in a while = de vez em quando

roommate = pessoa com quem você divide um quarto (também usada quando se divide a casa)

it's my turn = é a minha vez

I'm looking forward to = quero muito, estou animada para isso

book a flight = reservar um vôo

arranged with a neighbor = combinei com um(a) vizinho(a)

water my plants = regar minha plantas

I can't wait = não vejo a hora

Faça o quiz

Compreensão de texto: Hiking

O texto de hoje é sobre amigos que estão combinando um passeio de hiking (fazer caminhada, trilha).

[Tom] Hey, would you like to come on a hiking trip with me and my friend Laura?

[Naomi] Sounds good!... Who's Laura again?

[Tom] She's tall, red hair... We ran into her last week, remember?

[Naomi] Oh, right. She seems cool.

[Tom] She is, and she's great to go hiking with.

[Naomi] Really? Why?

[Tom] Well, she's always in a good mood.

[Naomi] Always?

[Tom] OK, not always... But she's the kind of person that... even when she's angry, she's funny.

[Naomi] Hmm, I know what you're talking about. I know a couple of people like that.

[Tom] Yeah, so what do you say? Can I count you in?

[Naomi] Definitely, I'm game. Would you mind if my boyfriend came along?

[Tom] Uh, sure... but... your boyfriend, hiking?... I'm having a hard time picturing that.

[Naomi] Why? George is into hiking.

[Tom] Uh, he is? No offense, but I didn't have that impression when I met him.

[Naomi] Why not?

[Tom] Honestly, I think he came off as a pretty snotty guy who definitely would not enjoy a hiking trip.

[Naomi] Snotty? Did you really think so?

[Tom] Yeah, I did. I think you should dump him and start dating me.

Glossário

Who's ... again? = Quem é .... mesmo?

we ran into her = a gente encontrou com ela (por acaso)

always in a good mood = sempre de bom humor

I know what you're talking about = eu sei do que você está falando (eu já tive a mesma experiência, etc)

count you in = contar com você (pra ir também)

I'm game = tô dentro

Would you mind if... = Você se importaria se...

to come along = vir junto

I'm having a hard time = estou tendo dificuldade para, é difícil para mim

to be into (something) = gostar bastante (de alguma coisa)

No offense = sem querer ofender

he came off = ele pareceu

snotty = arrogante, nariz empinado

to dump someone = dar o fora em alguém

Faça o quiz

Compreensão de texto: the last page-turner I read

O exercício de compreensão de hoje usa um texto do post The last page turner I read, que fala sobre o último livro que eu li, e que não consegui parar de ler até chegar na última página. Leia bem o texto, e tente o quiz! Para ver mais vocabulário relacionado a livros, consulte este post sobre collocations relacionadas a books.

A nice book I read not too long ago (não faz muito tempo) was A is for Alibi, a mystery by Sue Grafton. This book is the first in the so-called (assim chamada) alphabet series written by Grafton - the second one in the series is B is for Burglar, the third is C is for Corpse and so on.

Kinsey Millhone is the lead character (personagem principal): she's a young private investigator who's tough (durona) and independent. The stories are set in the 80s (se passam nos anos 80) and therefore Kinsey has to solve her cases (solucionar seus casos) without any help (sem ajuda nenhuma) from digital devices or the Internet. If you think that makes (se você acha que isso torna) the story boring, you'd be wrong: the book was a real page-turner (livro que você não consegue parar de ler) and once I began reading I couldn't put it down (não conseguia deixar o livro de lado).

It was also a fast read (livro que você lê rápido) - I think I finished it in three days. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good detective novel. I got the book in paperback through Amazon.com - you can buy a used copy there pretty cheap, and they ship internationally.

Faça o quiz

Atividade bônus: já que eu falei tanto desse livro e você já leu um resumo e fez o quiz, que tal ler as reviews (resenhas de leitores) de A is for Alibi na Amazon? Eu particularmente adoro ler essas reviews quando estou interessada em um livro. Mas cuidado com as reviews de livros de mistério que você vai querer ler no futuro. Os reviewers (leitores que escrevem as reviews) frequentemente se entusiasmam e acabam revelando spoilers (informações reveladoras de pedaços-chave da trama).

E que tal aproveitar e falar um pouco sobre o último page-turner que você leu?

Compreensão de texto: fazendo uma limpeza

O exercício de compreensão de hoje usa um texto no post Fazendo uma limpeza na casa, que fala sobre a última vez que eu fiz uma limpa em casa (daquelas em que você joga fora ou dá um monte de coisa).

O texto foi um pouco resumido. Mesmo assim, leia algumas vezes antes de fazer o quiz - bastante vocabulário aqui!

About a year ago, I knew there was a lot of junk in my house (eu sabia que tinha muito lixo/tralha na minha casa), but I had no idea how much (não tinha ideia de quanto).

One day I decided to clean the house. I started with my bedroom: I emptied all my drawers (esvaziei todas as minhas gavetas) and got rid of old bills and documents (eu me livrei de contas e documentos antigos).

Then I moved on to the closet (daí eu passei para os armários) and sorted through all my clothes (sort through my clothes = olhar cada roupa minha para ver o que vai ser feito). I made two big piles (fiz duas grandes pilhas): clothes to keep (roupas que ficam) and clothes to give away (para dar). 

After I cleaned and organized my bedroom, I moved on to the other rooms.

In the end (no fim das contas), my cleaning project resulted in 1) some good finds (alguns bons achados) - I found a great umbrella that belonged to my grandfather; and 2) a lot of extra space.

I donated approximately six boxes and ten bags (doei mais ou menos seis caixas e dez sacos) full of usable stuff (cheios de coisas "usáveis") to the Salvation Army. They even sent me a thank-you note afterwards (eles até me mandaram uma cartinha de agradecimento depois).

Faça o quiz