ANNOUNCER: Section 1. You will hear an estate agent talking to a customer who wants to rent a house. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 8. You will see that there is an example that has been done for you.

WOMAN: Good morning. How can I help you?

MAN: Hello. I'm interested in renting a house somewhere in the town.

WOMAN: Right. Could I have your name, please?

MAN: Yes, it's Steven Godfrey.

ANNOUNCER: The number of bedrooms needed is four, so 4 has been written in the space. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen, because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 8.

WOMAN: Good morning. How can I help you?

MAN: Hello. I'm interested in renting a house somewhere in the town.

WOMAN: Right. Could I have your name, please?

MAN: Yes, it's Steven Godfrey.

WOMAN: And tell me how many bedrooms you're looking for.

MAN: Well, we'd need four, because I'm going to share the house with three friends.

WOMAN: OK, there are several houses of that size on our books. They mostly belong to families who are working abroad at the moment. What about the location?

MAN: It would be nice to be central.

WOMAN: That might be difficult, because most houses of that size are in the suburbs. Still, there are a few. What's your upper limit for the rent?

MAN: We'd like something around £500 a month, but we could go up to £600 if necessary. But we can't go beyond that.

WOMAN: Do you know how long you want to rent the house for? The minimum let is six months.

MAN: We're at college here for two years, and we'd prefer not to move during that time.

WOMAN: Right. And how soon do you want to move in? All our lets start on the first of the month.

MAN: As soon as possible really. So that means September 1st.

WOMAN: OK. Let me check what we have available. We have photographs of all the houses so you can see what they look like.

WOMAN: Here's one in Oakington Avenue. The rent is £550 a month. It has a combined living room and dining room and a separate kitchen. However, it does not have a garage.

MAN: We'd prefer to have one if possible.

WOMAN: In that case, look at this house in Mead Street. It has a very large living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a cloakroom.

MAN: How much is it?

WOMAN: That one is £580. It's very well furnished and has plenty of parking space. There's also a large garden.

MAN: I don't think we could manage the garden. We'll be too busy to look after it.

WOMAN: OK. Here's another house in Hamilton Road. It has a living room, kitchen diner, and a study. The rent is £550.

MAN: That looks nice, but which part of Hamilton Road?

WOMAN: Towards the western end.

MAN: That area is very noisy. I know it.

WOMAN: Yes, it's quite lively. Some people like that though.

WOMAN: Now look at this one in Devon Close.

MAN: That looks lovely.

WOMAN: Houses there are usually quite expensive, but this one hasn't been decorated for a few years, which keeps the rent down. It has a living room, dining room, and a small kitchen. The rent is £595.

MAN: That sounds fine.

ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 9 and 10. Now listen and answer questions 9 and 10.

MAN: Why is that part of town so popular?

WOMAN: There's a big development scheme planned for the district, so it will soon have excellent facilities.

MAN: What sort of facilities?

WOMAN: A large sports centre is under construction. The swimming pool has already opened.

MAN: What about cinemas?

WOMAN: The old cinema closed last year and is being turned into a film museum. Local residents are trying to include a new cinema in the development.

MAN: I heard something about a plan to replace the concert hall.

WOMAN: Yes, construction for a larger concert hall will start next year.

MAN: It sounds like an interesting place to live. Could I view the house?

WOMAN: Yes, of course.

ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.