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Diego lives in a small apartment on the third floor of a building. One morning, he puts his clothes in a bag and walks to the on his street. The is close to his building. Diego likes to do his laundry there every week. He puts his clothes in a washing machine and adds some soap. He closes the door and presses the button. The machine starts. Diego sits down and waits. There are a few other people in the . Some of them read. Some of them look at their cell phones. Diego looks around the room. Then he sees someone he knows. It is his , Mr. Hasan. Mr. Hasan is also doing his laundry. Diego feels a little nervous. He wants to talk to Mr. Hasan about a problem in his apartment. Diego walks over to Mr.
Hasan and says, "Hello, Mr. Hasan. Do you have a minute?" Mr. Hasan smiles and says, "Of course, Diego. What is it?" Diego takes a breath and speaks. "There is a problem in my bathroom," he says. "The is broken. Water from it all day and all night." Mr. Hasan listens carefully. "How long has this been happening?" he asks. Diego says, "It started about a week ago. I tried to fix it myself, but I could not." Mr. Hasan nods. "I understand," he says. "A dripping can waste a lot of water." Diego also tells him about another problem. "The light in the outside my apartment is not working," he says. "It is very dark at night." Mr. Hasan looks serious. "That is not safe," he says. "I will take care of both problems." Diego feels . He thanks Mr.
Hasan for listening. Mr. Hasan takes out his cell phone and makes a note of Diego's apartment number. "I will call a today," he says. "The will come to fix the tomorrow morning. Is that okay?" Diego nods and says, "Yes, that is fine. I will be home in the morning." Mr. Hasan also says, "I will the light bulb in the today. It will be done before the evening." Diego smiles and says, "Thank you so much, Mr. Hasan. I really appreciate it." Mr. Hasan pats Diego on the shoulder. "It is my job to keep the building in good condition," he says. "Please always tell me when something is broken." Diego goes back to his seat. He feels much better now. His washing machine finishes, and he moves his clothes to the dryer. He thinks it was a good idea to speak to Mr. Hasan today. Sometimes, the best time to solve a problem is when you least expect it.
a person who owns a building or apartment and rents it to other people
"Diego needs to talk to his landlord about the broken faucet."
a place where you pay to use washing machines and dryers
"Diego takes his clothes to the launderette every week."
a device that controls the flow of water from a pipe
"The faucet in Diego's bathroom is broken and drips all day."
to fall in small drops
"Water drips from the broken faucet and makes a noise at night."
a person whose job is to fix water pipes and faucets
"The landlord will call a plumber to fix the broken faucet."
a passage or corridor inside a building
"The light in the hallway outside Diego's apartment is not working."
feeling happy because a worry or problem has gone away
"Diego feels relieved when Mr. Hasan agrees to fix the problems."
to put a new thing in the place of something old or broken
"Mr. Hasan will replace the light bulb in the hallway today."
Do you have a minute?
used to ask if someone has a short time to talk
"Diego says, "Do you have a minute?" when he sees his landlord."
take a breath
to breathe in slowly before saying something important
"Diego takes a breath before he tells Mr. Hasan about the problem."
take care of something
to deal with a problem or responsibility
"Mr. Hasan says he will take care of both problems in the apartment."
make a note
to write down information so you do not forget it
"Mr. Hasan makes a note of Diego's apartment number on his cell phone."
in good condition
working well and not broken or damaged
"Mr. Hasan says it is his job to keep the building in good condition."
I really appreciate it
used to thank someone sincerely
"Diego says, "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it," to Mr. Hasan."
least expect it
at a time when you do not think something will happen
"Diego solves his problem when he least expects it, at the launderette."
fix a problem
to solve or repair something that is not working
"Diego tried to fix the problem himself, but he could not."
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