Click any sentence to jump to that moment
Tap an underlined word to see what it means.
Lucas needs a new apartment. His old apartment is too small. He lives alone, but he has a lot of things. He wants a bigger place. He also wants to be close to his work. One morning, he decides to walk around his . He wants to look for "For " . He puts on his jacket and goes outside. The street is quiet. There are trees on both sides of the road. Lucas walks slowly and looks at the buildings. He sees some old apartments and some new ones. He feels excited. He thinks, "Maybe I can find something good today." Lucas stops in front of a tall building. There is a on the door. It says "Apartment for . 2 bedrooms. 3rd floor." Lucas reads the carefully. He writes down the phone number in his notebook. Then he keeps walking. A little further down the street, he sees a woman standing outside another building. She has a key in her hand.
Lucas walks over to her. "Excuse me," he says. "Is there an apartment for here?" The woman smiles. "Yes," she says. "There is one on the second floor. Do you want to see it?" Lucas says, "Yes, please!" They go inside together. The apartment has a big living room and a nice kitchen. There is also a . Lucas looks around the rooms. He opens the doors. He checks the bathroom. He turns the lights on and off. He likes what he sees. "How much is the ?" he asks. The woman tells him the price. Lucas thinks it is a little high. "Can I think about it?" he asks. "Of course," she says. "Call me before Friday." Lucas leaves the building and continues walking. He feels happy because he saw a nice apartment.
But he is not sure about the price. He sits down on a bench near the sidewalk. He opens his notebook and looks at his notes. He has two now. He thinks about the size of each apartment. He thinks about the . He thinks about the . After a few minutes, he takes out his cell phone. He calls his friend Maria. "Maria, I found two apartments today," he says. "One is bigger, but the is high. The other one is smaller, but it is cheaper." Maria listens carefully. "Which one is closer to your work?" she asks. "The bigger one," Lucas says. "Then maybe the higher is worth it," Maria says. Lucas smiles. "You are right," he says. "I will call the woman tomorrow." He puts his phone in his pocket and stands up. He feels ready to make a decision. He walks home feeling .
the money you pay every month to live in an apartment or house
"Lucas asks, "How much is the rent?""
the area near where you live
"Lucas walks around his neighborhood to look for apartments."
a small outdoor platform attached to the outside of a building
"The apartment has a balcony where you can sit outside."
a piece of paper or board with words or information on it
"Lucas sees a sign that says "Apartment for Rent.""
the place where something is
"Lucas thinks about the location of each apartment."
a choice you can make
"Lucas has two options: the big apartment or the small one."
a small room or space inside a room where you keep clothes or other things
"Lucas opens the closet doors to check the space inside."
feeling that something good will happen
"Lucas walks home feeling hopeful about the new apartment."
for rent
available for someone to pay to use, usually a house or apartment
"Lucas sees a sign that says the apartment is for rent."
keep walking
to continue walking without stopping
"After writing down the number, Lucas keeps walking down the street."
write down
to put information on paper so you don't forget it
"Lucas writes down the phone number from the sign."
look around
to look at different parts of a place
"Lucas looks around the rooms in the apartment."
think about it
to take time to decide something
"Lucas asks if he can think about the price before deciding."
worth it
good enough for the cost or effort
"Maria says the higher rent might be worth it if the apartment is closer to work."
make a decision
to choose between two or more options
"Lucas feels ready to make a decision about the apartment."
call me before Friday
to phone someone no later than a specific day
"The woman tells Lucas to call her before Friday if he wants the apartment."
Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.
One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.