An online advertisement广告 /ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt/ offered a furnished带家具的 /ˈfərnɪʃt/ room near Jack's school at an affordable负担得起的 /əˈfɔrdəbəl/ monthly每月的 /ˈmənθli/ rent租金 /rɛnt/. His cousin Elena needed housing住房 /ˈhaʊzɪŋ/ for a six-month nursing护理 /ˈnərsɪŋ/ course, so Jack joined the viewing看房 /vjuɪŋ/. Landlord房东 /ˈlænˌdlɔrd/ Mr. Patel showed them a shared共用的 /ʃɛrd/ kitchen厨房 /ˈkɪʧən/, sunny balcony阳台 /ˈbælkəni/, laundry洗衣 /ˈlɔndri/ equipment设备 /ɪkˈwɪpmənt/, and bedroom卧室 /ˈbɛˌdrum/. The quiet安静的 /kwaɪət/ neighborhood社区 /ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/ had a fifteen-minute bus commute通勤 /kəmˈjut/.
Elena asked what the property房产 /ˈprɑpərti/ rent included. Water and internet网络费 /ˈɪntərˌnɛt/ were covered涵盖 /ˈkəvərd/; electricity电费 /ɪˌlɛkˈtrɪsəti/ and heating暖气费 /ˈhitɪŋ/ were separate分开的 /ˈsɛpərˌeɪt/ utility水电费 /juˈtɪləti/ bills. Mr. Patel required必需的 /rikˈwaɪərd/ a security deposit押金 /dɪˈpɑzət/ equal等同的 /ˈikwəl/ to one month's rent and explained the refund退款 /ˈriˌfənd/ rule. Deductions扣款 /dɪˈdəkʃənz/ were allowed only for unpaid未支付的 /ənˈpeɪd/ bills or damage损坏 /ˈdæmɪʤ/ beyond ordinary正常的 /ˈɔrdəˌnɛri/ wear, with written书面的 /ˈrɪtən/ evidence证据 /ˈɛvədəns/.
A carpet地毯 /ˈkɑrpət/ stain污渍 /steɪn/, loose松动的 /lus/ window lock锁 /lɑk/, and faulty wardrobe衣柜 /ˈwɔrˌdroʊb/ door appeared during inspection检查 /ˌɪnˈspɛkʃən/. With the landlord's permission许可 /pərˈmɪʃən/, Jack photographed拍照 /ˈfoʊtəˌgræft/ each defect缺陷 /ˈdifɛkt/. Mr. Patel promised承诺 /ˈprɑməst/ repairs维修 /rɪˈpɛrz/ and recorded记录了 /rɪˈkɔrdɪd/ them on a form. Elena read the proposed拟定的 /prəˈpoʊzd/ lease租约 /lis/ and found找到 /faʊnd/ a clause条款 /klɔz/ banning禁止 /ˈbænɪŋ/ visitors访客 /ˈvɪzɪtərz/ after eight—unreasonable不合理的 /ənˈriznəbəl/ for someone working上班的 /ˈwərkɪŋ/ hospital shifts班次 /ʃɪfts/.
Mr. Patel said the rule was intended旨在 /ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd/ to prevent防止 /prɪˈvɛnt/ overnight过夜的 /ˈoʊvərˈnaɪt/ parties双方 /ˈpɑrtiz/, not brief短暂的 /brif/ visits. They negotiated谈判 /nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪtɪd/: guests客人 /gɛsts/ could stay until ten; overnight stays required advance提前的 /ədˈvæns/ notice通知 /ˈnoʊtɪs/ to other tenants租客 /ˈtɛnənts/. Elena requested要求 /rɪkˈwɛstɪd/ two days to check references证明人 /ˈrɛfərənsɪz/ and compare比较 /kəmˈpɛr/ another apartment公寓 /əˈpɑrtmənt/. The landlord agreed and refused拒绝 /rɪfˈjuzd/ cash现金 /kæʃ/ before signing签署 /ˈsaɪnɪŋ/, a response that seemed trustworthy可信的 /ˈtrəstˌwərði/ rather than less eager急切的 /ˈigər/.
Before moving搬家 /ˈmuvɪŋ/, Elena completed完成 /kəmˈplitɪd/ a housing checklist清单 /ˈʧɛˌklɪst/. She measured测量 /ˈmɛʒərd/ the bedroom and tested each socket插座 /ˈsɑkət/, tap, appliance电器 /əˈplaɪəns/, radiator暖气片 /ˈreɪdiˌeɪtər/, smoke烟雾 /smoʊk/ detector探测器 /dɪˈtɛktər/, window, and lock. She recorded walls, ceiling天花板 /ˈsilɪŋ/, floor, curtains窗帘 /ˈkərtənz/, mattress床垫 /ˈmætrəs/, and shelves架子 /ʃɛlvz/. The lease covered rent increases, notice, renewal续租 /rɪˈnuəl/, insurance保险 /ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns/, maintenance保养 /ˈmeɪntənəns/, emergency紧急情况 /ˈimərʤənsi/ access通道 /ˈækˌsɛs/, waste垃圾 /weɪst/ collection垃圾清运 /kəˈlɛkʃən/, parking停车 /ˈpɑrkɪŋ/, pets宠物 /pɛts/, noise噪声 /nɔɪz/, and visitor responsibility责任 /riˌspɑnsəˈbɪləti/. It named a deposit agency机构 /ˈeɪʤənsi/ and dispute争议 /dɪˈspjut/ procedure程序 /prəˈsiʤər/. Elena verified the landlord through the property register登记册 /ˈrɛʤɪstər/, not a social-media profile个人资料 /ˈproʊˌfaɪl/. She calculated计算 /ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪd/ transport交通 /ˈtrænspɔrt/, supplies用品 /səˈplaɪz/, food, tuition学费 /tjuˈɪʃən/, and potential潜在的 /pəˈtɛnʃəl/ overtime加班 /ˈoʊvərˌtaɪm/. The survey查验 /ˈsərˌveɪ/ reduced减少 /rɪˈdust/ uncertainty不确定性 /ənˈsərtənti/ and stopped an existing原有的 /ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ/ scratch划痕 /skræʧ/ or stain becoming an argument争执 /ˈɑrgjəmənt/.
To verify核实 /ˈvɛrəˌfaɪ/ the offer, Elena visited the municipal市政的 /mjuˈnɪsəpəl/ housing office. An estate房地产 /ɛˈsteɪt/ agent中介 /ˈeɪʤənt/ opened the residential住宅的 /ˌrɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/ listing房源信息 /ˈlɪstɪŋ/ for the premises房屋 /ˈprɛməsəz/: location位置 /loʊˈkeɪʃən/, county郡 /ˈkaʊnti/, province省 /ˈprɑvɪns/, zone区域 /zoʊn/, suburb郊区 /ˈsəbərb/, avenue大街 /ˈævəˌnu/, rental租赁 /ˈrɛntəl/ status状态 /ˈstætəs/, and available可供使用的 /əˈveɪləbəl/ capacity容量 /kəˈpæsɪti/. The government record confirmed确认 /kənˈfərmd/ ownership所有权 /ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp/. As the applicant申请人 /ˈæplɪkənt/, Elena supplied employment就业 /ɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ details详情 /ˈditeɪlz/, passport护照 /ˈpæˌspɔrt/, and license证件 /ˈlaɪsəns/ only after the broker经纪人 /ˈbroʊkər/ explained finance融资 /ˈfaɪˌnæns/, commission佣金 /kəˈmɪʃən/, and the communal公用的 /kəmˈjunəl/ arrangement安排 /ərˈeɪnʤmənt/.
A physical实体的 /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ architecture建筑设计 /ˈɑrkəˌtɛkʧər/ analysis分析 /æˈnælɪsɪs/ followed. A planner规划人员 /ˈplænər/ reviewed检查 /rivˈjud/ zoning分区规划 /ˈzoʊnɪŋ/, infrastructure基础设施 /ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər/, development开发 /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/, restoration修复 /ˌrɛstərˈeɪʃən/, and the extension扩建 /ɪkˈstɛnʃən/. The required exterior外部 /ɪkˈstɪriər/ survey covered the concrete混凝土 /ˈkɑnkrit/ basement地下室 /ˈbeɪsmənt/, timber木材 /ˈtɪmbər/ frame框架 /freɪm/, insulation隔热 /ˌɪnsəˈleɪʃən/, wiring电线系统 /ˈwaɪrɪŋ/, plumbing管道系统 /ˈpləmɪŋ/, drainage排水 /ˈdreɪnɪʤ/, staircase楼梯 /ˈstɛrˌkeɪs/, garage车库 /gərɑʒ/, and driveway车道 /ˈdraɪvˌweɪ/; the interior室内 /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/ record covered each cabinet橱柜 /ˈkæbənət/, drawer抽屉 /drɔr/, tile瓷砖 /taɪl/, and caretaker管理员 /ˈkɛrˌteɪkər/ repair. Rules require documentation文件资料 /ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən/ showing whether an occupant居住者 /ˈɑkjəpənt/ may legally合法地 /ˈligəli/ reside居住 /rɪˈzaɪd/ in the dwelling住宅 /dˈwɛlɪŋ/, use the facility设施 /fəˈsɪlɪti/ as domestic家庭的 /dəˈmɛstɪk/ lodging寄宿 /ˈlɑʤɪŋ/, relocate搬迁 /ˌriˈloʊkeɪt/, or renovate翻修 /ˈrɛnəˌveɪt/ the structure结构 /ˈstrəkʧər/. Elena could then consider the site's房产 /saɪt/ limits限制 /ˈlɪmɪts/ and ways方式 /weɪz/ to improve改善 /ˌɪmˈpruv/ it.
Two days later, Elena accepted租下 /ækˈsɛptɪd/. Repairs were complete, the inventory物品清单 /ˌɪnvənˈtɔri/ listed every piece of furniture家具 /ˈfərnɪʧər/, and both sides双方 /saɪdz/ received the signed lease. Jack helped carry boxes upstairs. He had expected原以为 /ɪkˈspɛktɪd/ price to matter重要 /ˈmætər/ most, but privacy隐私 /ˈpraɪvəsi/, transport, utilities公用事业费 /juˈtɪlətiz/, boundaries界限 /ˈbaʊndəriz/, and a responsible负责的 /riˈspɑnsəbəl/ landlord mattered equally同样地 /ˈikwəli/. An attractive有吸引力的 /əˈtræktɪv/ advertisement opened the door; careful谨慎的 /ˈkɛrfəl/ questions made a suitable合适的 /ˈsutəbəl/, safe home.