Exam Review

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Holiday Rentals

You will hear a man called Ken talking on the phone to a friend called Liz about holiday accommodation.

Liz:              Hello?

Ken:            Hi Liz, it’s Ken here.

Liz:              Hi Ken! Nice to hear from you! Are you ...

Ken:            This is just a quick call, but Mary and I have just been talking about our summer holiday - we haven’t booked a place yet and we’ve left it a bit late. We were just wondering if you know of any holiday rentals in your area - it’s so nice there.

Liz:              Well yes, I can think of two or three places that are very nice - what dates have you got in mind?

Ken:            The 10th of July to the 22nd of July.

Liz:              Oh yes, that is quite soon isn’t it? Well there’s a place near here called Moonfleet ...

Ken:            Is that M-double O- N-F-L-double E- T?

Liz:              That’s right. It’s quite a rural location, and it’s next to the owner’s house, but it’s got fields all around it, so it’s very pretty.

Ken:            Mm. Sounds OK. Can you tell me a bit more about it?

Liz:              Well it’s an annexe to the owner’s house, and it’s an apartment with two bedrooms, and an open-plan living area.

Ken:            Well I like the sound of it. Is there anything we might not like about it?

Liz:              Well it’s quite a distance from the nearest shops, that’s all ...

Ken:            OK. And ... well, I’ll tell Mary but I don’t think she’d mind that. Do you know how you book it?

Liz:              You have to book on the internet. There’s a web address - it’s www.summerhouses ...

Ken:            One word?

Liz:              Yes ... Then dot com. You’ll be able to look at a photograph on that.

Ken:            OK . And what about the others? Where are they?

Liz:              The second one I’m thinking of is called Kingfisher, and that’s even more rural. It’s a really beautiful location in fact, it’s by the river, and it’s got nice views - it overlooks woodland on the other side.

Ken:            Is that an apartment?

Liz:              No, it’s a three-bedroomed house. And that’s got a dining room as well as a separate living room and a kitchen. But I expect it’s more expensive. You’ll have to check the prices.

Ken:            Mm. It’s probably a bit bigger than we need, but our nephew might be joining us, we’re not sure yet. How do you book Kingfisher?

Liz:              You have to phone the owner directly. Shall I give you the number? I’ve got it here in my phone book ... It’s oh one seven five two, double six nine, two one eight.

Ken:            Right ...

Ken:            And you mentioned a third place?

Liz:              Yes, there’s a house that my sister stayed in last year - it’s called Sunnybanks.

Ken:            Nice name.

Liz:              And the location of that one is rather different ... It’s in the centre of a village, but it’s a very small and quaint place.

Ken:            Did your sister like it?

Liz:              Oh yes, it’s by the sea so her children really loved it ...

Ken:            What’s the accommodation like?

Liz:              I’m not sure about the number of rooms because I haven’t been in it myself, but I think she said it’s quite spacious ... And I know it’s got its own garden. It’s not very big, but it’s not shared with anyone else, and it’s supposed to be very pretty.

Ken:            Any snags? Problems?

Liz:              The only other thing I can think of is that there’s nowhere for parking. The streets are too narrow. So you have to leave your car somewhere else and then walk to the house - it’s only about ten minutes away, but ...

Ken:            OK. Well ... I don’t think it matters personally. How do you book it?

Liz:              There’s an agent you have to contact.   I don’t know his details, but I can ask my sister and let you know tomorrow.

Ken:            Thanks Liz, that’d be great. I’ll talk to Mary and see what she says. Thanks for your help.

Liz:   That’s OK Ken, I’ll speak to you again tomorrow. I hope you find what you’re looking for ...