The Apartment That Looked Too Good to Be True
Two friends discuss a surprisingly cheap Toronto apartment—and discover why the first detail is not always the final one.
Toronto apartment conversation
One play per attempt. Pause and resume are allowed. After submission, replay is available for review.
Before you listen
- Read all eight questions before you start.
- Listen through corrections instead of choosing the first detail.
- Keep costs, locations and decisions attached to the correct label.
Listen carefully and answer all questions
Your listening profile
Check why each answer is right or wrong
Open each question to compare your answer with the evidence, distractor and listening habit behind it.
Q1 The current monthly rent is $ ________.
Why this is correct
The first price is outdated. Maya explicitly corrects it and gives the current rent.
Audio evidence
“The ad was old. The current rent is sixteen fifty.”
Trap to notice
$1,600 is heard first, but it belongs to the old advertisement.
Listening lesson
When you hear words such as “old”, “current”, “changed” or “now”, keep listening for the updated detail.
Q2 What does Noah initially think might explain the unusually low rent?
Why this is correct
Noah directly connects the low price with his assumption that the apartment is in a basement.
Audio evidence
“I assumed it was probably a basement unit.”
Trap to notice
B and C are both mentioned later, so they are believable distractors, but neither is Noah’s initial explanation for the low price.
Listening lesson
Match the question’s time marker. “Initially” means you need the first explanation, not a later problem.
Q3 The viewing is now scheduled for ________ afternoon.
Why this is correct
Friday is the original offer. The phrase “changed the viewing to” gives the final schedule.
Audio evidence
“The agent first offered Friday evening, but she changed the viewing to Saturday afternoon, at two.”
Trap to notice
Friday sounds completely valid until the correction arrives.
Listening lesson
Do not write a date or day immediately when contrast language such as “but” may change it.
Q4 What is Noah’s first real concern about the apartment?
Why this is correct
The wording in Noah’s response identifies the elevator as the first issue he considers serious.
Audio evidence
Maya says there is no elevator. Noah responds, “That is my first real concern.”
Trap to notice
All three topics occur in the dialogue, but their importance is different: the subway distance is acceptable and shared laundry is only “not ideal”.
Listening lesson
Listen for attitude language, not just topic words. The question asks which issue matters to the speaker.
Q5 The subway is about ________ minutes away on foot.
Why this is correct
The actual walking time is eight minutes.
Audio evidence
“The subway is about an eight-minute walk.”
Trap to notice
The listing makes the location sound inconvenient, but the agent’s specific walking time shows otherwise.
Listening lesson
When a general impression is followed by a precise number, use the precise detail for a factual gap.
Q6 Which costs are included in the rent?
Why this is correct
Maya names heat and water as included costs, then explicitly excludes electricity.
Audio evidence
“Heat and water. Electricity is not included.”
Trap to notice
The wrong options mix one included item with one extra cost. This tests whether you keep the labels attached to each detail.
Listening lesson
With lists of costs or features, mentally label each item as included, excluded or extra.
Q7 The previous tenant usually paid about $ ________ a month for electricity.
Why this is correct
The approximate monthly electricity cost given by the agent is sixty dollars.
Audio evidence
“The agent said the last tenant usually paid around sixty dollars a month.”
Trap to notice
Parking is mentioned immediately afterwards as another extra cost, but no parking price is given.
Listening lesson
Keep the number attached to its noun. Hearing another cost category after a number should not make you relabel it.
Q8 What do Maya and Noah finally agree to do?
Why this is correct
They do not make the rental decision yet. Their agreed next step is to attend the viewing and decide afterwards.
Audio evidence
Maya says, “Let us see it on Saturday ... and then decide.” Noah replies, “Agreed.”
Trap to notice
Applying and rejecting are both possible outcomes discussed indirectly, but neither becomes the final action.
Listening lesson
In decision questions, wait for commitment language near the end: “not yet”, “then decide”, “agreed”.
Full transcript
Maya: Hey, did you look at the apartment I sent you last night?
Noah: I did. The ad said sixteen hundred dollars a month, which surprised me.
Maya: The ad was old. The current rent is sixteen fifty, but that still seems low for the place.
Noah: Exactly. The photos looked normal, so I kept wondering what the catch was. At first, I assumed it was probably a basement unit.
Maya: I thought the same, but it is actually on the fourth floor of an older building.
Noah: When can we see it?
Maya: The agent first offered Friday evening, but she changed the viewing to Saturday afternoon, at two.
Noah: Saturday works. Does the building have an elevator?
Maya: No. We would have to carry everything up four flights.
Noah: Hmm. That is my first real concern. An older building is fine, but those stairs could get annoying.
Maya: True. At least the location is better than I expected.
Noah: How close is the subway?
Maya: The listing made it sound far from transit, but the subway is about an eight-minute walk. There are shops nearby too.
Noah: That is much better than I thought. What is included in the rent?
Maya: Heat and water are included. Electricity is not, so we would pay that separately.
Noah: Okay. I am trying to work out the real monthly cost, not just the rent. Any idea what electricity costs?
Maya: The agent said the last tenant usually paid around sixty dollars a month. Parking is extra too, but we do not need a space.
Noah: Right. So are you ready to apply?
Maya: Not yet. Photos can hide a lot. Let us see it on Saturday, check the noise and the condition of the place, and then decide.
Noah: Agreed. If it feels right in person, sixteen fifty could still be worth it.
Language worth taking from this conversation
These phrases come directly from the listening. Learn them as complete chunks rather than isolated words.
Meaning: so attractive that you suspect a hidden problem.
“The rent looked too good to be true.”Meaning: what hidden disadvantage or condition is there?
“The price is low, but what’s the catch?”Meaning: a natural way to describe walking distance.
“The subway is an eight-minute walk.”Meaning: covered by the monthly rental price.
“Heat and water are included in the rent.”Meaning: pay an additional cost outside the main price.
“Electricity is not included, so we pay separately.”Meaning: calculate the true total cost.
“I want to work out the real monthly cost.”Meaning: inspect something physically rather than through photos or online.
“Let’s see the apartment in person before deciding.”Meaning: good or valuable enough to justify the cost or effort.
“At that price, the apartment could still be worth it.”The first number or date may be outdated. Wait for correction language before committing.
A topic being mentioned does not make it the answer. Track the speaker’s attitude and the label in the question.
Final decisions often come after several possibilities. Listen for commitment language near the end.