4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 24: The Resourceful Landlord

Word List
  • bankrupt [ˈbæŋkrʌpt] adj.
    If someone is bankrupt, then they are unable to pay their debts.
    → The store had few customers and soon went bankrupt.
  • conform [kənˈfɔːrm] v.
    To conform to rules or laws is to obey them.
    → The new student had to conform to the school’s dress code.
  • employ [imˈplɔi] v.
    To employ someone means to give work to them.
    → The bookstore employed two full-time clerks.
  • expel [iksˈpel] v.
    To expel someone means to force them to leave a place.
    → Since he would not follow the rules, the principal had to expel the student.
  • extension [iksˈtenʃən] n.
    An extension is a part added to something to give it more time or space.
    → My parents decided to add an extension to our house for the new baby.
  • forthcoming [fɔːrθˈkʌmiŋ] adj.
    If something is forthcoming, then it is about to happen in the future.
    → Some economists predicted that the forthcoming world economy would be severe.
  • furnish [ˈfəːrniʃ] v.
    To furnish means to put furniture in a house or room.
    → Most homes are furnished with tables, chairs, and beds.
  • hygiene [ˈhaidʒiːn] n.
    Hygiene is the conditions or methods needed for health and cleanliness.
    → People who brush their teeth at least twice a day are practicing good hygiene.
  • hygienic [haiˈdʒinik] adj.
    If something is hygienic, then it is clean and unlikely to cause disease.
    → My sister works very hard to keep her entire home as hygienic as possible.
  • landlord [ˈlændlɔːrd] n.
    A landlord is a man who rents property to a person.
    → The landlord collected everyone’s rent money on the first day of every month.
  • lease [liːs] v.
    To lease means to rent property, usually an apartment or land.
    → When the family first leased the apartment, the rent was very low.
  • mandatory [ˈmændətɔ:ri] adj.
    If something is mandatory, then it is required by law.
    → It’s mandatory that everyone be at least sixteen to drive a car in the US.
  • mend [mend] v.
    To mend something means to fix it when it is broken or damaged.
    → Mother mended the rip in my pants with a piece of cloth.
  • mortgage [ˈmɔːrgidʒ] n.
    A mortgage is a loan for property, especially homes and businesses.
    → When they bought their new home, the married couple had to sign a mortgage.
  • personnel [ˌpəːrsəˈnel] n.
    Personnel are employees in a business.
    → When business increased, we had to hire more personnel.
  • plumbing [ˈplʌmiŋ] n.
    Plumbing is the system of pipes used in a home to supply water.
    → When the plumbing stopped working, no one was allowed to use the toilets.
  • tenant [ˈtenənt] n.
    A tenant is a person who rents property from a landlord.
    → The new tenants moved into the house across the street.
  • trendy [ˈtrendi] adj.
    If something is trendy, then it is very popular and new.
    → Carlo bought a trendy new car.
  • utility [juːˈtiləti] n.
    A utility is a business that supplies services such as water or electricity.
    → If you don’t pay the utilities, you may have your electricity turned off.
  • whereby [hwɛə:rˈbai] conj.
    Whereby means by which or through which.
    → The mayor had a new bridge built whereby the citizens could cross the river.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. Which of the following means the closest to mend?
    • a. Repair
    • b. Highlight
    • c. Exchange
    • d. Plant
  2. Which of following would NOT be considered part of an office’s personnel?
    • a. Cleaning staff
    • b. Technicians
    • c. Executives
    • d. Referees
  3. Plumbing involves work on _______ in a house or building.
    • a. electrical wiring
    • b. plants and bushes
    • c. water pipes
    • d. interior design
  4. If something is trendy, then it is ______ .
    • a. outdated
    • b. in style
    • c. almost empty
    • d. very cheap
  5. Which is NOT considered a utility?
    • a. Room service
    • b. Electrical service
    • c. Water service
    • d. Gas service
Exercise 2

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

  1. His company gives work to about 100 people in the community.
    ____________
  2. Joan was forced to leave from the auditorium for her hostile comments.
    ____________
  3. Mv new apartment in the city was complete with bed, sofa, and TV.
    ____________
  4. The prisoner’s condition for health and cleanliness was absolutely terrible.
    ____________
  5. I’m going to rent the apartment for only six months.
    ____________
  6. I need to fix the hole in my pants.
    ____________
  7. He was lucky to find employees who are honest and hardworking.
    ____________
  8. We need to have our system of pipes that brings water into our house checked.
    ____________
  9. The popular and new fashion these days for men is boots.
    ____________
  10. Did you remember to pay the company that provides our water?
    ____________
Exercise 3

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

  1. ______ The sharp rocks mended his jeans into pieces.
  2. ______ The school sent a second bus whereby the students could get to school.
  3. ______ He had poor hygiene. He never washed his hands or brushed his teeth.
  4. ______ The dam on the lake became bankrupt, and soon water broke through the cracks.
  5. ______ The restaurant was a trendy place where all the rich and famous people went.
  6. ______ The first three cars to finish were given an award, but the forthcoming car got nothing.
  7. ______ She made a mistake and accidentally walked into the mandatory bathroom.
  8. ______ After he furnished dinner, the host gave him some dessert.
  9. ______ Rather than conforming to one religion, Mary chose what she liked from all of them.
  10. ______ I knew something was wrong with the plumbing once the hot water stopped working.
  11. ______ She graduated from university where she studied utility.
  12. ______ Because of an error, the game was given an extension of five more minutes.
  13. ______ He’s very hygienic because he bathes once a week and seldom changes his clothes.
  14. ______ The landlord owned several buildings throughout the capital city.
  15. ______ The factory needed more workers. It had to employ twenty more people.
  16. ______ Tom didn’t want to talk about his father’s new job. He thought it was too personnel.
  17. ______ There was too much sugar in the recipe, so she leased the amount with a spoon.
  18. ______ Because the rent was so expensive, all of the tenants are probably wealthy people.
  19. ______ They were expelled from the restaurant because they couldn’t pay their bill.
  20. ______ In order to buy a house, most people have to get a mortgage.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. a
  2. d
  3. c
  4. b
  5. a
Exercise 2
  1. employs
  2. expelled
  3. furnished
  4. hygiene
  5. lease
  6. mend
  7. personnel
  8. plumbing
  9. trendy
  10. utility
Exercise 3
  1. I
  2. C
  3. C
  4. I
  5. C
  6. I
  7. I
  8. I
  9. C
  10. C
  11. I
  12. C
  13. I
  14. C
  15. C
  16. I
  17. I
  18. C
  19. C
  20. C
Answer Key
The Resourceful Landlord

A kind landlord was afraid that he would lose his apartment building. He needed to make some mandatory repairs to the old building, or his tenants would have to leave by the end of the month. Without tenants to lease the rooms, the landlord would be unable to pay his mortgage. He’d be bankrupt, and the bank would take his building.

But he didn’t have the money whereby he could employ the personnel needed to make the repairs. It would seem like he did not want to conform to the city’s codes before the forthcoming inspection. He had requested an extension, but it was denied by the city.

He held a meeting with his tenants and explained the unfortunate situation. “If the building does not meet the appropriate standards for safety and hygiene,” he said, “the city will expel everyone.”

The tenants were all sad for the kind old man.

“Maybe we can help,” the hairdresser who lived on the first floor stated. The other tenants agreed.

One tenant had worked for the city’s utilities. He knew a lot about plumbing, so that’s how he helped. Another tenant was a carpenter; he mended the holes in the floor and walls. Others cleaned the building from top to bottom so that it was more hygienic. They even furnished some of the apartments with new beds, dressers, and chairs. When they were done, all of the people dispersed, and the landlord went home to rest.

When the deadline of the inspection arrived, the apartment building was hygienic and safe. The landlord couldn’t believe it. His old building now looked like one of the trendiest buildings in town. The building passed its inspection, and the landlord and the tenants had a big party.

“Thank you all so much,” the landlord said during the party. “I could never have done it by myself. But by working together, we now all have a beautiful place to live.”

Reading Comprehension

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

  1. _____ If the tenants didn’t pay the mortgage, the landlord could not pay his lease and would be bankrupt.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The landlord did not have money whereby he could employ personnel.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ The city would expel everyone if the building did not pass the inspection for safety and hygiene.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ The hairdresser mended the holes in the floors and walls.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ After everyone helped to fix it, the building looked like one of the trendiest buildings in town.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. In addition to dressers, what did the tenants furnish some of the apartments with?
    _____________
  2. If the landlord did not conform to the city’s mandatory hygienic standards, what would happen to the tenants?
    _____________
  3. What happened to the landlord’s request for an extension to the forthcoming deadline?
    _____________
  4. What did the tenant who had worked for the city’s utilities do to the building’s plumbing?
    _____________
  5. What did the landlord do after all of the people dispersed?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / If the tenants didn’t pay the lease, the landlord could not pay his mortgage and would be bankrupt.
  2. T
  3. T
  4. F / The carpenter mended the holes in the floors and walls.
  5. T
Part B
  1. In addition to dressers, the tenants furnished some of the apartments with new beds and chairs.
  2. If the landlord did not conform to the city’s mandatory hygienic standards, his tenants would have to leave by the end of the month.
  3. He had requested an extension, but the city denied it.
  4. The tenant who had worked for the city’s utilities repaired the building’s plumbing.
  5. When they were done, all of the people dispersed, and the landlord went home to rest.
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