RoundTalk

Study: having a pet doesn't make renters happier, researchers find

English · A1 worksheet Based on the RoundTalk episode of

Free for classroom use. Students listen to the first 75 seconds and read the beginning of the debate, then work on the tasks. The answer key is on the last page. The panelists are fictional characters with AI voices.

Episode page
1 · Listen (first 75 seconds)

2 · Read

Host

Welcome to RoundTalk. A study says pets don't make people happy. Does this surprise you? Sarah works with animals. Marcus rents homes. Elena rents and has pets.

Host

Sarah, you see people adopt pets every day. Why do they do it?

Sarah Mitchell

People take a pet because they feel bad. That is a bad reason. One renter took a small animal home. Two weeks later, she brings it back.

Host

Marcus. You see renters with pets. What costs do they miss?

Marcus Chen

They pay more money for the pet. Every month. And they pay money first, too. What I hear from tenants is: nobody tells them.

Host

Elena. You have two cats in an apartment. What do you pay?

Elena Rodriguez

I pay about fifty more every month. But money is not the problem. I move a lot. My animals pay for that.

Marcus Chen

No. You pay too. Six homes in eight years. With animals, you can't take many homes. Your choice is small.

Sarah Mitchell

No, no, wait. Your pets don't pay. You pay too. Every move is hard for you. I see it all the time.

Host

Let's get back to the point: If you got a pet mainly to feel happier, would you be disappointed? Elena.

Elena Rodriguez

Yes. I wanted to believe that, but no. My pets make me happy and tired. Happiness is not the reason. Stability is the real problem.

Marcus Chen

No, money is the real problem, not stability.

Host

Sarah. You work with renters every day. Money or stability?

Key vocabulary

  • pet — an animal kept for companionship or pleasure
  • housing — buildings or homes where people live
  • happiness — the state of feeling pleased or content
  • stability — the quality of being steady or not changing
  • renter — a person who pays to live in someone else's home

Comprehension questions

  1. Why does Sarah think people adopt pets?
  2. What costs do renters with pets pay every month, according to Marcus?
  3. What is Elena's main problem with pets as a renter?
  4. Why does Elena say she is happy and tired?
  5. What does Marcus think is the real problem for renters with pets?

True or false?

  1. Elena pays fifty dollars more every month for her two cats. T / F
  2. Sarah says one renter kept her small animal for three weeks. T / F
  3. Marcus says renters always know about pet costs before they rent. T / F
  4. Elena moved six homes in eight years. T / F

Fill the gaps

HappinesspetrenterStability
  1. People take a   because they feel bad.
  2. One   took a small animal home.
  3.   is not the reason.
  4.   is the real problem.

Discuss in pairs

  1. If you move many times, is a pet a good idea? Why or why not?

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Answer key

Comprehension
  1. Because they feel bad.
  2. They pay more money for the pet.
  3. She moves a lot and cannot find many homes because of her animals.
  4. Because her pets make her happy but they make her tired.
  5. Money is the real problem.
True or false
  1. True
  2. False
  3. False
  4. True
Gaps
  1. pet
  2. renter
  3. Happiness
  4. Stability

roundtalk · https://www.getroundtalk.com/listen/english/a1/study-having-a-pet-doesn-t-make-renters-happier-researchers-find/worksheet/