Like most couples, my husband and I dreamed of becoming homeowners. Sure, apartment living comes with its own set of advantages—less housework, shared comfort, less to clean up and care for, and usually cheaper rent. As a result, we decided to downgrade from our neat five-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot house on the water to a three-bedroom, 1,369-square-foot apartment, with two kids.
Once we arrived in our new apartment, we were surprised to find that things flowed relatively smoothly. There was so much less to keep up with—fewer floors to mop, fewer windows to clean, fewer walls to wipe, etc. Now I think of our home as our little playhouse, since it's much smaller and everything is closer together. That also makes it so much easier for me to keep up with as a mom. I collect laundry all on one floor comparing with having to climb stairs to the house's second floor!
In our new home, we use lots of shoe organizers inside of every closet door for more than just shoes—baby items, office items, and medicines. We also have a functional room that serves as an office and gym. Since both my husband and I work from home, we require at least one room to share as an office with fitness equipment fitted into a corner.
While many people choose to downsize for financial reasons, that actually wasn't a factor in our decision. We wanted to be in a lively area with like-minded young families. That was our first priority. Though we may still buy another house in this area at some point down the line, for now, we're thrilled with the concept of renting an apartment. Let me put it this way: We’re not really the “handy” types, so being able to call maintenance(维修)for any repairs is worth every rent coin!
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Our old house was upgraded. | B．Living in a house has advantages. |
| C．Our new apartment was downsized. | D．Smaller size means more housework. |
| A．Confused. | B．Amazed. | C．Tired. | D．Challenged. |
| A．To build up their body. | B．To create a home office. |
| C．To enlarge all the rooms. | D．To make full use of space. |
| A．Transportation. | B．Neighbourhood. |
| C．Repair work. | D．Money. |
