81-Year-Old Lives on a Boat to Save Money and Pay Off Debt
Listen to the story
Cheryl is 81 years old. She lives on a boat. She pays 240 euros every month. This is her rent.
Cheryl says she can save money this way. She has some debts. A debt is money you must pay back. She says she will soon pay all her debts back. She is happy about her savings.
Other people have money problems too. Francine is 62 years old. She is retired. This means she does not work anymore.
Francine got help from a grant called MaPrimeRénov. This grant helps people pay for home repairs. The French government stopped some payments from this grant.
Francine says the repairs would not have happened without the grant. She is very worried now. She cannot sleep well at night.
The government's 2027 budget plan cuts 200 million euros from this grant. Many people who need help may get less money now.
Vocabulary7 words
- boat
- a small vehicle that moves on water
- rent
- money you pay to live somewhere
- debts
- money you owe and must pay back
- savings
- money you keep and do not spend
- retired
- not working anymore because you are older
- grant
- free money given to help someone
- budget
- a plan for spending money
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Quiz
Answer key
1. 240 euros 2. She will soon pay off her debts 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Cheryl is 81 years old. She lives on a _____. She pays 240 euros every month. This is her _____.
Cheryl says she can save money this way. She has some _____. She says she will soon pay all her debts back.
Francine is 62 years old. She is _____. This means she does not work anymore.
Francine got help from a _____ called MaPrimeRénov. The French government stopped some _____ from this grant.
The government's 2027 _____ plan cuts 200 million euros from this grant.
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