Passage 6

Questions 26 to 30 are based on thefollowing passage.

Many Londoners would beenvious of places Matthew Anderson has lived in:the likes of Broadway Market,Angel, Camden, and Little Venice are amongst the city's most trendy andexpensive. Many more would long for his electricity bill: £600 for the next 15years. How, then, is he only 24 and a resident of London for just two years?

Anderson, an actor, is partof a booming trend for houseboat living among young Londoners. And specificallyfor what's known as a“continuous cruising”, meaning for around£800, which covers your annual insurance and boat license, you can moor up(停泊) wherever you want... but only if you move every two weeks.

Houseboats, and narrowboatsin particular, are peculiarly British. They were originally working boatsduring the Industrial Revolution. While the industrial need for narrowboats haslong diminished, the nation's love for them hasn't. But until recently, only asmall and hardy community actually lived on them, and fewer still constantlycruised. That's changing. Many people are fleeing London's ever escalatingproperty prices, where house prices have risen 86% since 2009, for a life onthe water. But life on a houseboat is not for everyone. It is a bit too smalland the lack of space is inescapable “But it's been a lifesaver for me,” says Anderson. “You have to work so much inLondon just to pay your rent.” Before buying the boatyear ago, he lived in the north London suburb, paying £550 a month in rent fora room in a house, not including bills. Now, he says, his monthly expenses"work out at around £200," which includes paying off the loan to buythe boat. Meanwhile, solar panels on his roof run his lighting, charge hisphone and laptop and power the water pump.

Because of the savings,Anderson says, he was able to take an unpaid acting job, which got him a partin a Channel 4 series called Humans, which then helped him get a role in thefilm Borstal. "You can't do that if you're paying rent,"he says. Butit's also a lifestyle choice. "That feeling when you move house and afresh start-you get that every two weeks!"

Boaters are different kindof community. Atypically(非典型地) for London, houseboating can be cheap. But typically for London,it's crowded and, while it can be rewarding, it's not necessarily for everyone.

 
How much does Anderson pay now for his monthly expenses?