SMART HOMES
Imagine a home that thinks about your needs and adapts everything in your house to make you as comfortable as possible. These intelligent or ‘smart’ homes used to exist only in the world of science fiction. Now, although their number is relatively small, smart homes are a reality.
Up to now, most homes have had little more than the main electrical circuits, a few phone lines, and a few TV cables. However, things are changing. Complex communication
networks can now control everything from security to irrigation systems.
Imagine the possibilities. You get home in your car. As you approach the driveway in your vehicle, you press a button on your remote control. This tells the house that you have arrived home. The control system of your house activates a pre-programmed set of functions. First, it turns on the lights in your driveway, garage, hall and kitchen. Then, it deactivates the
security system, opens the garage door and unlocks the interior garage entry door. When you finally enter the house, there is no need to worry about heating or air conditioning: the control system has already adjusted the rooms to a pre-set temperature. It has also turned on the audio-system and your favourite CD is playing. From the bathroom, there is the sound of
running water: your intelligent home is preparing a nice hot bath for you.
It is 7.30 the next morning. You wake up to the sound of your favourite CD playing in the background. The lights in your bedroom switch on. The burglar alarm system is de-activated. In the kitchen the coffee machine turns on to make you a drink. The curtains and blinds open and let in the morning sunshine. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, the towel-heater warms the towels. During all this activity, you lie in bed thinking about the day ahead.
These are just some of the ways in which smart home technology can change people’s lives by automating everyday, simple tasks. People in favour of the technology argue that it will give us more free time, reduce stress levels, and generally improve our quality of life. On the other hand, some people say that it will make us all lazy and fat!
network: red / xarxa
driveway: entrada / entrada
pre-set: preseleccionada / preseleccionada
blind: persiana / persiana
1. Smart houses…
a) adapt everything in your life to be as comfortable as possible.
b) used to be science fiction, but now a relatively small number of them are a reality.
c) think about their owners’ relatively small number of needs, and adapt to them.
d) exist only in the world of science fiction.
2. Only one of these statements is true according to the text. Which one?
a) Before houses had nothing more than mains electricity, phone lines and TV cables.
b) Today complex communication networks are changing security systems and irrigation.
c) Before now many houses in the world didn’t have phones, TVs and electrical circuits.
d) Houses once had little more than electrical circuits, TVs and phones, but that has
changed.
3. What can you do when you’re living in a smart house?
a) Tell a control system by remote control when you arrive, so it gets the house ready
for you.
b) Approach the driveway in your vehicle by pressing a button on your remote control.
c) Activate a pre-programmed set of functions directly from the remote control in your
car.
d) Press a pre-programmed button in the remote control of your car to get the house
ready for you.
4. When you arrive home, your smart house control system will….
a) activate security systems and open interior garage entry doors for you.
b) turn on lights, turn off security systems, and close the garage door behind you.
c) turn on lights, turn off security systems, and open the garage door for you.
d) turn on all the lights in the house and deactivate he security system.
5. Inside your imaginary smart house when you get home…
a) the rooms have adjusted to a pre-set temperature, your favourite music is playing,
and a hot bath is ready.
b) there’s no central heating or air-conditioning to worry you, but you hear your
favourite CD and running water.
c) the temperature of the house is right for you, the bath is full of hot water, and your
favourite CD is playing in the bathroom,
d) the temperature and the music are as you like them, and a hot bath is nearly ready
for you.
6. As you wake up, your imaginary smart home plays…
a) your favourite music, turns on lights, and de-activates the coffee machine.
b) background music, puts lights on and the burglar alarm off, and makes you coffee.
c) a nice CD, turns lights on and burglar alarms off, and makes you drink in the
kitchen.
d) your favourite CD in the background, switches on bedroom lights and sends a
machine from the kitchen to bring you some coffee.
7. While you are lying in bed thinking…
a) curtains and blinds open, and the bathroom towel-heater warms the towels.
b) the house creates artificial morning sunshine, and makes warm towels.
c) curtains and blinds let in the morning sun, and a heater warms the bathroom.
d) curtains and blinds open and let the sunlight in to warm bathroom towels.
8. Smart homes will change people’s lives,…
a) reducing the quality of life, according to those in favour of technology.
b) giving us less free time and increasing stress levels.
c) making us lazy and fat, according to some people.
d) reducing stress, and helping people to live longer.
