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课件网) UNIT 2 Looking into the Future Exchange views on smart homes 1 Before you read, discuss these questions in groups 1 What does it mean when we say that something such as a phone is “smart” To say that something is smart means that it can make decisionson its own without a human telling it what to do, and that it canalso leamn how to do things itself. 2 What do you think a “smart" house can do that other houses cannot I would expect that a smart house could control room temperatureand lights, for example. 2 Skim the text and answer these questions. 1What is the purpose of the text The purpose of the text is to introduce and get people excitedabout the idea of smart homes. 2 Who is the intended audience of this text Home owners. SMART HOMES TO MAKE LIFE EASIER Have you ever forgotten to lock the door of your house Or, have you ever forgotten to switch off the TV or computer These kinds of things happen to us all the time, waste resources, and can sometimes lead to problems. However, in the not-too-distant future, we will be living in smart homes that will lock the door for us when we are away and remember to switch off the TV when we forget. These smart homes will keep us secure, save us energy and provide a more comfortable environment to live in. Intelligent Controls Today, we have to use switches for our lights, knobs for our appliances, and remote controls for our TVs and air conditioners. In the future, we will be using advanced technology every day for automatic control of just about everything in our home. The future home will use integrated sensors to tell when you leave home each morning, and then go into an energy-efficient mode all by itself. You will no longer have to think about turning switches on and off yourself. Your home will also learn your daily routine and preferences, so everything will be ready for you when you get home each evening. Your lights will come on the instant you enter the door along with your favourite music or TV programmes, and you will find your dinner already prepared for you. All controls will respond to voice commands, so if you want to change your routine, you just say aloud what you want and the home system will obey. Regular Health Checks In addition, your smart home will be monitoring your health for you every day. Your bed, for example will record how well you sleep every night. It will also be checking your body weight. If you start to have sleep or weight problems, it will send a warning to your phone. It will also give you suggestions on a healthier diet and how to sleep better. Smart toilets will be keeping constant track of your health as well. They can warn you early on if there is something abnormal or if you have a critical illness, such as cancer, and potentially save your life. No More Disasters Smart homes will be able to prevent serious damage from accidents. For example, if a water pipe starts leaking, or if there is a short ... ...
