FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH PART 5 2

House and home

Exam task
You are going to read a review of a TV programme about homes of the future. For questions
1
1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

The homes of the future viewed from today

Mark Finchley reviews TV series Tomorrow’s Homes
Having just watched the whole of Channel 8’s TV series
Tomorrow’s Homes, I’ve been wondering about how
anyone can predict the future of domestic life. You’d
imagine that if you knew what architects and technology
companies were developing now to make life easier,
more exciting and more beautiful, you’d have a pretty
good idea of what to expect in tomorrow’s homes. In
reality, it’s more complicated, and just as much about
what we’ll choose to hang on to from today’s – the
things that are ‘future-proof’. In the 1950s, people
thought that in the twenty-first century household tasks
would be done by labour-saving devices or robots – with
food pills for dinner. Yet people still wash up and cook,
even though the technology exists that makes neither of the technology they were testing. One example that
these tasks necessary. sticks in the mind is when Janine, the mother, enters
her reconstructed, all-white home (after successfully
Tomorrow’s Homes, however, dared to make predictions unlocking her new front door by using her thumb print
which it turned into reality using an average home as a key), and she immediately bursts into tears – quite
belonging to a family called the Forseys. Four miles understandably it has to be said. A short while later,
of cable were installed in the house so that all the her husband Ben gets locked out because the skin
electrics, from lights to the fridge, could be controlled on his thumb is too rough. As the series progresses,
via the internet, and various other devices and gadgets however, they slowly come to accept the technology,
were introduced in addition to this. The family were and even start to believe it could have some value in
then filmed as they got used to their new home their lives.
life. Programme presenter Harry Thwaites is also a
consultant who spends his work life imagining the I was keen to see during the show if anything emerged
future, so testing out his ideas for the programme was a as potentially future-proof, and there were some great
fascinating experiment for him. His approach was to use examples. To help Janine deal with various worries, she
technology that was not totally brand new, but had only was provided with a mind-controlled relaxation tool. This
recently become more affordable. CCTV cameras for was a kind of headband connected to a DVD, which,
security have been around for years, for example, but incredibly, she could control with her thoughts. When
they are no longer only an option for the mega-rich. she relaxed mentally, she made an image of the sun
go down, as it would at night, on the DVD. When she
The Forsey family consists of a husband and wife with had tried the gadget and achieved the sun set, she
four children and two grandchildren. They appear to was asked how effective the gadget had been. Janine
be very natural and ordinary on the programme, and commented, ‘Nothing can compare to a nice cup of tea
it was always interesting to see how they reacted to and a good soap opera!’

38 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 2 © Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017
 1. The writer makes the point in the first paragraph 4. What does ‘sticks’ mean in the third paragraph?
that predicting how homes will be in the future A blocks something
A requires detailed study of architectural B remains there
trends.
C corrects an error
B is impossible if you only look at new
D highlights something
developments.
5. According to the third paragraph, how
C has been very difficult until now.
did the family members react to the new
D is made easier by programmes and technology?
articles about them in the media.
A Their attitude towards it became
2. What does ‘today’s’ refer to in the first increasingly positive.
paragraph?
B Some of them adjusted more quickly to it
A current ideas than others.
B the present reality C The parents struggled with it throughout
C the homes we currently live in the series.
D modern architecture D Some of their responses to it were
3. According to the second paragraph, the surprising.
technology installed in the Forseys’ house 6. How did Janine feel about the mind-controlled
A was chosen to match the specific needs relaxation tool?
of the family. A She was amazed at what it was
B was previously only used by a limited capable of.
section of the population. B She thought it would work if used with
C was still too expensive for anybody except other things.
the wealthiest. C She found it totally useless.
D was tried out by experts before the family D She preferred more traditional methods
used it. of relaxation.

Complete the text with the correct alternatives.

2

What will our homes be like in 2030?

There are some things that we cannot predict about the world in 2030, but others seem certain. For
example, we are definitely (1) going to have / having many more homes in larger cities as the world’s
population (2) will be continuing / continues to grow. But what will these homes be like?
Firstly, ‘The Internet of Things’ (3) will have been / will be an established part of everyone’s lives by
then. All electronic devices in your home will be connected, and they (4) are communicating / will be
communicating with each other constantly.
By 2030, you also (5) will have equipped / will be equipped your house with smart technology, so
you’ll have movement, temperature and humidity sensors throughout the house. These (6) will be
measuring / will have measured the environment in your house constantly. In fact, they (7) can even /
will even be able to tell you if you’ve left a door open, or a tap on!

Exam tips
• Quickly read through the text before you answer the questions to get an idea of what it is about.
• Read through all the questions so that you know what you need to look for in the text.
• Don’t assume an option is correct just because you see the same words in the text. You should
make sure the general meaning of the option is expressed in the text.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017 FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 5 | 2 39