B2 First Reading and Use of English Part 5

The writer makes the point in the first paragraph that predicting how homes will be in the future

• requires detailed study of architectural trends.

• is impossible if you only look at new developments.

• has been very difficult until now.

• is made easier by programmes and articles about them in the media.

What does ‘today’s’ refer to in the first paragraph?

• current ideas

• the present reality

• the homes we currently live in

• modern architecture

According to the second paragraph, the technology installed in the Forseys’ house

• was chosen to match the specific needs of the family.

• was previously only used by a limited section of the population.

• was still too expensive for anybody except the wealthiest.

• was tried out by experts before the family used it.

The Forsey family consists of a husband and wife with four children and two grandchildren. They appear to be very natural and ordinary on the programme, and it was always interesting to see how they reacted to the technology they were testing. One example that sticks in the mind is when Janine, the mother, enters her reconstructed, all-white home (after successfully unlocking her new front door by using her thumb print as a key), and she immediately bursts into tears – quite understandably it has to be said. A short while later, her husband Ben gets locked out because the skin on his thumb is too rough. As the series progresses, however, they slowly come to accept the technology, and even start to believe it could have some value in their lives.

What does ‘sticks’ mean in the third paragraph?

• blocks something

• remains there

• corrects an error

• highlights something

The Forsey family consists of a husband and wife with four children and two grandchildren. They appear to be very natural and ordinary on the programme, and it was always interesting to see how they reacted to the technology they were testing. One example that sticks in the mind is when Janine, the mother, enters her reconstructed, all-white home (after successfully unlocking her new front door by using her thumb print as a key), and she immediately bursts into tears – quite understandably it has to be said. A short while later, her husband Ben gets locked out because the skin on his thumb is too rough. As the series progresses, however, they slowly come to accept the technology, and even start to believe it could have some value in their lives.

According to the third paragraph, how did the family members react to the new technology?

• Their attitude towards it became increasingly positive.

• Some of them adjusted more quickly to it than others.

• The parents struggled with it throughout the series.

• Some of their responses to it were surprising.

How did Janine feel about the mind-controlled relaxation tool?

• She was amazed at what it was capable of.

• She thought it would work if used with other things.

• She found it totally useless.

• She preferred more traditional methods of relaxation.