Answer the questions
Researchers from two universities in Britain recently carried out a very
interesting project. They aimed to find out what modern family needs from their
home. The lucky family chosen to take part in the project was the Joneses
parents Paul and Eve and their two sons, Jimmy(16) and Harry(13). They have
just spent two months living in a specially designed hi- tech future house,
where cameras recorded everything they did.
TV while you bathe
So what's in this modern house? It boasts(拥有) five bedrooms and five bathrooms. The sitting area has a huge TV and a digital picture frame- you can decide which photos you want to appear and change the picture as often as you like. The baths all have waterproof TV screens and DVD players. There is a remote control(遥控器) in every room which controls everything in the house from the lights to the cooker. The floors are all made of glass and all have under floor heating. The windows clean themselves and there is even a robot called "Iron Man" to do the ironing. Dirty washing goes into a lift which takes the clothes automatically to the washing machine. The "Iron Man" then does all the ironing.
So how did it go?
The Jones family were over the moon to be chosen to spend some time in the house. Here's what they said:
Paul: It was great. The house was so comfortable. One day our friends called round with their dog. The dog felt so warm and comfortable; he even slept on the floor! Oh, but there was one problem. One night we were all in bed and all the lights switched themselves on for no reason. It was a bit frightening!
Jimmy: I loved it, but I wish there had been a robot to help me with my homework.
Harry: Staying in was as much fun as going out!
Eve: I loved the TV in the bath but I never watched it before going to work in the morning. If I did, I don't think I'd ever get out!
The Jones family are now back in their very ordinary home, but planning some hi-tech additions as soon as they can afford them!
The experts hope that results from their project will help developers meet the needs of a 21st-century family. One of the experts wrote a few sentences about his findings on this project: