The House That Listens

B2 First · Word Formation · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

POPULAR

MOBILE

ENTHUSIASM

COMFORT

OCCASION

ACCURATE

FRUSTRATE

INSTRUCT

Only a few years ago, the idea of chatting to a machine in your kitchen would have sounded (0) ___ . Today, voice assistants can be found in millions of homes, and their (1) ___ shows no sign of falling. Owners use them to set alarms, play music or check the weather, and for people with limited (2) ___ , being able to switch on the lights simply by speaking can make a real difference. However, not everyone is (3) ___ about the technology. Some people feel (4) ___ knowing that a device is always waiting for its name to be called. Manufacturers insist that nothing is recorded until then, but critics point out that recordings have (5) ___ been listened to by staff working to improve the system's (6) ___ . There are also more everyday (7) ___ . Assistants often misunderstand strong accents, and children quickly discover how much fun it is to give them silly (8) ___ . For most families, though, the convenience seems to be worth it.

The House That Listens

RIDICULE

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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