Pronunciation ChallengeTELUS shares how IoT improves everyday lives

Ｕｐｄａｔｅ：The original video has been removed off YouTube after this episode was recorded.

Intro:
Imagine how convenient it would be, if we all had a personal assistant following us through the day, scheduling meetings, taking care of our grocery shopping, checking on our health, and reminding us to call our friends. Think about how much time and energy we spend on all these everyday chores. We could definitely sleep longer, rest more frequently, and perform more effectively if someone else would take care of these daily tasks for us. Well – guess what – that someone or someTHING actually exists. Technology today allows our electrical appliances to communicate with one another. Can you think of any uses for this technology? Maybe our fridge can figure out when the milk is going to expire, and make an online purchase from the store. Or perhaps the garage door will automatically open when we are pulling up the car! Most of us are already using this technology in our daily lives; we shop with our phones, we get pop-up calendar reminders on our laptop computers, even our cars will notify us when something is wrong with the engine. There are many uses for this smart technology. It sure can make our lives easier and allow us to have more free time to spend with our family and friends.
So what would a day look like in the life of someone who is relying on smart technology? Let’s watch the video to find out! But first, here is the pronunciation challenge sentence:

Sentence:
At home, Sarah's garage door will recognize that she's arrived and automatically open, and her wristband will transmit her unique heartbeat to unlock her front door.


Pronunciation Tips:
Garage /guh-raj/ (This is how most Americans pronounce it, but other English speakers may say /ga-ridge/)
She’s arrived (linking words）/shee-zuh-rived/
Automatically (break into syllables au-to-ma-ti-ca-lly)
Wristband (the ‘w’ is silent)
unique /yoo-neek/ (stress on the second syllable)


Vocabulary:

Wristband (n.) KK: ˋrɪst͵bænd IPA: /ˈrɪst.bænd/
a piece of material that goes around the wrist, for example to hold a watch


Example: When I went to the Coldplay concert, our wristbands lit up and synchronized with the music and lights!



Transmit (v.) KK: trænsˋmɪt IPA: /trænsˈmɪt/
to broadcast something, or to send out or carry signals using radio, television, etc.

Example: The pregnant woman living downstairs asked us to turn off our Wi-Fi at night because she’s afraid that it would transmit too much harmful radiation.



Heartbeat (n.) KK: [ˋhɑrt͵bit] IPA: /ˈhɑːrt.biːt/
the regular movement or sound that the heart makes as it sends blood around your body



In a heartbeat
very quickly, without needing to think about it

Example: When he asked me to marry him, I said ‘YES’ in a heartbeat!




The heartbeat of sth
the person or thing that is most important in forming the character of a place, organization, etc. and giving it energy

Example: Beth has been the heartbeat of her dance troupe ever since it began.


Outro:
Doesn’t it sound cool - our house automatically adjusting the room temperature while we are not home? And our phones alerting our next appointment that we are running late due to a traffic jam? No doubt this all sounds wonderful and convenient. However, there are also some concerns we need to keep in mind - What if there is a glitch with your calendar settings and you miss your deadline for university application? What if besides smart technology being helpful, it also means a lot of people’s jobs will be replaced by machines and robots? Try to think of the good and bad that smart technology can bring us, and let me know in the comments below. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s episode and I look forward to having you back here again. Until next time – goodbye and have a great day!

At home, Sarah's garage door will recognize that she's arrived and automatically open, and her wristband will transmit her unique heartbeat to unlock her front door.

At home, Sarah's garage door will recognize that she's arrived and automatically open, and her wristband will transmit her unique heartbeat to unlock her front door.