BREVET DE TECHNICIEN SUPÉRIEUR

SESSION 2002

Epreuve de langue vivante du groupe 9

Domotique, Equipement-technique-énergie, Informatique industrielle

[2001 TECHNOLOGY AWARDS: INNOVATIVE HOUSING

The program of the National Association of Home Builders Research Center recognizes builders and manufacturers who are using technology to solve a problem, improve efficiency, reduce cost, or otherwise benefit home-owners or the environment. This year's winners are all at the cutting edge of home technology.

Let us focus on "Cool Home of the Year Award". This tech-laden house inspires a collective drool (1).]

If you had $1.5 million to spend on a home, this is the one you'd want. Built by Dallas-based Custom Homes Group, this home in Plano, Texas, is a playground for the techno-savvy. The neatest toy: a complete "intelligent home" system from an IBM spinoff (2) called Home Director.

The system features two main components.

First is whole-house structured wiring, which enables advanced phone and video features, Internet access, and computer networking. It allows you, for example, to view the same DVD from any TV in the house or transfer files among any two computers via a high-speed Ethernet connection. You can also download MP3 music files right into the home's audio system.

The second component is a network controller that links the lighting, security, and heating and cooling systems - all of which can be controlled through a television, personal computer, or any device with a Web connection, such as an included wireless Web pad. So from a kitchen display for example, you could monitor the baby's room - or you could create your own nannycam on your desktop computer at work.

You could also, say, program the system to turn off the lights and reduce the thermostat every time you activate the home's security system.

The complete intelligent home system costs upward of $20,000, but the company sells the pieces separately. In addition, the system is flexible enough that you can add components at any time.

Popular Science, March 2001

Notes:

(1) drool : admiration (here)

(2) spinoff : filiale

1/ Dans un compte rendu en français de 150 mots environ (+ ou - 10 %) vous mettrez en évidence la haute technologie de cette maison. (8 points)

2/ Traduire en français depuis le titre jusqu'à « ...a collective drool » (ligne 6). (4 points)

3/ Answer the questions in English (8 points)

a/ If you had the money, would you choose to buy such a "tech-laden house"? Justify your answer. (about 60 words)

b/ According to you, why are so many people so dependent on technology? (about 60 words)

Durée : 2 heures - L'usage d'un dictionnaire bilingue est autorisé

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