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Home Security

Learn the Second Conditional

Date: Aug 08 2012

Themes: Family

Grammar: Second Conditional

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Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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thug
secure

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Your home is supposed to be the place where you feel the safest and most comfortable. But if someone breaks into your house, it can make you feel vulnerable and exposed.

To prevent break-ins, some people decide to install a home security system. Home alarms not only make a loud noise to scare robbers away, but also let the police know that someone is trying to break into your house. But security systems can also be expensive and annoying. Find out what Jason and Mason do to protect their homes.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Jason

Mason: Jason, just in case you were thinking of invading my household while I’m away, I want you to know, I do have a home security system.

Jason: Foiled again! Really?

Mason: I do. Yeah. It’s actually not an awesome story, but when I was away on business travel, my house got broken into about a year ago.

Jason: Oh, man.

Mason: Yeah, so then we got a security system because I know that’s a thing that can happen.

Jason: That’s too bad. My parents have a security system, and I don’t feel it makes their place much more secure. It generally just makes it noisier at inopportune times.

Mason: Sure. It just adds more stress. It’s terrible. It’s a terrible thing.

Jason: It doesn’t give you peace of mind when you’re away from your house for a long time?

Mason: A very small sense of peace of mind. If I splurged on the one with my iPhone, and I could look on my phone and see a camera of my house, that would be total peace of mind.

Jason: I just use the low-budget security system approach, leave some lights on. When I lived in a worse neighborhood, I used to leave the radio on.

Mason: Oh yeah?

Jason: Yeah. And that actually made me feel really good ‘cause I’d be like, “I wonder if those thuggish teens that live in my neighborhood are robbing it. No, probably not. The lights are on.”

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Discussion

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Mason tells Jason about his home security system. After his house was broken into while he was away, Mason decided to install an alarm. But he isn’t sure his security system really keeps his house safer. It is mostly just noisy and stressful.

Jason takes a different approach to home security. When he is out of the house, he leaves lights on. He used to leave the radio on as well when he lived in a worse neighborhood. He thinks this will trick criminals into believing that someone is at home, so they won’t break into his house while he is away.

Do you have a home security system? Do you ever worry about someone breaking into your house? Do you think you would feel safer if you had a home alarm?

Comments

j17

Poland

I don’t worry that much about being rubbed. But I live in a small apartment building on a relatively quiet street. So if I’m not home one of my neighbors probably is, and the building is small enough so that everyone knows who is leaving in each apartment. I hope burglars would prefer to rub elsewhere for example in a large apartment building where people sometimes don’t even know who’s leaving two doors down the hall and don’t really care what’s going on on the next floor.

Masbarar

Turkey

To have security system at home is important if you leave in a big city.At the small villages it’s not necessary.But in thebig cities,there are the people coming from everywhere and nobody know nobody.When you have securty system,you can go travel without any fear of theft and when you are at home you can feel safe.You have to spend me,money it worth.

ycb1122

China

This is the first time to express my opinion here . I wanna make foreign friends with this platform.my msn address is ycb1122@hotmail .please join me ,I think it is great fun to chat with me ,and I will cherish the opportunity to know you and your national culture .hope that we can be good friends .At the same time ,you can also know me and my country too.

After reading and listening above the dialog ,I admite that the security system is noisy sometimes ,but I think it is more safer than that your house is not instilled home security system. Athough I don’t have a home security system on my house , until now no robbers broke into my house ,because this city I live now in our country is safe .Maybe I am lucky ,hehe

marija luiza

Mexico

I really love their pieces of advice, sounds genious :). I will do it when I will be away from home.

I believe that when you have an alarm system, people feel safe and relax about their house. They will enjoy their hollidays and have fun while they are out.

Walace

Brazil

I don’t have a security system in my place, but thera are security cameras all around in the building. Of course I doesn’t give any peace of mind because if there is something unbearable to happens like break-in or any other criminal stuff, no doubt that it will come to bothers one’s mind with much stress and trouble. In fact, I guess, regular civilians should not worry about security at all, since we pay so much taxes for the government, so that should be their concern not ours.

sanaa2000

Egypt

I dont have asecurity system,but I feel safe alhumdullah.Maybe cuz I live in Upper Egypt,We dont have alot of theives here specially my village.We keep our good manners here alhumdullah,& if im away ,my neighbours will take care of my house .We all here in my vilage as one family,cuz most of us r relatives to each other.I love my tiny vilage alot.

valdenizio

Brazil

I don´t have security sistem. i live in a small town and i don´t worry about someone breaking my house. The town is not violent.

raisacorrea

Brazil

well… I think we have take care with some important things, as leave the gate unclosed, windows open during the night, etc.. and pay attention in ohter situations are enough.
Maybe doesn’t work spend a lot of money in security system and when the noise starts the thug get affraid and shot everbody…

Shiry

Saudi Arabia

Home Security !

Unfortunately , we don’t have a home alarm at home :(

And our house got broken into few years ago!

Many things had been stolen .

but I think if we could have a home alarm , maybe our house won’t be broken into.

I’ve seen a home alarm in movies , it helps to save your home so it’s a good idea , but at the same time it’s noisy!

Thanks!

haitham4vip

Egypt

protect ur home

yuminaga

China

I live alone in a big apartment,I don’t have a home security system because I never worry about someone breaking into my house.thats true. i get really peace of mind while I am away from house on business travel. don you know why? I dont have much money .and precious stuff.I am not a robber .if I had enough courage,I would break into someone’s house and steal some stuff.

cisse_xu

China

I live in school, and I have nothing to be stolen.

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

No, I don’t have a security system in my house and we never worry about our house to be broken-into while we are away because our neighbours are my dad’s brothers and their families. it’s just like we keep an eye on our each other’s houses during anyone’s absence…

bellaboo2422

Pakistan

home security is very very important and essential for every home and people live in. to avoid breakin, robbery and thugish kind of things, we have to install security alarams to safe our homes. there are some other securtity tools to use if we prefer them too, actual thing that matters is home security for us and our family and nest eggs we have. of course it doesnot mean our home is an utopia now with security but safe enough.

mengxiao

China

I don’t think a home security system is helpful to make your house safer.

Do you think it will make breaking-in criminals impossible to break into your house,if they determine to steal your things?

Home security system just make you believe your house will be safer with it。

ErinDong

United States

whenever i am on vacations, i always stress out about people breaking into my house. i use alarms as my security systems because security systems are all annoying. my friend has one installed in her house and whenever i walk in, the security system starts getting annoying. i will NEVER let anyone even touch my rubber duck collection. ( exept people i trust) LISTEN TO ME, NEVER TOUCH MY RUBBA DUCKIES!

Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

yeah home security system is must be installed at home, it help a lot.

I M P E R I V M

United States

The best measure you can take to protect your stuff is to plant gps cards in your main belongings and if they are stolen you know where to get them (personal experience)