The Thermostat with Opinions
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Roommates Priit and Anouk each blame the other for the changing temperature, until they discover their smart thermostat is quietly switching between both of their favorite settings.
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Priit and Anouk share a small apartment. Their smart thermostat controls the heat and air. It learns their habits over time. Most weeks, the temperature stays calm and steady.
This week, the temperature changes constantly. It turns warm, then cold, then warm again.
"Did you change the thermostat again?" Priit asks. "No, I did not touch it," Anouk says.
"Someone keeps changing it," Priit says, confused. "I thought it was you," Anouk says back.
They both look at the thermostat together. A small light blinks on its screen. The screen shows two different temperature settings.
Priit reads the settings out loud. "One setting is your favorite temperature," he says. "The other setting is my favorite temperature," he adds.
"The thermostat switches between both settings," Anouk says. "It tries to please both of us."
Priit laughs and shakes his head. "That explains the strange changes," he says.
"We do not fight over the temperature," Anouk says. "The thermostat does that for us," she adds, laughing.
They open the thermostat's small app together. Priit picks a single comfortable setting for both. Anouk agrees and taps "Save" on the screen.
The temperature stays steady the rest of the week. Priit and Anouk both feel comfortable now. At night, they check the app one more time. The single setting still sits exactly where they left it.
