【1】After a long and busy day at school or work, all we want to do is return to a clean and comfortable home. Smart technology can turn any home into a nicer place to live. You can now turn your thermostat (恒温器) up, lock your doors and play your music with a simple voice command.
【2】In fact, smart homes have actually been around for some time. Scottish company Pico Electronics invented a communication protocol (协议) called X10 back in 1975. With radio waves, this protocol allowed users to communicate with various devices (设备) in their homes, such as lights and alarms, according to AVSytemsMag, a magazine dedicated to the AV and automation (自动化) industry.
【3】Of course, 4G – and now 5G – wireless technology makes smart homes much more sophisticated (复杂的) and powerful than X10 devices. Perhaps the most widespread smart home technology is the voice-activated (声控的) assistant. Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa allow users to interact (互动) with nearly any device in their homes simply by speaking a few words. This is especially convenient for children and people with physical disabilities, as they can accomplish tasks that would normally be too complicated or difficult, according to How-To Geek magazine.
【4】Common household appliances can become “smart” as well. For example, a smart trash bin can monitor the things you’ve thrown away and place an online order for replacement items, while smart refrigerators can create dinner recipes based on the ingredients that were kept inside, according to HowStuffWorks website. 5G-powered sensors (传感器) and cameras can monitor almost every aspect of household life.
【5】The appeal of all of this convenience has pAId off for realtors (房地产经纪人), who are seeing sales of smart homes skyrocket (猛增). You can ask Dave Garland, a realtor with Second Century Ventures.
【6】“There’s a new narrative (表述) when it comes to what ‘home’ means,” he said in an NPR report. “It means a personalized environment where technology responds to your every need.”
【7】But it’s not just about convenience. Smart homes are also good for the environment. By monitoring your energy use and automatically turning off lights and other devices that you’re not using, smartphones can lower how much electricity you use overall. Using less energy means that we use fewer resources such as coal and gas, which is ultimately (最终) good for the environment – and our wallets.
（选自Reader’s Digest）
1. What was a smart home probably like in 1975?
A. Users could talk to a voice-activated assistant.
B. Users could have different kinds of smart devices.
C. Users could set alarms with wireless technology.
D. Users could control lights with radio waves.
2. What do Paragraphs 3-4 mainly talk about?
A. The development of wireless technology.
B. The reasons why people love smart homes.
C. The advantages that smart homes can have.
D. The differences between smart homes and ordinary homes.
3. How do smart homes help the environment?
A. They don’t need as much land as ordinary homes do.
B. Smart devices can help reduce our energy use.
C. Many smart devices can work without using electricity.
D. Some smart devices can produce new energy while in use.
窥视卡
雷达卡
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
千斤顶
照妖镜