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高中 · 人教版2025 · 选择性必修第一册 · Unit 2
Reading and Thinking
SMART HOMES TO MAKE LIFE EASIER
智能家居让生活更轻松
Have you ever forgotten to lock the door of your house? Or, have you ever forgotten to switch off the TV or computer? These kinds of things happen to us all the time, waste resources, and can sometimes lead to problems. However, in the not-too-distant future, we will be living in smart homes that will lock the door for us when we are away and remember to switch off the TV when we forget. These smart homes will keep us secure, save us energy, and provide a more comfortable environment to live in.
你忘记过锁上家门吗?或是,你忘记过关掉电视或电脑吗?这类事情经常发生在我们身上,浪费资源,有时还会导致问题。但在不远的将来,我们将生活在智能的家里,在我们外出时为我们锁好家门,记得在我们忘记时关掉电视。这些智能家居会保证我们的安全,节省我们的能源,并提供更舒适的居住环境。
switch off / onsecure
将来进行时 will be doing

we will be living in smart homes 使用将来进行时,表示在未来某段时间内正在进行的动作,比 will do 更有"自然而然"的意味。

例:This time tomorrow, I will be lying on the beach. 明天这个时候,我将在沙滩上躺着。

Today, we have to use switches for our lights, knobs for our appliances, and remote controls for our TVs and air conditioners. In the future, we will be using advanced technology every day for automatic control of just about everything in our home. The future home will use integrated sensors to tell when you leave home each morning, and then go into an energy-efficient mode all by itself. You will no longer have to think about turning switches on and off yourself. Your home will also learn your daily routine and preferences, so everything will be ready for you when you get home each evening. Your lights will come on the instant you enter the door along with your favourite music or TV programmes, and you will find your dinner already prepared for you. All controls will respond to voice commands, so if you want to change your routine, you just say aloud what you want and the home system will obey.
今天,我们必须使用开关来控制我们的电灯,使用旋钮来控制我们的家用电器,使用遥控器来控制我们的电视和空调。未来,我们每天都能使用先进技术,来自动控制我们家里几乎所有的东西。未来的住宅会使用集成传感器来判断你每天早晨何时出门,然后自行进入节能模式。你再也不必想着自己打开或关闭各种开关。你的住宅还能了解你的日程安排和各种喜好,那么一切将会在你每晚回家时准备就绪。你的灯光会在你进门之时即刻点亮,你喜爱的音乐或电视节目随即开启,而且你会发现你的晚餐也已为你备好。所有控制器都会响应语音指令,所以如果你想改变自己的日程安排,你只需大声说出你要什么,家居系统就会照办。
applianceintegratesensorefficient
the instant 引导时间状语从句

the instant (that) 可直接引导时间状语从句,意为"一……就……",相当于 as soon as。

类似用法的名词短语:the moment, the minute, the second

例:The instant I saw her, I knew something was wrong. 我一见到她,就知道出事了。

In addition, your smart home will be monitoring your health for you every day. Your bed, for example, will record how well you sleep every night. It will also be checking your body weight. If you start to have sleep or weight problems, it will send a warning to your phone. It will also give you suggestions on a healthier diet and how to sleep better. Smart toilets will be keeping constant track of your health as well. They can warn you early on if there is something abnormal or if you have a critical illness, such as cancer, and potentially save your life.
此外,你的智能家居将每日为你检测健康。例如,你的床会记录你每晚的睡眠情况。它还会检查你的体重。如果你开始出现睡眠或体重问题,它会发送警告到你的手机上。它还会给你更健康饮食和如何睡得更好的建议。智能马桶也会持续跟踪你的健康状况。它们会及早警告你是否有所异常或你是否有癌症等重大疾病,而有可能救你一命。
keep track ofcritical
将来进行时的多种用法

本段多次使用将来进行时(will be monitoring / will be checking / will be keeping),表示未来某个时间段内持续进行的动作。

将来进行时与一般将来时的区别:will be doing 强调"正在持续",will do 强调"将要发生"。

Smart homes will be able to prevent serious damage from accidents. For example, if a water pipe starts leaking, or if there is a short in the electrical wiring, your smart home will detect it and provide you with the relevant information. This way, you will be able to fix the problem before your home becomes flooded or catches fire.
智能家居能防止事故造成的严重损害。例如,若是水管漏水或电线短路,你的智能家居会检测到它,并向你提供相关信息。这样一来,你就能在房屋被淹或起火之前解决问题。
detect
条件状语从句中的时态

主句用将来时(will be able to),if 条件从句用一般现在时(starts / is),这是主将从现原则。

例:If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home. 如果明天下雨,我们就待在家里。

This smart technology is not a fantasy. Many of these new innovations are already available and being used in some homes. In this sense, the home of tomorrow is already the home of today. Nevertheless, it will take some years before most new homes begin to use this new technology.
这种智能技术不是幻想。这些新发明中,许多已经唾手可得而正在部分家中使用。从这个意义上说,明天的家已经是今天的家了。尽管如此,还需要过些年,大多数新住宅才会开始使用这种新技术。
nevertheless
it will take some time before...

It will take some time before... 意为"还要过些时间才……",before 在此表示"才"。

例:It will take some years before the project is completed. 还要过几年这个项目才能完成。

类似结构:It will be long before... 还要很久才……

要点摘要
  • 未来智能家居将自动锁门、关电器,提供安全舒适的环境
  • 集成传感器实现自动控制:了解日程、语音响应、自动准备
  • 智能床和马桶持续监测健康,及早预警疾病
  • 智能家居能检测漏水短路,防止灾害
  • 技术已部分实现,但大规模普及仍需时日
Reading for Writing
SHOULD WE FIGHT NEW TECHNOLOGY
我们是否应该抵制新技术
This morning, I saw the shocking headline: "Passenger Dies When Car Crashes in Driverless Mode". In the article, various people said that the public should oppose the idea of developing driverless cars. They said that some advances in technology were unnecessary and could even be dangerous. Hence, we should cease accepting technology just because it is new. The newspaper reported that the car company had already apologised for the accident, but the families of the deceased said it was not enough. Nevertheless, the company still claimed that most people would be travelling in driverless cars one day soon.
今天早上,我看到了令人震惊的头条新闻:"无人驾驶汽车撞死乘客"。在文章中,不同的人说,公众应该反对发展无人驾驶汽车的想法。他们说,有些科技进步是没有必要的,甚至会有危险。因此,我们应该停止接受技术,不要因为技术是新的,就接受它。据该报报道,汽车公司已经就此次事故道歉,但死者家属表示这还不够。尽管如此,该公司仍然声称,很快就会有一天大多数人乘坐无人驾驶汽车出行。
cease
宾语从句嵌套

various people said that the public should oppose... 中 that 引导宾语从句,嵌套在主句中。

注意:宾语从句用陈述语序,时态与主句呼应。

过去完成时 had apologised

had already apologised 为过去完成时,表示在 reported(过去时)之前已经发生的动作。

例:By the time I arrived, he had left. 我到的时候他已经离开了。

On the one hand, there are many different groups of people around the world who live happily in the absence of new technology. Probably the most well known are the Amish, a group of Christians living in rural America. They do not own or drive cars, watch TV, or use the Internet. They have lived mainly as farmers since the 18th century, and they probably will be living the same way in the distant future. They advocate a simple life with an emphasis on hard work, family, and community. They think that is better than caring about luxuries or following the lives of the rich and famous. It could even be argued that the Amish's quality of life is better since they live in and appreciate the natural environment rather than living in large, polluted cities.
一方面,世界各地有许多不同群体的人在没有新技术的情况下过着幸福的生活。最著名的可能是阿米什人,一个生活在美国农村的基督教徒群体。他们不拥有或驾驶汽车、看电视或使用互联网。自18世纪以来,他们主要以农民的身份生活,在遥远的将来,他们可能也会以同样的方式生活。他们提倡简单的生活,强调努力工作、家庭和社区。他们认为这比关注奢侈品或追随富人和名人的生活要好。甚至可以说,阿米什人的生活质量更好,因为他们生活在并欣赏自然环境,而不是生活在污染严重的大城市。
in the absence ofadvocateluxury
It is argued that... 句型

It could even be argued that... 中 It 为形式主语,that 从句为真正主语。

类似结构:It is said / believed / reported / estimated that...

例:It is reported that the population is growing. 据报道人口在增长。

On the other hand, new technology has provided people everywhere with many benefits over the years. For example, the latest weather-tracking computer programmes give people lots of warnings about potential natural disasters, which saves many lives. Moreover, the Internet has made it possible for friends and family to keep in touch easily even if they are on opposite sides of the world. It has also made finding opportunities in life much easier, as it allows people to make larger networks of friends through using social media.
另一方面,多年来,新技术为世界各地的人们带来了许多好处。例如,最新的天气跟踪计算机程序为人们提供了许多关于潜在自然灾害的警告,从而挽救了许多生命。此外,互联网使朋友和家人能够轻松保持联系,即使他们在世界的两端。它还使人们在生活中寻找机会变得更容易,因为它允许人们通过使用社交媒体结交更大的朋友网络。
keep in touch with
make it + adj. + for sb to do

made it possible for friends and family to keep in touch 中 it 为形式宾语,possible 为宾补,to keep in touch 为真正宾语。

例:The Internet makes it easier for us to learn English. 互联网使我们学习英语更容易了。

which引导非限制性定语从句

which saves many lives 中 which 指代前整个句子的内容(天气预报拯救生命),引导非限制性定语从句。

例:He passed the exam, which made his parents happy. 他通过了考试,这让他的父母很高兴。

Personally, I have benefited quite a lot from technological advances. I found my career as an AI designer through a social media network. My health monitor, which I wear all the time, has also helped me get into the best shape of my life. Of course, when new technology changes the way we live, it can be a scary prospect. Nevertheless, I will always look on the positive side of change and accept it rather than resist it.
就我个人而言,我从技术进步中受益匪浅。我通过社交媒体网络找到了我的人工智能设计师职业。我的健康监测仪,我一直戴着它,也帮助我达到了人生的最佳状态。当然,当新技术改变我们的生活方式时,这可能是一个可怕的前景。尽管如此,我将始终从积极的方面看待变革,接受变革,而不是抵制变革。
benefit fromprospect
rather than 连接并列结构

rather than 意为"而不是",连接两个并列成分,前后需形式一致。

例:I prefer to read rather than watch TV. 我宁愿读书也不看电视。(连接两个不定式)

注意:rather than 前后应平行——名词对名词、动词对动词、不定式对不定式。

要点摘要
  • 无人驾驶汽车事故引发对新技术的争论
  • 反面观点:阿米什人没有新技术仍生活幸福,重视简朴
  • 正面观点:新技术带来天气预报、社交联系等便利
  • 作者立场:受益于技术进步,应接受变革而非抵制