1 . Directions: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Do note that there is one word more than you need in each passage.
(A)
A. approaching B. Central C. reverse D. adjusted E. conversation
F. preferred G. ideal H. qualify I. secure J. engagement K. foretelling |
It’s 6 a. m. and the alarm clock is ringing earlier than usual. It’s not a malfunction: the smart clock scanned your schedule and 1 because you’ve got that big presentation first thing in the morning. Your shower automatically turns on and warms to your 2 temperature. The electric car is ready to go, charged by the solar panels. When you get home later, there’s an unexpected package waiting, delivered by drone. You open it to find cold medicine. It turns out that health sensors in your bathroom detected signs of a(an) 3 illness and placed an order automatically.
That at least is the 4 version of the smart home that exists 10 years out. Swedish research firm Berg Insight says 63 million American homes will 5 as “smart” by 2022, with everything from Internet-connected light bulbs to cameras that let us spy on our pets from the office. But a decade from now, experts say, we’ll move from turning the lights on and off with our voices to total 6 in the Internet of Things (IoT). Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, the smartest homes will be able to truly learn about their owners, eventually 7 their needs. Developments in robotics will give us machines that offer a helping hand with cleaning, cooking and more. New sensors will be closely watching our well-being. 8 to all of this will be the data that smart homes collect, analyze and act upon, helping to turn the houses of the future from a mere collection of devices and accessories into truly “smart” homes.
Of course, as our homes learn more about us, keeping them 9 will become all the more important. Every device that’s connected to the Internet is a potential target for hackers. Therefore, cybersecurity will become all the more vital.
A range of technological developments will drive smart-home technology well beyond what’s available on store shelves today. Innovations in artificial intelligence, for example, stand to 10 almost everything in our lives, including our homes. You might already be using some kind of AI-powered voice-assistant device to get the latest news or weather forecast every morning. But in the smart home of the future, those Al platforms could serve as the brain for entire homes, learning about residents and organizing and automating all of their various smart devices.
