1 . Remote controls are one of the most common symbols of our modern technologies. In fact, remote controls are an invention born in the 1800s. Famous inventor Nikola Tesla created one of the world’s first wireless remote controls, which he exhibited in public at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1898.

Tesla called his system a “teleautomaton”, which could be used to control a mechanical device. For his demonstration, Tesla employed a minitype boat, which had a metal air wire that could receive exactly one radio frequency. He showed how his remote-controlled boat worked and whole process attracted many people. However, financially, Tesla’s remote-controlled boat was a failure. His intended client, the U.S. Navy, thought the technology was too easily damaged during use. But the concept of remote control caught on and quickly spread to many other types of equipment.

In the 1930s and 1940s, a new consumer electronics, such as garage door openers and model airplanes, arrived with remote controls. In the mid-1950s, Zenith engineer Eugene Polley designed his Flashmatic TV remote control, which used directional flashes of light to control the television. In 1956, Polley’s colleague, Robert Adler, created the Space Command control, which employed high-frequency, ultrasonic (超声的) sounds instead of light. This style of remote control increased the price of a new TV by a third, but that didn’t stop people from buying in mass quantities. Remote controls kept evolving, too. Ultrasonic sound remote controls were the standard for TVs until the 1980s, when remote controls began using the infrared (红外线) light signals that are very common today.

These days, you can find remote control capability built into a huge array of products such as toy cars and helicopters, video game consoles (控制台), ceiling fans, etc. There’s a good chance you can find a version that’s controlled by remote control. You can even buy a remote-controlled toilet.

Remote controls have allowed humans to perform many tasks that would be difficult, if not impossible. And although remote controls have a long history, they are anything but over. As we continue to introduce technology to every aspect of our lives, it’s very likely that we’ll need remote controls to keep things under control.

1. What made the U.S. Navy think poorly of Tesla’s remote-controlled boat?

A．Its high cost.

B．Its unsatisfactory quality.

C．Its damage to people’s health.

D．Its inaccuracy in sending signals.

2. What did Robert Alder use in his remote control?

A．Directional flashes of light.	B．Infrared light signals.
C．Various metal air wires.	D．High-frequency, ultrasonic sounds.

3. Why did the author mention those products in Paragraph 4?

A．To advertise some modern inventions.

B．To prove the rapid evolution of kids’ toy.

C．To show the wide application of remote controls.

D．To show the principle of some high-tech products.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Human are too dependent on technology.

B．Remote controls are necessary in our life

C．Humans are trying to keep everything under control.

D．Remote controls will probably fade away in the future.

5. What does the author mainly tell us in this text?

A．The history of remote controls.

B．The developments of our modern technologies.

C．The achievements of some great inventors.

D．The popularity of remote controls in our daily life.