Unit 15
Is your smart home
really safe?
海外生活/日常溝通
Overseas Life/Daily Communication
BRAIN STORM
Share your ideas with your teacher and try to make sentences.
What do you think is a smart home?
VOCABULARY
Repeat these sentences after your teacher.
1. gadgets (n.) 小裝置
There are new gadgets coming this year!
今年會有新的小玩意！
2. automated (adj.) 使自動化
All of the functions here are automated.
這裡的所有功能都是自動化的。
3. smart home (phr.) 智慧家居
You will not regret having a smart home.
您不會後悔擁有智能家居。
4. flicking (n.) 輕擊
Even the flicking of the light switch is done in your smartphone!
甚至在智能手機上輕按一下電燈開關！
5. peace of mind (phr.) 內心的寧靜
Being here with you gives me peace of mind.
和你在一起在這裡讓我省心。
6. call me old fashioned (phr.) 可能我比較守舊
Call me old fashioned but I like opera songs!
叫我老式，但我喜歡歌劇歌曲！
7. the Internet of Things (phr.) 物聯網
Just search it in the Internet of things.
只需在物聯網中進行搜索即可。
8. compatibility (n.)適合性；一致；協調
Compatibility is one of the most important things when finding someone to settle down with.
找人安頓下來時，兼容性是最重要的事情之一。
Dialogue
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
Hey, Martin, thanks for inviting me over. You’ve got some cool gadgets!
嘿，Martin，謝謝你邀請我來。 你這兒的各種裝置真酷！
Thanks! I’ve automated my house with the latest smart home products.
謝謝！ 我用最新的智慧家居產品把我家自動化了！ 各種裝置真酷！
Interesting. Not worried about your privacy?
有意思。 你不擔心隱私問題嗎？
Not at all. Who’s gonna hack my fridge? Besides, the convenience outweighs any risk.
完全不會。 誰會黑進我的冰箱啊？ 再說了，它們帶來的便利大於任何風險。
Is flicking a light switch that inconvenient?
動動手指開下燈有那麼不方便嗎？
Haha. It’s not just about convenience. There are energy savings, home insurance discounts, and peace of mind when I’m not at home.
哈哈。 也不是只圖方便。 這樣做可以節能，房屋保險還有折扣，不在家的時候我也很安心。
Call me old fashioned, but I find the Internet of Things a little too invasive. I don’t want to run the risk of getting hacked.
可能我比較守舊吧，但我覺得物聯網有點太具侵犯性了。 我可不想冒著被黑的風險。
I hear you, but for me the only real downside is connectivity. I’m at the mercy of my internet connection and its compatibility with other products.
我明白你的意思，但對我來說唯一的缺點是連接性。 我完全受制於網路連接和它與其他產品相容性。
Yeah, fumbling around with your phone when they don’t work is no fun!
真是啊，這些都不好使的時候尷尬地擺弄手機可真沒意思！
And actually, it’s a little eerie when I see ads for things I never searched for.
而且說實話，看到我從沒搜索過的產品廣告還是有點嚇人的。
Maybe your fridge is spying on you!
也許你的冰箱正在暗中監視你呢！
Grammar
be at the mercy of … (受制於;受……支配)
In today‘s lesson we saw the phrase “be at the mercy of.” We use this phrase when we don‘t have complete control over something. Ultimately, the result is up to something that has power over us. It’s commonly used when no matter how hard we try, it depends on something else whether we are successful.
For example, in this lesson, the internet connection ultimately has power over his smart home devices. If the internet connection is lost, there’s nothing he can do.
A noun or gerund always follows the phrase.
1. The value of a public company is at the mercy of the stock market.
2. I’d love to go on a vacation, but I’m at the mercy of my work schedule.
3. Farmers are constantly at the mercy of the weather to produce their crops.
DISCUSSION
Make a conversation with your teacher.
1.What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of a smart home?
