托福写作素材之科技对人类的影响

　　How Does Technology Impact Your Daily Life?

　　Over the last two decades, our lives have been slowly taken over by technology. Take a moment to look around you. How many screens do you see? Did you include the one you're reading this on?

　　Our Wi-Fi-enabled gadgets have changed the way we work, play, and even raise our children. Today's offices would be unrecognizable to workers of the past thanks to the proliferation of emails, video conferencing, tablets, laptop computers, and other relatively recent innovations. Meanwhile, more and more of our personal time is influenced by our gadgets (OK, smart phones) with each passing day.

　　...

　　The novelty of constant online connections and instant communication may have begun to wear thin for older generations, but the next wave of Americans have no such qualms. Their tech-dependent lifestyles are already causing huge changes in both the professional and private spheres. The change may be inevitable…unless the Wi-Fi cuts out, of course.

　　Our Digitized Professional Lives

　　As many as 79% of employees now "work on virtual teams," be it by email, online collaboration, messaging, video conferences, or some combination of any of the above. A 2013 Pew Research study found "94% of jobholders are Internet users." This includes full-time, part-time, and freelance workers in technology companies, big corporations, and small businesses, who work in cities, the suburbs, rural America, and everywhere in between.

　　For most of the last century, communicating professionally meant writing letters, sending faxes, or spending hours on the phone. Not anymore. Email is now the primary means of communication in the modern workplace. We are communicating more, faster, and better than ever before. And employers have been reaping the benefits. A major report cited by British newspaper The Telegraph found that the incorporation of technology into the workplace has led to an "84% increase in productivity per hour for office workers since the 1970s." The major influencers? Email, business software, and yes, even cell phones.

　　Technology Gets Personal

　　We don't leave technology at the workplace. In fact, our private lives might be even more tech-enabled than our professional lives. In the 1980s and 1990s, our televisions were often the height of our home technology. Some people had clunky personal computers, a Nintendo for the kids, and maybe even a telephone in their car (remember those?).

　　Information from the Census Bureau tells us that 15% of homes had a personal computer in 1989; by 2011 that number climbed to 75%. Now we have desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, Apple watches, GPS-enabled cars, and more coming every day. Forget unplugging after the 5 or-6 o'clock whistle blows-we plug in instead.

　　In fact, going without tech might trigger an existential crisis for some (that sound you hear is Albert Camus rolling over in his grave). Our technology helps us learn, date, eat, socialize, and so much more.

　　The only time we don't use technology is when we are exercising flying sleeping, well, dead. For now…

　　A New Generation of Digital Natives

　　Anyone born before the advent of technology in their daily lives is considered a "digital immigrant." Older generations invented our tech-enabled society, but the generations born in this millennium are the first true "digital natives."

　　While the "digital rehab" programs older generations have begun using to push back against the all-consuming digital saturation are gaining traction, these programs may make as much sense to younger generations as getting up from the couch to change the channel on the TV. The genie is out of the bottle, and technology is said to have even changed the way younger generations perceive reality.

　　We're assuming they perceive reality as that thing happening just beyond the horizon of their laptop, tablet, or smartphone screen (as long as someone is tweeting about it). Although it's easy to make fun of the next generation's digital obsession, it will soon be impossible to ignore it. The digital natives are on pace to outnumber the digital immigrants before long.

　　The Bottom Line

　　Technology is now so integrated with our lives that going without it can cause severe anxiety for some. It's not hard to see why. Technology has taken over.

　　Both our professional and personal lives are now technology dependent. While older generations are fighting back with unplugged retreats, the next wave of Americans can't picture their lives without tech. They might not have anything to worry about. The future favors these digital natives.

　　重点搭配和句子摘抄：

　　have been slowly taken over by :逐渐的被xxx替代

　　look around ：到处看看

　　Wi-Fi-enabled gadgets ：有wifi的小装备

　　would be unrecognizable to workers of the past：对过去的工人来说是无法辨认的

　　thanks to ：由于

　　proliferation of emails, video conferencing, tablets, laptop computers, and other relatively recent innovations：

　　电子邮件、视频会议、平板电脑、台式电话和其他相关的革新

　　is influenced by ：收到影响

　　with each passing day：随着每一天的流逝

　　constant online connections and instant communication ：

　　不间断的在线连接和及时的沟通

　　wear thin ：没那么有吸引力

　　tech-dependent lifestyles ：依靠科技的生活方式

　　in both the professional and private spheres：在职业和私人的范围内

　　Wi-Fi cuts out. 没有了无线网络。

　　work on virtual teams：通过虚拟的团队工作

　　jobholder：有工作的人

　　full-time, part-time, and freelance workers in technology companies：

　　科技公司的全职、兼职和自由职业者

　　big corporations, and small businesses：大公司、小企业

　　who work in cities, the suburbs, rural America, and everywhere in between：

　　那些在城市、郊区、农村和以上区间工作的人

　　writing letters, sending faxes, or spending hours on the phone：

　　写信,发送传真,或者花上几个小时在电话:

　　We are communicating more, faster, and better than ever before.

　　我们比以往任何时候都交流更多、更快、更好。

　　reaping the benefits：收获好处

　　Research found that the incorporation of technology into the workplace has led to an "84% increase in productivity per hour for office workers since the 1970s."

　　研究发现技术整合进工作场导致了自1970年代的上班族每小时生产率增长84% 。

　　even more tech-enabled ：更加的科技可行

　　the height of our home technology：家庭技术的高峰

　　clunky personal computers：笨重的个人电脑

　　desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, Apple watches, GPS-enabled cars:

　　台式电脑、笔记本电脑、智能手机、平板电脑,苹果手表,带有gps功能的汽车

　　trigger an existential crisis for xxx: 引发一场事关生死的危机

　　the advent of technology:技术的出现

　　generations born in this millennium: 新千年出生的几代人

　　push back against：反抗

　　gaining traction：获得关注/吸引

　　The genie is out of the bottle, and technology is said to have even changed the way younger generations perceive reality.

　　恶魔从瓶子里出来了, 技术据说甚至改变了年轻一代感知现实的方式。

　　Although it's easy to make fun of the next generation's digital obsession, it will soon be impossible to ignore it. The digital natives are on pace to outnumber the digital immigrants before long.

　　尽管很容易取笑下一代对电子(产品)的痴迷,它很快就会无法忽视它。不久"电子产品原生代"就会速度超过"电子产品"移民。

　　is so integrated with ：跟xxx如此的融合在一起

　　cause severe anxiety：引起严重的焦虑

　　are now technology dependent: 依赖技术的

　　fighting back with unplugged retreats: 反击"没有插进去的"倒退

　　While older generations are fighting back with unplugged retreats, the next wave of Americans can't picture their lives without tech.

　　虽然老一辈在用"没有插入的倒退"反击,下一波的美国人无法想象他们的生活没有科技。

　　【unplugged retreat这个不好太翻译，我们知道电脑、电视、手机都必须插入到插座才可以工作，这个unplugged就是在说之前没有那么多高科技产品的时候的生活方式，当然这种方式也被看成是倒退】