有一种流传很广的说法，不用的电器要把插头拔下来，不然浪费电。那么，这种说法对不对呢？
Should we unplug devices when leaving the house?
by David Kender
Most everyone I know seems to have an "unplugger" in their family. The mom who unplugs the toaster after the toast is done. The grandpa who unplugs practically everything in the house when he leaves for vacation.
most /məʊst/ = almost
unplugger /ʌnˈplʌɡə(r)/ 指拔掉插头的人
unplug /ʌnˈplʌɡ/ v. 拔掉插头（由plug加上表示否定的前缀un-）
toaster /ˈtəʊstə(r)/ n. 烤面包机
practically /ˈpræktɪk(ə)li/ adv. 几乎、基本上
They're concerned about saving money. Or is it preventing a fire? Or both? Possibly they forget why but they'll fight you to a standstill about its necessity.
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ v. 担心、担忧
standstill /ˈstændstɪl/ n. 停滞、僵持
necessity /nəˈsesəti/ n. 必要性
As it turns out, there is some validity to their argument, but there have also been recent technological breakthroughs that poke（戳） a hole in their defense.
turn out 原来、结果是
validity /vəˈlɪdəti/ n. 正当性、合理性（由valid加后缀-ity变成名词）
argument /ˈɑːɡjumənt/ n. 论据、论证
technological /ˌteknəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ adj. 技术的（由technology加后缀-ical变成形容词）
breakthrough /ˈbreɪkθruː/ n. 突破
defense /dɪˈfens/ 这里指辩论中维护本方观点
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends unplugging electrical devices when not in use, based on the obvious but nevertheless correct observation that something unplugged can't start fires or shock someone.
consumer /kənˈsjuːmə(r)/ n. 消费者
safety /ˈseɪfti/ n. 安全
commission /kəˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 委员会
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
based on 基于
nevertheless /ˌnevəðəˈles/ adv. 然而
observation /ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 观察（由observe加后缀-ation变成名词）
shock /ʃɒk/ v. 电击（这里指使人触电）
Sensible advice? Definitely. But I'm still not unplugging my lamps when I leave for work. For low-load devices, a power strip with an off switch is a simple alternative, but never use a power strip for high-load appliances.
sensible /ˈsensəb(ə)l/ adj. 明智的、切合实际的
definitely /ˈdefɪnətli/ adv. 肯定地、毫无疑问地
load /ləʊd/ n. 负载、耗电量
strip /strɪp/ n. 长条、条状物（power strip指插线板）
alternative /ɒlˈtɜːnətɪv/ n. 可供选择的事物、可替代品
appliance /əˈplaɪəns/ n. 家用电器
The economic argument for unplugging devices has fallen by the wayside. In the pre-computer age, devices using standby power – electrical power drawn by a device even when it's "off" – were the exception. Then in the 2000s, standby power started to become the norm. Anything with a clock on it was only the most visible example of an "energy vampire（吸血鬼）," but they could be found all over your home, and significant energy was being expended（用掉） by keeping them plugged in.
economic /ˌekəˈnɒmɪk/ adj. 经济的、经济上的（由economy加后缀-ic变成形容词）
fall by the wayside /ˈweɪsaɪd/ 半途而废、不再适用
pre- 前缀，意思是“…之前”
standby /ˈstændbaɪ/ n. 待机
exception /ɪkˈsepʃ(ə)n/ n. 例外（由except加后缀-ion变成名词）
the norm /nɔːm/ 常态
visible /ˈvɪzəb(ə)l/ adj. 可见的
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的
Thus began a campaign of public awareness, government regulation and technological advances determined to decrease standby power consumption.★ By some miracle, it actually worked. "It's changed dramatically," says Dr. Alan Meier, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Every product, we've seen dramatic reductions in standby power consumption."
thus /ðʌs/ adv. 这样
campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ n. 运动、社会活动
awareness /əˈweənəs/ n. 知道、意识（由aware加后缀-ness变成名词）
regulation /ˌreɡjuˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 监管
advance /ədˈvɑːns/ n. 进步
determined /dɪˈtɜːmɪnd/ adj. 下定决心的
consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/ n. 消耗、消耗量
★ 这句话里determined to decrease standby power consumption这个短语是修饰campaign的，而public awareness、government regulation和technological advances三者并列，做of的宾语。另外，这是个倒装句，相当于：Thus, a campaign ... began.
miracle /ˈmɪrək(ə)l/ n. 奇迹
dramatically /drəˈmætɪk(ə)li/ adv. 急剧地（由dramatic加后缀-ally变成副词）
dramatic /drəˈmætɪk/ adj. 急剧的
reduction /rɪˈdʌkʃ(ə)n/ n. 降低、减少
The most important change: a redesign of the humble power supply. The electricity that comes out of a wall outlet is an alternating current and needs to be converted to direct currents to operate your devices. Tremendous advances have been made in the past two decades that make that process more efficient on increasingly miniaturized（微型化的） circuitry（电路系统）.
redesign /ˌriːdɪˈzaɪn/ n. 重新设计（由design加上表示重复的前缀re-）
humble /ˈhʌmb(ə)l/ adj. 不起眼的
supply /səˈplaɪ/ n. 供应
outlet /ˈaʊtlet/ n. 插座
alternate /ˈɒltəneɪt/ v. 交替、轮流
current /ˈkʌr(ə)nt/ n. 电流（alternating current就是交流电）
convert /kənˈvɜːt/ v. 转变、转换
direct current 直流电
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 运作、使运行
tremendous /trɪˈmendəs/ adj. 巨大的
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
process /ˈprəʊses/ n. 过程
efficient /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/ adj. 高效的、效果好的
increasingly /ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/ adv. 越来越
And because so many devices have become computer-controlled, everything from your washer to your toaster oven to your water heater is benefiting from those efficiency gains, sometimes reducing standby power by as much as 90 percent.
washer /ˈwɒʃə(r)/ n. 洗衣机（由wash加上表示人或物的后缀-er）
toaster oven 烤箱
water heater 热水器
benefit /ˈbenɪfɪt/ v. 获益、受益
efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi/ n. 功效、效能
gain /ɡeɪn/ n. 增加
So what's the latest advice for the unpluggers in your life? When it comes to vigilantly（警觉地） unplugging smaller devices, like phone chargers, Meier suggests that there are more productive ways to spend your time.
charger /ˈtʃɑːdʒə(r)/ n. 充电器（由charge加上表示人或物的后缀-er）
productive /prəˈdʌktɪv/ adj. 有生产力的
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