According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “couch potato” first appeared in print in a December, 1979 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Since then, it has become a familiar term for a person who spends a lot of time sitting, and little time exercising. Although there does not seem to be any particular reason why the term “couch potato” is used rather than “couch tomato” , a person may become a “couch potato” because living this way is said to make you round like a potato. The term is also said to have something to do with the high-calorie (卡路里) food like potato chips.

People now would say “couch potato” whenever they talk about overweight and obesity (肥胖). Indeed, “couch potatoes” are believed to have heart disease risks, which can be avoided by regular exercise.

It is true that technology and modern life in general make us sick, fat, lazy and physically/mentally soft. The more time people spend using technology, particularly televisions and computers, the less time they will spend being physically active.

“Couch potato” kids are a particular concern. Media reports repeatedly claim that children today are fatter than their elder generations, but less athletically skilled, less interested in physical activities and more addicted (上瘾的) to “junk food” and technology such as televisions and computers. The message is clear: today’s children are fat because they are lazy and eat too much. Moreover, because technology is becoming more sophisticated (复杂的), children are less able to resist (抵抗，忍得住) technology’s attraction, and are more likely to spend more time using technology, less time doing physical activities and，therefore, more likely to be fat.

The rapid growth in skyscrapers worldwide, most of which have large windows, has led to a high demand for window washers. Though the job is well-paid, it is dangerous and accidents are not uncommon. However, if Israel-based start-up Skyline Technologies has its way, the dangerous job may soon be done by Ozmo, an intelligent window cleaning robot, with humans supervising from the safety of the ground.

Much like humans, Ozmo, sitting on platforms hanging from the buildings, uses its arms and brushes to clean the dirt on the glass. A 3D map of the building’s surface programmed into its system allows the robot to skillfully deal with any obstacle it is likely to meet, as it moves up and down the buildings. The robot will self-correct and move around every obstacle that it might have met so as not to break a window.

Unlike present window washers, the robot cleaner does not require soap to clean the glass. Instead, it uses distilled(蒸馏的)water to do the job. Yaron Schwarcz, CEO of Skyline Robotics explains, “We are environmentally friendly.” Ozmo is also expected to be much more efficient than its human counterparts. While it presently takes three cleaners 480 hours each to clean windows of a 40-storey glass building, the robot will be able to do it in 80 hours. However, unlike other robots, Ozmo will not replace human workers, and only make their jobs safer by making them supervisors, who will be controlling the operation from the safety of the ground.

Whether Ozmo, which is still being tested, does as good a job as humans is not clear. If things go well, its creators have much bigger ambitions for Ozmo. Schwarcz told Forbes Magazine, “Window cleaning is just the tip of the iceberg. We plan to replace all tasks that are dangerous and dirty.”

In Kansas City,Missouri,a computer helps firefighters.The computer,which works very fast,has information about all the 350,000 street addresses in the city.Within two or three seconds after a call is received,the computer provides necessary information for the firefighters.The information is then sent to them by radio from the computer centre in the City Hall.The exact place of the burning building and its size,type and any other details are clear to them.

The Kansas City computer system also has a medical record of each of the city’s 900 firefighters.This kind of information is especially useful when a firefighter is injured.With the information,doctors at hospital can treat the injured firefighters more quickly and easily.

The firefighters themselves greatly appreciate the computer’s help.They know about possible danger ahead of them and can prepare for it.Many times the computer information helps to save lives and property(财产).Sometimes the lives are those of firefighters themselves.

Mike Horan,a firefighter captain,says,“I feel as if the computer is ready to help me if I get hurt.”