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The advent¹ of smartphones, social media and other technologies have altered the way people interact with each other. Just watch a group of people out for a meal together, on their phones texting people who aren’t there.

Technology may also be poised² to change the way we relate to animals, by ruving the living, breathing ones from our homes. The main threat to pets is not social media, per se, but rather robots and virtual farm ville like animals.

These inanimate objects of our affection are certainly easier to care for than the real ones. And they still might someday meet their owners’ needs for companionship, love, obedience³ and dependence⁴. That’s according to University of Melbourne animal behavior researcher Jean Loup Rault, writing in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The infiltration⁶ of fake pets is already happening to a small degree. In Japan, some owners of Sony’s AIBO robotic dog even hold funerals when these devices are beyond repair.

Our concept of a pet gets shaked at an early age. Previous generations born and bred with dogs and cats might dismiss robopets as mere⁷ toys. But children of the digital age, raised on touchscreens and online games, might see things differently. One can imagine a future fake dog owner breathosay asking his vet⁵ technician, is finall dead, or is it just his battery?

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1 advent
n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临
参考例句：
Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。 The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

2 poised
a.摆好姿势不动的
参考例句：
The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。 Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

3 obedience
n.服从，顺从
参考例句：
Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。 Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

4 dependence
n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属
参考例句：
Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。 He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

5 vet
n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查
参考例句：
I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。 Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

6 infiltration
n.渗透；下渗；渗滤；入渗
参考例句：
The police tried to prevent infiltration by drug traffickers. 警方尽力阻止毒品走私分子的潜入。来自《简明英汉词典》 A loss in volume will occur if infiltration takes place. 如果发生了渗润作用，水量就会减少。来自辞典例句

7 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。