Quick, Convenient Vending Machines

Convenient Vending Machines 
Today's vending machines are becoming even more convenient
快速又便利的自動販賣機 , 時下的自動販賣機變得更便利了

You're in a hotel, and it's late. Local stores are closed, but you are desperate for a midnight snack, so you head out in search of sustenance. After a short walk, you see the solution to your problems glowing softly in the darkness -a vending machine. 

Vending machines conveniently make sales around-the-clock in places where stores are impractical. But through the years, vending machines have also been plagued by some problems. Fortunately for consumers and businesses, all of that is changing. Vending machines are evolving in ways that mean the machines of tomorrow will be very different from those of today.

Making change
You arrive at the machine ready for your snack, only to discover that you don't have the right change! Worse yet, you might have paper money but find that the machine is unwilling to accept it. These situations can quickly lead to frustrated customers and lost sales. 

To eliminate these problems, vending machines are incorporating  more ways for people to pay. Many machines already accept change, bills and even credit cards. But companies are also experimenting with payments made through text messages and even fingerprints or retinal scans.

Going online
While vending machines are automated, they still require regular visits from staff who remove money perform basic maintenance and restock them. Unfortunately, determining how often staff should visit machines and what products they should place in them is difficult.

Newer generations of vending machines are avoiding the guesswork by going online. Networked machines provide real-time information on sales and inventory, allowing companies to know when to send staff to service or restock machines.

Everything you need
Another change to the industry has been the increase in the variety and quality of products available. In what was once the domain of soft drinks and candy bars, customers can now purchase foods like french fries, pizza and freshly baked pie. Need a new soccer ball?

How about a cellphone, clothes or even some gold bars? There are vending machines that sell them. These days, vending machines are even used to distribute library books and prescription medicines. Vending machines don't offer the same service a clerk at a convenience store does. But as the machines continue to evolve, the variety and convenience they provide are sure to keep them an important part of our daily lives.

Grammar Tips:
You arrive at the machine, ready for your snack, only to discover that you don't have the right change!
"only to discover"-
only -there is no others.
I'm the only one left there is no one else.
"only to discover " -today's situation, "only" means "however" or "except".
"only to discover" - to describe a situation that someone is doing something with expectation, but they find out the thing don't happen or the thing turns out the way not they expected.
*Mr. And Mrs. Lee were hoping to enjoy a romantic dinner at the new restaurant, only to discover that the restaurant was not open that day.
*Cheryl had booked a room at the seaside hotel, only to discover, after checking in, that hotel guests cannot go into the water.

Vocabulary Tips:
sustenance -食物，粮食。a created way to say "food". Something that give you energy and fill you up. Author use this word to describe that seeking any kind of food you can imaging that good for eat.
*Wheat is the main source of sustenance for the people of this area. 主要粮食来源是小麦。
It's hard for the animals to find any sustenance in this kind of cold weather. 食物。
plague -使苦恼，使愁烦，使折磨。多用被动式. The problem that has bothered you continuously.
*Insomnia has plagued Anna for years.失眠长期困恼着安娜。
*The northern part of the country has been plagued by snowstorms for almost a month.
plague (n)-瘟疫，天灾。
*Many people died during the plague.
incorporate -使并入，加入，结合。
*The curriculum incorporates a lot of language lessons.学期课程结合了许多语言课。
*We'll incorporate your ideas into our proposal. 会把你的构想纳入我们的提案。
vending machine - a machine that sells small items.
desperate - really wanted, hard to wait. 迫切的
glow - is a soft light, you able to see it in a darkness.
evolve - change slowly, to develop gradually.使演进，开展，发展，演化，
impractical -不切实际的，昧于实际的，不能实行的。 "im" -“有否定之意”， "practical" -实际的，适用的。
restock - 补货，重新进货。place more, put more in the slot. stock - 货物，或品。
*Mom restocks my fridge every time she comes to visit me.
restock with -补什么货品用“with”
*Tina is always restocking her cupboard with all kinds of cereals.
domain - the area you have control or in charge.领域，范围。
*Politicians are examined by the press in both their public and private domains.
*Howard is an expert in the network information safety domain. 网路资讯安全方面的专家。
inventory -财产目录，存货请单。
*We need to check our inventory before buying any more supplies.
inventory - 存货，库存。
*We had a sale last month to reduce our inventory.
take inventory -盘点存货。
*We're closed today to take inventory 

Word / idiom Tips:
bill-纸钞，
coin-铜板，零钱，硬币。
cash- 广义的现金。cash include bills纸钞，钞票 and coins零钱。铜板.
currency -货币，各国家有其独特的货币。
British pound - 英镑
US dollar -美钞
change (n)-零钱， 小票（金额小的纸钞）。不可数名词，不能加“ S ”。用单数。
loose change -零钱。
I have some loose change in my pocket.
change -汇兑。国与国家之间，使用不同的货币，要兑换之后才能在别的国家使用。
Do you have change for a hundred? 100元你能找开来吗？或是你有一百元小票能换开吗？
change -改变
Making change -做些改变.
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convenience (n) / convenient (adj) - 便利，方便。方便的，便利的。
convenience store -便利商店。（便利要用名词）
very convenient for us -对我们很方便。
Convenience store at our next door that is very convenient for us.
I lived on the second floor, the downstairs' convenience store is my convenient store.