Thanks to a program called Hunger： Not Impossible (HNI), hungry people could have access to fresh, healthy food in their neighborhood by texting one simple word: Hungry. On one hand. people in charge of the program learn that each year 42 million Americans go hungry including 15. 9 million children. On the other hand, grocery stores, restaurants, and food providers throw out 60 million tons of unused food. HNI had a solution—connectivity.
HNI started fundraising and developing partnerships. Then they make plans with organizations and charities to help locate people who suffer from food insecurity. And they reached out to technical experts at Salesforce who developed an easy-to-use text-driven platform using a chat box. With all the elements in place, a simple text started the goodwill rolling.
When a needy person types in “Hungry” and sends the text message to HNI. they receive a message, back showing the closest locations that are offering free food. They also get a text displaying different menu options. They simply select a restaurant, choose the meal, then heads to the takeout counter where they pick up their free meal alongside paying customers. No questions are asked and dignity is preserved. The pilot project began in Venice Beach, California, providing over 250 meals to more than 50 youth in three weeks. HNI then grew to Bentonville. Arkansas, Klamath Falls Oregon? and St; Louis. Missouri.
"Providing food is the first step in transforming lives for the best. ” Michelle DiBattiste, operations and volunteer manager at Safe Place for Youth said in the press release, "By satisfying that initial survived instinct of finding food. Hunger： Not Impossible provides necessary space for personal growth, self-realization and finding stability. If there were less hungry people in the world, the crime rate would be reduced? there would be fewer homeless people, and the cost of healthcare would cut down. ”
1. What does HNI do to help hungry people?| A．Make a link between hungry people and food providers. |
| B．Offer hungry people fresh and healthy food. |
| C．Ask some restaurants to donate money. |
| D．Text a message to a grocery store. |
| A．Fund, restaurants, technical experts and the number of hungry people. |
| B．Text messages, location of the stores, menu options and the takeout counter. |
| C．The pilot project, people suffering from food insecurity, a chat box and plans. |
| D．Fund, partnership, locating hungry people, and an easy-to-use text-driven platform. |
| A．Hungry people will live a better life. |
| B．HNI is good at helping hungry people. |
| C．HNI is good for the people and society. |
| D．Personal growth is extremely important. |
| A．A Programme Connects Hungry People with Food |
| B．Feeding the Needy Is Necessary for Social Stability |
| C．A Simple Word Helps People in Need of Food |
| D．Hungry People Are Grateful to Restaurants |
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Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses. Several are on the roadside near an active railroad. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops at one to visit Oscar Young. The two men hug. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings.
In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun.
Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man.
Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors.
1. The following are the advantages of the small shelters EXCEPT ________.
| A．saving power and energy |
| B．decorating the streets where they are |
| C．protecting possessions of the homeless |
| D．keeping the homeless safe and comfortable |
| A．an act of kindness has made people simple and grateful |
| B．Greg Kloehn has sold at least 20 tiny houses |
| C．the shelters are immovable |
| D．the government has got involved in the action |
| A．A more comfortable shelter on the streets. |
| B．An artist creates homes for the homeless. |
| C．A successful social project in Oakland. |
| D．An artist makes a living by designing small shelters. |
【推荐2】Several months ago, I attended the opening event for a new children’s literacy (读写能力) campaign at the Burbank Library in California. The campaign is called Marvel Comics Close- Up, aimed at using comic books to encourage kids to read. Disney and Marvel donated 210,000 books to libraries and schools across the country.
Stars from Disney XD participated. They read Spider-Man comic books to 70 kids from Boys & Girls Clubs in southern California. The stars included Drake Bell (Ultimate Spider-Man), Dylan Riley Snyder (Kickin’ it), Olivia Holt (Kickin’ It) and Coie Jenson (Crash & Bernstein).
Drake Bell said that the Marvel reading campaign is aimed at kids who are bored with books, believing comic books are the answer for kids who say they’d rather play video games. “Comic books really get you into the story,” he told TFK(Time For Kids). “They are not just words or pictures on a page.”
Dylan Riley Snyder knows from his experiences that comic books have the power to inspire kids' imagination. His mom was a teacher and she used comic books to interest students who thought they weren't interested in reading. Dylan attended these classes. He would read the comic books and draw the characters along with the students. “It was a great way for these kids to start to enjoy reading,” Dylan said. “That’s how I got interested in reading too. Now I can share my love for comic books with others through the Marvel Comics Close-Up program.”
David Levine is the Vice President of Disney XD Worldwide. He said great stories and great characters, like Spider-Man and The Avengers, were key to making reading fun. “Reading can encourage you to explore new things and take you to all sorts of exciting places,” he told TFK.
1. What is the main purpose of the Marvel reading campaign?| A．To encourage students to use the library. |
| B．To excite children’s interest in reading. |
| C．To introduce some new comic books. |
| D．To donate books to libraries and schools. |
| A．there are colorful pictures in most comic books |
| B．common books with only words are bad for kids |
| C．comic books are much better than common books |
| D．comic books make kids imaginative and interested |
| A．David Levine. | B．Drake Bell. |
| C．Dylan Riley Snyder. | D．Olivia Holt. |
| A．Stars from Disney XD Shared Love for Comic Books with Children |
| B．Disney and Marvel Donated Books to Help with Children's Literacy |
| C．Marvel Comics Close-Up - a Campaign Aimed at Children’s Literacy |
| D．Stars from Disney XD Helped Children Read Comic Books |
【推荐3】Anyone wanting to help the poor may like this idea—recycling aluminum cans in a different way, which is apparently also good for the environment. So you're actually killing two birds with one stone. It goes without saying that recycling aluminum cans can save resources, energy, time and money. People usually save and place aluminum cans in the dustbins, which are then collected and taken away by cleaners, who will finally recycle them in the recycling center. But if you save the aluminum cans, and skip the cleaners, you can save these same cans for something more important—helping the poor. In other words, by doing less, you are giving the environmental cause some new significance.
Here is how to put this idea into action. Take your aluminum cans and place them in a plastic bag. For the dirty ones, rinse them out first. Store the bag of clean aluminum cans. Once you collect about one hundred cans or more, take the cans to the recycle center yourself. There are about eighteen aluminum cans in a pound. And you can receive three to four dollars for one hundred cans. Donate your three to four dollars to the poor or any charity organization of your choice.
By now, you may wonder if your few dollars have really made a difference to the poor. Consider this: Is there any individual or any specific event that is great enough to change the world or decide the direction that history takes? The answer is probably no. What if there were a lot of people who would do the same thing? History shows nothing but the collective will of the whole community. And that will surely be powerful enough to make a bigger difference.
Go to your community or your school and spread your idea. Share your idea and save your aluminum cans with other people. One hundred people can speak louder than one. And the money you make by saving cans can be multiplied by one hundred times. And if more people join in the cause around the world, an even larger difference can be made , and more people in need will enjoy the benefits.
1. What's special about the new idea?| A．It makes profits. | B．It saves resources. |
| C．It benefits the poor. | D．It involves cleaners. |
| A．Dirty cans do not sell well. | B．You decide who receives the money. |
| C．A hundred cans weigh about 3 pounds. | D．The recycle center is conveniently located. |
| A．A great individual or event. | B．The direction history takes. |
| C．The collective will of people. | D．The neighbourhood you live in. |
| A．Many hands make light work. | B．Kill two birds with one stone. |
| C．Don't put the cart before the horse. | D．No man can do two things at once. |
【推荐1】Chinese consumers have said they will avoid eating Japanese seafood over safety concerns once Japan starts releasing (排放) nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
On July 7, the General Administration of Customs released an import (进口) ban on aquatic products from the 10 Japanese cities. It’s indicated that Japan’s plan to release polluted wastewater into the sea was a matter of global concern. The plan caused more Chinese consumers who eat seafood began to worry about their safety, according to the administration.
According to a survey in 2022 by Chinese market consultancy company iiMedia Research, 39.58 percent of participants eat Japanese seafood once every two or three weeks.
“I will not eat seafood imported from Japan anymore,” said a data engineer surnamed Wang in Shanghai. The 42-year-old has been a fan of Japanese food since 2000 and used to eat Japanese food once a month. “If I have other options, I will choose seafood that does not come from the Pacific Ocean,” he added.
Wang Qian, a financial employee in Beijing, said she has been to about 20 Japanese restaurants so far. “Normally, I would not pay attention to where the seafood came from. But now I will try not to choose seafood from Japan,”she said. “Wastewater poses a threat to human health and marine ecology.”
Wang Qian said that Japan should use other methods to solve the problem, rather than releasing nuclear wastewater into the ocean.
An employee of the Japanese restaurant Jiubanwu, in Beijing, who did not want to be named, told China Daily that the restaurant’s fish and shrimp are imported from Russia, France and other countries. “We have not been buying seafood from Japan since April,” she said.
In addition to food safety, some people are worried about using cosmetic (美容的) products made in Japan.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Releasing nuclear wastewater has aroused worldwide concern. |
| B．All the seafood which is imported from Japan will be banned. |
| C．Chinese consumers will be stricter when choosing seafood to eat. |
| D．Japan’s plan to release the wastewater is criticized by Japanese. |
| A．She won’t eat Japanese seafood anymore. |
| B．She will be more cautious of the source of seafood. |
| C．She will be devoted to career of human health and marine ecology. |
| D．She is sure that Japan will figure out methods to solve the problem. |
| A．China’s specific methods to dealing with nuclear wastewater. |
| B．The influence of wastewater on Japanese cosmetic products. |
| C．A formal call to Japan for producing safer cosmetic products. |
| D．The world’s reply to Japanese nuclear wastewater releasing. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Critical. |
【推荐2】Children have been thought to be largely spared from the worst of the new coronavirus, but doctors in the U. K. are now warning of a possible connection between CO VID-19 and an unusual inflammatory（发炎性的）syndrome（综合症）in children. However, experts stress that serious illness related to CO VID-19 in children is still very rare overall.
The warning came over the weekend, when the National Health Service （NHS） England issued an alarm informing doctors of a small but growing number of cases of "multisystem inflammatory" disease in children that required intensive care, according to the U. K. Paediatric Intensive Care Society. Some of these children have tested positive for COVID-19, although others have not.
Some of the symptoms in the U. K. cases included fevers, severe pain and skin rashes（皮 疹）,along with markers of severe inflammation in the blood, The Guardian reported. Some of these children have also needed treatment for heart inflammation. So far, the inflammatory syndrome appears rare-only about a dozen children in the U. K. have been reported to have the syndrome, according to The Guardian, Similar cases have also been reported in Spain and Italy, according to CNN. And in the United States, doctors at Stanford University recently published a case report in the journal Pediatrics describing a 6-month-old infant who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and COVID-19.
However, it’s still too early to say that COVID-19 is behind this inflammatory syndrome in children, Gidengil said. More data will be needed to show this. Indeed, the NHS alert noted the possibility that another, yet-to-be-identified pagothen is associated with the inflammatory syndrome. Still, “it’s great that they’re raising an alarm about this so people can be aware," Gidengil said. Although this news might sound worrisome to parents, reports of serious COVID-19 complications remain uncommon in children. "It’s really important to just keep in mind that it’s still really rare for kids to have complications from CO VID at this point," Gidengil added.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Children are free from the COVID-19. |
| B．COVID-19 has no effect on children, |
| C．CO VID-19 seldom has serious effect on children. |
| D．COVID-19 is the cause of inflammatory syndrome in children. |
| A．To fight against COVID-19 for children. |
| B．To require doctors take good care of children. |
| C．To try to seek for a positive choice to treat children. |
| D．To inform doctors of the possible relationship between the syndrome and COVID-19. |
| A．Cough, fevers and breast pain. |
| B．Fevers, severe pain and skin rashes. |
| C．Difficulty in breathing and skin rashes. |
| D．Severe abdominal pain and throat discomfort. |
| A．Rare Syndrome in Children about COVID-19 |
| B．Children are Affected by COVID-19 |
| C．Some Children Be Seriously Ill. |
| D．Children Need Special Protection. |
【推荐3】Can you write the Chinese characters “ganga” (embarrassment) correctly? Do you know how to write characters like “gala” (the corner of walls)? If you can’t, you are not alone. “Now most people are typing into computers instead of writing on paper. We type Chinese characters mainly according to their pronunciation. The result is to recognize characters without remembering how to write them. China Youth Daily did a survey of 2,517 people, in which 90 percent said they had once forgotten how to write a common Chinese character.
Compared to adults, teenagers are better at writing Chinese characters because they spend more time learning and practicing at school. However, the influence of digital (数字的) technology cannot be left out, according to He Yu, head of a research team for Chinese teaching.
“Many students lose themselves in digital tools such as mobile phones and computers, they spent too much time on these tools. As a result, too much use of the tools will make students too lazy to think and write.” he said. Such worries have brought about a popular TV show titled Chinese Spelling Hero, which pays attention to Chinese character writing among teenagers.
In April, the Ministry of Education called for better calligraphy (书法) education in schools. Organizations like the China Calligraphy Association are also working to train more teachers in calligraphy. Interestingly, calligraphy teachers can’t always avoid the influence of modern technology. Shen Bin is a calligraphy teacher at a primary school in Beijing. She said that it’s common for teachers like her to forget certain words. “The calligraphy class is also a good chance for me to remember how to write.” she said.
1. We type Chinese characters mainly according to their ______.| A．spelling | B．pronunciation | C．meaning | D．shape |
| A．They have a good memory. |
| B．They play mobile phones less. |
| C．They know more ways in learning Chinese characters. |
| D．They study and write Chinese characters for a long time. |
| A．Calligraphy teachers are not influenced by modern technology at all. |
| B．Adults are better at writing Chinese characters than teenagers. |
| C．Students will be too lazy to think and write if they use the digital tools too much. |
| D．The TV show Chinese Spelling Hero pays attention to Chinese writing among adults. |
【推荐1】Alan Tong was the worst driver in town. He had an accident of some kind almost every week.
Alan lived with his mother. His mother was always worried about him. Every day she worried that police would appear to arrest him. This wasn’t a foolish worry because they usually visited Alan’s house about once a week to send a speeding ticket or to serve him notice to appear in court (法庭).
Most of his accidents were caused by his carelessness. He drove through red lights. He turned left or drove at night without proper lights. He overtook other cars on hills. In short, there wasn’t a traffic rule that Alan had not broken, and he had had so many accidents that it was a surprise that he was still alive. But luckily for Alan, he had never hurt anyone in his accidents or even gone to the hospital.
Although Alan wasn’t popular with the police, he was very popular with his lawyer. Alan’s lawyer, Mr. Tsui, had earned a lot of money from Alan’s cases and always felt very excited when he saw Alan coming into his office.
One day Alan was working in the garage, painting his car when his mother walked in. “What are you doing?” his mother asked.
“Painting my car,” Alan replied.
“I can see that,” his mother said, “but why are you painting one side of the car red and the other side blue?” “Because every time I have to go to court for a traffic crime, there are always two witnesses (目击证人) . “What color was the car?” the judge always asks, and the two witnesses always give the same answer. Well, in the future, one witness will say it was blue. Mr. Tsui will then say to the judge, “Your honor, the witnesses cannot even agree on the color of the car involved in the accident.” And the judge will have to dismiss the case against me.
1. Which of the following is true of Mr. Tsui?| A．He always volunteered to help Alan. | B．He was popular with the police. |
| C．He was good friends with Alan. | D．He looked forward to Alan’s visit. |
| A．Painting his car all red. | B．Painting his car two colors. |
| C．Painting the garage. | D．Cleaning his car. |
| A．To confuse the evidence against him. | B．To help the judge in court. |
| C．To make the witnesses agree. | D．To leave a good impression in court. |
| A．Remove. | B．Continue. |
| C．Reconsider | D．Accept. |
【推荐2】The fact that your hair turns grey because of stress is nothing more than an old wives' tale. It's true that stress isn't good for you, but it's not going to turn you into a silver fox just yet. In fact, the answer comes from the cells in your hair. These are what decide the color and, eventually, the fade to grey.
Most of us start to notice our first grey hairs by the time we hit our thirties. A general rule to go by is that by the age of 50,half of the population will have lost the color in 50 percent of their hair.
But why does it happen? Firstly, we need to understand how hair gets its color.
Your hair is made up of cells called melanocytes(黑色素细胞) which produce pigments(色素) as they grow into the hair fiber. There are two different types of melanins: eumelanins and pheomelanins. The former produces black and brown pigments, while the latter produces red and yellow pigments. The exact amount of these pigments decides whether a person has black, brown, blonde or red hair.
As we age, the ability of the melanocytes to produce more pigments weakens. That's because our hair grows in different periods.
The growing period lasts between three and five years, after which our follicles(毛囊) turn off for about three months to rest and get ready to grow more hairs. This goes round and round and, after a time, our bodies aren't as good at producing new hairs.
Scientists are continuing to try and find ways to prevent greying hair. A team of scientists in France is working to try and stop the melanocytes from being damaged at the end of each hair cycle. They are trying to use a special enzyme(酶) to protect the cells from damage. If successful, it could lead the way for new products that keep our hair full of color for years to come.
1. The phrase “an old wives' tale” in Paragraph 1 probably mean________？| A．a wrong belief | B．useful talk |
| C．a scientific rule | D．helpful experience |
| A．It doesn't turn grey as people get older. |
| B．It contains more pheomelanin’s than eumelanin’s. |
| C．The amount of pigments in it doesn't change over time. |
| D．People with red hair have weaker ability to produce pigments. |
| A．To repair damaged hair follicles. |
| B．To protect hair cells against damage. |
| C．To shorten the hair cycle to protect the hair. |
| D．To study the relationship between health and hair color. |
| A．Grey hair has nothing to do with stress. |
| B．Grey hair is a symbol of declining health. |
| C．It takes three months for new hair to grow. |
| D．The growth and color change of hair depend on cells. |
【推荐3】Every Christmas,the firm I worked for raised money for disadvantaged kids in the area,and every Christmas I'd drive out with colleagues to deliver gifts.Some years ago, we were returning to work and stopped at an intersection as the lights turned red.
We were in the middle lane and I became aware of an SUV(越野车）coming up behind us at speed;at the last moment,it switched to the righthand lane and carried straight on past the red light into traffic moving west to east.It crashed into another vehicle,causing it to veer off(转向），then they both skidded to a stop.
There was a loud"Bang"and flames leapt from the SUV 's front.I had been a volunteer firefighter for many years and had attended automobile accidents before.As the flames grew fiercer,I knew the car's battery had exploded and that there was no time to lose.I dashed round to the passenger side.The door was locked,but by pulling on the window frame,I managed to tear it open.I leaned in,unbuckled the driver's belt and pulled him across to the passenger side.
Other than some cuts,he was fine.I left him with my workmates and went to check on the driver of the other car,who was also unhurt.Then I headed back to the intersection, where I directed traffic around the burning vehicle until the emergency services arrived.
On the way back to work,I said to my colleagues:"What you saw,keep it under your hats,OK?"But an hour later I had a call from a friend on a local TV station."Brad,"he said,"I have a picture here that someone's sent in of you helping out at a traffic accident."
I hoped that would be the end f it,but the story was to have an unexpected ending. A couple of weeks after the accident,I agreed to a televised reunion with Michael Walker, the guy I'd pulled from the car.He thanked me,and then he introduced me to his daughter, Amber.It turned out she had been separated from her mum and dad,but returned home after the accident.Knowing this family had been reunited was greatly comforting to me-a real Christmas gift.
1. The car crash was caused by| A．the SUV driver's running the red light |
| B．the traffic chaos at the intersection |
| C．the heavy traffic during Christmas |
| D．the author's car blocking the way |
| A．The emergency services. | B．The author. |
| C．The author's workmates. | D．A pedestrian. |
| A．Cover up the hair. | B．Hide the face. |
| C．Keep it secret. | D．Bear it in mind. |
| A．The reunion with the saved driver. |
| B．Acquaintance with Michael' s daughter. |
| C．Raising money for disadvantaged kids. |
| D．Michael' s family reunion after the accident. |
【推荐1】If you’re not one of the 1. 9 million British holidaymakers who went on a cruise last year, don’t miss it this year! We’ve rounded up all of the best packages for you, as well as some of our top favourite deals.
US Transatlantic, £629 per —person: Sail 13 nights with stops including Boston, New York. Price is on a full-board basis and includes accommodation as well as on-board entertainment and activities.
Cuba, £400 per-person: Sail five nights on board Majesty of the Seas with stops in Havana, Cuba and Mexico. Price is on a full-board basis and includes accommodation as well as on-board entertainment and activities. Paying extra £177 per-person, you can enjoy upgrading to Ocean View based on an interior cabin（船舱）.
Portugal, Spain and Italy, £479 per-person: Sail seven nights with stops including Madeira and Malaga on a full-board basis. Price includes meals, late-night snacks, luxury en-suite(带浴室的)accommodation, all on-board activities and entertainment.
European cities, £579 per-person: Sail on board MSC Meraviglia from Barcelona to visit Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Palermo and Valetta, and make most of MSC’s all-inclusive drinks package including coffee, cocktails, wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks. Price is on a full-board basis with two people sharing a cabin.
While there are many great deals available to customers, the cruise industry often has some of its best deals months in advance. Cruise lines are looking to change the way the booking system works so the prices go up closer to the departure.
1. How much should a couple pay for Cuba with the Ocean View cabin?| A．£577. | B．£800. | C．£977. | D．£1154. |
| A．US Transatlantic. | B．Cuba. |
| C．Portugal, Spain and Italy. | D．European cities. |
| A．The booking system has improved greatly. |
| B．It’s better for customers to book a cruise ahead of time. |
| C．The cruise industry will reduce prices during holidays. |
| D．Customers can get the best bargains just before the departure. |
【推荐2】Last Friday, Mike Babbitt was about to leave the Bremerton Yacht Club to go gas up when the engine of the boat caught fire.
“The wind was blowing from the North. It would have blown the boat into the yacht (快艇) club so I just gave it all the power I could to get it away from the yacht club,” he told Komo News. However, that wasn’t the end of Mike’s mission (使命). Still on the boat were his two bulldogs Pearl and Hootie. He placed the dogs on a paddleboard before jumping into the water himself.
He explained to Komo News that he didn’t even have time to grasp a life coat or his oxygen. Mike served in the army for five years in a special police unit in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his time in the army, he suffered a pancreatic (胰腺的) attack that forced him to rely on oxygen treatment for the rest of his life.
Still, he succeeded in doing the unthinkable. “I just slid into the water and started paddling away from the fire and I could still feel the heat from the fire,” Mike told the news reporters. Mike was then rescued by some friends and later transported to a nearby hospital, where his wife Jamie met him. The fire is especially heartbreaking for Mike and his wife as the yacht was their only house. They had early sold their home and saved up in order to live a life on the water.
However, Mike is just happy to have survived. “I think it is the gift of God watching over us,” Mike told Komo News. “You have to put it exactly that were still alive and we’re still together.” A GoFundMe has since been created to help the Babbitts following the fire.
1. Where was Mike going when the yacht caught fire?| A．The club. | B．The boat. |
| C．A police unit. | D．A filling station. |
| A．Got a life coat. | B．Pushed the boat away. |
| C．Put out the fire. | D．Saved Pearl and Hootie. |
| A．sum up the paragraphs before it | B．continue talking about the incident |
| C．add some background information | D．introduce a new subject for discussion |
| A．Opening up about the terrible fire. | B．Raising money to help the Babbitts. |
| C．Being thankful for what God gives. | D．Realizing a dream of living on the water. |
| A．Brave and kind. | B．Confident and calm. |
| C．Positive and devoted. | D．Generous and grateful. |
【推荐3】Shark attacks not only disturb beach activities, but can affect associated tourism industries. Shark nets are a common solution to preventing shark attacks on beaches, but they cause dangers to sea ecosystems.
Seeking a cost-effective way to monitor beach safety over large areas we have developed a system called SharkSpotter. It combines artificial intelligence(A1),computing power,and drone(无人机）technology to identify and warn lifesavers of sharks near swimmers. The project is a cooperation between the University of Technology Sydney and the Ripper Group,which is pioneering the use of drones-called"Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver" in the search and rescue movement in Australia.
SharkSpotter can detect sharks and other potential threats using real time aerial imagery. The system analyzes videos from a camera attached to a drone to monitor beaches for sharks, send warnings, and conduct rescues.Developed with techniques known as "deep learning", the SharkSpotter system receives imagery from the drone camera and attempts to identify all objects in the scene. Once certain objects are detected, they are put into one of 16 categories: sharks, whales, dolphins, rays, different types of boats surfers, and swimmers.
If a shark is detected, SharkSpotter provides both a visual sign on the computer screen and an audible warning to the operator. The operator confirms the warning and sends text messages from the SharkSpotter system to the surf lifesavers for further action. In an emergency, the drone is equipped with a life-saving flotation pod(漂浮舱）together with an electronic shark repellent(驱逐装置）that can be dropped into the water in cases where swimmers are in severe trouble, trapped in a rip, or if there are sharks close by.
In January 2018, the Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver was used to rescue two young swimmers caught in a rip at Lennox Head, New South Wales (NSW). The drone flew down the beach some 800 meters from the lifeguard station, and a life-saving flotation pod was dropped from the drone The complete rescue operation took 70 seconds.
We believe SharkSpotter is a win-win for both marine(海洋的）life and beachgoers. This unique technology combines dynamic video image processing AI and advanced drone technology to creatively deal with the global challenge of insuring safe beaches, protecting environments, and romoting tourism.
1. What is a SharkSpotter?| A．A solution to monitor sharks. | B．An equipment to identify lifesavers. |
| C．A technology to prevent shark attacks. | D．A project to pioneer the use of drones. |
| A．The system is efficient in saving lives. |
| B．The system is effective in detecting sharks. |
| C．The system is smart in driving sharks away. |
| D．The system is practical over the whole sea area. |
| A．Doubtful . | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Negative. | D．Objective. |
