Scientists from the University of Tsukuba designed a text message mediation (调节) robot that can help users control their anger when receiving upsetting news. This device may help improve social interactions as we move towards a world with increasingly digital communications.
While a quick text message apology is a fast and easy way for friends to let us know they are going to be late for a planned meeting, it is often missing the human factor that will accompany an explanation face-to-face, or even over the phone. It is likely to be more upsetting when we are not able to notice the emotional weight behind our friends’ regret at making us wait.
Now, researchers at the University of Tsukuba have built a robot that they called OMOY, which was equipped with a movable weight driven by mechanical parts inside its body. By shifting the internal weight, the robot could express simulated emotions (模拟情绪). The robot was designed as a mediator for reading text messages. A text with unwelcome or frustrating news could be followed by a suggestion by OMOY to not get upset, or even sympathy for the user.
“With the medium of written digital communication, the lack of social feedback shift focus from the sender and onto the content of the message itself, ” author Professor Fumihide Tanaka says. The mediator robot was designed so that it can control the user's anger and other negative motivations.
The researchers tested 94 people with a message like “I’m sorry, I am late. The appointment slipped my mind. Can you wait another hour?” The team found that OMOY was able to reduce negative emotions. “The mediation robot can relay (播放) a frustrating message followed by giving its own opinion. When this speech is accompanied by the appropriate weight shifts, we saw that the user would feel the ‘intention’ of the robot to help them calm down,” Professor Tanaka says.
1. Why is OMOY designed?| A．To send apology messages to friends on behalf of users. |
| B．To provide users a way to avoid receiving bad messages. |
| C．To show sympathy to users by sending encouraging messages. |
| D．To help calm users down when they receive negative messages. |
| A．How OMOY works. | B．How OMOY judges bad messages. |
| C．How OMOY responds to users. | D．How OMOY chats with users. |
| A．OMOY is popular with all users. | B．OMOY is helpful to users in a way. |
| C．OMOY is the perfect robot at present. | D．OMOY is sensitive to any messages. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Culture. | C．Education. | D．Technology. |
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【推荐1】Chaudhary weaves (编织) together lengths of rope and grass collected from the nearby riverbank in her village, skillfully shaping the materials into a gift box while instructing a group of women to follow suit.
The ropes being used were once the lifeline for mountain climbers tackling Nepal’s mountains and were then cast away. Diverse measures to remove such discarded materials have rocketed since 2019, when the government launched Clean Mountain Campaign.Around 140,000 tons of waste were collected on Mt. Everest alone, which were handled accordingly, either securely buried or recycled.
Some waste is now finding fresh life, transformed by skilled hands like Chaudhary’s into items to sell, thanks to an initiative led by Acharya, an owner of a waste processing business and an advocate for sustainable waste management. She has been working with the cleaning campaign, aiming at mountains like Mt. Everest.
“Metal waste goes through the recycling process, but we weren’t capable of recycling these ropes and cooking gas cans,” Acharya says. It didn’t occur to her that the waste which couldn’t be recycled could be reused until she met Rai at an art exhibition and a solution emerged.
Rai, a businessman dealing in craftworks, helped connect Acharya with Chaudhary and her team of craftswomen in hopes of unlocking the economic value of the mountain waste. With flexible hours, the project gives the craftswomen an opportunity to earn money even as they maintain their household responsibilities.
“While this seems insignificant compared to waste in the mountains, it’s a start. We can’t supply sufficient raw material with waste sorting and cleaning processes taking plenty of time and money,” Acharya says, desperate to expand the program to involve more women and treat more waste. But progress has been slow. “We need investment to mechanize the cleaning and processing of waste in the initial phase to provide the crafting team with enough materials to meet their demand,” she adds.
1. What were the ropes mentioned in paragraph 2 initially intended as?| A．Tools for tying up weeds. | B．Villagers’ basic necessities of life. |
| C．Raw materials tor unique artworks. | D．Life-saving devices for mountaineers. |
| A．A journey to the rural area. | B．An encounter with a trader. |
| C．Information from a product launch. | D．Attendance at an academic conference. |
| A．Train more senior technicians. | B．Obtain a better reputation. |
| C．Drop waste washing procedures. | D．Bring in advanced equipment. |
| A．Chaudhary: An Eco-Minded Folk Artist |
| B．Nepali Women Are Turning Garbage into Crafts |
| C．Clean Mountain Campaign Has Already Taken Effect |
| D．A Headache: Mt. Everest Is Heavily Littered with Waste |
【推荐2】3D printing is becoming more and more popular. We are now able to create things we need very quickly and easily using 3D printers. But can you imagine printing food?
Some scientists are trying to revolutionize the dining experience by doing this. They hope that having a 3D printer in the kitchen will be as common as the microwave oven or blender.
Scientists say that it'll be quite easy: you simply have to select a recipe and put the raw food “inks” into the printer. You can also modify the instructions to make the food exactly how you want it. This means that it would be very quick and easy to create tasty and nutritious meals. Using 3D printers to create your meals would also be saving the environment. There would be less need for traditional growing, transporting and packaging processes as food production would be a lot more efficient. For example, alternative ingredients（原料）such as proteins from algae, beetroot leaves and insects could be converted into tasty products.
Printing food could also help people who suffer from dysphasia (a swallowing disorder). They could program the printer to print softer versions of their favorite foods so that they would not have trouble in swallowing them.
However, some people think that a future of 3D food printing would be a disaster. It could take away many jobs, including those from growing, transporting and packaging food. Imagine a world where there was no need for farming or growing crops and the same tastes could be printed from a raw “food ink”. Likewise, traditional cafes and restaurants might lose business. Also, there are concerns about the nutritional value of printed food: is it really possible to be get the nutrients we need from food-based inks and gels（凝胶）？
What's more, cooking and eating together with family and friends has long been a traditional and enjoyable activity. It is hard to imagine a world where the pleasure of cooking is dead and meals can be created at the touch of a button.
1. Why do some think that 3D food printing would be a disaster?| A．Traditional food would disappear. | B．Many people could lose their jobs. |
| C．It would affect the people's health. | D．We could all eat the same food. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．3D food printing will replace traditional cooking. |
| B．It would hurt our tradition of food culture. |
| C．3D printing food can treat dysphasia. |
| D．3D food printing would be a failure. |
| A．3D food “printing” coming to the kitchen. |
| B．Can 3D printing create everything? |
| C．3D printing food will be in fashion! |
| D．The disadvantage of 3D food printing. |
【推荐3】Up in the air—a history of ballooning
The first kind of air transportation was the balloon. People traveled by balloon one hundred years before there were planes or jet aircraft. Those early days of ballooning were exciting, but they were also risky.
The first real balloon flight was in France in 1783. Two French brothers made a balloon.
Soon balloonists tried longer flights. In 1785, an American and a Frenchman flew over the English Channel. They left England on a cold, clear January day. Halfway across, their balloon began to drop toward the water. They threw out some equipment and food to make the balloon lighter. The balloon continued to fall, so they threw out almost everything in the basket -even some of their clothes.
During the nineteenth century, ballooning became a popular sport and balloons were also used by scientists to study the air and by armies in war time. After the airplane was invented, however, interest in balloons decreased dramatically. But some people today still like to go up in balloons.
| A．They filled a very large paper bag with hot air. |
| B．High up in the balloon basket, they find quiet. |
| C．Sometimes the balloons fell suddenly and sometimes they burned. |
| D．Back then, few people understood how they were able to fly so far. |
| E．Finally, after about three hours, they landed in France, cold but safe. |
| F．Balloon races and displays remain popular all over the world to this very day. |
| G．Later that same year, two other Frenchmen ascended in a basket under a balloon. |
【推荐1】Despite living in a world of silence for more than 20 years, Zhan Jiayi has overcome countless difficulties to achieve excellent performance in academics and public activities. In September, she began working toward a master degree in auditing science at Guizhou University of Finance and Economics in Guiyang, Guizhou province.
Born in Jilin city, Jilin province, in 2000, Zhan’s world has been silent since she was 2 years old, when she was diagnosed with severe hearing loss in the hospital.
When she was old enough, Zhan entered a standard primary school, not a special school, as was common for most children with disabilities.
“Because I couldn’t hear the teacher clearly, I recorded the teacher’s speech with a recording pen in the class,” she said. “After school, my mother helped me review the lessons.”
In 2018, she achieved an impressive score on the national college entrance exam and was admitted to Changchun University of Science and Technology in Changchun. “During my studies at the university, my teachers and classmates have helped me a lot,” she said. In college, Zhan won several awards and scholarships and she volunteered for public benefit activities.
At the end of 2021, she received the Self-Improvement Star award, which is given by several departments, including the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Students’ Federation, to recognize people who reflect China’s outstanding cultural quality of continuously self-improvement and to carry forward the excellent qualities of young college students.
“I’m always thankful for the respect I receive from my parents, teachers and friends,” Zhan said. “They never give me special attention for my imperfection, which means I’ve never seen myself as different from anyone else.”
1. When was Zhan Jiayi found having serious hearing problem?| A．In 2000. | B．In 2002. | C．In 2018. | D．In 2021. |
| A．Warm-hearted and creative. | B．Frank and generous. |
| C．Strong-willed and hardworking. | D．Curious and flexible. |
| A．She is different in others’ eyes. |
| B．She benefits from others’ respect. |
| C．She is thankful for the special attention. |
| D．She respects her parents, teachers and friends. |
| A．In a magazine. | B．In a novel. |
| C．In a research article. | D．In a history book. |
【推荐2】In November 2020, US climber Emily Harrington, 34, took on EI Captain—a 3,000 foot (917 meters) rock formation (岩层) in Yosemite National Park, US. She accomplished her feat (壮举) within a day and became the first woman to free-climb the Golden Gate route.
It used to take weeks for rock climbers to reach the top of EI Captain, even with the help of a partner and climbing aids. In recent years, only three people—all me—had free-climbed the Golden Gate route on EI Captain in under 24 hours, according to CNN.
The number of female climbers has been rising in recent years. Even in the pandemic, many of them have made great achievements and pushed human limits. “I had never expected to earn my place to a Yosemite climber. But throughout this experience I have learned that there is no formula to achievement up there,” she said.
The rising number of female climbing enthusiasts should come as no surprise. According to the website Climbing.com, “Climbing is one of the few sports where it’s possible to level the playing field. Women’s superior strength-to-weight ratio (比例）helps offset (弥补) anything we may lack in power or reach, bridging the gap between the sexes.”
Legendary Austrian climber Angela Eiter is another strong female figure in the climbing world. In 2020 Eiter made news as she climbed the unknown face she calls Madame Ching in her home country.
According to New York Post, the route was free of traces. That means Eiter had to search for the holds and predict how the moves were going to play out by herself. Worse still, the rock there is really fragile and some holds had to be fixed with glue. But after intensive indoor training to visualize the route and build up the strength, Eiter, who stands 154cm high and weighs 46kg, made it.
“I am not the strongest woman and I am very small, and I am happy that I can show other women that they can also do it,” she told the reporter.
1. What did Emily Harrington accomplish?| A．She reached the top of EI Captain in less than a day. |
| B．She free-climbed the Golden Gate route within weeks. |
| C．She was the first person to take on EI Captain successfully. |
| D．She free-climbed the Golden Gate route without climbing aids. |
| A．Give a sense of belonging. |
| B．Give someone an advantage. |
| C．Make a situation more balanced. |
| D．Allow someone to prove themselves. |
| A．There were no holds to use. |
| B．There were no beaten path to follow. |
| C．There was a lack of necessities like glue. |
| D．Her prediction about the route was wrong. |
| A．Always battle others. |
| B．Find where you belong. |
| C．Work hard to be a role model. |
| D．Be brave and pursue your goal. |
【推荐3】BEIJING- Wang Yaping, a taikonaut onboard China’s space station core module (舱), offered people on Earth a zero-gravity musical performance on Tuesday evening to celebrate the Lantern Festival. The space show was shared via a video released at an annual TV gala for the festival celebration. In the video, Wang was seen floating in the space module while playing a guzheng, or Chinese zither. She played a segment of the popular Chinese folk song. “Jasmine Flower”.
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. People usually hang colorful lanterns, play riddle games and express their wishes and hopes for the future.
The crew members, who traveled to the space station core module on the Shenzhou-13 mission, kept some festive traditions alive as they continued to rotate around the Earth. Commander Zhai Zhigang wrote riddles on red paper scrolls with a brush pen. He displayed the calligraphy together with taikonaut Ye Guangfu and extended festival greetings to the audience. They also sent blessing to athletes at the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics: “We hope that you all achieve success, gain friendship and harvest your best Olympic experience.”
The video of the space performance was received with much enthusiasm after it was shared on social media platforms. It drew nearly 2 million clicks in one hour after several national media outlets posted it on the Chinese micro-blogging site Sina Weibo. The Weibo account of Zhurong, China’s first rover on Mars, reposted the video, commenting, “The music was so beautiful, and it made me homesick, too.”
The Lantern Festival also marks the last day of the lunar New Year celebration. Though far from home, the festive sentiments in space are the same. The China Manned Space Agency released a video on social media platforms on Tuesday, showing that the taikonauts had decorated the orbiting core module with red lanterns, Chinese knots and paper- cutting decorations. Wearing new clothes, the trio (三人小组) enjoyed the traditions of eating dumplings and posting spring couplets on walls During the Chinese New Year holiday, they were also spotted watching the Winter Olympics and doing workouts in orbit.
1. How did the mass enjoy the musical performance according to the text?| A．By watching a video posted online by Wang Yaping herself. |
| B．By watching a video coming from a TV gala. |
| C．By watching the Lantern Festival gala at the scene. |
| D．By logging on the Internet through computers. |
| A．Access. | B．Substitute. | C．Circle. | D．Launch. |
| A．The video of the space performance became a great hit. |
| B．Zhai Zhigang showed the calligraphy on his own. |
| C．The Beijing Winter Olympics had come to an end when the astronauts sent their regards. |
| D．Wang Yaping shared puzzles on red paper scrolls. |
| A．Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower” is played on space station |
| B．Taikonauts send blessings to the, Beijing Winter Olympics athletes |
| C．Taikonauts keep Lantern Festival traditions alive on space station |
| D．China makes major breakthroughs in the outer space exploration |
