Efforts to preserve the Amazon rain forest are growing ever more urgent as the ecosystem’s destruction accelerates. A recent study shows that a new program combining on-the-ground monitoring with satellite data and smartphone technology could help put the brakes on Amazon deforestation (毁林) —and potentially that of forests elsewhere.
The scientists cooperated with 76 local communities, 36 of which participated in using satellite-based “early deforestation alerts” —an early-alert system on a smartphone app, to watch over the forest and to inspect forests and document damage. Over the next two years the participants were paid to work as forest monitors and received monthly alerts via the app when satellite data indicated local forest losses. Monitors investigated alerts and inspected for deforestation in the areas. They reported confirmed losses back to their communities which decided whether to deal with the affairs on their own or inform state authorities.
The researchers analyzed the same forest-loss satellite data from the given time period in all 76 communities. They found the program reduced forest loss by 8.4 hectares (公顷) in the first year—a 52 percent reduction compared with the average loss in the control communities, says Tara Slough, an economist at New York University. “This reduction in deforestation was concentrated in communities facing the largest threat of forest loss,” she adds.
Results for the program were less striking in its second year when forest loss was reduced by only 3.3 hectares compared with that in control communities. The researchers explain that a Peruvian government campaign against coca planting that year may have discouraged deforestation in both experimental and control communities narrowing differences between the two groups in the program.
Experts say this approach to dealing with Amazonian deforestation looks promising. Local groups may continue the work they started in the program. “We want to apply this in other communities. In doing so we are making a contribution to the world,” wrote Francisco, a community member involved in the research.
1. Why did the research team conduct the program?| A．To stop carbon being locked away. | B．To tackle Amazon deforestation. |
| C．To monitor satellite movement. | D．To control illegal activities. |
| A．By analyzing the data. | B．By surveying the monitors. |
| C．By observing the area. | D．By investigating the damage. |
| A．It applies to all the forests. | B．It adopts multiple technologies. |
| C．It involves no human participation. | D．It solves the problem beforehand. |
| A．Amazon Protecting the Rainforest | B．Experts Testing Early-alert System |
| C．Communities Dealing With Deforestation | D．Smartphone Watching Over the Forest |
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【推荐1】Researchers from North Carolina State University have designed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that is better able to predict how much students are learning in educational games. The improved model, which uses an AI training concept named multi-task learning, could be used to improve both instruction and learning outcomes.
“We wanted the model to be able to predict whether a student would answer each question on a test correctly, based on the student’s behavior while playing an educational game called Crystal Island,” says Jonathan Rowe, co-author of a paper on the work.
“The standard approach for solving this problem looks only at overall test score,” Rowe says. “In our multi-task learning framework, the model has 17 tasks — because the test has 17 questions.”
The researchers collected gameplay and testing data from 181 students. The AI could look at each student’s game- play and how each student answered Question 1 on the test. By identifying common behaviors of students who answered Question 1 correctly, and those of students who got Question 1 wrong, the AI could determine how a new student would answer Question 1.
This function is performed for every question at the same time. The gameplay being reviewed for a given student is the same, but the AI looks at that behavior in Question 2, Question 3, and so on.
The researchers found that the multi-task model was about 10 percent more accurate than other models that relied on conventional AI training methods.
“We expect that this type of model could tell teachers when a student’s gameplay suggests the student may need additional instruction. It’s also expected to facilitate adaptive gameplay features in the game itself. For example, altering a storyline in order to revisit the concepts that a student is struggling with.” says Michael Geden, first author of the paper.
“Psychology has long recognized that different questions have different values,” Geden says. “Our work here takes an interdisciplinary ( 跨学科的) approach that marries this aspect of psychology with deep learning and machine learning approaches to AI.”
“This also opens the door to incorporating more complex modeling techniques into educational software.” says Andrew Emerson, co-author of the paper.
1. What makes the multi-task model different from conventional ones?| A．It involves an educational game. | B．It researches on adequate samples. |
| C．It analyzes the testing data separately. | D．It applies a new psychological theory. |
| A．Students played different games in the task. |
| B．Students should answer 17 questions after playing the game. |
| C．The multi-task model is the first to predict students’ learning performance. |
| D．The higher accuracy in prediction lies in the identification of common behaviors in every question. |
| A．Provide students with personalized guidance. |
| B．Help the game adapt itself to meet various needs. |
| C．Combine deep learning with machine learning further. |
| D．Incorporate more advanced technology into educational software. |
| A．AI experts. | B．Psychologists. | C．Teachers. | D．Test writers. |
【推荐2】The first attempt to mix visual arts and technology together dates back to the 60s’ when New York-based artists teamed up with scientists and engineers to deliver remarkable performances. Speaking of influential artists mixing tech and arts, Andy Warhol immediately comes to mind. He was among the first to create digital drawings on an Amiga computer in 1985.
When Covid-19 hit, the art industry struggled. About 95% of art-related events were canceled while 24% of organizations were forced to reduce staff. And yet, 65% of them are still managing to deliver content. Let’s see how technology impacts the art industry and helps it overcome the pandemic-induced challenges.
The artists try to use all kinds of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robots, sensors and IoT, AR and VR to create. For example, artists Julian Adenauer and Michael Haas created a robot that moves around on a canvas (画布) leaving a colorful trail. This art piece is fixed on the wall of the Berlin Gallery. It is changing every day as the robot keeps moving around, adding color in response to Haas’s idea of creation, “the process of creation is ideally endless.”
There are issues that we need to address when using technology in the arts. For example, in online streaming, paying the intellectual property taxes became a complicated matter. Another concern is who owns the copyrights of AI-generated art. Despite these obstacles, technology widens our horizons whether we produce or simply enjoy arts. If you have an idea of bettering your studio, museum, or art research with technology, don’t hesitate to reach out.
1. What is Andy Warhol’s influence?| A．He gave perfect performance in the 60s’. |
| B．He could draw pictures without computer. |
| C．He was the first man to combine tech with arts. |
| D．He was a leading artist using digital technology. |
| A．The painting skills are developing rapidly. |
| B．The employment rate is far below average. |
| C．The art industry undergoes great depression. |
| D．The work efficiency has been greatly improved. |
| A．How artists develop technologies. | B．How high-tech assists art creation. |
| C．How to draw pictures on the wall. | D．How to control AI robot. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Uncertain. | D．Objective. |
【推荐3】The three Asia Pacific airlines with the highest customer expectations of high quality in-flight Wi-Fi are all from China—Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
A report released last month by Inmarsat, a London-based leading provider of global satellite communication services, said these airlines would lead the industry as they recognize the value of making in-flight broadband available to passengers, who are increasingly seeing it as a necessity and a major factor when choosing an airline.
“In order for Chinese airlines to win the competition and lead the connectivity market in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring the availability of high quality onboard Wi-Fi is essential. This would differentiate customer experience and develop loyal customer relationships.”
Currently, adults in China spend an average of 1 hour and 38 minutes daily, with their smartphones, according to data provided by consultancy eMarketer.
The report found that 55 percent of respondents from China said they were willing to give up their preferred airline in the next year if poor quality in-flight connectivity was offered.
With airlines in every market racing to install or upgrade their Wi-Fi offering, passengers will have a choice for an airline that offers high-quality broadband, and will soon turn their back on airlines not offering this, according to the report, which surveyed more than 9,000 passengers worldwide in February.
“Specifically, passengers in China are most conscious of the quality of in-flight Wi-Fi. Passengers in China look forward to the flexibility and freedom to continue the lifestyle on the plane as they would on the ground,” Gergye said.
“Good quality Wi-Fi in the air is changing the way people think about flying. Whether using the time to work, to connect with friends and family, or to pass the time shopping or viewing entertainment, the availability of in-flight broadband has become a major factor when choosing an airline. It’s clear the opportunity that connectivity presents to airlines cannot be underestimated.”
Meanwhile, passengers in the Asia-Pacific region are among the most willing-to-pay group globally for in-flight Wi-Fi, with 91 percent of them willing to pay on long-distance flights and 79 percent on short-distance flights. The report also found that more than half of passengers in the Asia-Pacific region would take advantage of the ability to purchase items from the plane and collect them on arrival at the airport, and one third of respondents said they would choose to have in-flight purchases delivered to their home.
Finnair has enjoyed the benefits of its onboard connectivity. Since June, passengers have been able to use Alipay and Wi-Fi on all routes between China and Finland.
1. In which section of a newspaper can we read such a passage?| A．History. | B．Science. |
| C．Fiction. | D．Agriculture. |
| A．A vital service: In-flight Wi-Fi. |
| B．The introduction of the three Asia Pacific airlines. |
| C．Comments of every aspect about the three Asia Pacific airlines. |
| D．The preference of Chinese customers for airlines. |
| A．the quality of in-flight Wi-Fi | B．the flexibility and freedom |
| C．the lifestyle on the plane | D．the appearance of the crew |
| A．They would choose to receive their deliveries at home. |
| B．Over half of them will use the ability to buy items aboard. |
| C．They may be affordable and ready to buy items while travelling. |
| D．91% of them will prefer to pay on long-distance flights; 79% on short. |
【推荐1】The next time you fly, your drink cup might just look and taste a little bit different.
As we all know, air travel is not eco-friendly. In fact, each flight leaves a pretty big carbon footprint. According to the United Nations, emissions of carbon dioxide from airplanes is expected to have tripled by the year 2050. This is a big problem. In 2018 alone, over 900 million metric tons of emissions were created from air travel. While that issue is going to require a lot of attention, one airline is trying to find more immediate ways to reduce its own footprint, at least within the interior of its airplanes.
Air New Zealand is testing out an edible coffee cup aboard its flights. The cups are vanilla-flavored and leak-proof.
The cups are being produced by the New Zealand company Twiice. Currently, they are Twiice's only edible products, but the company says it expects to launch other edible items soon. According to its website, the coffee cups are made from wheat flour, sugar, egg and vanilla essence.
Air New Zealand currently uses eco-friendly cups on all of its flights. The edible cups may push its efforts to go green even further.
What are the passengers who've received their drinks in edible cups saying about them?
“The cups have been welcomed by our customers. We’ve also been using the cups as dessert bowls,” says Niki Chave, Air New Zealand's manager of customer experience.
The airline is also encouraging its customers to bring their own reusable bottles on flights. "It's great to see that more and more customers are bringing their own reusable drink bottles and are keeping cups on board,”says Air New Zealand. “Our cabin crew team is happy to fill these.”
1. What does the underlined word “edible” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?| A．Eatable. | B．Beautiful. | C．Unbreakable. | D．Green. |
| A．A new way to use cups on flights. |
| B．A new way to make air travel eco-friendly. |
| C．Air New Zealand’s good service. |
| D．Air New Zealand’s popularity among travelers. |
| A．Food waste is the main reason of pollution from air travel. |
| B．Twiice will lose more money due to its environmental efforts. |
| C．More and more air travelers are willing to protect environment. |
| D．Twiice will ask its customers to bring their own drinks in the future. |
| A．Tourism Economy. | B．Food Industry. |
| C．Environmental Protection. | D．Exclusive Interview. |
【推荐2】Skeptics are strange a lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The "eco-guilt" brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.
Perhaps that explains why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the "real state of the world" as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets of some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg's views are similar to those of some industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities through the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.
So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg's book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that "After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down."
Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg's "preference for unexamined materials is incredible".
A critical eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interest. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That's a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.
1. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as "skeptics"?| A．People who agree on the popularity of "eco-guilt". |
| B．People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities. |
| C．People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet. |
| D．People who spread comforting news to protect our environment. |
| A．The book challenges views about the fine state of the world. |
| B．Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests. |
| C．The author convinces people to speak comforting worldviews. |
| D．Industry–funded media present confusing information. |
| A．find fault with Lomborg's book |
| B．voice a different opinion |
| C．challenge the authority of the media |
| D．point out the value of scientific views |
| A．To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media. |
| B．To warn the public of the danger of half–blindness with reviews. |
| C．To blame the media's lack of responsibility in information. |
| D．To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye. |
【推荐3】What if you could give your child a special gift? A gift that was never the same, always changing? Now what if this gift was free, readily available and lasted forever?
Where do you find such a gift? It's easy: Just open your eyes and look up at the sky with your child, and you'll discover "the theatre over your heads which presents all kinds of shows," or "the art gallery above." says Jack Borden, former Boston television reporter who founded "For Spacious Skies (FSS)", a non-profit educational organization with the purpose of "stimulating and sustaining public awareness of the appearance of the sky".
Borden's big vision is to bring about "new eyes" in young children in terms of how they see the sky. But the most effective teachers and influencers of children — their parents — need to become "sky aware" themselves in order to pass the gift along.
And there's the rub.
"Could you describe the sky right now, without looking out of your window? Are there clouds? If so, what do they look like? Nine chances out of 10, you don't have a clue about the sky's appearance," says Borden. "We know that people are not looking at the sky. If they perceive the sky at all, it's in the context of the weather or astronomy."
"Sky awareness means expanding your horizons so that you begin to see that the sky is the province, not just of the weather reporter, but of the photographer, the artist, the poet, the dreamer. of the physical scientist." says Borden.
And it's the province of parents and their children.
What parent doesn't want to foster observation ability, imagination, creativity, curiosity and environmental responsibility in their children? "There's a lot to this. There's more to it than I ever dreamed," says Borden.
1. What is the special gift for children actually about?| A．A new view of the sky. | B．A new relationship to nature. |
| C．A good relationship with parents. | D．More knowledge about the weather. |
| A．It is almost impossible. | B．It is still unpopular with them. |
| C．It is unimportant for them. | D．It is quite unthinkable. |
| A．The sky has a great effect on people's daily life. |
| B．Many other people also show interest in the weather. |
| C．Many other people also play a role in weather report. |
| D．The sky also produces various effects for many others. |
| A．Borden's dream. | B．Advice to parents. |
| C．Benefits of sky awareness. | D．Requirements for cloud watching. |
【推荐1】Hardly a day goes by without a company telling us in its beautifully crafted advertising how much it contributes to the environment on our behalf. Flowers grow out of power-station chimneys; SUVs are presented in natural habitats; oil companies use sunny, friendly logos and promise cleaner technologies- although, in fact, they fail to make enough investment in renewable or alternative energy sources. Statistics are made up, and the tiniest ecological improvements are overstated in multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns, while in the meantime the greedy side of the business continues.
This is known as greenwashing, which means “making things that are not green look green”. The phenomenon has long existed since the first Earth Day in 1970, when companies spent $300 million advertising themselves as green companies—many times more than the money they actually spent on research into pollution reduction itself. And the trend continued over the following decades when some of the planet’s worst polluters tried to pass themselves off as eco-friendly. As the public’s environmental awareness grew, so too did the experience of corporate public relations strategies, and advertisers found ever- more-creative ways to use a green curtain to hide dark motives.
Of course, some businesses are genuinely committed to making the world a better, greener place. But when a company spends more time and money claiming to be “green” than actually adopting business practices that minimize environmental impact, it is clear that, for them, environmentalism is little more than a convenient slogan(口号). Their message is “buy our products and you will end global warming, improve air quality and save the oceans”. At best, such greenwashing pushes the fact to its limits; at worst, it helps conceal deception.
And what about today s consumers? Few of them are truly well-equipped to make informed decisions about what is true. Greenwashing is only possible because consumers often believe what they are being told-why else would companies do it? More information and greater awareness are essential. Analysing the tricks used by advertisers should be part of every school curriculum. Non- governmental organisations can spread the word. Consumer groups can punish the greenwashing companies. But it is not enough. Legally enforceable systems must be put in place.
So what is already being done about planned attempts to pull the wool over consumers’ eyes? In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action against misleading advertising claims. France has published Green Claims Guidance, stressing that “an advertisement must avoid conveying a message contrary to the accepted principles of sustainable development”. All of these surely are the heart of the matter: the true impact of advertising is the promotion of unsustainable lifestyles. And therein lies the real danger to our planet, a danger which cannot be ignored any longer.
1. What can we learn about greenwashing?| A．It is an ecological concept. |
| B．It is a marketing technique. |
| C．It is an awareness campaign. |
| D．It is an advertising innovation. |
| A．Hide the truth. | B．Raise the risk. |
| C．Expose the weakness. | D．Break the limit. |
| A．They are lacking in legal knowledge. |
| B．They have encouraged greenwashing. |
| C．They may question consumer groups. |
| D．They tend to make sensible decisions. |
| A．Actions to fight false advertising. |
| B．Ways to protect customers’ interest. |
| C．Attempts to solve environmental problems. |
| D．Proposals to ensure sustainable development. |
【推荐2】In just a few decades the United States could eliminate fossil fuels（矿物燃料）and rely 100 percent on clean, renewable energy. That's the vision of, a Stanford engineering professor who has produced a state-by-state road map of how the country could rid itself of coal oil, natural gas, and nuclear power.
By 2050, Jacobson expects the nation's transportation network - cars, ships, airplanes - to run on batteries or hydrogen produced from electricity. He sees the winds blowing across the Great Plains powering vast stretches of the country's middle while the burning sun helps electrify the Southwest. "There's no state that can't do this," Jacobson says.
Today only 13% of U. S. electricity comes from renewables（再生性能源）. Jacobson's goal would be one of the nation's most ambitious undertakings. This transformation would cost roughly $15 trillion, or $47,000 for each American, for building and installing systems that produce and store renewable energy.
What would it take? Seventy-eight million rooftop solar systems, nearly 49,000 commercial solar plants, 156,000 offshore wind turbines（风力涡轮机）, plus wave-energy systems. Land-based wind farms would need 328,000 turbines, each with blades longer than a football field,. These farms would occupy as much land as North Carolina.
For now, he says, prospects are encouraging. Thanks in part to government funding and large-scale production, costs are falling. The amount of power generated nationwide by wind and solar increased 15-fold each between 2003 and 2013. This summer Barack Obama moved to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, and Hawaii committed to having all its electricity provided by renewables by 2045.
Still, many experts aren't convinced. “It has zero chance,”Stephen Brick, an energy fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, says of Jacobson's plan. Political, regulatory, and social barriers are huge, especially in a nation where the energy systems - and much of its political influence - is rooted in the oil, gas, and coal industries. Some critics are concerned about whether the resulting grid（输电网）would be reliable. And neighborhood battles would likely occur over wind farms and solar plants. Even outspoken scientist James Hansen, who warned the government a quarter century ago about climate change, insists that nuclear power is essential to rid the country of fossil fuels.
Yet Jacobson’s work at least offers a starting point. Scientists and policymakers may keep arguing about solutions, but as Obama points out, the nation must continue its march toward a clean-energy future even if it's not yet clear how that will look in 35 years. “If we don't do it,” he said this summer, “nobody will.”
1. Which of the following does Professor Mark Jacobson engage in?| A．Organizing projects to build and install solar energy systems state by state. |
| B．Persuading the U. S. President to realize his renewable energy goal. |
| C．Outlining a plan detailing how energy in the U. S. could be carbon free by 2050. |
| D．Arguing about opportunities and obstacles of his plan. |
| A．The huge investment in solar and wind projects. |
| B．The unshakeable foundation of traditional energy systems. |
| C．The job losses in oil and coal industries. |
| D．The inevitable land-use battles between states. |
| A．one state of the U. S. will be first to become carbon free before 2050 |
| B．developing clean-energy industry will drive the world's market |
| C．fossil fuels will soon be eliminated in the U. S. |
| D．there will be no vacant land for wind farms |
| A．has no scientific grounds | B．unreasonably excludes nuclear power |
| C．will be eventually lacking in funds | D．is not feasible in some aspects |
| A．The Coexistence of Fossil Fuels and Renewables |
| B．A Blueprint for a Carbon Free America |
| C．One Man's Dream: Determination and Innovation in Energy Future |
| D．Professor and his Solar and Wind Technology |
【推荐3】Mindfulness—in basic terms, the practice of being “present” in the moment and paying attention to one’s own thoughts and feelings—has seen something of a boom over the last few years. While it certainly has its benefits, some argue that it encourages blind acceptance of the status quo, taking us so far into ourselves that we forget the rest of the world. In a new preprint on PsyArxiv, Michael Poulin and colleagues from New York’s University at Buffalo also find that mindfulness can decrease prosocial behaviours (亲社会行为).
The first study was designed to look at the impact of mindfulness on prosocial activity, and in particular, whether this depends on a person’s “self-construal”. In short, if someone has an independent self-construal they see the self as separate from others, rather than thinking more collectively and conceptualizing themselves as part of a wider group.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, one oriented around mindfulness meditation, and the other focusing on a control meditation in the form of mind wandering. Those in the mindfulness condition listened to a tape designed to inspire mindfulness through mindful breathing, while those in the mind wandering condition were instructed to “let your mind wander and think freely”.
After listening to the tapes, participants read about a local poverty and homelessness charity, before being asked whether or not they wanted to stuff envelopes in support of the organisation. Participants who decided to take part were left to do so for as long as they wanted. The team also measured participants’ self-construal by asking them to indicate how much they identified with friends, family, and wider groups compared to how much they thought of themselves as independent.
Most participants (84%) stuffed at least some envelopes after the task. People who participated in the mindfulness meditation stuffed 15% more envelopes than those who did the control mediation—if they had an interdependent self-construal. But for those with independent self-construals, mindfulness decreased the number of envelopes stuffed by 15%.
As the second study took place online, participants were not asked to stuff envelopes, but instead to sign up (or not) to chat online with alumni donors to request financial support for the same charity. And similar to the results of the first study, those in the interdependent condition saw an increased likelihood of volunteering after the mindfulness task, while those with independent self-construal were less likely to volunteer after listening to the mindfulness exercise.
Mindfulness has often been positioned as a panacea (灵丹妙药), not only for anxiety or other mental health conditions but in other areas, too: productivity, creativity, personal relationships, and particular traits or habits. Rather than treating it as a wholesale good, however, it may be better to understand when mindfulness might be truly beneficial—and, importantly, for whom.
1. What does the underlined word “stuff envelopes” in Para. 4 mean?| A．To employ people. | B．To write letters. | C．To donate money. | D．To open envelopes. |
| A．people less value charity work |
| B．people more willing to volunteer |
| C．interdependent people more independent |
| D．independent-minded people less prosocial |
| A．closely related to charity | B．not as popular as it used to be |
| C．useful under certain circumstances | D．effective in solving social problems |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Neutral. | D．Critical. |
