Deepfake Videos of Tom Cruise Raise Concern
A series of deepfake videos of Tom Cruise have gained more than 11 million views on TikTok. The creator said he never wanted to trick people. But since he has, he’s hoping the sudden influx (涌入) of attention can help bring greater awareness to the continued evolution of the technology that can create incredibly realistic fake videos of people.
“The important thing is, we didn’t want to fool people at any moment,” Chris Ume, 31, the Belgian visual effects artist behind the visual deepfake, said in an interview. “If I can help in creating awareness, or even work on detection in the future, I would love to.”
Ume created the four videos, in which it appeared to show the Hollywood star playing golf, doing a magic coin trick, and falling over while telling a story. The videos went visual, attracting attention on TikTok and across the Internet.
And though most people realized quickly that the videos were fake, even experts were impressed by their quality.
“My first thought was they’re incredibly well done,” said digital image expert HanyFarid, who is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and specializes in image analysis. “They are funny, and they’re clever.”
But they also offer a warning: Deepfake technology that has emerged in recent years continues to evolve and improve. And while deepfake videos have not yet been effectively used in many misinformation(虚假消息) campaigns, the danger is growing.
“In the early days, you could see the potential, but it wasn’t even close to being there,” Farid said. “But this felt to me like it was a real step, like we just took a big step forward in the development of this technology.
Synthetic(合成的) digital content, otherwise known as a deepfake, can include anything from an image or video in which one person or object is visually or audibly manipulated(操纵) to say and do something that is fabricated(伪造).
Although Ume used sophisticated visual effects editing, advancements in digital editing through smartphone apps such as Reface, Facetune and even Snapchat have made techniques like face-swapping(换脸) and image altering easier and could cause serious consequences, experts say.
1. What does the creator intend to do according to the text?| A．To attract more attention. | B．To earn much more money. |
| C．To play a trick on people. | D．To show technological progress. |
| A．The danger is increasing. |
| B．The technology is developing. |
| C．The deepfake videos are spreading widely. |
| D．The deepfake videos are effectively used. |
| A．Negative. | B．Optimistic. | C．Objective. | D．Pessimistic. |
| A．The deepfake videos are popular. | B．The deepfake videos raise concern. |
| C．The deepfake videos should be stopped. | D．The deepfake technology is advancing. |
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【推荐1】Researchers hope brain implants will one day help people with aphasia(失语症) to get their voice back—and maybe even to sing. Now, for the first time, scientists have demonstrated that the brain’s electrical activity can be decoded and used to reconstruct music.
A new study analyzed data from 29 people monitored for epileptic seizures(癫痫发作), using electrodes(电极) on the surface of their brain. As participants listened to a selected song, electrodes captured brain activity related to musical elements, such as tone, rhythm, and lyrics. Employing machine learning, Robert Knight from UC Berkeley and his colleagues reconstructed what the participants were hearing and published their study results. The paper is the first to suggest that scientists can “listen secretly to” the brain to synthesize(合成) music.
To turn brain activity data into musical sound, researchers trained an artificial intelligence (AI)model to decode data captured from thousands of electrodes that were attached to the participants as they listened to the song while undergoing surgery. Once the brain data were fed through the model, the music returned. The model also revealed some brain parts responding to different musical features of the song.
Although the findings focused on music, the researchers expect their results to be most useful for translating brain waves into human speech. Ludovic Bellier, the study’s lead author, explains that speech, regardless of language, has small melodic differences—tempo, stress, accents, and intonation—known as prosody(韵律). These elements carry meaning that we can’t communicate with words alone. He hopes the model will improve brain-computer interfaces (BCI), assistive devices that record speech-associated brain waves and use algorithms to reconstruct intended messages. This technology, still in its infancy, could help people who have lost the ability to speak because of aphasia.
Future research should investigate whether these models can be expanded from music that participants have heard to imagined internal speech. If a brain-computer interface could recreate someone’s speech with the prosody and emotional weight found in music, it could offer a richer communication experience beyond mere words.
Several barriers remain before we can put this technology in the hands—or brains— of patients. The current model relies on surgical implants. As recording techniques improve, the hope is to gather data non-invasively, possibly using ultrasensitive electrodes. However, under current technologies, this approach might result in a lower speed of decoding into natural speech. The researchers also hope to improve the playback clarity by packing the electrodes closer together on the brain’s surface, enabling an even more detailed look at the electrical symphony the brain produces.
| A．Electrodes can analyze musical elements. |
| B．The decoding of brain data helps recreate music. |
| C．Machine learning greatly enhances brain activity. |
| D．The AI model monitors music-responsive brain regions. |
| A．The prosody of speech. | B．The collection of brain waves. |
| C．The emotional weight of music. | D．The reconstruction of information. |
| A．Unlocking the Secrets of Melodic Mind | B．Brain Symphony: Synthesized Human Speech |
| C．BCI Brings Hope to People with Aphasia | D．Remarkable Journey: Decoding Brain with AI |
【推荐2】Robot Surgeon (外科医生) Succeeds without Help from Human Doctors
Humans make mistakes. Even surgeons with years of experience are not infallible. But what if these doctors could pool their knowledge and experience together and create a surgical standard of care, to be carried out by machines?
That’s the idea behind surgical robots, which may soon perform most surgeries, from sewing up tiny wounds to performing heart procedures. Many of these operations are, in fact, already completed with the assistance of robots. But a recent test suggests that robots in the operating room may soon go a step further, performing on soft tissue completely on their own, from start to finish.
The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), successfully completed surgeries on pigs. “We’re the first group to develop autonomous robotic surgery with soft-tissue surgery, and when compared to standard operation, it’s better, ”says Peter Kim, professor of surgery. “The idea is not to replace surgeons; it will make the surgeons better and make the procedures safer.”
A recent Mayo Clinic study found that major surgical errors-including operating on the wrong site or side of the body, or even leaving tools or objects inside the patient-occur every one out of 22, 000procedures. That’s rare, but robots like STAR would aim to lower the number even further.
In the da Vinci surgical system, surgeons place their arms inside instruments and use their hands to control the movement of robotic tools on the operating table from afar. The robot’s every major move is controlled by surgeons, and thus its results may vary based on the surgeon’s training or experience.
STAR, on the other hand, is entirely autonomous. It’s not only able to work on its own and perform surgeries with a more flexible “hand”, but it’s able to react to the unexpected incidents. Cutting into hard tissue like bones is one thing, but operating on moving soft tissue is far more complex. STAR reacts to a changing environment, similar to how self-driving cars are programmed to not only drive on the highway, but also react to another driver making a mistake and getting in your way.
1. The underlined word “infallible” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.| A．always right | B．really creative |
| C．rather responsible | D．quite smart |
| A．has been widely used in the operating room |
| B．can perform the operation on its own |
| C．can make surgeries much faster |
| D．will take the place of surgeons |
| A．robots are trained from afar |
| B．surgery results depend on surgeons |
| C．robots always make mistakes |
| D．surgeons have trouble controlling robots |
| A．how bad getting in another driver's way might be |
| B．how difficult self﹣driving on the highway is |
| C．how smart an autonomous robot can be |
| D．how dangerous operating on people is. |
【推荐3】Most online fraud(诈骗) involves identity theft Passwords help. But many can be guessed. Newer phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers often have strengthened security with fingerprint and facial recognition. But these can be imitated. That is why a new approach, behavioural biometrics(行为生物识别) is gaining ground.
It relies on the wealth of measurements made by today’s devices. These include data from sensors that reveal how people hold their phones when using them, how they carry them and even the way they walk. Touchscreens, keyboards and mice can be monitored(监测) to show the distinctive ways in which someone’s fingers and hands move. These features can then be used to determine whether someone attempting to make a deal is likely to be the device’s habitual user.
“Behavioural biometrics make it possible to identify an individual’s unique motion fingerprint”, says John Whaley, head of Unifyid, a firm in Silicon Valley that is involved in the field. When coupled with information about a user’s finger pressure and speed on the touchscreen, as well as a device’s regular places of use—as revealed by its GPS unit—that user’s identity can be pretty well determined.
Used wisely, behavioural biometrics could be a great benefit. In fact, Unifyid and an unnamed car company are even developing a system that unlocks the doors of a vehicle once the pace of the driver, as measured by his phone, is recognized. Used unwisely, however, the system would become yet another electronic spy on people’s privacy, permitting complete strangers to monitor your every action, from the moment you reach for your phone in the morning, to when you throw it on the floor at night.
1. What is behavioural biometrics for?| A．To identify network crime | B．To ensure network security. |
| C．To track online fraud. | D．To gather online data. |
| A．By limiting and discovering users’ passwords. |
| B．By spotting and revealing where a device is regularly used. |
| C．By offering and analyzing users’ facial features. |
| D．By monitoring and comparing how users interact with devices. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned | C．Favorable. | D．Objective. |
| A．Science and technology. | B．Health and wealth. |
| C．Finance and economics | D．Books and arts |
【推荐1】Inequality in the workplace has long been a hot topic but gender economist Roy is actively turning that conversation into action. She founded Pipeline Equity, a company that employs artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and drive economic gains through gender equality. "The idea was: If we could change decisions that are made in organizations, we could actually make gender equality a reality in our lifetime, rather than the hundred or so years that we World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts." Roy said.
The WEF’s predictions were made before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which Roy called a "she-session," because women have lost the majority of jobs during this particular economic downturn. "With remote work and with people being at home with children, most caregiving and unpaid work falls to women."
There has been much talk about such situations being good for gender equality, but Roy warned while working from home could help keep more women in the workforce, it could have a negative impact on female promotions.
"At this moment, there's the opportunity to employ AI to ensure we make progress on gender equality, ""Roy explained. "For companies, that is particularly important because in the 008 Great Recession（经济大萧条），companies that put equality at the core of their crisis management strategy actually increased the speed of their recovery."
But to close the gender pay gap, we can't start by talking about pay. "Pay is the symptom it’s not the disease." Roy said. "Pay is the quantitative（数量的）value that you place on your talent. But the actual value happens before that in performance and potential. "That's where Pipeline's platform steps in.
Using natural language processing, Pipeline's platform reads through performance reviews and calls out any biased phrases. They've found that on average, women are under-valued 4 percent of the time, and that actually impacts their ability to be promoted, as well as their pay.
"As this moment, we have the opportunity to embrace AI as a tool to achieve get equality." Roy said
1. Women in the workplace may face problems EXCEPT________.| A．Being under-valued | B．getting a lower pay |
| C．Heavy economic burden | D．smaller chances of promotion |
| A．AI had long been employed in the workplace |
| B．gender equality was the key to solving the crisis |
| C．Gender equality could play an important role during economic crisis |
| D．the present situation was similar to that of the 2008 Great Recession |
| A．Pay is the root of gender inequality. |
| B．Pay is not worth attaching importance to. |
| C．Pay is just an indicator of gender inequality. |
| D．Pay is the first step towards ensuring gender quality. |
| A．Pay gap will soon be closed. |
| B．AI brings equality into the workplace. |
| C．It’s time to ensure equality in the workplace. |
| D．The more women in the workplace, the better. |
【推荐2】An infectious disease is a disease that is caused by the invasion of a host by pathogens（病原体）whose activities harm the host’s tissues and can be spread to other individuals.
Microorganisms（微生物）capable of causing disease are called pathogens. A true pathogen is an infectious agent that causes disease in any possible host. The terms “infection” and “disease” are quite different. In order to cause disease, pathogens must be able to enter the host body, stick to specific host cells, invade and multiply and do damage to host tissues.
Pathogens may be spread through either direct or indirect contact. Direct contact occurs when an individual is infected by contact with the infection source. It also includes taking in the infectious droplets released by sneezing or coughing. Indirect contact occurs when a pathogen can survive the environment outside its host for a long period of time. So lifeless objects that are polluted by direct contact with the infection source may be the indirect contact for easily infected group.
Public health measures typically involve killing the pathogen from its source or from its route of spread. Those measures include ensuring a safe water supply, effectively treating waste water, and initiating animal control and vaccination（疫苗）programs, etc. Personally, the first line of defense is to keep pathogen at bay by following good personal hygiene（卫生）habits. Prevent infection before it begins and avoid spreading it to others with some easy measures, such as washing hands, getting vaccinated and so on.
Man never stops fighting against all kinds of infectious diseases. But in the past two decades at least a dozen “new” disease have been identified, and traditional diseases that appeared to be “on their way out” are re-emerging. Globally, infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death. Clearly, the ballet has not been won. Nevertheless, it is increasingly difficult for most of us to deny the claims of science. We are continually presented with great amounts of relevant scientific and medical knowledge, which encourages us to take more responsibility for our own health.
1. What does paragragh 2 focus on?| A．Origin of true pathogens. |
| B．Nature of infectious diseases. |
| C．Strategies for avoiding tissue damage. |
| D．Differences between infection and disease. |
| A．Getting bitten by an infected dog. |
| B．Playing toys a sick child played with. |
| C．Breathing in tiny drops from sneezing |
| D．Shaking hands with an infected person. |
| A．At risk. | B．Off course. |
| C．Under control. | D．Within reach. |
| A．Man is at a loss about infectious diseases. |
| B．Traditional infectious diseases are dying out. |
| C．Science counts in defeating infectious diseases. |
| D．The battle against infectious diseases is in vain. |
【推荐3】When evaluating people on various psychological tests, psychologists often distinguish between markers of absolute performance and relative performance. Absolute performance reflects the raw measurement of something, like the time it takes to run a mile. Relative performance is how a person rates in relation to their peers, as in what place a runner gets in a race.
The standards we use to evaluate ourselves are almost always relative, as we compare ourselves to our peers and the standards that are most familiar to us. For instance, in my private practice, I have one patient I will call “Omar” who is dependent on social services and makes less than $30,000 per year at his job. While this level of poverty would lead most people to wake up depressed each day, Omar is one of the most optimistic and appreciative individuals I know. Why? Because most of his closest peers — his siblings and friends from childhood — have lives far worse than his.
In contrast to Omar, I have another patient, an adolescent I’ll call “Lena”, whose family has property over $5 million. Lena, however, lives in an upper-class neighborhood where her family is at the lower end of the income level. Though Lena's family allows her to enjoy possessions and experiences that less than I percent of her peers across the world can share, she consistently feels “less than”. Why? Because Lena doesn't compare herself to the rest of the world; This is too abstract an exercise for her, as it would be for most of us.
Accordingly, whether a psychologist is psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral, therapy (疗法) with individuals struggling with situational or psychological depression aims to solve the problems associated with basing one's self-worth on comparisons with others. Psychologists try to help people focus on personal growth around the achievement of concrete goals in line with their values. independent of the achievement of others. For all of us, defining these goals, especially during Periods of emotional calm, can go a long way in helping us to avoid the trap of relativity that often leads to situational and psychological depression.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To show the significance of evaluating people. |
| B．To motivate readers to study psychological tests. |
| C．To help people perform well in psychological tests. |
| D．To provide some background information on evaluating people. |
| A．To measure different achievement. |
| B．To introduce the standards to evaluate people. |
| C．To explain relative performance with examples. |
| D．To contrast relative performance and absolute performance. |
| A．Setting goals in life is essential for everyone. |
| B．It's important to avoid unhealthy comparisons. |
| C．A sense of achievement can affect one's happiness, |
| D．Improving self-worth can help get rid of depression. |
| A．Happiness: Is it all relative? |
| B．Self-worth: Is it measurable? |
| C．Self-worth: Is it based on efforts? |
| D．Happiness: Is it associated with achievement? |
