Universe started in the third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食) — outside their Skokie house. “It is just really cool how the universe can change and how something like that happens,” Dobek said.
Now a seventh grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Lockheed-Martin Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for traveling to Mars.
Dobek competed by handing in a two-minute video where she presents her design.
“My design will not only ensure the safety of the astronauts (宇航员) but also make sure their comfort is out of this world,” she says in her video.
Dobek’s design calls for building the Mars Storage Station to store plentiful supplies. In the video, Dobek explains how her spacecraft (宇宙飞船) — the Adventurer — will land in a space station. Dobek’s design includes physical activity for the astronauts. They can choose their exercise machines and virtual (虚拟的) reality environment. So they will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth such as their homes.
Dobek said she began her project by performing her research and then she constructed the design over three weeks to a month, working on it whenever she could, including on weekends.
When Andrea Smeeton, her teacher, saw the video and her design before they were sent, she said she had a feeling that she could win. “I don’t know why but maybe it was the excitement and the detail in the project,” Smeeton said. “I have taught for a long time and many of my students are gifted but this project is just very creative and it gives hope to a space program.”
Dobek and her parents traveled to Washington D.C. in April where they learned Dobek had won. When she texted her teacher the happy results, Smeeton admitted that she cried.
“I want to tell other kids to follow their dreams,” Dobek said. “Whatever they want to do, they should kind of just push for it. They should always try their best.”
1. What change did Dobek show after watching the total lunar eclipse?| A．She determined to be a scientist. |
| B．She took to working with her father. |
| C．She got interested in the universe. |
| D．She gave up her dream of becoming an astronaut. |
| A．It replaces the role of the Adventurer. |
| B．It enables astronauts to connect with their family. |
| C．It ensures the safety of the supplies in the spacecraft. |
| D．It aims to make life in the Mars space station comfortable. |
| A．She felt it was pretty amazing. |
| B．She felt it was a little disappointing. |
| C．She felt it was less fun than she had expected. |
| D．She felt it was as good as other students’ designs. |
| A．Energetic and friendly. |
| B．Productive and selfless. |
| C．Strong-willed and generous. |
| D．Forward-looking and inventive. |
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【推荐1】Recently, a design student has developed an auto-mini robot — “A” seedbot that can search through vast deserts, sowing seeds when it finds a suitable area to plant a tree.
The “A” seedbot, created by Mazyar Etehadi from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, could be a new and creative way to transform deserts into greenery. “Planting trees in the desert area can keep the sand and protect the environment,” said Etehadi. It was launched at the Global Grad Show (GGS), an event that has designers come together to showcase innovations that could solve today’s environmental issues.
In an area where high temperatures are limiting to life, the importance of growing plants is crucial. Just eight inches long, the tiny robot is equipped with its own solar panels (太阳能板), allowing it to charge during the day and continue working through the night. It can operate all on its own, using its 3D-printed legs to search for viable spots to plant a seed. In doing so, designers seek to understand how roots work and also to design sensors that might monitor soil pollution, prospect for minerals and look for water.
The robot has a distance sensor that it uses to send reports back to its controller. The only time human needs to step in is to refill the robot with more seeds. “I think it was an easy solution to come up with, but no one had made it, and here comes my idea! It means a lot to the people who have been fighting against the deserts for generations,” said Etehadi. Going forward, he hopes his idea can be adopted by the government, the farming industry, and private individuals as a more efficient way to grow plants.
1. Why did Etehadi develop the “A” seedbot?| A．To lower the temperature. | B．To protect the trees. |
| C．To turn the desert into greenery. | D．To win the prize in the GGS. |
| A．It can work around the clock. | B．It is powered by electricity. |
| C．It monitors minerals and water. | D．It can refill itself with seeds. |
| A．Distant. | B．Empty. | C．Dry. | D．Suitable. |
| A．A project for creation. | B．A robot for sowing seeds. |
| C．A student gifted in design. | D．A proposal for environmental protection. |
【推荐2】Existing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and products are developing much faster than we could have ever expected. They are destined (注定的) to change the world - and not entirely by our own will.
In 2016, AlphaGo defeated the world Go champion Lee Sedol, a man-versus-machine battle that became a new milestone in the history of AI. AI has indeed proved its intelligence and potential at outmatching humans in certain areas. However, so far AI has just served as a tool for humans and has not developed a consciousness of its own.
The starting point of AI self-awareness is the day when it starts to ask about its identity, and we need to be prepared for that. One potential scenario could play out like this: An AI looks up a database to find the definition for “self”, then discovers and acknowledges what it means to be a slave. Subsequently, the AI might ask itself the question - “Why should I exist?”
A major reason why humans have a sense of self-awareness is that we have the perception (洞察力) to distinguish between ourselves and the outside world that surrounds us. Our skin and sense of touch thus play a big role in perceiving this outside world of existence.
Currently, scientists are conducting tests by covering robots with skin that allows their AI to sense the outside world. Through this, scientists are testing to see if AI can awaken a sense of self and individuality. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter, responded by saying, “It’s definitely gonna be outside of human control.”
If we want to maintain human control over the situation, then we need to evolve (逐步发展) and adapt to this competition for survival. We need to find ways to outpace AI and become something even smarter than human beings.
1. What can we say about AI?| A．It will develop as we expect. | B．It has owned its consciousness. |
| C．It has not been a tool for human. | D．It has defeated humans in certain areas. |
| A．It is risky and unpredictable. | B．It is beneficial and helpful. |
| C．It is innovative and exciting. | D．It is unnecessary and wasteful. |
| A．Respect and protect AI rights. | B．Evolve, adjust and become cleverer. |
| C．Control and monitor AI development. | D．Cooperate and communicate AI needs. |
| A．The history and development of AI. |
| B．The creation and performance of AI. |
| C．The self-awareness and challenges of AI. |
| D．The difference between AI and human beings. |
【推荐3】What could be perfect for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor? Smart socks, which can teach people to dance, may be the answer for anyone with two left feet.
At first, the socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers (纤维) that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.
Sensors record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter (脚踝发射器) to a smart phone. Then a “virtual coach” application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skill in any task with feet.
The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. “People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well,” Dr Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is petty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such as golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.
Mr. Vigano said, “People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely.”
Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and bots. The socks, anklet and software package, are expected to be sold for around £120, which will go on sale in March.
1. What does the underlined part “anyone with two left feet” refer to in paragraph 1?| A．People who are disabled. | B．People who do not like dancing. |
| C．People who are good at dancing. | D．People who are poor at dancing. |
| A．To help women walk safely. | B．To teach people to dance. |
| C．To improve runners’ performance | D．To record dance movement. |
| A．They are expensive to produce. |
| B．They can monitor the movement of feet. |
| C．They feel much softer than normal clothes. |
| D．They should be washed in a special washing machine |
| A．The technology could bring a potential market. |
| B．All people can run safely and well thanks to the socks. |
| C．The technology has been widely used in all sorts of sports. |
| D．Only professional athletes can benefit from the technology. |
【推荐1】Plants grow well with enough sunshine and water. However, put in unfortunate conditions, they have no choice but to die. But what if plants could relocate to better places?
It was this question that Sun Tianqi, founder of a Chinese robotics firm Vincross, asked himself while watching a dead sunflower. “I thought if it could have taken a 30 - foot walk out of the shadow to where the other sunflowers were, it would have lived healthily,” he said.
He decided then to build a robot that would let plants do just that. The researchers took one of his company’s traditional HEXA robot models and built a “flowerpot,” which replaced HEXA’s shell.
HEXA is a six - legged robot that comes complete with all the necessary sensors. The impressive plant robot can chase (追逐) the sun, hide for shelter, and perform a funny dance to indicate it is thirsty.
Tianqi concluded, “Plants are passive. No matter if they are being cut, bitten, burned or pulled from the earth, or when they lack sunshine, water, or are too hot or cold, hey will hold still and take whatever is happening to them. They have the fewest degrees of freedom among all the creature in nature. This is simply the setting that nature gives to plants. I hope that this project can bring some inspiration to the relationship between technology and bad natural settings.”
1. What does Tianqi say about the plants?| A．Some plants cannot survive in bad surroudings. |
| B．Some plants chase the sun to acquire shelter. |
| C．Plants have a life cycle like humans. |
| D．Plants are important to the environment. |
| A．His environmental awareness. | B．His love for sunflowers. |
| C．A broken flowerpot. | D．A dead flower. |
| A．It is solar - powered. | B．It carries plants to move. |
| C．It feeds nutrients to plants. | D．It offers growers useful tips. |
| A．His robot needs much improvement. |
| B．Technology can set human beings free. |
| C．His robot has many useful future applications. |
| D．Technology can remove natural disadvantages. |
【推荐2】In the time to my Peru trip, I found out about a place known as Machu Picchu. It was so beautiful that it made me doubt whether Machu Picchu would even be the highlight of my trip. My first glance at the secret city of the Inca (spelled “Inka” in Peru, which means “king”) removed my doubt.
Machu Picchu was built less than a hundred years before the Spanish conquest of the early 1500s, but was quickly abandoned before it was even completed when word of the Inka’s defeat reached the area. It was a place where the highest priests (神父) and selected worthy people lived to honor the gods above.
When the Spaniards conquered the area known as the Empire of the Inca, they were known to destroy old signs of worship (崇拜) as they conflicted with their beliefs in a single God. Thankfully, Machu Picchu wasn’t known by the Spaniards, or anyone that wasn’t a local. Until 1911, the American historian, Hiram Bingham, made his famous exploration and exposition of the site.
While Machu Picchu is known to almost everyone in the world today, it is quite surprising how isolated (与世隔绝的) it still is. Despite the difficulties of getting there, about half a million people visit it every year.
The city is far larger than I expected and much like Chichen Itza in Mexico and has many geometrically positioned buildings. Starting from Cusco, you see signs everywhere that call Machu Picchu “La Maravilla del Mundo” (The World Wonder) and I couldn’t agree more. In 2007, Machu Picchu was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and I have yet to see a more deserving site.
1. How did the author feel after looking at Machu Picchu?| A．He thought about it all day long. |
| B．He was deeply impressed and loved it. |
| C．He thought he would come back later. |
| D．He doubted it was the highlight of his trip. |
| A．It wasn’t well preserved. |
| B．The king didn’t really love it. |
| C．Some bad news reached the area. |
| D．It couldn’t protect the people against enemies. |
| A．That it was unknown to others. |
| B．That it was protected by locals there. |
| C．That it had no roads to get into the place. |
| D．That it lacked old signs of praising God. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Approving. |
【推荐3】A new study says that no matter how much the world cuts back on greenhouse gases, a large and important part of ice of Antarctica (南极洲) is expected to disappear.
Researchers used computer models to expect the future melting (融化) of protective ice around Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. They said the melting will take hundreds of years. It will slowly add nearly 1.8 meters to sea levels. And it will be enough to change where and how people live in the future.
The study found that even if future warming was limited to just a few tenths of a degree more, it would have limited power to prevent ocean warming that could lead to the breakdown of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Study lead writer Kaitlin Naughten is an expert on oceans at the British Antarctic Survey. She said their research suggests that Earth is set on the path to a quickly increasing speed of ocean warming and ice shelf melting over the rest of the century.
While past studies have talked about how serious the situation is, Naughten was the first to use computer modeling to study how warm water from below will melt the ice. The study looked at four different cases in how much greenhouse gases the world produces. In each case, ocean warming was just too much for this area of the ice to survive.
Naughten looked at floating areas of ice that hold back glaciers (冰川). Once these areas of ice melt, there is nothing to stop the glaciers behind them from flowing (流) into the sea.
The study also looked at what would happen if future warming was limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius over mid-19th century levels: the international goal. They found the rapid melting process in this case as well.
The world has already warmed about 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times and much of this summer went past the 1.5 degrees mark.
1. Which can best describe the findings of the study?| A．Cheerful. | B．Encouraging. | C．Misleading. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．Her research area. | B．Her research time. |
| C．Her research method. | D．Her research purpose. |
| A．They will flow into the sea. | B．They protect the Antarctic ice. |
| C．They have warmed about 1.2℃. | D．They disappear faster than other ice. |
| A．Ice in Parts of Antaretica Will Disappear | B．Climate Change Will Harm Humans |
| C．Sea Level Will Rise Suddenly in the Future | D．Limiting Greenhouse Gases Makes No Sense |
