Imagine if there were a robotic fish that filtered (过滤) microplastic out of the water as it swam. Well, now there is one, and it’s the physical version of the winning concept in the first-ever Natural Robotics Contest.
Announced this May, the University of Surrey’s Natural Robots Contest invited members of the public to submit their ideas for animal-or plant-inspired robots capable of performing activities that would help the world.
Plans called for experts from various British and European research institutes to select what they thought was the best concept, which would subsequently be made into a functional type. Engineers would proceed to further develop the technology.
The winning entry turned out to be the plastic-collecting Robo-fish, designed by chemistry undergrad Eleanor Mackintosh — who is a University of Surrey student. Mackintosh said, “Fish’s gills are an incredible mechanism in nature that are specialized to filter oxygen into the bloodstream-so I adapted my design from that, with the purpose of addressing the plastic pollution in the water.”
The robot swims by moving its tail, holding its mouth wide open to collect water and microplastics in an internal cavity (腔) as it does so. Once that cavity is full, the robot closes its mouth, opens its gill flaps (鳃瓣) , and pushes the water out through those flaps by raising the floor of the cavity. A fine net attached to the gill flaps allows the water to pass through, but captures the microplastic.
In its current physical form, the 50-cm-long Robo-fish collects microplastic as small as 2millimeters. It also sports onboard sensors to monitor underwater environment, plus it uses an IMU (inertial measurement unit) to track its movements within the water.
That said future style could capture much smaller particles. Other possible improvements include a faster, more hydrodynamic body shape, a more powerful tail, and the ability to swim autonomously— the current type works by hard-wired remote control.
1. How do the participants attend the Natural Robotics Contest?| A．By submitting the concepts of robots. | B．By selecting the best concept of robots. |
| C．By developing the technology of robots. | D．By making the physical version of robots. |
| A．The body shape of the fish. | B．The function of fish’s gills. |
| C．The enthusiasm for robots. | D．The plastic pollution in the water. |
| A．How the robotic fish filters microplastics. | B．How the robotic fish is further improved. |
| C．Why Mackintosh’s robot won the contest. | D．What materials the robotic fish is made of. |
| A．The first bio-inspired robotics contest | B．The one-size-fits-all solution to plastics |
| C．An autonomously operating robotic fish | D．A student-designed plastic-collecting fish |
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【推荐1】Emoji might not be your first choice of communication in a disaster, but researchers feel they could make a difference during emergencies, where every second counts. Now, the Emoji-quake campaign is lobbying for an earthquake emoji to be accepted into the Unicode— the standard group of icons (图标) available on digital devices worldwide. The campaign aims to find an earthquake-appropriate design to be admitted to Unicode.
“Approximately up to one third of the world’s population are exposed to earthquakes,” explains University of Southampton seismologist (地震学家) Dr. Stephen Hicks, a founder of the campaign. “So we really want to be able to communicate to all of those regions, all of those different languages, and an emoji is an amazing way of doing that.”
Unlike many other weather and climate related events, where longer warning times or visible signs are available, earthquakes move incredibly quickly and are difficult to measure while they are still occurring. Populations in areas like Japan and Mexico are dependent on earthquake early warning technology, which issues an alert on digital devices and broadcast media. “You may have seconds to get under a table or to protect yourself,” explains Dr. Hicks. “That can be life saving in many cases. Naturally you don’t want too much wording in the warning message.”
Pictographs (象形文字) and other visuals like emoji have a track record of being faster and easier to understand than written information. Dr. Sara McBride, a communications specialist, who is also part of the campaign, told BBC News, “Emoji can cross the boundaries of written languages, helping communicate valuable information to people who may struggle to read a certain language.”
The potential usefulness of emoji in emergencies could extend well beyond earthquakes. A team of designers also came up with emerji—an entire set of emoji for climate and environmental events.
1. What was the aim of the Emoji-quake campaign?| A．To add an earthquake emoji to the Unicode. |
| B．To attract people’s attention to earthquakes. |
| C．To reduce the damages by earthquakes. |
| D．To help communicate in earthquakes. |
| A．Visuals like emoji can convey more information. |
| B．Emoji is being used to convey valuable information. |
| C．Emoji can cross the boundaries of written languages. |
| D．Emoji is a universal language in human communication. |
| A．Emerji is part of emoji. |
| B．Emoji is included into emerji. |
| C．They are two independent systems. |
| D．Emerji is for events beyond earthquakes. |
| A．Could an emoji save our life? |
| B．What can emoji do in our life? |
| C．How is emoji changing our life? |
| D．Do we really know about emoji? |
【推荐2】In elementary school, Glenn Cameron was very aware of the challenges faced by his friend, Roger, who had lost a hand. Now he has built an artificial helper for him.
The robotic hand is called “Dexi”. Each of its fingers can move independently. The strength and speed of the hand’s “muscles” can be controlled. He’s also created a digital version of this hand, which responds on a computer screen. Through a special headset, the system takes electrical signals from a human brain, sends them to a computer, and then the computer “tells” the hand what to do. For example, to make the hand close, you “see” a fist in your head.
In fact, Cameron’s first robotic hand was 3D printed online. Realizing the hand was too limited, he decided to build his own. It was quite a challenge, but his new version was better. It was also cheap, compared to many other robotic hand projects. Cameron says designing and building the hand was hard, but he went on. Then came the one Roger is using.
Cameron is working on a hand that can actually be used by a person who’s lost a hand at present. He says the new hand will be simpler, because there won’t be as much space. To make up for this, he’s adding a mini camera and trying to make the hand smarter.
Cameron encourages young people who think they might want to do something demanding and similar, “You just begin working towards it. Take one little step at a time, purposeful and steadfast, sooner or later you’re going to get to the place you long for.”
1. Which version of the artificial hand does Dexi belong to?| A．The first. | B．The second. |
| C．The third. | D．The fourth. |
| A．By operating the computer. | B．By thinking. |
| C．By sending electrical signals to the hand. | D．By speaking. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．The longest journey begins with the first step. |
| C．All things are difficult before they are easy. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| A．Cameron’s brain-controlled robotic hands. |
| B．Cameron’s story of success. |
| C．The latest designs of artificial intelligence hands. |
| D．A robotic helper for the disabled. |
【推荐3】Clean drinking water is something we might take for granted at home, but not so for travelers. The epiphany moment for Samuel Ian Rosen came when he found himself at an airport selling out $ 5 for a bottle of Evian water.
“Nobody up till now has built a digital map for drinking water,” Rosen, a serial entrepreneur(企业家), said in an interview. “Finding water is inconvenient. When I opened a digital map and typed ‘water fountain’, there was nothing. We solved it by building a digital map for water. We are a search engine. We tell you where the water is.”
Beginning October 23, consumers in cities from New York and Los Angeles to Amsterdam and New Delhi will be able to download an app called “Tap” on their mobile phones that will help them find the closest free public drinking fountains and water bottle refill stations at places like airports. They can also refill(再装满) their bottles at over 34,000 cafes. Restaurants and other businesses-from Umami Burger and Shake Shack to Sweetgreen and Barry's Bootcamp-have signed on globally in the Tap's Refill Station network. Rosen said that number is rapidly growing.
The app allows users to narrow their search by such criteria as whether the water is unfiltered(未过滤的) or flavored. There are also “water ATMS” where people will be able to purchase unpackaged water to refill their existing bottles.
“We didn't have to wait to convince anyone to sign up,” Rosen who previously founded on-demand storage company Makespace, said. “It's similar to what corporations are doing with sustainability for the same right reason. We have brand ambassadors as young as 10 signing up local businesses. This is a movement.”
1. An “epiphany moment” is when you .| A．experience something funny | B．are about to make a bad deal |
| C．come up with a bright idea | D．are mad at something unfair |
| A．To stop water waste. | B．To advertise some businesses. |
| C．To compete with digital map companies. | D．To make free drinking water accessible. |
| A．Filter(过滤) water. | B．Buy clean water. |
| C．Donate water bottles. | D．Store water for the poor. |
| A．Confidence. | B．Indifference. | C．Sympathy. | D．Relief. |
【推荐1】Digital hoarding (also known as e-hoarding or data hoarding) means accumulating(积累) a large quantity of electronic materials, even though they are no longer valuable to the user.
Antoinette, 25, said, “Though not well-organized, the WhatsApp chat with my best friends in high school will never be deleted. It’s interesting looking back at the start of the relationship so many years ago and who I was then, and I can see how the relationship has changed.”
Besides the “friends” we keep on social media, digital files, folders, music, movies and computer programs are also forms of digital hoarding. Both undergraduates and graduates expressed feeling overwhelmed with masses of technological leftover data: lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, PDFs of research, snapshots of classroom whiteboards — not to mention their own ever-increasing Facebook friends they didn’t know but were afraid of unfriending.
I am also a digital hoarder. My first home screen is filled with apps I use every day — Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, Outlook, Weather, etc. My second home screen has apps that I don’t use quite as much, but still want within easy reach — billing apps, shopping, and smart home apps. My third home screen is where things get complex and out of control, just a mess of games, business-related apps, and a ton of miscellaneous data that are hard to be grouped into one category. I keep telling myself maybe I’ll need them one day that has never come and probably never will.
Hoarders fall into different categories. “Collectors” are organized, systematic and in control of their data. “Accidental hoarders” are disorganized, don’t know what they have, and don’t have control over it. The “compliant hoarders” keep data on behalf of their companies. Finally, “anxious hoarders” have strong emotional ties to their data and are worried about deleting it.
People are more resistant when it comes to actually getting rid of their precious possessions — perhaps because they have treated these lifeless possessions as if they had thoughts and feelings.
1. Why does the author write the text?| A．To introduce digital collectors. | B．To present a modern phenomenon. |
| C．To advertise digital hoarding. | D．To offer tips on handling e-data. |
| A．Diverse. | B．Reliable. |
| C．Precise. | D．Suitable. |
| A．Collectors. | B．Accidental hoarders. |
| C．Compliant hoarder. | D．Anxious hoarders. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Uncaring. |
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, especially at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings (人行道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about rubbish. It isn't lawful to drop rubbish in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a dustbin.
Finally, as regards (至于) smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact the police, who will be pleased to help you. You can call, write or directly go to ask any policeman.
1. Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?| A．A guide | B．A person who makes laws |
| C．A teacher | D．An English officer |
| A．Four | B．Three | C．Six | D．Five |
| A．tell people that those above 18 can drink and smoke there |
| B．declare (宣布) the different laws of England |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．warn people against going to the country |
| A．keep in touch with (联系) | B．turn to | C．make a call to | D．write to |
【推荐3】’Instead of corona virus, the hunger will kill us.’ A global food crisis appears.
In the largest slum(贫民窟) in Kenya’s capital, people desperate to eat cause chaos during a recent giveaway of flour and cooking oil, leaving scores injured and two people dead.
In India, thousands of workers are lining up twice a day for bread and fried vegetables to keep hunger away.
The corona virus pandemic has brought hunger to millions of people around the world. An estimated 265 million people could be pushed to the edge of starvation by year’s end. “We’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Arif Husain, chief economist at the World Food Program, a U.N. agency. “It wasn’t a pretty picture to begin with, and this makes it probably worse.”
The world has experienced severe hunger crises before, but those were regional and caused by one factor or another — extreme weather, economic downturns, wars or political instability. This hunger crisis, experts say, is global and caused by a variety of factors linked to the corona virus pandemic and the following interruption of the economic order.
There is no shortage of food globally, or mass starvation from the pandemic — yet. But problems in planting, harvesting and transporting food will leave poor countries exposed in the coming months, especially those dependent on imports, said Johan Swinnen, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.
To lessen the impact of this crisis, some governments are fixing prices on food items, delivering free food and carrying out plans to send money transfers to the poorest households. Yet, communities across the world are also taking matters into their own hands. Some are raising money through crowdfunding platforms, while others have begun programs to purchase meals for needy families.
1. What can we know from the scenes of people getting food in Kenya and India?| A．Food shortage is becoming increasingly severe. |
| B．People in Kenya and India are rude and mean. |
| C．Food shortage causes people to go on strike. |
| D．People are afraid of being infected by corona virus. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncaring. | D．Pessimistic. |
| A．It is global and caused by various factors. |
| B．It has caused mass starvation regionally. |
| C．It is caused by natural disasters. |
| D．It is caused by the economic disorder. |
| A．Raising money. | B．Buying meals. |
| C．Giving out free food. | D．Setting prices on goods. |
