Hundreds of people die at sea every year due to ship and airplane accidents. Emergency teams have little time to rescue those in the water because the probability of finding a person alive falls dramatically after six hours. Beyond tides and challenging weather conditions, unsteady coastal currents often make search and rescue operations extremely difficult.
New insight into coastal flows gained by an international research team led by George Haller, Professor of Nonlinear Dynamics at ETH Zurich, promises to enhance the search and rescue techniques currently in use. Using tools from dynamical systems theory and ocean data, the team has developed an algorithm (算法) to predict where objects and people floating in water will go. “Our work has a clear potential to save lives,” says Mattia Serra, the first author of a study recently published in Nature Communications.
In today’s rescue operations at sea, complicated models of ocean dynamics and weather forecasting are used to predict the path of floating objects. For fast-changing coastal waters, however, such predictions are often inaccurate due to uncertain boundaries and missing data. As a result, a search may be launched in the wrong location, causing a loss of precious time.
Haller’s research team obtained mathematical results predicting that objects floating on the ocean’s surface should gather along a few special curves (曲线) which they call TRansient Attracting Profiles (TRAPs). These curves can’t be seen with our eyes but can be tracked from instant ocean surface current data using recent mathematical methods developed by the ETH team. This enables quick and precise planning of search paths that are less sensitive to uncertainties in the time and place of the accident.
In cooperation with a team from MIT, the ETH team tested their new, TRAP-based search algorithm in two separate ocean experiments near Martha’s Vineyard, which is on the northeastern coast of the United States. Working from the same real-time data available to the Coast Guard, the team successfully identified TRAPs in the region in real-time. They found that buoys and manikins (浮标和人体模型) thrown in the water indeed quickly gathered along these emerging curves. “Of several competing approaches tested in this project, this was the only algorithm that consistently found the right location”, says Haller.
“Our results are rapidly obtained, easy to interpret, and cheap to perform,” points out Serra. Haller stresses: “Our hope is that this method will become a standard part of the tool kit of coast guards everywhere.”
1. In a search and rescue operation, ________.| A．the survival rate drops to almost zero after six hours |
| B．the use of dynamics leads to the wrong location |
| C．weather conditions are a determining factor |
| D．changing currents present a challenge |
| A．accurately predicting weather conditions during rescue operations |
| B．dependence on satellite technology to locate distressed individuals at sea |
| C．cost-effective, efficient tracking of objects and individuals in coastal waters |
| D．predicting the exact time and location of ocean accidents |
| A．the collection of data |
| B．the testing of the algorithm |
| C．the identification of the TRAPs |
| D．the cooperation of two research teams |
| A．How Mathematics Can Save Lives at Sea |
| B．How Coastal Waters Affect Saving Lives |
| C．Why Algorithms Are Popular in Rescue Operations |
| D．Why Success Rates of Rescue Operations Have Fallen |
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【推荐1】Chinese researchers have developed a robot designed to help doctors treat the new coronavirus and other highly infectious diseases.
The machine has a long robotic arm attached to a base with wheels. It can perform some of the same medical examination tasks as doctors. Cameras record the robot’s activities, which are controlled remotely so doctors can avoid coming in close contact with infected patients. Doctors and other medical workers can operate the machine from a nearby room, or from much farther away.
The robot’s main designer is Zheng Gangtie, an engineer and professor at Tsinghua University. He told a news agency that he got the idea for the device around the time of the Lunar New Year in January, when the COVID-19 virus was spreading quickly.
Zheng said a friend of his is the head of Beijing’s Tsinghua Changgung Hospital. He said his friend told him that one of the biggest problems in dealing with COVID-19 was that healthcare workers treating patients were getting infected themselves. Zheng said he wanted to do something to help this situation.
So the engineer gathered a team and went to work on the robotic device. The team was able to convert(转换) two robotic arms. The devices use the same technology that is used for space equipment. The new robot is almost completely automated and perform the most dangerous tasks. However, some doctors said that it would be better not to build such robots to be fully automatic. This is because many patients still desire a personal presence to help calm them during treatment.
The plan is to use the robot to help treat coronavirus patients, along with assistance from nurses and other hospital workers. Zheng said he would like to build more of the robots and does not plan to make any profit from the design, but hopes that a company can begin that process.
1. What is one feature of the robot?| A．It takes the place of doctors. | B．It performs tasks through cameras. |
| C．It frees patients from diseases. | D．It allows doctors to work from a distance. |
| A．To appreciate his timely help. |
| B．To introduce the caring expert. |
| C．To explain the reason for creating the device. |
| D．To show the great danger of COVID-19 virus. |
| A．It requires some improvement. | B．It can’t replace doctors completely. |
| C．It is not useful to patients. | D．It is of great convenience. |
| A．He cares little about money. | B．He gets on well with his friends. |
| C．He is a leading scientist in his field. | D．He is a teacher at Tsinghua University. |
【推荐2】Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?
Don't dismiss that possibility entirely. About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don't appeal to robots. But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering — have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.
This isn't to be alarmist. Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. The Industrial Revolution didn't go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed. Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work. But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.
The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. Curriculums — from grammar school to college — should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication. Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots. Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.
The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines. The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven't been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.
Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.
Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation. Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.
1. what does the underlined word “their” in the second paragraph refer to?| A．Low-income workers. | B．Robot owners. |
| C．Robots. | D．Researchers of the study. |
| A．All jobs will be threatened by the coming of robots. |
| B．Optimists' opinions on new tech find little support. |
| C．Issues arising from automation need to be tackled. |
| D．Negative consequences of new tech can be avoided. |
| A．innovative potential | B．job-hunting skills |
| C．communication skills | D．cooperative spirit |
| A．encouraging the development of automation | B．boosting incomes |
| C．easing the hostility between rich and poor | D．bridging the income gap |
【推荐3】Brooke wanted a dollhouse and some sugar cookies. So the 6-year-old asked Alexa to get them. Alexa wasn’t her mom or babysitter. It was voice-activated home assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Alexa comes with the Amazon Echo device. And it made Brooke’s wishes come true. A few days later, much to her parents surprise, a $170 dollhouse and four pounds of cookies showed up.
Alexa is not the only AI willing to order up treats for you. Apple HomePod has Siri, Google Home has its Assistant, and the upcoming Galaxy Home device will have Bixby. People who own these devices use them mainly for listening to music, checking the weather, and setting timers. According to a report, voice shopping is rare. People who do it mainly order simple things like paper towels. But many experts predict a boom in voice shopping in the near future.
But voice shopping has its downsides. Unwanted dollhouses aren’t the biggest problem. It’s usually very easy to cancel an order or return items. The thing that creeps some people out is that these assistants are always listening. They have to be able to respond when you want them. So they listen to for “Alexa” or “OK Google” or another command. When they hear it, they start recording the conversation. Some have worried about what happens to these recordings. Should companies be allowed to use them to learn about people’s shopping habits? Should police access them to solve a crime? What if someone hacks the device?
What do you think? Are you ready to start voice shopping?
1. From the passage, we can learn that Alexa is ________.| A．an AI device for cleaning | B．an AI device for shopping |
| C．an AI device for speaking | D．an AI device for fixing |
| A．It is difficult to return the goods you buy by voice shopping. |
| B．It is very popular for young people to use voice shopping now. |
| C．It is possible for people to use voice shopping device widely in the future. |
| D．It is Alexa that is the only voice shopping device mentioned. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Subjective. | D．Negative. |
| A．A Common Shopping Way | B．A Creative Shopping Way |
| C．A Traditional Shopping Way | D．A Popular Shopping Way |
【推荐1】New York is among the slowest cities during rush hour in the world, according to a report published in January. Crossing midtown by car is soul-destroying. The average speed is 4.7 miles per hour, not much quicker than a quick walk. But relief is in sight. On April 1st, state lawmakers agreed to introduce road charges, making New York the first big American city to do so. By next year vehicles will have to pay to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
The details of the new rule, including how much drivers will have to pay, how they will pay and how often they will pay, have yet to be decided. A “traffic mobility review board" will be set up to work all this out. New Yorkers living in the fee zone who make less than $60,000 a year will be exempt (获豁免) . Other drivers, including motorcyclists, the city' s civil servants, disabled drivers and the trucking industry, all want discounts or exemptions, which might not be a good sign.
If done right, road pricing could be expanded beyond Manhattan. New York can learn from other cities. Singapore, for instance, which has had pricing for decades, adjusts prices regularly. It can also learn from mistakes. London, which rolled out its pricing in 2003, is only starting to charge on-demand car hires like Uber. Stockholm exempted too many vehicles, which caused a drop in revenues (收入) .
Other cities considering road charges, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia Portland, San Francisco and Seattle, are watching New York. "We really have t1o make a good example," says Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute, a New York think tank.
1. What does the report find?| A．New York has terrible road traffic. |
| B．New York often introduces new laws. |
| C．New Yorkers prefer walking to driving. |
| D．New Yorkers face an increased cost of living. |
| A．It faces some potential problems. |
| B．It has clear and detailed fee standards. |
| C．It favors New Yorkers living in the fee zone. |
| D．It fails to win a traffic mobility review board s approval. |
| A．They learn a lot from Singapore. |
| B．They have greatly increased revenues. |
| C．They charge on-demand car hires heavily. |
| D．They are bad examples of placing road charges. |
| A．How much does it cost to drive into Manhattan? |
| B．New York approves road pricing for Manhattan |
| C．Drivers fear crossing Manhattan south of 60th Street |
| D．Who will be exempt from road charges in Manhattan? |
【推荐2】COURTESY PAUL BOZYMOWSKI-Three New York City police officers paid for a woman’s groceries rather than arresting her.
As temperatures approached 90 degrees in New York City last July 4th, three police officers ducked into a Whole Foods Market to get something cold to drink. What they walked into was a heated human drama.
Once inside, the cops, Lt. Louis Sojo and Officers Esanidy Cuevas and Michael Rivera, were approached by a store security guard who asked for help with a suspected shoplifter. The woman in question didn’t have the look of a career criminal. She was obviously scared, and her cheeks were wet with tears.
The cops peeked inside her bag. “All we saw was containers of food.” Cuevas told CBS New York.
"I’m hungry," she explained quietly.
Caught red-handed, the woman no doubt expected to be sentenced to jail for the crime of being hungry while poor. But the cops had other ideas. “We’ll pay for her food,” Sojo told the surprised security guard.
There’d been no discussion among the three men. It went unsaid. Instead, they picked up the woman’s bag and accompanied her to a cash register, where each took out $10 to pay the tab. She would not be arrested today.
All the woman could do was weep in gratitude. Covering her face with a kerchief and drying her eyes, she repeated, “Thank you, thank you.”
She wasn’t the only one touched by this act of mercy. “It was a very beautiful, genuine moment,” says Paul Bozymowski, who was at the store. He was so taken by what he’d witnessed that he posted a photo on Twitter for all to see.
But attention was never what the officers sought. They were driven by a far more common emotion. As Sojo told CNN, “When you look at someone’s face and see that they need you and they’re actually hungry, it’s pretty difficult as a human being to walk away from something like this.”
1. What can be learnt about the woman from the passage?| A．She had stolen in the shop several times before. |
| B．She was caught on the spot by three police officers. |
| C．She was found innocent and would not be arrested. |
| D．She was forced to commit the crime due to the dilemma of life. |
| A．appeal for sympathy for the people in need | B．express his gratitude to the police officers |
| C．show more people the cops’ act of kindness | D．record the unforgettable moment in his life |
| A．Their great devotion to work | B．A deep sense of being human |
| C．The attraction of the public attention | D．Their different attitude towards shoplifting |
【推荐3】On March 23, 2010, Google Inc took a major step in withdrawing (收回) its search-engine services from Beijing to Hong Kong. Google acknowledged that it failed to make progress in talks with the Chinese government for permission to let Google stop censoring (审查) its search results.
Since posting the announcement on its website, Google’s stock (股票) price has fallen from $595 to about $567, while Baidu, the leading search engine in China, has seen its stock price rise by 50%. A potential foreign beneficiary (受益者) is Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine. And while Bing may not exactly have got the keys to a very rich kingdom, its managing group understand their good fortune and have not been shy about sticking the knife into Google. Craig Mundie, a chief officer of Bing, told China Daily that “we feel good enough now,” adding, “but it’s a 20-year journey, and not just three years. And Microsoft is here to stay.”
Several other Chinese Internet companies are no doubt moving swiftly to take advantage of this situation. Both Sohu. com—a Yahoo-like website in China—and a hugely successful instant-messaging company called Tencent (腾讯) are already trying to hire Google China staff. Analysts believe that of the two, Tencent is in the better position. Nearly 70% of China’s 400 million Internet users use instant-messaging, and of those, 80% use Tencent’s system, known as QQ. That’s the major reason why Tencent’s potential market is bigger than Baidu’s, and an insider at the company acknowledges that the search business is full of opportunities.
All the competitors of Google do what the Chinese government requires: censor their search results. If Microsoft and the others intend to be in China “to stay,” as Craig Mundie put it, there is no chance that the censoring principle will change for them.
As to the Google’s exit, one of its investors made the comment recently, “There’re still a lot of us who believe that they’ve made the wise choice. But Google is apparently out and I guess we just get to accept.” However, some Chinese netizens regretted the loss of its professional services on google. cn, such as maps, videos, music and translations.
1. Google.cn stops its business in China because _____.| A．too many companies enter the market | B．its stock price has fallen sharply |
| C．Chinese companies hire its workers | D．it refuses to censor the search results |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Chinese netizens won’t have any professional service |
| B．only Chinese companies will provide search service |
| C．China’s attitude towards censoring won’t be changed |
| D．the Google managing group will regret its decision |
| A．When Google Withdraws From China | B．Who Wins in China’s Search Business |
| C．Who Will Profit When Google Exits | D．Why Google Loses to Other Competitors |
