Human experts spend years roasting and tasting coffee from many places to learn about the beans. They might then combine a coffee bean from Africa with another one from South America to come up with a new blend. But, a coffee roasting company in Helsinki, Finland is hoping that artificial intelligence, or AI, can help ease the workload.
Kaffa Roastery recently launched its “AI-conic” blend at the Helsinki Coffee Festival. The blend is a mixture of four kinds of beans, including Fazenda Pinhal from Brazil. It is the result of a joint project by Kaffa and Elev, a local AI business. Elev told The Associated Press that its computer models, similar to ChatGPT and Copilot, created a blend that would “push the boundaries of conventional flavor combinations. ”
Svante Hampf is the founder of Kaffa Roastery. He and his partners wanted to do an experiment to see what blend the computer would produce. “We basically gave descriptions of all our coffee types and their flavors to AI and instructed it to create a new exciting blend, ” Hampf said. The “AI-conic” blend combined beans from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala. It is described as “a well-balanced blend of sweetness and ripe fruit”.
Hampf said he thought the combination was “somewhat weird. ” He was surprised that the AI program chose to make the blend out of four different kinds of beans. Most humans choose only two or three beans. However, after the first blind test of the new blend, Kaffa’s coffee experts agreed that the AI-assisted blend was perfect. There was no need to change.
Elev’s Antti Merilehto said “AI-conic” is an example of “how AI can introduce new perspectives to seasoned professionals.” And the roasters at Kaffa said they hope the AI project will help to bring more things to the strong coffee culture in the country.
1. What does the first paragraph aim to do?A.To present a trend. | B.To give an example. |
C.To introduce a topic. | D.To interpret a working principle. |
A.It came from a joint effort. | B.It received positive feedback. |
C.It showed us more possibilities. | D.It proved AI was better than human. |
A.It was perfect. | B.It was a little strange. |
C.It needed improving. | D.It was too sweet to eat. |
A.Devoted. | B.Frustrated. | C.Overjoyed. | D.Experienced. |
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【推荐1】The best thing to start your day is a good breakfast. In fact, many people believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In China, porridge with pickles (咸菜), baozi, noodles, soybean milk and youtiao are common breakfast foods. What are breakfasts in other countries like? Let’s take a look!
US
In the US, a good Sunday morning starts with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon or juicy sausages, and soft pancakes with butter and sweet syrup on top. On busy weekdays, most people in the US like to eat cereal with milk, bread and fruit for breakfast. Some people also drink coffee.
Canada
Canada is the largest producer of maple syrup. People usually have pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. Canadian bacon is a popular dish for breakfast as well. Canadian bacon is quite unlike the crispy bacon of the United States. It tastes more like ham and is served in thin round slices.
Britain
The British breakfast is similar to the American breakfast. A basic British breakfast consists of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked (烘) beans, and tomatoes. These foods are popular among young people in Britain. Usually, British people have coffee, tea or milk to drink. Some people also like to drink orange juice.
Japan
Most people in Japan these days – at least in big cities – eat a quick Western-style breakfast like eggs, toast, juice and coffee. Those who prefer more traditional foods are likely to have tea and miso soup with rice. Steamed rice is necessary for a Japanese-style breakfast. People also add nori seaweed or a little raw egg to their rice.
1. On busy weekday mornings, most people in the US prefer _____.A.scrambled eggs, crispy bacon or juicy sausages |
B.soft pancakes with butter and sweet syrup on top |
C.ham, scrambled eggs and pancakes |
D.cereal with milk, bread and fruit |
A.America | B.Canada | C.Britain | D.Japan |
A.scrambled eggs, mushrooms and baked beans |
B.fried eggs, sausages with sweet syrup |
C.bacon, sausages, mushrooms and noodles |
D.fried eggs, sausages, tomatoes with coffee or tea |
【推荐2】One thing that has always attracted us is the food taboos (禁忌). There is one that seems to be acknowledged in the West: the idea that seedless (无籽) fruits are dangerous.
For those unfamiliar with this belief, it seems to go like this. The basic function of fruit in nature is to spread the seeds of the plant to ensure the survival of the species. When fruits are seedless, however, it is meant to be a sign that they want to give up their basic function. According to more extreme views, these fruits not only have fewer vitamins and minerals, but also are actually harmful to humans.
In fact, from the view of science, seedless fruits are the result of a biological development. While it is true that this development can be the result of human actions, it also happens in nature all the time. Often, it is a combination of both.
What effect does the absence of seeds have on nutrition (营养)? Well, seeds do often contain nutrients like fibre, which can mean seed-containing fruits are a little bit higher in fibre. They can also contain potentially beneficial nutrients. This, however, will make a difference only when you eat up the seeds, bite them with your teeth and break the seeds in a digestible form.
Then there is the question of popularity. It doesn't matter how nutrient-packed a crop is if people are unwilling to eat it. While the nutritional difference between seeded and seedless is very small, we know that the sale of seedless fruits has greatly increased since seedless forms were introduced to the market. So when seen in this wider viewpoint, rather than being a loss for nutrition in our diets, seedless fruits have been a gain for us human beings.
1. What do western people with extreme views believe?A.Seedless fruits are the result of a biological process. |
B.Seedless fruits could actually do harm to human beings. |
C.Seedless fruits could have more vitamins and minerals. |
D.Seedless fruits could spread seeds to ensure survival of the species. |
A.Seedless fruits existed due to human actions rather than nature. |
B.Biting seeds of fruits can be helpful to your teeth more or less. |
C.Seedless fruits have no difference from fruits with seeds in nutrition. |
D.Many people choose seedless fruits after its presence at the market. |
A.Uninterested | B.Positive | C.Negative | D.Cautious |
A.Well, Seed Or Seedless, That Is a Question |
B.Yes, Fruits with Seeds Always Win Your Heart |
C.No, There's Nothing Wrong with Seedless Fruits |
D.Surprise! A New Study Supports Fruits without Seeds |
【推荐3】Every drink has a destination that defines it. In turn, these drinks become the local pride and develop their own distinctive personality. As you travel around, you’ll discover how every place has its own style.
Mint Tea — Morocco
Most Moroccan families have an additional fine tea service only for special occasions and visiting guests. Mint tea is simply hot water with dried peppermint, and much sugar. Be warned: sometimes the tea may make your cheeks hurt.
Gahwa — United Arab Emirates
Centuries ago, Arabians noticed their goats became very active after chewing coffee berries, and so made their own energy drink out of it, and thus gahwa — Arabic coffee — and the world’s first coffee culture was born. When you’re in the UAE, you’ll notice how important gahwa is for socialising, as it’s usually served at family gatherings and business meetings.
Tequila — Mexico
Mexico’s hero drink tequila has its roots in adventure, made from the hardy blue agave plant that grows in the red volcanic soils, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site. If you find a worm in your bottle, be sure to send it back, as it’s likely not tequila but its low-quality cousin, mezcal.
Rakija — Croatia
In the Balkans, the locals begin their meals with a glass of rakija, which is confidence if ever we’ve seen it. Produced using primarily herbs, rakija is both the national drink and usually homemade. Rakija is traditionally used as a medicinal drink.
1. Which drink is sweet?A.Gahwa. | B.Tequila. | C.Rakija. | D.Mint Tea. |
A.It led to the birth of coffee culture. | B.It had its roots in adventure. |
C.It hurt the drinker’s cheeks. | D.It originated from Croatia. |
A.Its raw material. | B.Its long history. |
C.Its medical function. | D.Its productive process. |
【推荐1】Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying “curiosity killed the cat.” It’s a phrase that’s often used to warn people — especially children — not to ask too many questions.
In addition to this, there’s the fact that we all now connect so deeply with technology, particularly with our phones. The more we stare at our screens, the less we talk to other people directly.
The final — and perhaps most worrying — way in which technology stops us from asking more has to do with algorithms, the processes followed by computers. As we increasingly get our news via social media, the big data find out what we like and push more of the same back to us.
A.Yet it’s widely agreed that curiosity actually makes learning more effective. |
B.All too often we accept the images of people that social media provides us with. |
C.That means we end up inside our own little bubbles, no longer coming across new ideas. |
D.We are always encouraged to challenge our pre-existing beliefs |
E.In science, basic curiosity-driven research can have unexpected important benefits. |
F.However, curiosity is currently under the biggest threat, coming from technology. |
G.It is still not known why learning gives us such pleasure |
【推荐2】Believe it or not, the concept of a human washing machine isn’t new. At the 1970 Osaka Expo, Japanese electronics giant Sanyo Electric showed its “Ultrasonic Bath” (超声波浴缸), a human washing machine that cleaned, massaged, and dried the person in a fully-automated 15-minute cycle. The concept never really took off as a commercial product, but now another Japanese technology company wants to take a shot at it, promising to deliver a modern take on the human washing machine by 2025.
Science Co. Ltd., a company known for its many innovations in bath and kitchen technology, has announced its plans to create its own version of the human washing machine. Named “Project Usoyaro”, it uses the latest fine technology, as well as a variety of monitoring sensors (传感器) and an artificial intelligence system to produce a complex bath experience.
Science has stated that the goal of Project Usoyaro is not only to clean the body of the user, but also to provide a healing space where you can relax, listen to the sound of soothing music and enjoy the view of images displayed on a water-resistant display inside the machine. Sensors inside the washing machine will measure the state of nerves (神经), and the built-in AI will use the collected data to create the most comfortable atmosphere possible.
Project Usoyaro is surely a pet project of Science Co. Ltd. chairman Yasuaki Aoyama, who was only 10 years old when Sanyo’s original human washing machine appeared. He was so attracted by the invention that he decided to improve on it if he ever had the chance. Science expects that Project Usoyaro will result in a functional human washing machine by 2024, which the company hopes to showcase at the 2025 Osaka Expo.
1. What does the underlined phrase “take a shot at it” in Paragraph 1 mean?A.Take a picture of it. | B.Make a remark about it. |
C.Give it a chance. | D.Make a movie of it. |
A.Research on human body. | B.Protection of their production. |
C.Profits from their innovation. | D.Creation in bath and kitchen technology. |
A.It offers people a complicated bath experience. | B.It provide a space where people can talk to others. |
C.It doesn’t use artificial intelligence system. | D.It uses only one unique monitoring sensor. |
A.Osaka Expo is going to be held in 2028. |
B.Yasuaki Aoyama is a technology lover. |
C.A functional human washing machine has been made. |
D.Yasuaki Aoyama invented the human washing machine. |
A.To call on people to invent more machines. | B.To describe the history of kitchen innovation. |
C.To analyze the success of Science company. | D.To inform people of bathroom innovation. |
【推荐3】Now, an increasing number of cities are suspending recycling services, partly out of fear that workers might contact the coronavirus from one another while sorting through used water bottles, food containers and boxes. One solution: Let robots do the job.
Since the coronavirus took hold in the United States last month, AMP Robotics has seen a “significant” increase in orders for its robots that use artificial intelligence to sort through recycled material, and weed out trash. Some facilities that were looking at getting one or two robots are now saying. “We need quite a bit more.” The Colorado company’s chief executive, Matanya Horowitz said , “It’s all moving quite fast.”
Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, from call centers to warehouses and grocery stores, as companies looked to cut labor costs and improve profit.
But labor and robotics experts say social-distancing directives, which are likely to continue in some form after the crisis become less strong, could cause more industries to accelerate their use of automation. And long-lasting worries about job losses or a broad unease about having machines control vital aspects of daily life could disappear as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact.
Recycling is one industry that may be altered permanently by the pandemic. Some workers, who earn as little as $10 an hour, have been concerned about coming to work during the crisis and some cities have been competing to find enough protective gear (防护装备) for all of their employees. Federal health officials have assured them that the risks of transmission from household refuse is low. But workers in recycling facilities often work side by side sorting material, making social distancing difficult
At AMP Robotics, executives like Mr. Horowitz say their robots will enable recycling facilities to space out their employees. who stand at conveyor belts weeding through the used plastic and paper.
1. The underlined word “suspend” in paragraph 1 most probably means ________ .A.admit | B.adopt | C.delay | D.advocate |
A.Panicked. | B.Worried. | C.Unconcerned. | D.Appreciative. |
A.Sorting out recycled material. | B.Producing enough protective gear. |
C.Replacing the jobs of cheap labor. | D.Minimizing close human contact |
A.Robots cause severe unemployment. | B.Pandemic accelerates automation. |
C.Recycling industry is changing | D.Social distancing is still important. |
【推荐1】Bill Gates’ body might live in the present, but his brain lives in the future. He has made a career out of predicting what will happen in matters of computing, public health and the environment. He correctly predicted the rise of smartphones and social media, and his latest predictions could come true, too. Here’s what Gates predicts for the future of our world.
In his Annual Letter 2015, Gates made the prediction that Africa’s agriculture industry would increase productivity by 50% by 2030. Now the continent buys about $50 billion worth of food from other countries each year, although 70% of people in Africa are farmers. “In the next 15 years,however,creations in farming will solve the food problem in Africa,” Gates wrote. “The world has already developed crops that are more productive; with all the technologies, African farmers could possibly double their harvests.”
By 2035, there could be almost no poor countries. In his Annual Letter 2014, Gates bravely predicted that continued levels of foreign help could mean there would be almost no more poor countries by 2035. “Almost all countries will be what we now call lower-middle income or richer,” Gates explained. “Countries will learn from their most productive neighbors and benefit from things like better seeds and the digital revolution. ”
By 2030, the world will discover a clean-energy breakthrough to power our world. One of Gate’s more hopeful predictions which came in 2016 said that wind, solar, or some other renewable resources would power most of the world within 15 years. “The difficulty we face is big, perhaps bigger than many people imagine,” he wrote in his letter. “But so is the chance to make things better.” Many of the poor countries he visited had no running water or electricity. At night this meant they couldn’t light or power their homes, and keep businesses open.” If the world can find a type of cheap, clean energy, it will do more than prevent climate change,” he wrote. “It will change the lives of millions of the poorest families.”
1. What does the author think of Gates’ predictions?A.They sound quite unreal. | B.They are mainly about computers. |
C.They will probably come true. | D.They haven’t produced any end result. |
A.It is losing its workforce. | B.It is in need of productivity. |
C.It can satisfy the local needs. | D.It is as backward as Africa’s industry. |
A.Use expensive seeds. | B.Expect less foreign help. |
C.Rely on the digital revolution. | D.Learn from the experience of other countries. |
A.It’s no easy task. | B.It’s hard to imagine. |
C.It can put climate change to an end. | D.It has little to do with poor families. |
【推荐2】What is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is an annual global campaign that encourages people and businesses around the world to switch off electricity at the same time for one hour. Earth Hour started in Australia in2007 when 2.2 million people in Sydney turned off all non-essential lights for an hour. Since then it has grow in to a massive global event. In 2013, millions of people in 7,000 cities and towns around the world switched off their lights for 60 minutes at the end of March. Every year landmarks and well-known buildings around the world take part and go dark for Earth Hour. The campaign even went into space when astronauts reduced power on the International Space Station in 2011.
Who organizes Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It was started by Andy Ridley who is executive director of Earth Hour Global, WWF. He came up with the idea because he wanted to raise awareness of environmental issues by asking people to do something positive to help the planet. Switching off the lights for an hour can make a small difference to the amount of energy we use but Earth Hour is also a symbolic event to make people think about the problems of climate change.
Why March?
The end of March is around the time of the spring and autumn equinoxes(昼夜平分时) in both hemispheres (半球) respectively, when sunset times are at similar times. This means that a global “lights out” event has most visual effect at this time of year.
UK events
As well as famous London landmarks such as Big Ben, London Eye and Buckingham Palace switching off their lights, there are many other events around Britain. On the WWFs interactive map you can see which people, businesses, schools, organizations and landmarks are taking part each year and what they are doing.
1. When and where did Earth Hour begin?A.In Britain, in 2007. | B.In Sydney, in 2013. |
C.In London, in 2011. | D.In Australia, in 2007. |
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.The lights on London Eye are off for an hour. |
B.The sun sets at the same time around London. |
C.Businesses switch off all their lights in the day. |
D.People are rushing to famous London landmarks. |
【推荐3】“Funny”, a made-in-China emoji, seems to have recently moved beyond China. Now, it is more than an emoji, but a cultural expansion.
● Reaching Global Markets
A series of “funny” emoji-based bolsters (抱枕) have attracted the attention of Japanese customers. Even if one bolster is more than three times as expensive as in China, it doesn’t kill their desires to buy it. One Japanese customer Miki said, “They are just so cute and I bought three bolsters at one time for my family. And every time I see them, my mood just brightens suddenly.”
A Japanese netizen Kiro Kara said, “I think the emoji implies very complicated meanings. My dad will send it when he doesn’t agree with someone but he has to say something and behave politely.”
● Addition to Domestic Social Media
Compared with Japanese impressions of the “funny” emoji, Chinese netizens prefer to use emoji to tease one another on social media.
One commonly seen online comment is, “We strongly suggest stopping the usage of the emoji. Because every time other people send me the emoji, I feel very uncomfortable and consider myself as a fool.”
Regarded as the most popular emoji, the “funny” emoji has received much attention since its release in 2013. In fact, the “funny” emoji is the updated version of its original one; “funny” has a smiley mouth, two eyebrows and a naughty look. All these characteristics present users a sense of satire (讽刺).
● In Everyday Use Abroad
It's not the first time the Chinese emoji takes the world stage. Earlier this year, one emoji from the Chinese basketball celebrity Yao Ming has been spread through the Middle East region. In a city in southern Egypt, Yao’s smiling emoji has appeared frequently in local traffic signs to remind people the road ahead is one-way. Many locals do not know Yao Ming but are familiar with his emoji and nickname “Chinese Funny Face”.
As a new online language, emojis have become a necessary part of people’s daily life, helping people express their views in a more vivid and precise way. Also, it can help foreigners learn about Chinese culture. But how to properly use “the fifth innovation in China” without hurting others and turn them into commercial advantages still need answers.
1. Why do the bolsters attract Miki’s attention?A.They are inexpensive. |
B.They help reach an agreement. |
C.They help brighten the mood. |
D.They are helpful to express desire. |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
A.promote the emoji worldwide |
B.teach us how to use the emoji |
C.explain the meaning of emoji |
D.show us the popularity of the emoji |