Human history is full of horse stories like guiding cowboys home on foggy nights and taking wounded soldiers through battle zones. Such sensible and highly trained horses made Elina Jatel, a computer scientist and roboticist, think of robots. “A horse that can take a rider home on its own would be the highest level of autonomy,” Jatel says. “You trust them with your life.” She was drawn to learning how such relationships form and if it could help improve human-robot interactions.
For a year, Jatel engaged herself in the horse world. She watched classes in horse training, and she also talked with students, instructors, trainers and horse owners. Along the way, Jatel even learned to ride.
Horses learn signals from their trainers on how to comfortably interact with people. People, too, must learn their part. Riders must learn what a horse wants or feels based on its behavior, and what signals to use to direct horses to perform in desired ways. Jatel found some similarities, here, to working with robots. People must learn how to direct robots to do specific tasks. They also must learn what to do when robots don’t perform as planned. The goal is to program robots that will respond predictably to inputs from people. But like horses, autonomous robots also should be able to respond on their own as conditions change. For example, a self-driving car must stop to avoid hitting something, even if some human mistakenly tells it to keep going.
Trainers and riders work with horses to build respect. Horses show that respect by matching their pace to a human or giving someone who is leading them a safe degree of personal space. Trainers begin their work with a horse by getting them to show signs of respect in basic interactions, Jatel says. Later, trainers will develop more complex interactions. Gradually, a horse’s respect can grow into trust.
But that trust is not given. And there may be a similar limitation with robots. What would it mean for robots and people to respect and trust each other? For now, she adds, this is largely uncharted territory. But she’s looking to build a path.
1. What drew Elina Jatel’s attention to horses?| A．Horses’ amazing performance. | B．Long history of horse training. |
| C．Horse-human interdependence. | D．Her horse-riding experience. |
| A．To act like real horses. | B．To show respect to humans. |
| C．To follow instructions from humans. | D．To make independent and sensible decisions. |
| A．The limitations of robots. | B．Trust between robots and humans. |
| C．Path toward higher robot efficiency. | D．Similarities between horses and robots. |
| A．History of Human-Horse Relationship | B．Secrets of Human-Animal Interactions |
| C．The Role of Trust in Human-Robot Partnerships | D．Horses as the Inspiration for Autonomous Robots |
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【推荐1】Researchers have created a backpack that has a computer and medicines in it that can help even untrained soldiers save the lives of wounded troops. Wounded soldiers have a better chance of survival if they get help soon after being hurt and are quickly taken to a hospital or clinic. But soldiers who do not have medical training may not know how to help their injured friends.
Doctors and engineers have developed what they call an “intelligent backpack”.It has a computer and electronic measuring devices. The backpack also has robotic instruments and medicines ready to give to injured troops.
About 16 doctors and engineers from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and several other places are working on the project. The U. S. Department of Defense has given money to the project.
Ron Poropatich leads the project. He is a retired army surgeon. He says the backpack will help soldiers care for those who are injured. The devices included in the backpack can monitor a person^ heart rate and blood pressure. The robotic instruments can even tell whether the soldier has a collapsed lung.
The intelligent backpack's computer can compare information gathered about the injured soldier with thousands of similar cases, and quickly tell the best methods to use to save the soldier’s life.
Sometimes, it is not always possible to quickly remove the injured soldier from the battlefield.So,Dr. Poropatich says, the researchers hope to create a backpack that will have devices .that can keep a .soldier alive for a long time. Dr. Poropatich hopes the backpack and its instruments will be ready for testing animals in about three years.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The backpack can play a big part in the battlefield. |
| B．Most of the soldiers can’t use the backpack correctly. |
| C．Soldiers should have taken medical training. |
| D．War or battle has brought harm to the world. |
| A．4. | B．5. |
| C．3. | D．2. |
| A．The project got support from the whole world. |
| B．The robotic instruments can monitor lungs. |
| C．The injurer's heart disease can he cured. |
| D．The devices can adjust soldiers’ blood pressure. |
| A．Researchers and Their Wonderful Discovery |
| B．Medical Care Tested on the Wounded Soldiers |
| C．Emergency Medical Care in a Backpack |
| D．Robotic Devices Used in the Battlefield |
【推荐2】In the future those who are taking care of old people may get help from the house itself.
Over the last few years, new technology, such as the Internet, Wi-Fi and flat TV screens, has changed our homes and the way that we live. Now, another technology revolution is happening. A new project at the University of Hertfordshire wants to create a home that monitors people living in it who are elderly.
The researchers have developed a wristband device（装置）which helps us to watch the elderly person who is wearing it. The device collects information to see if the person has fallen or has wandered away from where he or she should be.
The assisted-living project is part of the university’s wider Interhome project, which is the development of a smart house. The house remembers the habits of the person who lives there and it uses very low amounts of energy. The Interhome team hope that offering this service will help take care of the elderly. They say, “It’s very important that these technologies are there to help and support and not replace any of the existing services.”
The Interhome is not just a research method. It’s also a way for students from different scientific backgrounds to learn and develop technology. The university uses the latest technology to help students get experience by developing new hardware and software themselves. The team includes design, engineering and computer science students working together.
“We are working on a smart-home project in Watford with some companies at the moment,” says the project leader. “We are looking at how a smart home can provide even more services.” This could help millions of old people around the world have a better and safer life in the future.
1. The wristband device benefits its users by .| A．changing the living habits of the elderly |
| B．monitoring people who live in a smart home |
| C．offering information to the person wearing it |
| D．watching over the elderly who may fall or get lost |
| A．Students who want to find a job eagerly. |
| B．Students who prefer to work on their own. |
| C．Students from different scientific backgrounds. |
| D．Students with a lot of rich working experience. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Uninterested. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．A wristband device has changed the way that we live. |
| B．A smart home helps students develop hardware and software. |
| C．An Interhome project has been put into use to help the elderly. |
| D．An Interhome project will help the old live a better and safer life. |
Chicago Doctor Invents Affordable Hearing Aid Superb Performance from Affordable Digital Hearing Aid Board-certified ear, nose, and throat physician Dr. Cherukuri has done it once again with his newest invention of a medical-grade, ALL-DIGITAL，affordable hearing aid. Dr. Cherukuri knew that untreated hearing loss could lead to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and symptoms consistent with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In his practice he knew that many of his patients would benefit from new digital hearing aids but many couldn't afford the expense, which is not generally covered by Medicare and most private health insurance policies. Same Technology as $ 3.500 Hearing Aids He evaluated all the high-priced digital hearing aids on the market and then created his own affordable version—called MD Hearing Aid AIR | for its virtually invisible, lightweight appearance. This doctor-designed digital hearing aid delivers clear sound all day long and the soft flexible ear domes are so comfortable that you won’t realize you are wearing them. This new digital hearing aid is packed with the features of its $3，500 competitors at a small part of the cost. Now most people with hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear, natural sound—in a crowd, on the phone, in the wind -- without “whistling” and annoying background noise. Try it at Home with a 45-Day Risk-Free Trial Of course, hearing is believing, and we invite you to try it for yourself with our RISK-FREE 45-day home trial. If you are not completely satisfied, simply return it within that time period for a full refund of your purchase price. | ||
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1. Dr. Cherukuri invented his MD Hearing Aid AIR in order to ____.
| A．prevent untreated diseases such as depression and social isolation |
| B．provide patients with low-priced hearing aid of high quality |
| C．have the expense of the hearing aid covered in health insurance policies |
| D．make high-priced hearing aid easily accessible on the market |
| A．Its price is no more than $ 3,500 including delivery fee. |
| B．Patients are guaranteed to get the money back after they have tried it for 45 days. |
| C．Patients wearing the hearing aid will not hear any background sound. |
| D．It’s not easy for others to notice a patient wearing the hearing aid. |
| A．encourage people to try the new product |
| B．instruct people how to use a new electronic device |
| C．provide the latest information about hearing health |
| D．illustrate the importance of affordable hearing aid |
Author: Shivani Gupta
Shivani had thrown a party one evening and awoke the next morning in hospital because of a car crash. It took Shivani years of pain, struggle and determination to regain control of her life and her body. Then tragedy struck again. As the newly-married Shivani drove to Manali with her family, a truck crashed into her car. Shivani refused to give in-she wouldn't let her injury keep her from achieving her ambitions.
Book：Courage Beyond Compare
Author: Sanjay Sharma
The 10 sportspersons in the book are champions in diverse fields like athletics, swimming and badminton, who have brought glory to the country. They overcame their physical limitations to reach the top of their chosen fields.
Book: Face to Face
Author: Ved Mehta
Blind since the age of four，the author led a lonely childhood in India until he was accepted to the Arkansas School for the Blind, to which he flew alone at 15. America and the school changed his life, leading him to degrees at Oxford and Harvard and a fruitful writing career.
Book: This Star Won’t Go Out
Author: Lori and Wayne Earl
Diagnosed with cancer at 12, Esther Earl was a bright and talented, but very normal teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous life. A cheerful, positive and encouraging daughter, sister and friend, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning l 6, but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.
1. The book No Looking Back mainly talks about__________.| A．a successful author who was blind during his childhood |
| B．10 disabled athletes who are champions in sports field |
| C．an unlucky girl who experienced two car accidents |
| D．an inspiring teenager who died of cancer |
| A．Courage Beyond Compare. | B．This Star Won't GO Out. |
| C．Face to Face. | D．No Looking Back. |
| A．Intelligent. | B．Passionate. |
| C．Pessimistic | D．Inspiring |
【推荐2】Scientists are worried about the future of the axolotl (蝾螈), an unusual Mexican salamander(蜥蜴), and they’re asking for help. A new program lets people “adopt” an axolotl to raise money to support efforts to save the endangered animal.
If an axolotl loses a leg, or even part of its heart, brain, or lungs, it can regrow them. Scientists have long been interested in this. Some people think the information could help solve some human medical problems.
The Mexican axolotl is only found naturally in Lake Xochimilc o near Mexico City. This is not a big and open lake, but a collection of canals and smaller bodies of water. Sadly, axolotls are in trouble. The number of axolotls in Xochimilco has dropped 99.5% in less than 20 years. Scientists used to find thousands of axolotls in a fairly small area. Now, they’re only finding dozens.
There are a number of reasons for the drop in axolotls. One is that the water in the canals has become more and more polluted. Another is that there are invasive fish in the lake which are eating the axolotl’s food and even their babies.
Scientists at Mexico’s National Autonomous University(UNAM) have been working for years to try to protect the axolotls. Last year, the UNAM scientists started a program they called AdoptAxolotl. They asked people to donate money to help pay for efforts to save the axolotl. The program was a big hit, and raised more than $26,000. The money was used to help clean up some of Xochimilco’s canals and for a program to raise axolotls in a safe environment.
This year, the scientists are trying AdoptAxolotl again. The program offers several ways for people to support axolotls. For $30, you can virtually “adopt” one of the animals for a month. Smaller donations can help pay for food for an axolotl. Larger donations are aimed at improving areas where axolotls live, and include a visit to the protected area where UNAM is raising axolotls.
1. What have the scientists had an interest in?| A．How axolotls cure themselves. | B．Who can address medical problems. |
| C．How soon axolotls will go extinct. | D．Why some people focus on axolotls. |
| A．To promote axolotl research. | B．To blame the Mexican residents. |
| C．To show the severe conditions. | D．To expand the habitat for axolotls. |
| A．collected enough money | B．turned out very popular |
| C．helped to build new canals | D．moved students at UNAM |
| A．New Projects Are Needed to Protect Axolotls |
| B．Amazing Axolotls Live in Hash Environment |
| C．Everyone Can Help to Stop Adopting Animals |
| D．Scientists Work to Save Mexico’s Axolotls |
【推荐3】There is a school in my Manhattan neighbourhood that has been giving out free meals during the Covid-19 pandemic-and every time I walk past it the line seems longer. A community fridge recently showed up a couple of blocks away; it’s one of many that activists have fixed across the city to fight against growing food insecurity. Just around the corner there’s a young woman who has become a regular among the beggars I usually see in the area. She lost her job because of Covid-19.
It’s not all doom and gloom. While the poor are getting poorer, the 1% are making out like robbers. America’s 600-plus billionaires saw their wealth grow by more than $700bn in the first few months of the pandemic. During the same period, more than 50 million American workers lost their jobs. The US government has printed trillions of dollars in economic relief but many of the forgivable emergency loans for small businesses seem to have been taken by the super-rich. My local independent coffee shop has closed down, but Kanye West received a partially forgivable loan worth at least $2m. It is becoming increasingly clear that the US is experiencing one of the biggest wealth transfers in history.
Bernie Sanders has a plan to help. Last week, Sanders introduced a bill, Make Billionaires Pay Act, that would establish a one-time 60% tax on billionaires’ pandemic gains and use the money to guarantee Americans free health care for a year. There is very little chance the bill will get passed.
Billionaires shouldn’t exist in the first place-the idea that they should be taxed at a higher rate during a pandemic to help pay health care shouldn’t be remotely controversial. However, there are some who think such a move would be extremely unfair to “poor unfortunate” billionaires who, as we all know, are one of the most unfairly hurt groups in the world.
1. How does the author develop the first two paragraphs?| A．By listing numbers. | B．By giving definitions. |
| C．By presenting arguments. | D．By making contrasts. |
| A．the writer doesn’t feel depressed at all |
| B．the current situation of Covid-19 is getting better |
| C．the woman has suffered more than we can imagine |
| D．the billionaires still make profits during the pandemic |
| A．rid the country of pandemic |
| B．restrict the billionaires’ fortune |
| C．provide short-term loans for health care |
| D．ensure temporary free medical service |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Sympathetic. | D．Respectful. |
