【推荐2】High school biology teacher Kelly Chavis knew smartphones were a problem in her class. For one class period, students used a whiteboard to count every Snapchat, Instagram, text, call or other notifications that appeared on their phones.   Chavis   told   students   not   to _________ these notifications.

Teachers around the country have done similar experiments, usually _________ dozens of markings on the whiteboard. Chavis, who teaches honours-level classes, was _________ by the results of her experiment.

Chavis is among a growing number of teachers, parents and health experts who believe that smartphones are now partly to blame for increasing the levels of student _________. The use of electronic devices is so _________ that the National Education Association newsletter said it was a “mental health tsunami (海啸)”.

Tests, after-school activities and problems at home can increase _________ for students. But research now _________ that smartphones and social media are some of the main reasons for the rising levels of uneasiness.

Last year, an editorial in the journal Paediatrics proposed that doctors ask young patients about their social media use as part of routine exams. Three researchers wrote that too much social media use might _________ the development of mental health disturbance in at-risk teenagers, such as feelings of _________, depression and anxiety.

Researchers are still not sure whether phones cause student depression or depression causes phone use. __________ 70 percent of teens see anxiety and depression as major problems among their peers, according to a Pew Research report. Nearly 60 percent of parents said they were __________ about the influence of social media on their children’s physical and mental health.

Schools are starting to take steps to deal with the problem. Many public schools pay outside companies to watch students’ social media activity for signs of __________. Others invite in yoga teachers and comfort dogs to help __________ students. Some schools have organized unplugged events — days in which people do not use their electronic devices. Less than 20 percent of students and school employees took part, __________ the control that technology has over their daily lives.

Some parents are not letting their children get smartphones until they grow up. Deirdre Birmingham of New Jersey __________ a campaign called “Wait Until Eighteenth” because she didn’t think her video game-loving 10-year-old son was ready for a smartphone. The campaign involves groups of parents who have children in the same class. These parents agree not to let their children get phones until they are teenagers.

【推荐1】Algorithms in the Criminal Justice System

Some of the best or at least sharpest, minds on the planet are devoted to guessing what we might buy next, and showing us advertisements for it. Often the results are unbelievably inaccurate; sometimes they are amazingly precise. Would we _________the same kind of technology to predict what crimes we might next commit? That is the question raised by the latest report by campaigners at Liberty on the _________of the police’s use of big data and machine learning.

From my perspective, when big data are used to determine the course of the criminal justice system, they could _______. Because machine learning can only detect patterns in the data that it is given, any bias in the original sample will only be _________. So if past practice has been to prejudice against women or minorities, any algorithm fed on previous experience will _________this pattern, but this time with the apparent authority of science behind it. And because modern machine learning techniques are hard to understand, even to their programmers, a computer cannot easily be made to _________its own reasoning in the way that police officers can.

The civil liberties group says it found at least 14 police forces in England and Wales are using or have used software to predict crimes in particular areas; three are attempting to use the same technology on individuals in order to predict their likelihood of _________. It makes obvious sense to concentrate police resources where they are most needed, and this is especially true after the staff cuts are imposed. _________, it is easy to see that the use of such software can bring about unjust discrimination. Because crimes are detected more often where there are police to keep an eye on them, the areas in which police are concentrated will _________suggests that they need more police sent to them, and so on.

Society does have a vital interest in being able to predict who is most likely to remake a crime, and to help them away from __________. But the idea that algorithms could substitute for probation officers or the traditional human intelligence of police officers is __________. Of course, such human judgments are sometimes unreliable. But training an algorithm on the results of previous mistakes merely means they can be made without human intervention in the future. The strongest single __________of whether a young man will end up in jail is whether his father did so. People live down to society’s expectation, and we all lose as a result.

The more data is collected and shared through the state’s various systems — not just the police, but schools, the welfare system and even, increasingly, the NHS — the __________it will be for anyone to escape such stereotyping. The risk is a loss of liberty with no corresponding gain in efficiency. The damage this has done cannot be repaired by technology alone. Machines can make human __________very much worse. They cannot be trusted to __________human responsibility.

【推荐3】The New Technology and Travel Revolution

Technological advances have changed the way we travel, and these new developments promise an even more _______ and exciting experience. Do you want to know what it has _______ for us in the not-too-distant future?

Today, nobody _______ that technology and travel are the perfect combination. This _______ force also plays a crucial role in the way we travel. According to a Google Travel study, it is so _______ that 74% of travelers plan their trips on the Internet, while only 13% still use travel agencies to prepare them.

The cell phone has become our tour guide, travel agency, best restaurant locator, map, and more. It’s _______ during the entire purchase journey. In fact, according to TripAdvisor, 45% of users use their smartphones for everything having to do with their vacations.

This is why there’s a need to _______ corporate services and communications to these devices. KLM, for example, has already created an information service for passengers using Facebook Messenger. This system, once someone has made a _______, sends the user information regarding their ticket through Facebook Messenger as well as their boarding pass or updates about the _______ of their flight. This way, the user has all the relevant information about their trip in the palm of their hand using an app that they already use, ________ the need to download anything else.

Augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) have also entered the travel world, and the truth is that it’s a trend ________ all the possibilities they can offer. More and more companies use it to show users a cabin on a cruise ship or transport them, for a few seconds, to the Great Wall of China.

In addition, we’re all familiar with Siri and Alexa, the ________ assistants that meet all our needs: what’s the weather like today in my city, turn the radio on, open my email, and more. Hotels are now starting to ________ this “help” thanks to the arrival of virtual assistants that are ________ designed for this environment. IBM recently ________ Watson Assistant, an AI-powered virtual assistant that creates an interactive and personalized experience for consumers. This is the open technology that firms can employ and adapt to their needs. This way, the virtual assistant won’t be called Watson but instead, have the name that the hotel chooses.

【推荐1】In 2023, Musk reached an outstanding landmark: his space company, SpaceX, sent the first group of travelers to Mars. This significant event ________ a new chapter in space travel and sparked the imaginations of people across the globe, encouraging a fresh generation to dream big and explore the ________.

In addition to his groundbreaking work at SpaceX, Musk has also made a lasting impact in the field of ________ energy. Tesla, led by Musk, has been at the forefront of electric vehicle ________, driving the automotive industry towards a more environmentally ________ direction. Musk’s dedication to promoting ________ energy through SolarCity has also been instrumental in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and addressing climate change.

Musk’s relentless drive to achieve ambitious goals, such as colonizing Mars and revolutionizing transportation with hyperloop technology, showcases the power of forward-thinking. Despite facing obstacles and ________, Musk’s unwavering commitment and resilience have ________ his ventures forward, highlighting the importance of persistence in ________ challenges.

However, Musk’s journey has not been without controversy. His outspoken personality and ________ approach to business have often led to debate and ________. Yet, it is precisely this ________ to challenge the norm that has enabled Musk to push boundaries and achieve remarkable feats.

In summary, Elon Musk’s story serves as a testament to the transformative potential of human ________ and perseverance. His vision for the future extends beyond the limits of Earth, embracing a bold and ambitious ________for humanity’s role in the universe. As we look ahead to the future, let us draw ________ from Musk’s example and dare to dream of a brighter, more innovative world for all.

【推荐3】South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, is _________ trying to rebuild after years of conflict (冲突).

South Sudan had the _________ literacy (读写能力) rate of any country worldwide. To fight the problem, officials have launched thousands of adult education classes across the country. In one class, 47-year-old Rebecca Nyankiir Deng is learning English with her daughter. Deng has been illiterate (文盲) for _________ of her life. When Deng was a child, civil war in what is now South Sudan _________ her from going to school. Today she earns money by making and selling jewelry. But the amount Deng earns is so little that she _________ to pay for her daughter’s schooling. Now the teenager can study _________ her mother. “We are studying here because they are teaching us _________.” she said. “If I had to pay for school, I wouldn’t be here.”

Deng is one of a(n) _________ number of South Sudanese adults who see the _________ peace as a chance to get an education. Deng Hoc Yai, South Sudan’s education minister, says adult literacy is a main concern because it helps pull people out of __________ and prevents conflicts. “At the __________ level, at the level of a community, at the level of a country, with communities that have a lot of __________ people, they will all be working, they will all be __________ better health. They will be more peaceful __________ people who are illiterate.”

The Education Ministry told a reporter that a little more than 208,000 South Sudanese adults are now taking classes on how to read and write. __________ the current peace in South Sudan holds officials expect those numbers will continue to grow.