2 . In our lives we can see more and more robots in different places. They are helpful and do lots of things. They can not only work indoors, but also outdoors. They can even do tasks that nobody wants to do.

One special robot can help in fast food restaurants. At first, the robot only made burgers. But workers thought it could do more. Now, the robot can make many kinds of food like french fries and fried onions. It works faster than people because it can do more tasks at the same time. So it saves a lot of time and work. Also, the robot knows exactly when the food is ready. Workers are happy that they don’t have to do them, especially at night.

Another special robot can even do tasks that are difficult or dangerous. It is so big that it can carry things of up to 40 kilograms and can reach as high as ten meters, too. It helps workers fix railway lines (维修铁路线路). That’s because electricity can make some workers in danger and even fall sometimes. The robot can help them solve these problems and makes their lives much safer.

These unusual robots seem to be doing good jobs, but they still need help from people. People control robots with a computer or a remote control (遥控器) and a VR headset (虚拟现实头盔). Scientists say robots can help in more places and play a more important part in the near future.

3 . Scientists have developed a way to read minds, translating unspoken thoughts into written words. It’s the first time it’s been done without having to put anything into the brain. They used artificial intelligence (AI) (人工智能). It is the name given to a computer system that is able to “think” for itself and carry out tasks that usually require human intelligence.

Scientists used a special scanner (扫描器). The machine can see where blood runs, which shows the parts of the brain that are most active. People taking part in the experiment (实验) listened to the radio for 16 hours as their brains were scanned. The AI tool learned to connect certain brain activity with words they heard. After that, each person was asked to think of a story, and the AI tool managed to pick up these thoughts as they happened.

The results had about a 50% accuracy rate (准确率), although the AI found it hard to work out the meaning of pronouns, such as he or she, her or him. For example, it turned “I don’t have my driver’s license yet” into “She has not even started to learn to drive yet.” It could usually understand the meaning of what someone was thinking rather than the exact words. The AI was personalized, so when it had learnt from one person but it was tested on another, it couldn’t understand their thoughts.

The scientists, who have been working on the technology for 15 years, say they understand the risks of it being used badly. Scientist Jerry Tang told a newspaper, “We want to make sure people only use these types of technologies when they want to, and that it helps them.” The scientists hope it will help people with certain medical conditions, who are still awake but have lost the ability to speak, to communicate once again.

Last week we went on a school trip to a science museum. Ms. Liu, the guide, showed us around a smart home.

We started with the front door. Ms. Liu asked me to ring the doorbell. I didn’t notice the tiny camera that was fixed just above it. After I pressed (按) the doorbell, the camera sent a live video (视频直播) to the home-owners. “They can electronically open the door when they are not at home,” said Ms. Liu.

The other thing I couldn’t see on the door was a lock. “There must be one,” I thought. At this time, Ms. Liu took out a smart phone and put it against the door. And it opened. “Oh, the key is on the smart phone.”

After entering the living room, I saw a computer on a table. By using the computer, the owners can control how much energy is used. In this way, they can manage their living cost.

One of the rooms I wanted to see most was the bedroom. To my great surprise, the bed disappeared into the floor at the touch of the smart phone. The window has a smart blind (百叶窗). It can be raised and lowered with a voice.

As I left the smart home, I looked back on what I had just seen. Scientists often say that these products are improving our life. I think the technology in the smart home may make us lazier. However, there is no doubt that it will become more popular in the homes of tomorrow.

1、2题完成句子；3~5题简略回答问题。

5 .

The race is on to get more electric cars on the road. People predict that electric cars might be more common in the future. But according to a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center, more than half of U, S, adults like gas-powered cars better. They say electric cars are expensive and charging (充电) them is a big problem. For now, most people plan to stick with gas-powered cars. We ask young readers what they think about electric cars.

7 . AI (人工智能) can help teenagers and students learn in several ways.

Personalized learning: AI can know better about students, including their advantages, weaknesses, skills, learning favorites, learning needs, and so on. Then it can create a proper learning plan for each student. This can help students concentrate on areas that they need to improve at their own speed.

Interactive (交互的) learning: AI has the ability to make learning more interactive and interesting. Things like interactive learning apps and educational games can make subject learning more interesting. What’s more, they can make students interested in a subject at once. This kind of active learning is sure to be more helpful than studying alone.

Automated (自动的) advice and help: AI can provide automated advice and answers to questions. It can examine students’ work and provide personalized help. For example, ChatGPT can answer students’ questions quickly in a private, low-pressure way. This kind of advice and answers can help students better understand knowledge and use their knowledge.

Greater resources (资源): AI can make many of the students’ learning resources richer and wider, like electronic textbooks, online courses, and study apps. For example, a biology textbook with AI technology may provide interactive 3D models of a human body that students can study more carefully. AI can provide interactive examples, introduce important passages, and offer assessments (评价).

In a word, AI has a great ability to improve studying and learning. By using AI, students can study smarter and reach higher levels of learning and success. The future of AI in education is hopeful as technologies continue to develop.

8 . ①According to UNESCO, there are 740 million people unable to read or write in this world. And 250 million children of primary school age have no basic reading and writing skills. However, reading makes everything possible in life: education, work and escaping poverty(贫困). Considering that, the Global School Community aims to bring digital books to all the children of the world and their families.

②Digital technology makes a real difference. It can reach across the world and is fairly inexpensive. The Global School Community makes e-books available to children all around the world, either through mobile phones, Ipads or computers, saving the cost of making books and transport. Technology also helps improve our communication skills. Through the use of technology, teachers and children around the world can meet online to share lessons and discuss ideas. Remote schooling (远程教学) is one example of the success of communication through the Internet.

③The first books a child reads can have a great influence on that child. The greater the influence, the more likely the child is to continue reading and learning throughout his life. E-books, which are actually the electronic versions of printed books, not only provide knowledge and information, but help people grow healthily in mind. They can provide hours of entertainment and can connect schools all over the world. Studies have shown that children make much progress after only five months of reading e-books. Bido Hafrag, a child from Egypt, said, “Reading e-books not only helps me learn to read and write, but gives me much confidence. It also helps me have a better understanding of the world.”

④The Global School Community has a huge e-book library for every school to enter. It aims to bring digital books to all children and their families, and helps schools, colleges and universities to connect with each other. Please join our family of schools, write an e-book or share resources资源) at globalschoolcommunity.com.

9 . What time is it? The answer you give can be different, because you are in different Earth’s time zones(时区). But how could you tell the time if you aren’t anywhere on Earth?

Scientists are now thinking of creating a lunar(月球的) time zone. They believe it would be better for astronauts to communicate by using Moon Time, as they travel to, from, and across the Moon. At the moment, astronauts are using time zones of their own countries. But there could be safety problems caused by the differences in time-telling.

________ Gravity(引力) influences how quickly or slowly time passes. Since gravity is weaker on the Moon, clocks run a bit faster there. After 24 hours, a lunar clock would be 56 microseconds ahead of a clock on Earth. Another point to consider is that a full day on Earth is about 24 hours between two sunsets. While on the Moon, it is nearly 709 hours, about 29.5 Earth days. This means that lunar nights can be around two weeks long, with only the Earth and the stars in the sky. With all this to think about, scientists need to decide whether it would be better to follow a time zone on Earth, or for the Moon to have its own special zone, which would have much longer days.

Scientists must consider other problems too. For example, who should be responsible for keeping the time zone going? And how can it be made practical for astronauts to use?

There are more countries planning Moon trips in the future. The idea of creating a time zone on the Moon would make these easier. And if a lunar time zone is set up, scientists could create time zones for other planets like Mars.

10 .

Diagram(图表) or Survey Result

①AI (artificial intelligence人工智能) and machine learning refer to the ability of machines to learn and act intelligently. It means they can make decisions, finish tasks, and even tell the possible future results based on what they learn from data(数据).

②AI and machine learning already play a bigger role in everyday life than you might imagine. Health care, banking, video games, every search on the Internet you make..., all are driven by AI.

③AI is going to change almost every field of modern life. Stephen Hawking said, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history.” And Hawking added at once, “Unluckily, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.”

④ ▲ , especially when you consider some countries are racing to develop AI-enabled autonomous weapons(人工智能自主武器). It is also going to change and take the place of many human jobs. The same worries also come from the public. According to the survey result from Centre for the Governance of AI, 91% of the people (tend to and totally) agree that “AI is a technology that requires careful management” in Europe.

⑤But rather than agreeing with an idea of a helpless future where all human jobs are given over to robots, some people believe AI will make on working lives better. It will improve the work of humans, and new jobs will appear to take the place of the old ones.

⑥What’s more, machines become more intelligent and they are able to finish more human tasks. Things which only belong to humans lie creativity and critical(批判性的) thinking, will become even more valuable in the future.

⑦Like it or not, AI is here. Maybe changing ourselves and managing it well are the best way out. Just as Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”

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