3 . Now, artificial intelligence (人工智能) is becoming more and more popular in our life, and it has greatly influenced the way we live, work and play. Can you ________ that you can play table tennis with a robot one day?

Recently, a scientist has ________ a special robot that can be a table tennis teacher. That means people can learn how to play table tennis not only from humans but from a robot.

Named Forpheus, the table tennis robot is quite ________. It can study the movements of human players and the speeds of the ball. In this way, it can judge (判断) the players’ ________.

Then it uses the information to change the ways to play. ________ the players are just beginners, Forpheus will play in a slow and easy way. But if the players are better ones, the robot will play in a(n) ________ and more difficult way. While playing, it encourages players to try their best ________ words like “Good job!”, “Come on!” and so on. At the same time, it gives some good ________ to players on improving their skills. So, it is both a good partner and clever teacher.

Science and technology is ________ quickly these days. Technology products can be seen ________. “In the next 20 years, it will be possible that one robot teaches another to play table tennis or even invents another one!” Takurya, the inventor of the robot, said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) (人工智能) is growing rapidly. We are living in a world that depends more and more on AI. AI is a group of technologies that help machines get, understand and use information to do tasks.

AI’s recent developments have got a lot of social attention. Some people have welcomed AI because it makes things possible. For example, AI will have a big influence on areas like medicine and engineering. But this attention has also produced a lot of fear. Especially, many workers are worrying that AI could make them lose their jobs.

According to a recent study, nearly five percent of jobs will disappear because of AI. In some industries, AI is already doing the work that people used to do, such as assembling (装配) cars, digging the coal and lifting goods. Self-driving cars and trucks controlled by AI will also take away the driver’s jobs in the future.

On the other hand, AI will also create many new jobs for people. More people will be needed to write programmers for AI systems (系统) and they will set up and work on them, too. Meanwhile, jobs that require feelings, excellent communication skills with people will not be replaced (取代) by AI. These includes jobs in fields like teaching, nursing and personal training.

AI is here. It is changing how people live and work in many ways. That makes AI important to watch, not to fear.

8 . Three-two-one, fire!

At the moment of 9:43 a.m., on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020, at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center(卫星发射中心) in Sichuan Province, the last satellite of the third-generation network(第三代导航系统) was sent into space. It is the 55th member in the family of BeiDou. It belongs to China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System(BDS北斗卫星导航系统). So far, 59 satellites, including the first four test ones, have been launched from Xichang. With the development of China, we have already owned three other famous satellite launch centers — Jiuquan, Taiyuan and Wenchang.

After a period of tests in space, this new satellite has started to work with other Beidou satellites together. It is designed to work for at least 12 years. So far, China has completed the third-generation network of China’s BDS. It was a new milestone in the nation’s space research work. The launch showed our country has completed our largest space-based system. It’s one of four global(全球的) navigation networks, including the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo.

BDS has been widely used as public resources(资源) in our daily life. It has been shared by the whole world. It will provide more services around the world. BDS is the common wealth of the development of human beings.

9 . We are now living in the 21st century. Life now is much more _____ than before. Many changes (变化) have happened.

Tony is a _____ in Grade 8 at an American middle school. He felt surprised and _____ on his first day of school because he found his classroom filled with technology equipment (科技设备).

In Tony’s classroom, there are many electronics, like iPads. This term they will _____ the electronics to take notes, watch videos and do some homework. “It’s relaxing,” said Tony. “I often _____ my maths problems on my iPad and ask my classmate or teachers for help.”

With the help of new technology, students can finish their homework _____. “Technology is quite common in most of our classrooms now,” the headmaster said. “We’re trying to develop technology to open up the world to kids. It can _____ the outside world in and lets kids know more.”

Mr Miller, a science teacher _____ “It is a quick way for students to know the outside world,” he said. Mr Miller considers himself as a guide (向导) of learning instead of as a teacher. “If they have a _____, I will try to teach them how to find the answer,” he said.

Dale, Tony’s classmate, loves technology. He was not interested in class before, but now he likes the classes very much. “The classes help me use what I have ______ in the computer lessons.” Dale said. “Most importantly, I enjoy the classroom because, of course, it will help my studies.”

10 . Artificial intelligence(人工智能), or AI in short, is the science of giving computers and machines ability to think and work like humans. AI scientists and engineers have made a lot of cool technologies.

AI is rapidly catching up with the human ability to read faces. As a result, facial recognition(识别) is used a lot in the world. Chinese police use this technology to identify criminals(罪犯). Once they caught a criminal when he attended a concert. It also checks the ID of ride-hailing(网约车) drivers and lets people pay for things with a smile.

AI is also used in self-driving cars, which are believed to be the future of driving. Most drivers may wave or nod at passers-by to let them cross the street, but self-driving cars don't have this ability. Carmakers are testing a light signal system to help them "speak" to humans. The system can show what self-driving cars will do. For example, if a driverless car is yielding(让路), it will flash two white lights side to side. A rapidly flashing light tells passers-by that the car is about to speed up.

Service Robots also show you how powerful AI is. Imagine this—you come back home from school and your robot housekeeper is waiting for you at the door. After dinner, he teaches you to play the piano, just like a real music teacher. Such thoughts will soon happen in the real world. In the future, more and more service robots will become good home helpers.

AI is so powerful that it can help human beings and even replace us in many jobs.