2 . Laughter comes in many forms, from a polite and quiet laugh to a great hearty laugh. Scientists are now developing an AI system to recreate different laughs in proper social contexts. The team behind the laughing robot Erica said that the system could improve natural conversations between people and an AI robot. “We think that one of the important functions of conversational AI is empathy(共情),” said Dr Koji Inoue, the lead author of the research. “So we decided that one way a robot can empathize with its users is to share their laughter.”

The team have set out to teach their AI system the art of conversational laughter. They gathered training data from more than 80 daily dialogues between male subjects and the robot that was initially operated by four actresses remotely. The dialogue data was grouped into social laughs (where polite or embarrassed laughter isn’t involved) and laughter of joy. Based on the audio files, the algorithm(算法) learned the basic characteristics of social laughs, which tend to be softer, and merry laughs, with the aim of mirroring these inappropriate situations.

“Our biggest obstructor in the work was identifying the actual cases of shared laughter because as you know, most laughter is actually not shared at all,” said Inoue. “We had to carefully decide exactly which laughs we could use for our analysis and we couldn’t just assume that any laugh can be responded to. It was really not easy work.” The team said laughter could help create robots with their own distinct character although it could take more than 20 years before it would be possible to have a casual chat with a robot like we would with a friend.

“One of the things we’d keep in mind is that a laughing robot or algorithm will never be able to understand you or the meaning of laughter,” points out Prof. Sandra Wachter of the Oxford Internet Institute. “But with their development, they might get very good at tricking you into believing they understand what’s going on.”

3 . 每年的3月5日是中国青年志愿者服务日，你校英文报正在组织以“My Volunteering Experience”为题的征文活动。请你写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：

1.志愿服务的意义;

2.你的经历;

3.你的感悟。

注意：

1.词数80左右;

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;

3.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

My Volunteering Experience

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Imagine being able to see perfectly in the dark. This dream has become a reality thanks to a newly developed technology. This technology consists of a thin film that will be placed on the lenses (镜片) of common glasses. The film is cheap to make, easy to produce, and is lightweight. It is actually 100 times thinner than a hair. Yet, despite its tiny size, its performance is impressive; this special film allows you to see in the dark.

This technology is able to transform infra-red light (红外光), normally invisible to the human eye, and turn this into images people can see. Compared to animals, humans have very impoverished night vision. Over the years, night vision devices (设备) have been developed to help the medical, industrial, and scientific worlds. Scientists are able to study night-time animals by using infrared cameras, while companies use infrared imaging for food quality control.

Traditional infrared devices work by discovering the heat of an object. They use a cooler in low temperature and can be easily influenced by the heat noise. Such shortcoming led the team into exploring an improved device.

Their new device is able to function at room temperature. The new technology is unlike the traditional devices. Once this new night vision is used to all, it could save lives. Drivers will be able to see better at night, especially when driving on unlighted roads. Police can use them when searching at night, and hikers who lose their way can feel more confident walking in the dark.

The inventors are excited to make the practical uses. “While this is the first experiment, we are actively working to further advance the technology. Of course, the many uses are exciting and seeing in the dark opens up a new world for all,” said Mohsen Rahmani, lead developer of the technology.

6 . COOKING CLASSES

Whether you are a green hand in the kitchen or on your way to becoming the next celebrity chef, our cooking classes suit all ability levels. Join us for an enjoyable and informative time in the kitchen, learning some new skills and easy-to-recreate dishes to impress your family at home!

Highlights:

·Taught by experienced chefs in a professional and enjoyable environment. Feel comfortable asking them questions.

·Learn the importance of proper knife skills that will help speed up your prep time and promote the safety of using knives in the kitchen.

Please note:

·Suitable for teens over 13.

·Drinking water is provided throughout the class.

·Most dietary requirements can be satisfied with advance notice. Please contact us at least 2 business days before the class if you have any dietary requirements or allergies (过敏).

·If you have attended one of our classes previously, please note in the Special Comments section the items you have cooked previously so we can avoid repeating the same items where possible.

Upcoming classes:

8 . Welcome to “Cash Poor Points Rich”, a new travel blog dedicated to sharing experience with credit card points and miles to help you get big travel but for small spend. With the right planning and maximization of available resources, traveling as a college student may be easier than you think.

Chengdu, China

If visiting a place with happy locals is a priority for you, there’s no better city to hit than Chengdu. It is home to pandas and spicy things. Moreover, the city’s abundance of cultural and historical sights, together with its laid-back lifestyle, make itself one of the most attractive and livable large cities too. Past travelers have spent, on average, ￥158 on meals and about a quarter of that on local transportation for one day.

Con Dao, Vietnam

Tourism is picking up in Vietnam lately, where you can travel for about ¥ 100 per day if you play your cards right. Con Dao Island Nation Park, a group of dramatic tiny islands off the southern coast, is a great destination to see sea turtles and other wildlife while exploring the area on foot. Its thick jungle will give you a good chance to uncover a paradise of your own.

Zakynthos, Greece

If you’re looking for an affordable European summer beach vacation, consider Zakynthos. Food is cheap and mouthwatering. There are plenty of free things to do. although the favorite is spending time on the beautiful beaches edged by electric blue water. There are countless options for swimming in the appealing sea, along with charming villages and museums to explore.

New Orleans, U. S.

New Orleans is an incredibly unique place in the U. S., full of fascinating history, absorbing culture, delicious food, and a constantly buzzing nightlife scene. There are actually a couple of hostels in and near the French Quarter that offer reasonable accommodation rates for students.

10 . What is PayQuick?

PayQuick is a fast payment service for shopping in the biggest supermarket in UK — Tesco. It allows you to add your credit or debit card details to the app so you can use your smartphone to pay for your shopping with just one scan, which means you can go wallet-free in all UK Tesco stores.

What are the benefits?

●Collect your Tesco points automatically

●Pay for your weekly shopping up to £250

●Use PayQuick offline, even with no signal

●Track your spending in Tesco

However, only one qualifying deal per week will collect the extra Tesco points. Additional payments in the same week won’t receive extra points. Tesco points will be added to your future Tesco points statement.

How to get your PayQuick?

Available to new customers who sign up by 3^rd March 2024, the PayQuick app can be downloaded from the App Store or our official website. Once you have the app on your phone, register your personal details on the app to get an account. Note that for each customer, only one account is allowed and a family shared account will not be acknowledged. Finally, with all the preparation work done, you’ll be ready to shop using just your phone.

Plus, there’s no need to worry about your bank details being stored on your phone — they’re all securely protected in our data centers. So not only is it quicker and easier, it’s safer than going shopping with your wallet as well.