1 . Lidar, short for “light detection and ranging”, involves directing a rapid series of laser pulses- between 100,000 and 400,000 per second—at the ground from an airplane or a drone. Software captures the time and wavelength of the pulses reflected from the surface and combines it with GPS and other data to produce a precise three-dimensional(三维的)map of the landscape below. These high-tech explorations have revealed long-buried Mayan cities, including Tikal, in the dense jungle of Guatemala, and Caracol, in Belize.
In recent years, lidar exposed an ancient city in western Mexico called Angamuco. The discovery of this long-lost Mexican city is especially significant. Built by the Purepecha, who were enemies of the Aztecs, Angamuco was a major civilization in the early 16th century, before Europeans arrived.
“To think that this massive city existed in the heartland of Mexico for all this time and nobody knew it was there is kind of amazing,” says Chris Fisher, an archaeologist(考古学家)at Colorado State University who led the exploration.
The city extended over ten square miles before it was covered by a lava(岩浆)flow. “That is a huge area with a lot of people,” says Fisher. “You are talking about 40,000 building foundations, which is [about] the same number of building foundations that are on the island of Manhattan.”
Archaeologists were surprised when they saw Angamuco’s city plan. The Purepecha’s monuments were largely concentrated in eight zones around the edges rather than being located in one large center. Why this almost Los Angeles-type sprawl(随意)? Historians want to know the answer to that too.
The revelation of Angamuco is an example of the power and promise of lidar. Archaeologists discovered signs of the buried city in 2007 and initially attempted to explore it using a traditional “boots on the ground” approach. But the team soon realized that with the rugged terrain(畸岖的地形)，it would take at least a decade to outline the entire metropolis.
In 2011, they began using lidar to map nearly 14 square miles, revealing some astonishing features, from pyramids and temples to road systems, garden areas, and even ball courts. This gave them the “map” they needed to know where to explore further. So far, Fisher and his team have verified more than 7,000 architectural features over a 1.5-square-mile area, with digging undertaken at seven locations.
All told, researchers now believe that more than 100,000 people lived in Angamuco from about AD 1000 to AD 1350. That makes it the biggest city in western Mexico at the time―or at least the biggest city we know about so far
“Everywhere you point the lidar instrument, you find new stuff,” says Fisher. ”Right now, every textbook has to be rewritten, and two years from now, they’re going to have to be rewritten again.“
1. Which of the following statements is true of Angamuco?| A．It was constructed by Aztecs. |
| B．It is a major civilization of Mexico. |
| C．It was destroyed in the early 16th century. |
| D．It came into existence before Europeans arrived. |
| A．Its long history. |
| B．Its being unknown for long. |
| C．The number of building foundations in it. |
| D．The competition between Aztecs and it. |
| A．The reason for Angamuco’s city plan. |
| B．The reason why Angamuco disappeared. |
| C．The role Angamuco played in history. |
| D．The role Angamuco played in archeology. |
| A．Mexican history is worth exploring. |
| B．Lidar is a useful tool for archeologists. |
| C．Maps are important in exploring historical sites. |
| D．More time needs to be devoted to studying Angamuco. |
2 . Age Reversal Technology
Our life spans (时间段) used to be relatively short.
As people live longer, population aging becomes a greater economic problem. It has both placed a burden on public health spending and decreased productivity of workforce. And aging is the fundamental driver behind many diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, to name just a few. One expert in population aging at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Halldór Stefánsson, explains that some serious diseases related to aging — that very few people lived long enough to experience in the past — have replaced infectious diseases as the main cause of death.
The amazing news is that age reversal technology will soon be a reality. On the bright side, the process of reversing aging is already possible for cells in scientific experiments.
| A．And science has moved on to extend life spans of some animals, though not yet of humans. |
| B．Human aging timeline is also driven by other factors. |
| C．In the 1800s, life expectancy across the world was less than 40 years of age. |
| D．So, the question on all our mind is — can science stop aging? |
| E．Initially restricted to developed countries, population aging has also become a trend in the developing world. |
| F．Age reversal technology will also increase health span — the length of time during which one is healthy. |
Will Experimentation on Animals End?
One of the most debatable issues in science is the use of animals in research. Scientists experiment on animals for different reasons, including basic research to explore how organisms function, investigating potential treatments for human disease, and safety and quality control testing of drugs, devices and other products.
In 1959, William Russell and Rex Burch proposed their “3Rs” guidelines for making the use of animals in scientific research more humane: restrict the use of animals; refine experiments to minimize distress; and replace tests with alternative techniques.
For example, researchers previously had to do experiments with multiple mice at different stages of cancer development, but now they can watch the disease develop in a single living animal using a dye. Similarly, as brain-imaging techniques become more advanced, some questions that were addressed with experiments in monkeys before may be better answered by looking into the human brain now. “
| A．Over the course of five decades their guidelines have become widely accepted worldwide. |
| B．The awareness of animal protection contributes to the decline of the number. |
| C．Human volunteers must be able to replace monkeys more and more in the next 10 to 20 years. |
| D．New experimental techniques help to push numbers down. |
| E．Its supporters point to the long list of medical advances made possible with the help of animal research. |
| F．The number of the animals used in research is still considerable. |
4 . Unless you are like Nasty Gal’s founder Sophia Amoruso, the passwords you use to access your email and the endless other accounts you need for work aren’t filled with intention. With increasing security requirements, it’s likely your word/number combinations are becoming even less memorable. But new research suggests it may not be long before you won’t need to memorize passwords.
“Brainprint”, published in Neurocomputing, reveals that the brain’s reaction to certain words could be a unique identifying code — like a fingerprint — that could eventually replace passwords.
In a small experiment, the researchers measured the brains’ signals of 45 volunteers as they read through a list of 75 acronyms such as FBI and DVD. The word-recognition response differed so much between each participant that a second experiment using a computer program could identify each one with 94% accuracy.
It’s not enough to feel totally secure, but promising enough to hint at the future of securing sensitive information.
The advantage of using such a biometric system (生物识别系统) is that it can be used for continuous verification (验证), New Scientist points out. Passwords or fingerprints only provide a tool for one-off identification. Continuous verification could in theory allow someone to interact with many computer systems at the same time or even with a variety of intelligent objects, without having to repeatedly enter passwords for each device.
As Hollywood has illustrated, it’s simply a matter of cutting off a finger to steal that person’s identity. “Brainprints, on the other hand, are potentially cancellable,” said Sarah Laszlo, assistant professor of psychology and linguistics at Binghamton University and co-author of the study, “So, in the unlikely event that attackers were actually able to steal a brainprint from an authorized user, the authorized user could then ‘reset’ their brainprint.”
Until now, brain signals have been a challenge to understand. This experiment leaped over the obstacle by focusing on the brainwaves from the specific area that reads and recognizes words. The signal is therefore clearer and easier to measure.
The problem, so far, is that the brain signal is still not as accurate as scanning someone’s fingerprint, and initially requires sticking diodes (二极管) on your head in order to get a read. That’s ok, according to Zhanpeng Jin, assistant professor at Binghamton University and coauthor of the study, because brainprint isn’t going to be mass-produced any time soon. He says the researchers foresee its use at places such as the Pentagon, where the number of authorized users is small, and they don’t need to be continuously verified the way you do to access your mobile device or email.
Better keep your memory sharp, at least a little while longer.
1. In paragraph 5, “one-off identification” refers to the identification that _______.| A．happens as part of a regular series | B．interacts with intelligent objects |
| C．can be verified continuously | D．needs repeated verification |
| A．fingerprints can be canceled once stolen | B．brainprints are theft-proof and resettable |
| C．attackers can steal and replace brainprints | D．users have the authority to cancel brainprints |
| A．brainprints will sharpen users’ memory | B．brainprints will become easier to be measured |
| C．brainprints will receive narrow application | D．brainprints will eventually replace fingerprints |
| A．Brainprints: A New Way to Replace Passwords |
| B．Brainprints: A Unique Device to Identify Codes |
| C．Brainprints: A Quicker Way to Access Your Email |
| D．Brainprints: A Securer Device to Identify Brain Signals |
5 . "Changing the world" might seem like an unrealistic goal. When faced with huge problems such as air pollution or energy shortages, where do you start? Taoyuan-based Gogoro believes you start with a scooter.
Proof of concept In 2015, Gogoro broke onto the scene by releasing an electric scooter called the Smartscooter. Unlike most electric scooters, this one wouldn't need to be plugged in to recharge. Instead, users would stop by GoStations to exchange drained batteries for fully charged ones. Gogoro was taking a risk. If people were not happy with the system of changing batteries the whole project could fail. They didn't need to worry, though. Only one year later Gogoro sold their 10,000th Smartscooter! |
Setting the bar Fast forward to 2019 and the release of the Series 3 Smartscooter. Gogoro scooters are as popular and revolutionary as ever. Their bright colors are chosen by Beatrice Santiccioli, a famous color designer who helped shape major brands like Apple, Nike and Swatch. In addition to the scooters' bright colors, plenty of cool accessories (配件) are available so you can make your scooter your own. But most important of all, Gogoro continues to pave the way toward a future of responsible energy consumption. |
Looking forward Multiple cities and countries have committed to making their transportation all-electric in the coming years, and Gogoro is helping make that possible. Ordered a package? Companies like DHL and Taiwan Post now have fleets of Smartscooters to make deliveries. Need a ride? Unlock a Gogoro in Berlin, Paris or Madrid, thanks to scooter sharing services. The Smartscooter is definitely ingenious, but there's more "At Gogoro, I think the essential thing is that we want to change how people use energy. And the Smartscooter is only the beginning," says Horace Luke, Gogoro co-founder and CEO. This is where the GoStation comes in. |
Tomorrow's energy Gostations are Al-equipped. They track battery health to maximize each battery's life. They recharge batteries during off-peak hours to reduce strain on the city's power grid (输电网). But they also learn when users usually visit and prioritize supplying charged batteries at those times. The fact of the matter is, cities are only getting bigger. There are already dozens of megacities (特大城市) in the world, and there will only be more in the future. Gogoro's dream is the transformation of megacities into smart cities, where power is plentiful and responsible. They hope to be a big part of that transformation. |
1. Compared with other electric scooters, the Smartscooter ______.
| A．can recharge itself in Gostations in megacities |
| B．only needs to change batteries in Gostations |
| C．wouldn't need to be recharged at all in life |
| D．can be recharged by its users in Gostations |
| A．their colors are chosen by a famous color designer |
| B．their colors are different from those of others |
| C．it is a good way for people to consume energy |
| D．it can help us solve the problem of energy shortage |
| A．The more megacities there are, the more GoStations may appear. |
| B．GoStations will soon entirely take the place of traditional stations. |
| C．People need not go to GoStations especially during peak hours. |
| D．More megacities will appear throughout the world in the future. |
Search for a Human Face for Robots
Looking for a $130,000 payday? Geomiq, a British engineering and manufacturing firm is searching for a “kind and friendly” face to be the face of a robot once it goes into production. “This will entail（需要）the selected person’s face being reproduced on potentially thousands of versions of the robots worldwide,” Geomiq says in a blog post about the project.
Robots have been at the forefront of technology for decades, and are widely considered the future of our technological advancement. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, according to some estimates, robots designed to keep the elderly company are becoming increasingly common.
They do things like responding to voice commands, offering proactive（积极主动的）notifications and advice and letting relatives monitor conditions at home. There is still a long way to go but new robotic products are coming into fruition all the time. Geomiq says the robot line has been in the works for five years and will result in a companion for seniors.
The designer has noted in an interview with a select press pool that they can’t release too many details at this stage.
The blog past doesn’t share age or gender parameters（参数）.
| A．A technology company wants to buy the rights to use someone’s face for its robots. |
| B．It just asks people who want to license their face to submit a photo via email for the chance at $130,000. |
| C．It is a once - in - a - while opportunity for the right person. |
| D．They also serve a practical purpose. |
| E．The company is privately - funded. |
| F．However, ideal candidates will be given the specifics of the project. |
7 . In a world where science has made almost anything imaginable, think outside the box and imagine if the everyday things we all take for granted were different!
Situations 1. How would the world change if we learnt to communicate with other species, like dogs or cows? 2. If we had the power to read each other’s thought—how would life be different? 3. Imagine if everyone could choose their children’s appearance—how would the human race change? 4. Suppose that men could give birth just like women—how would the world change? 5. Imagine that a harmless drug was invented so that we no longer needed to sleep. What would the effects be? 6. Supposing people had to pass an exam before they could become parents—how would society change? | Comments Katy K I think this would be horrible! I wouldn’t be able to spend all those hours under my lovely duvet(羽绒被), I would have to spend more hours at work with my horrible boss! No, no, no! Fabgirl 17 I really wish we could do this! I’ve got a dog and two cats and I wish I knew what they were thinking and what they really wanted. It would be so cool to have a chat with them. PaulfromOz It would be a bit difficult to carry on eating them, wouldn’t it? It might feel a bit like cannibalism(同类相识), I guess. JeremyJ Actually, I think it’s time that people got some kind of qualification or training to become a parent. A lot of the world’s problems are due to bad parenting if you look around. JennyEp LOL … if only this was true! I guess a painless way of giving birth would be invented pretty quickly, wouldn’t it? Amir K. If we found out what our friends really thought of us, we’d get a few shocks, I imagine. I’m not sure this would be such a great idea! |
1. According to the passage, which of the following situations receives no comments?
| A．Situation 2. | B．Situation 3. |
| C．Situation 4. | D．Situation 6. |
| A．It may turn out to be a shocking situation. |
| B．It may have people working longer hours. |
| C．It may make it unbearable to have animals as food. |
| D．It may require a safe and painless way of communication. |
| A．What if....? | B．If only ... ! |
| C．How come? | D．No wonder! |
8 . No one knows what the future will look like. New technology and climate change might make the world more different than we can possibly imagine. So we had better keep an open mind and hope for the best.
We have no idea what the job market will look like in 2050. It is generally agreed that machine learning and robotics will change almost every line of work – from producing yoghurt to teaching yoga. However, there are conflicting views about the nature of the change and its urgency. Some believe that within a mere decade or two, billions of people will become economically redundant (多余的). Others maintain that even in the long run automation will keep creating new jobs and greater prosperity for all.
So are we on an edge of a terrifying sudden change, or are such forecasts yet another example of ill-founded Luddite hysteria(勒德分子的歇斯底里)? It is hard to say. Fears that automation will create massive unemployment go back to the nineteenth century, and so far they have never materialized. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, for every job lost to a machine at least one new job was created, and the average standard of living has increased dramatically.
Yet there are good reasons to think that this time it is different, and that machine learning will be a real game changer. Humans have two types of abilities – physical and cognitive(认知的). In the past, machines competed with humans mainly in raw physical abilities, while humans still had a great advantage over machines in cognition. Hence as manual jobs in agriculture and industry were automated, new service jobs emerged that required the kind of cognitive skills only humans possessed: learning, analysing, communicating and above all understanding human emotions. However, AI is now beginning to outperform humans in more and more of these skills, including in the understanding of human emotions.
We don’t know of any third field of activity — beyond the physical and the cognitive — where humans will always maintain a secure advantage. It is crucial to realize that the AI revolution is not just about computers getting faster and smarter. It is fuelled by breakthroughs in the life sciences and the social sciences as well. The better we understand the biochemical mechanisms that support human emotions, desires and choices, the better computers can become in analyzing human behavior, predicting human decisions, and replacing human drivers, bankers and lawyers.
In the last few decades, research in neuroscience and behavioural economics allowed scientists to gain a much better understanding of how humans make decisions. It turned out that our choices of everything from food to mates result not from some mysterious free will, but rather from billions of neurons calculating probabilities within a split second. Boasting ‘human intuition’(直觉) is actually pattern recognition.
1. The second paragraph tells us about ________.| A．predictions about the role of machine learning in future job market |
| B．the speed at which robotics will take the place of human beings |
| C．the urgency of creating new jobs with the help of automation |
| D．the nature of applying new technology to every line of work |
| A．unidentified | B．badly-managed |
| C．unproven | D．ill-intended |
| A．Lack of job security might force people to pick up machine learning. |
| B．There is possibility that AI can perform a consulting role as a psychologist. |
| C．The use of automation will make humans more needed than ever before. |
| D．A real game changer lies in making computers become faster and smarter. |
| A．AI revolution is similar to the industrial revolution in causing unemployment. |
| B．It’s crucial that humans maintain an advantage in the third field of activity. |
| C．The process of human decision is controlled by free will rather than neurons. |
| D．The nature of preference at first sight is the result of recognizing patterns. |
