1 . As AI becomes popular, researchers have noticed its influence on the environment. Training an AI system requires huge computing power and electricity, and the resulting CO2 emissions (排放) are one way AI affects the environment. But its environmental effect is more than its carbon (碳)footprint.
Jesse Dodge, a scientist at the Allen Institute, says, "The influence of Al systems is going to be from their applications, not the cost of training them." David Rolnick, a computer scientist at McGill University, compares AI to a hammer (锤子) “The main effect of a hammer is what is being hammered,” he says, "not what is in the hammer." Just like a hammer which can either destroy things or build a house, Al can hurt or help the environment.
In 2019, ExxonMobil, an oil company, said it would use Microsoft’s app Azure. With the Al technology, it would increase its production and create billions of dollars. This means Microsoft's AI is directly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This is not the only AI application that could be environmentally harmful. AI behind the ads that jump out on Instagram or Facebook pages pushes customers to spend more on products like clothes. This in turn causes more emissions through more production and delivery.
But on the other side of the coin, there are AI applications that can help deal with environmental problems, such as the destruction caused by hurricanes. One such application is xView2, a program started by a U. S. organization. It can recognize buildings damaged and people trapped in natural disasters, reducing danger and saving time for rescuers.
AI could be a valuable tool in the fight against climate change—if the Al industry can reduce its harmful climate effects. "Both AI and climate rules have roles to play." Rolnick says. When creating Al rules, he suggests considering its applications, emissions, and other production costs. Further, Dodge adds that those AI professionals should help set up some value systems to limit the technology's use.
1. Where does the effect of AI systems on the environment come from according to Dodge?A.The popularity of AI. | B.The emissions of CO2. |
C.The way of applying AI. | D.The cost of AI training. |
A.By listing numbers. | B.By giving examples. |
C.By comparing facts. | D.By explaining details. |
A.Rules for AI can be helpful. | B.Al's advance should be limited. |
C.Production costs will be lower. | D.AI plays a role in making rules. |
A.AI applications are environmentally harmful. |
B.AI affects the environment by CO2 emissions. |
C.AI is effective in solving environmental problems. |
D.AI's environmental effect goes beyond its emissions. |
1. 选择环保的交通方式;
2. 爱护旅游景点;
3. 自带水,少买包装饮料。
注意:1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3. 开头语已为你写好,不计入总词数。
Good afternoon, my fellow students. I am Li Hua, host of Voice of the Campus today.
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Li Hua
3 . On a recent sunny day, 13,000 chickens roam over Larry Brown’s 40 windswept acres in Shiner, Texas. Some rest in the shade of a parked car. Others drink water with the cows. This all seems random, but it’s by design, part of what the $6.1 billion U.S. egg industry bets will be its next big thing: climate-friendly eggs.
These eggs, which are making their debut now on shelves for as much as $8 a dozen, are still labeled organic and animal-friendly, but they’re also from birds that live on farms using regenerative agriculture — special techniques to cultivate rich soils that can trap greenhouse gases. Such eggs could be marketed as helping to fight climate change.
“I’m excited about our progress,” says Brown, who harvests eggs for Denver-based NestFresh Eggs and is adding more cover crops that draw worms and crickets for the chickens to eat. The birds’ waste then fertilizes fields. Such improvements “allow our hens to forage for high-quality natural feed that will be good for the land, the hens, and the eggs that we supply to our customers.”
The egg industry’s push is the first major test of whether animal products from regenerative farms can become the next premium offering. In barely more than a decade, organic eggs went from being dismissed as a niche product in natural foods stores to being sold at Walmart. More recently there were similar doubts about probiotics and plant-based meats, but both have exploded into major supermarket categories. If the sustainable-egg rollout is successful, it could open the floodgates for regenerative beef, broccoli, and beyond.
Regenerative products could be a hard sell, because the concept is tough to define quickly, says Julie Stanton, associate professor of agricultural economics at Pennsylvania State University Brandywine. Such farming also brings minimal, if any, improvement to the food products (though some producers say their eggs have more protein).
The industry is betting that the same consumers paying more for premium attributes such as free-range, non-GMO, and pasture-raised eggs will embrace sustainability. Surveys show that younger generations are more concerned about climate change, and some of the success of plant- based meat can be chalked up to shoppers wanting to signal their desire to protect the environment. Young adults “really care about the planet,” says John Brunnquell, president of Egg Innovations. “They are absolutely altering the food chain beyond what I think even they understand what they’re doing.”
1. The climate friendly eggs are produced ______.A.at a considerably low cost | B.at the demand of regular shoppers |
C.as a replacement for organic eggs | D.on specially designed farms |
A.reducing the damage of worms | B.accelerating the disposal of waste |
C.creating a sustainable system | D.attracting customers to his products |
A.are desperate to change their diet | B.are likely to buy climate-friendly eggs |
C.are enthusiastic about new food | D.are amazed at environmental problems |
A.market prospects | B.nutritional value |
C.standard definition | D.moral implications |
A. voyaged B. barely C. renowned D. abnormality E. discipline F. navigable G. unprecedented H. eyed I. Fortunately J. accessible K. degradation |
For voyager and green promoter Zhai Mo, the 504-day non-stop voyage to the Arctic Ocean has stimulated his concern about the climate and awareness of his responsibilities.
Navigating more than 28,000 nautical miles (51,856 kilometers) in harsh conditions, Zhai, a (n)
Zhai undertook this task as an ambassador of the Chinese navigation science and marine public welfare, and also the ForNature Campaign of the United Nations Development Program. He set sail on June 30 last year to raise public awareness of global warming, climate change and land
“When we passed through the Northwest Pacific Ocean on our way back, we encountered three typhoons within a week, which
Zhai didn’t see any floating ice during his one-week voyage in the Kara Sea while the previous meteorological data showed ice there.
“My own experience tells me that climate
The voyage, to enter the Arctic Ocean from the Bering Strait before making a round trip returning to Shanghai, was planned to take four months, but the return schedule was delayed for more than a year. “As soon as we entered the Bering Strait, we encountered a polar cyclone. A large number of ice floes and icebergs were blown to the coast. However, the Arctic Ocean can only be
Zhai was attracted by sailing when holding an art exhibition abroad in 2000. In 2007, he got a second-hand sailboat with simple supplies, such as instant noodles, pancakes and potatoes, and started his voyage trip around the world.
After that 35,000-nautical-mile voyage, Zhai
He adds that he hopes more young people would participate in navigation, to promote and publicize the ocean awareness and navigation spirit. He is preparing for the third voyage trip around the world next year or the year after that. “Antarctica is also a very big challenge. I hope to explore more unknowns, and I also want to launch a transoceanic sailing competition.”
A.Bring flowers. | B.Take a pot plant. |
C.Buy postcards. | D.Send fruits. |
6 . Last month, Koch went to make breakfast and found a(n)
“I looked out in the backyard and there’s the moose absolutely panicked and
Koch has noticed more wildlife around his home in Ottawa,
The wild moose seemed to be having trouble finding her way out of the pool, so Koch called the police and wildlife services to see if they could
Workers from wildlife services intended that they would get her to a safer spot, but they couldn’t
The moose
A.informal | B.ordinary | C.usual | D.uninvited |
A.abandoned | B.wrapped | C.removed | D.forbidden |
A.struggling | B.shaking | C.shouting | D.searching |
A.shoulder | B.foot | C.face | D.back |
A.narrowly | B.likely | C.desperately | D.unwillingly |
A.for | B.so | C.but | D.or |
A.so | B.well | C.almost | D.rather |
A.relaxed | B.happy | C.tired | D.poor |
A.around | B.beneath | C.outside | D.beyond |
A.donate | B.hurt | C.lend | D.cure |
A.lift | B.hug | C.smile | D.credit |
A.update | B.witness | C.cancel | D.manage |
A.watched out | B.cut down | C.jumped over | D.dived into |
A.escaped | B.participated | C.hesitated | D.insisted |
A.feet | B.holes | C.walls | D.covers |
Last week I visited a small village to see the brown bears, what come to the villages at night to look at food. I waited with some tourist. As it grew dark, we see the huge black shapes of the bears. Those clever bears knew where to go for its dinner: the rubbish where there was lots of food people have thrown away. Although it’s wonderful to see the bears in the village, but it can only mean one thing: their habitat is disappearing. They would prefer to stay hiding in the mountain forests, but the trees have cut down for firewood. However, they cannot find enough food any more.
8 . Masses of ocean plastic are providing artificial habitat (栖息地) for otherwise coastal species, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. The study’s authors observed floating water bottles, old toothbrushes and waste fishing nets. The possibility exists that species may be evolving to better adapt to life on plastic.
A decade ago, marine researchers believed coastal species could not survive a trip across the inhospitable open ocean. Yet Japan’s 2011 tsunami (海啸), which sent some 300 species of Asian marine life riding floating plastic garbage onto North American shores, disproved that assumption.
Ocean plastic is “creating opportunities for coastal species’ biogeography to greatly expand beyond what we previously thought was possible”, Linsey Haram, a researcher and co-author of the study, said in a report.
The concept of species-covered plastic may sound like the story of ocean species’ victory in spite of human pollution. But that’s not quite the case, explains Juan José Alava, PhD, an expert at the University of British Columbia. In addition to transporting non-native species to new habitats where they may become invasive and destructive, the plastic is “basically an ecological trap”, says Alava. “That’s because small species on the floating structure may attract bigger animals to come for food. When these creatures enter garbage areas for food, they run a high risk of eating and/or becoming caught in plastic and dying.”
While scientists have found some types of bacteria (细菌) are able to break down plastic, thereby cleaning up garbage, it’s unlikely that the marine animals will have any such effect. “The 2021 UN report was clear that the increasing plastic pollution is putting the health of all the world’s oceans and seas at risk,” says Alava.
1. What does the underlined word “inhospitable” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Easy-to-spot. | B.Up-to-standard. |
C.Down-to-earth. | D.Hard-to-stay. |
A.Putting them at greater risk. |
B.Causing them to grow bigger. |
C.Enabling them to live in new habitats. |
D.Freeing them from getting endangered. |
A.It increases some creatures’ curiosity. |
B.It causes damage to all marine species. |
C.It creates habitats for larger creatures. |
D.It leads to the death of some creatures. |
A.Ocean plastic must be dealt with. |
B.It’s OK to throw plastic into the ocean. |
C.Marine life may adapt to ocean plastic. |
D.Ocean plastic may be cleaned up soon. |
9 . A new study has found that ride-sharing services result in much more air pollution than other kinds of private and public transportation, and they also draw passengers away from more environmentally friendly methods of travel, like public transportation, walking or biking.
Several studies have suggested that ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft can worsen traffic problems in cities. The new study attempts to center on how ride-sharing services affect air pollution. It examined the effects of ride-sharing services on 7 of America’s largest cities. Overall, the researchers reported that ride-sharing trips result in an estimated 69% more air pollution on average than the trips they displace. One of the big reasons is that ride-sharing vehicles are often driven without passengers in. This happens when drivers are either waiting for ride requests or on the way to pick up passengers.
This situation, known as “deadheading”, takes up about 42% of all ride-sharing driving. The researchers said that deadheading results in about 50% more carbon dioxide than one person driving in a private vehicle.
Both Uber and Lyft do offer a choice of a “pooled” ride, which involves drivers picking up additional riders during the same trip. The study urges services like Uber and Lyft to work to increase the number of pooled rides and electric vehicles on the road, and improve connections to public transportation centers.
Uber made no comment on the latest report, but the company said it aims to be part of the solution to address climate change by working directly with cities, adding that it will continue to promote pooled trips and other means of transportation. Lyft said that the study made misleading claims about ride-sharing although it shared the practice of increasing the number of pooled rides and putting more electric vehicles in service.
Both companies have already operated businesses that offer electric scooters and bikes and have begun to include public transportation information in their systems.
1. What’s known about ride-sharing services before the new study?A.They are more popular with passengers than public transportation. |
B.They provide a more efficient means of transportation. |
C.They waste a lot of time waiting for ride requests. |
D.They make traffic problems in cities even worse. |
A.They use too much fuel to operate. |
B.They are used by too many people. |
C.They are often driven with no passengers. |
D.They don’t have public transportation information. |
A.Negative. | B.Positive. | C.Approving. | D.Indifferent. |
A.Both Uber and Lyft pay little attention to the result of the study. |
B.Ride-sharing business will be canceled in more countries. |
C.Ride-sharing services will become greener in the future. |
D.Riding bikes is the solution to urban traffic problems. |
10 . Multiple actions have been taken to fight food waste, but one young man is making a big difference with technology. Liu Jichen, a student from Tsinghua University, has developed a WeChat mini-program called “Clear Your Plate”.
After a meal, users can open the mini-program and take a picture of their empty plates. Once the image is recognized by the AI, students can collect points and use them to buy gifts or purchase charity meals donated to children in poor areas.
The idea came from Liu’s experience in a canteen where he found that diners finishing their food could get a card and then small gifts with a certain number of cards collected.
“Technological innovation is a good way to reduce food waste and contribute to global food challenges.” Liu thought. With this in mind, he organized a team of 20 members to work on the project in 2017. To solve the AI’s problem of identifying photos of empty plates, the team spent half a year collecting over 100,000 samples in canteens and restaurants. In 2018, the mini-program was officially put into operation on Oct 16, World Food Day.
This year, the one-month campaign has attracted almost 1.6 million participants and collectively reduced food waste by 862 tons and carbon emissions by 3,337 tons.
“There were so many unknowns in research and development. For us, the biggest psychological challenge was whether we were confident enough to complete it,” Liu said. However, they not only achieved their goal, but now, the mini-program has more than 5 million registered users.
Thanks to his actions concerning social issues, Liu Jichen was inducted into the 2020 Class of Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals in September.
1. What is true about the “Clear Your Plate” mini-program?A.It inspires people to make money. | B.It aims to encourage people to treasure food. |
C.It has helped reduce food waste by 3,337 tons. | D.It offers people cards and small gifts as a reward. |
A.They lacked professional technical support. | B.They found it tough to promote the campaign. |
C.They had difficulty gathering enough samples. | D.They felt uncertain about completing the project. |
A.Optimistic and cautious. | B.Generous and responsible. |
C.Talented and humorous. | D.Creative and determined. |
A.Learn from Liu Jichen | B.The Power of AI Technology |
C.Clear Your Plate with Technology | D.Actions to Fight against Food Waste |