In the spring of 1924, Indian poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore began a three-month visit to China at the
Tagore’s first stop was Shanghai and he was
Tagore’s tour of China included visits to cities such as Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. He met with
Tagore’s visit to China was not only a cultural exchange
2 . Each spring, scientists hide more than 1,600 lunchbox-size recorders across the forests of the Sierra Nevada range in the western U. S.
Until they’re taken back at summer’s end, these recorders record a million hours of audio (音频), which often contains the hoots, barks, and whistles of the California spotted owl — valuable information about where the endangered species spends its time. But it’s a lot of recordings for a human to go through. “There’s no way we can listen to that — not even close,” says Connor Wood, a researcher who co-leads the owl project at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.
It turns out that this team actually can process this huge amount of data — they just need a little help from BirdNET, an AI-powered system launched in 2018 that can identify more than 6,000 species of birds, including the migration (迁徙) birds, across the globe just by their call.
“We need tools that are really flexible and capable of identifying as many acoustically (听觉上) active animals as possible,” says Wood, whose lab developed BirdNET with the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. “I cannot stress enough the significant influence BirdNET has brought to bird research.”
Two years later, the team launched the official BirdNET app, which allows people across the world to upload their own recordings from laptops or smartphones. Since then, BirdNET has gathered roughly 150 million high-quality bird sounds. With funding from the U. S. Forest Service and National Park Service, Wood and his team recently used BirdNET to create the first ecosystem-wide assessment of spotted owl populations across the Sierra Nevada, which increasingly face threats from enemy species or wildfires.
However, like most AI-based technology, these apps are not without drawbacks. In his recent study, ecologist Cristian Pérez-Granados, who works at the University of Alicante in Spain, reviewed a range of scientific literature on BirdNET. His research found that BirdNET didn’t always register a bird’s song, and sometimes misidentified it as another species, which results in “false positives”.
1. What is the main challenge in processing the audio data?A.The data contain mostly useless background noise. |
B.There is too much audio data to handle. |
C.The data are too small to provide enough information. |
D.The recorders frequently fail to function and record properly. |
A.To play bird sounds. | B.To take photos of birds. |
C.To recognize bird species. | D.To track bird migration. |
A.Curious. | B.Appreciative. | C.Doubtful. | D.Carefree. |
A.Limitations of the BirdNET application. | B.Benefits of BirdNET for bird conservation. |
C.Supporting evidence for the research results. | D.Reasonable doubts about the research process. |
3 . Exhibitions (展览) in the USA 2024
For those who are keen on attending various exhibitions and looking for the latest information on certain fields, there is always one exhibition for you.
Annual (一年一度的) Builders St. Charles Home Show, 2024
June 15th, 2024—June 17th, 2024
Saint Charles, USA
The Annual Builders St. Charles Home Show is the only national event that brings remodelers, custom builders, residential architects, and designers together to meet face to face with top producers to preview creative products, information, tools &services.
Novi Home & Garden Show, 2024
June 18th, 2024—June 20th, 2024
Novi, USA
The Novi Home & Garden Show is the one- stop destination to find home improvement products and services for every type of project imaginable, decorating and landscaping exhibits as well as experienced businesses to provide services.
Acadiana Bird Club-Bird Fair, 2024
June 23rd, 2024—June 24th, 2024
Lafayette, USA
The aim of the Acadiana Bird Club-Bird Fair is the preservation of all bird species through public education on the proper care and breeding (饲养) of birds and to promote the health and well-being of all pet birds.
ACC Annual Scientific Session & Expo, 2024
June 26th, 2024—June 28th, 2024
Atlanta, USA
The ACC Annual Scientific Session & Expo will provide the attendees with the opportunity to gain insights relating to the latest heart disease researches and related treatments. At the exhibition, you can also see the latest and most advanced medical facilities on display.
1. When can you go to the Novi Home & Garden Show?A.On June 15th. | B.On June 19th. |
C.On June 23rd. | D.On June 28th. |
A.Exhibiting and trading pet birds. | B.Promoting research on bird species. |
C.Increasing public awareness of bird care. | D.Providing bird entertainment performances. |
A.Saint Charles. | B.Novi. | C.Lafayette. | D.Atlanta. |
A.At 1:10 pm. | B.At 1:30 pm. | C.At 1:50 pm. |
1. Who is the man asking for?
A.Eric. | B.Laura. | C.Heather. |
A.Pass on a message. | B.Make a phone call. | C.Go shopping. |
A.Have a get-together. | B.Visit a company. | C.Attend a meeting. |
A.Shopping lists. | B.Eating habits. | C.Cooking methods. |
A.At home. | B.In a car. | C.At a gas station. |
A.Give a history lecture. |
B.Take care of his brother. |
C.Lend him her notes. |
A.Last year. | B.Five years ago. | C.Six years ago. |