1 . Whenever anyone asks me what tech I’d like to see invented, I always say the universal translator, which lets you understand and speak any language.
Meta AI recently announced the start of the universal speech translator (UST) project, which aims to create AI systems that enable real-time speech-to-speech translation across all languages, even those that are spoken but not commonly written. Meta says that today’s AI translation models are focused on widely-used written languages, and that more than 40% of primarily spoken languages are not covered by such translation technologies.
According to Meta, the model is the first AI-powered speech translation system for the unwritten language Hokkien (闽南语), a Chinese language spoken in southeastern China. The system allows Hokkien speakers to hold conversations with English speakers, a significant step toward bringing people together wherever they are located.
To build UST, Meta AI focused on overcoming three important translation system challenges. It addressed data scarcity by getting more training data in more languages and finding new ways to use the data it had found. It solved the modeling problems that arise as models grow to serve many more languages. And it sought new ways to improve on its results.
Meta AI claims that the techniques it pioneered with Hokkien can be extended to many other unwritten languages—and eventually work in real time. For this purpose, Meta has released the Speech Matrix, a large collection of speech-to-speech translations, which enables other research teams to create translation models for other languages.
Artificial (人工的) speech translation could play a significant role in our world. For interactions, it will enable people from around the world to communicate with each other more smoothly, making the social net more interconnected. For content, using artificial speech translation allows you to easily localize content.
Yashar Behzadi, CEO and founder of Synthesis AI, believes that technology needs to enable more natural experiences if the digital world is to succeed. He says that one of the current challenges for UST models is the computationally expensive training that’s needed because of the wide range and very slight differences in meaning or sound of languages. Also, to train strong AI models requires vast amounts of typical data. A significant bottleneck to building these AI models in the near future will be to ensure training data collect the privacy in agreement with rules and law.
1. What is the feature of the UST project?| A．It changes spoken languages to written forms. |
| B．It attracts wider attention to written languages in translation. |
| C．It adds 40% of spoken languages into translation technology. |
| D．It enables real-time speech-to-speech translation across all languages. |
| A．Lack. | B．Mistake. | C．Recovery. | D．Management. |
| A．It is expensive to collect typical data. |
| B．It increases the use of a certain language. |
| C．Its techniques are finally developed for Hokkien. |
| D．It helps inspire interactions and content localization. |
| A．AI Translation: Make Translation Faster |
| B．AI Translation: Meet You in All Languages |
| C．Unwritten Language: Bring People Together |
| D．Unwritten Language: Translation Challenge |
The idiom “No ‘I’ in Team” is based on a pun (双关语)-The word “team” does not contain the letter “i”, which highlights the idea that instead of focusing on themselves as individuals, team members should work together to achieve their common goals.
When it comes to achieving success, there’s no denying that teamwork plays a crucial role. We’ve all been there-group projects at school, working with colleagues at the office or playing sports with teammates. A successful team agrees and sets goals based on outcomes and results to complete its tasks. It’s important that each member knows the direction the team is working toward, their responsibilities, and how they aim to achieve the team’s collective goals. It’s essential that group members within the team share workloads and help each other to succeed.
Mostly, in typical workplace culture, being focus on individual pursuits is considered plain selfish, but is supporting individuals in their own pursuits really anti-team? Evidence suggests that putting the “I” back into team can improve workplace productivity and employee engagement. In the 1990s the Harvard Business School did research, demonstrating the benefits of giving employees paid time to follow their own individual pursuits. Since then, some notable companies have introduced unstructured time into their workplaces.
Globally, 85% of employees are disengaged in their work. In Daniel Pink’s book Drive, he argues that the best way to motivate employees is not through the carrot and stick approach but rather through allowing and enabling them to direct their own lives. When teams understand what matters to the individuals within them, they are able to better empathize with each other and have each others’ backs.
There is an “I” in team and when we start to implement programs that support individuals in their pursuits, we may just find they are more creative, more engaged and more productive.
1. What idea does the idiom “No ‘I’ in Team” highlight?2. Why is it important to put “I” back into team?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
According to Danile Pink, the effective way to motivate the 85% employees is to set the goal the company would like their employees to achieve.
4. As an individual, how can you play your role in a team?
Can you speak more than one language? Being able to communicate with people in another language is a great way to make friends and feel more confident.
Language is the way we communicate with each other. It includes speaking, writing and using hand and face movements, known as sign language. Unlike countries, languages have no borders (边界) and can connect people around the world.
Speaking another language helps you talk to people you may, not understand, and makes you feel more connected to them. A girl from Hungary, Havana, who is aged 12, says speaking Hungarian as well as English means she can talk to her friends from England. This makes her feel closer to her British friends because they’re able to share their interests. Learning another language can also help you gain confidence—for example, by being able to chat to local people when you travel. Studies show that being able to speak two languages also exercises the brain and makes you better at concentrating on more than one thing at a time.
Alex Rawlings is a language teacher and writer who speaks more than 15 languages. He finds it’s easier to learn words that he can see or hear, rather than from a list. “For example, the words of a song are more memorable because they rhyme (押韵) and are sung,” he says. It’s also important to understand why you learn a language. Rawlings recommends writing down reasons why you want to learn the language and keep reminding yourself of them. “I’ve met lots of friends through my languages,” says Rawlings. “The more you learn, the easier it gets.”
1. What is the difference between countries and languages?2. What makes Havana feel closer to her friends from England?
3. Rawlings says, “The more you learn, the easier it gets.” Do you agree? Why or why not? (In about 40 words)
4 . For many of us, the desire to speak a foreign language is overshadowed by the idea that it’s a long journey or that there’s no practical reason to learn. However, research has shown that speaking two languages has many advantages in this connected world today. Businesses with people around the world need someone who is not only capable of communicating in another language but also culturally aware and open-minded. Many companies prefer the people who are able to speak more than one language since they have faced more difficult situations in their language learning than the people who only speak one language, thus they desire to deal with more challenges in the work.
While creativity can be a difficult thing to measure, researchers have attempted to measure creative ability in a number of ways. One of the tools that are most widely used to understand creativity is a test known as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The TTCT was first introduced in 1962 by Ellis Paul Torrance and measures one’s divergent (发散的) thinking in some key areas.
Divergent thinking is how well and how quickly your mind can solve problems. A study conducted by the University of Mashhad collected the TTCT results of the people who speak only one language and the people who have learned two languages and clearly showed that the second of the two groups performed better.
Some reasons for this could be that people who speak two languages are often faced with situations where they must consider various things, which can have an effect on problem-solving ability.
Language allows you to express your thoughts to other people, but what if there are no words to express what you’re thinking and feeling? Understanding a second language can allow you to express something you may not be able to with only one language.
Because language is linked to culture, you will find that by speaking more than one language you have a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures. This allows you to establish stronger connections with people from other cultural backgrounds. Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Communicating in someone’s native language is not only a great way to show respect, but also helps you develop a deeper personal connection that goes beyond just being understood.
1. What does the underlined word “overshadowed” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Reduced. | B．Encouraged. | C．Controlled. | D．Strengthened. |
| A．show no interest in new ideas | B．communicate more with others |
| C．receive more money for their work | D．want to perform more difficult tasks |
| A．Its results can tell us how creative we are. |
| B．It can be used to develop divergent thinking. |
| C．It trains our minds to solve problems quickly. |
| D．It offers us measures to handle different situations. |
| A．Understanding what they said. | B．Speaking their native languages. |
| C．Teaching them our native languages. | D．Expressing thoughts in our native languages. |
| A．Benefits of Leaning a Second Language |
| B．Importance of Understanding Other Cultures |
| C．TTCT: A Useful Tool for Language Learning |
| D．Second Language: An Advantage in Your Work |
5 . Children often learn new languages more easily than adults do, but it’s unclear why. Some theorize that grasping a language requires absorbing subtle patterns unconsciously and that adults’superior conscious reasoning is to blame. New research suggests that, indeed, grown-ups might just be too smart for their own good.
For a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, a group of Belgian adults at the same time read and heard strings of four made-up words(such as “kieng nief siet hiem”). Specific consonants (辅音) always appeared at the beginning or end of a word if the word contained a certain vowel (元音). Participants next read the sequences aloud quickly. Their ability to avoid mistakes doing so indicated how well they absorbed the consonant-vowel patterns.
But before exposure to the new words, the participants had carried out a separate test: pressing keys to react to letters and numbers. Some got a much faster, more mentally draining version of this test. Those who did the difficult version claimed greater mental exhaustion afterward—but performed better on the following language task. The researchers assume that tired learners used less conscious analysis on the word rules: they were free to learn like a child.
For a related paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, the research team had English-speaking adults listen to streams of syllables (音节) secretly grouped into three-syllable “words.” Later, they played pairs of three-syllable units; one word in the pair came from the stream, and one was a new combination. The participants guessed which word was familiar, then rated their confidence.
In one participant group, some had first done the original mentally draining test. In another, some had received magnetic pulses to interrupt activity in a brain area that previous research has linked to executive control. In both groups, these measures improved participants’ performance on the syllable task when they were unsure about their answers, indicating unconscious analysis of speech.
Neuroscientist Michael Ullman, who was not involved in either paper, likes that both the studies added to mental burden differently and measured different skills. That’s really good in science because you’ve got evidences pointing to the same direction,” he says, adding that he would like to see higher language skills such as grammar studied this way.
1. The reason why some Belgians were given a more difficult test before the language task was that __________.| A．they would have no time to prepare for the upcoming task. |
| B．they would be too tired mentally to consciously analyze the rules |
| C．they could have something to refer to in the following task |
| D．they might compare the difficulty level of the two tasks |
| A．The research result is not solid until grammar is included. |
| B．Subconscious mind remains to be explored in science. |
| C．The outcomes of the two researches back each other up |
| D．More evidence is needed to back the claim of the two papers. |
| A．Human brain processes languages in multiple ways. |
| B．Conscious analysis is the key to mastering a language. |
| C．Increasing mental health improves one’s language. |
| D．Reducing reasoning may help to learn a language. |
6 . In some ways, it is surprising that languages change. After all, they are passed down through the generations reliably enough for parents and children to communicate with each other.
Languages change for a variety of reasons. Large-scale shifts often occur in response to social, economic, and political pressures, as there are many examples of language change fueled by invasions, colonization, and migration.
| A．Changes in sound are somewhat harder to document but just as interesting. |
| B．Yet linguists find that all living languages change over time — at different rates though. |
| C．As long as people are using a language, that language will undergo some change. |
| D．All natural languages change, and language change affects all areas of language use. |
| E．The three main areas of language that change over time are vocabulary, sentence structure, and pronunciation. |
| F．Even without these kinds of influences, a language can change dramatically if enough users adopt a new way of speaking. |
| G．The vocabulary and phrases people use depend on where they live, their age, education level, social status and other factors. |
7 . The British love word-play and they’re enthusiastic about defending the use of their language. In recent years, books about the grammar, pronunciation and punctuation (标点) of English have been written by the dozen, and sold extremely well, reflecting people’s love of the English language. People want to defend the “correct” use of their language, but also to preserve its ability to evolve along with society. Lynne Truss’s book Eats, Shoots & Leaves is an excellent example of these two opposite ideas. Its title shows the way that punctuation can change meaning in a sentence. “Eats shoots and leaves” is a perfectly normal description of a panda’s diet: he eats the shoots and leaves of bamboo trees. But the position of the comma (逗号) turns those nouns into verbs, and makes up a ridiculous little story: the panda eats (his dinner), he shoots (a gun), and he leaves (the building). It’s a silly joke, but it shows how changing something as simple as a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
Published in 2003, Eats, Shoots & Leaves was an unexpectedly huge success. It is easy to assume the typical reader of this kind of book as the humourless type. However, the book has sold thousands and thousands of copies — it must be appealing to a wide range of people. The book’s winning secret is this: it makes some serious points about language and punctuation, but also has a light-hearted dimension, and uses stories and jokes to show its points. It has invited some tough criticism, too, especially from the US. On a broader range, Eats, Shoots & Leaves has opened up a lot of public debate on Truss’s ideas. Whether they agree with her or not, punctuation and grammar has become a popular topic to discuss.
In every generation there will be people who think that the standard of language is in decline, and who are more than happy to write to the newspapers to express their concern and opinions. Truss’s book also appeals to those who think that texting and blogging is lowering the standard of literacy. Whether the standard of the English language is decreasing, or simply evolving into new forms, the success of Eats, Shoots & Leaves proves that this is a subject that many English speakers find interesting and important.
1. The title of the book Eats, Shoots & Leaves is a joke which shows ________.| A．a funny feeling | B．a trend in writing |
| C．a fact about animals | D．a grammatical point |
| A．it causes concern for proper use of language in a fun way |
| B．it shows the British like to teach English to other people |
| C．it solves a serious English language problem |
| D．it presents the new research on English |
| A．The English language was better in the past. |
| B．The English language is being improved by technology. |
| C．There is often dissatisfaction with the standard of English. |
| D．There have always been debates on the use of punctuation. |
| A．The Problem Punctuation Created | B．The Difference a Comma Made |
| C．Public Debate about Language Standards | D．Proper Understanding of Silly Jokes |
8 . In many languages, the word for “mother/mom” takes an m-sound. Is there any reason for such near-universality?
Linguists(语言学家) generally argue for “the arbitrariness of the sign”: no connection exists between the word dog and the furry quadruped. A rare exception is onomatopoeia, where words representing the bark of a dog (bow-wow) and the buzz made by a bee are more or less similar to the sound. Yet most things are not subject to naming this way.
What about mama? It does not sound like a mother, but the fact is that some sounds are more widespread than others around the world. There are many dozens of observed consonants which are rare and hard for non-natives to learn.
In contrast, a few—such as b, m, p, t, d and k—show up far more frequently, in nearly every spoken language in the world. That is almost certainly because they are easy to make. A baby vocalising will, at first, make a vowel-like sound, usually something like “ah”, which requires little in the way of control over the mouth. If they briefly close their mouth and continue vocalising, air will come out of their nose, thus making the m-sound that is used in “mother” around the world.
Though the “mamas” bear the most obvious similarity, the “papas” have striking commonalities, too. Babies can easily stop their breath when they close their lips (rather than going on breathing through the nose). This produces a b-or a p-sound. It is surely for this reason that so many names for “father” use these consonants: papa in English, abb in Arabic and baba in Mandarin. T-and d-sounds are similarly basic, involving a simple tap of the tongue against the teeth: hence daddy, tatay (Tagalog) or tayta (Quechua).
Father and mother are, therefore, an oddity. F-is not especially easy to utter(发音); th-sounds are even harder. English, Greek and Spanish are unusual in having them. Even Anglophone children may struggle with th-sounds when they are five, or older still in many cases.
Anyway, it is hard to find linguistic universals amid the world’s dazzling variety.
1. What does the underlined word “quadruped” in Paragraph 2 most probably refer to?| A．Pronunciation | B．Sound | C．Bee | D．Animal |
| A．the sounds of the two words sound alike |
| B．air will come out of baby’s mouth directly |
| C．the sounds can be easily and naturally uttered |
| D．babies can continue their breath when closing their lips |
| A．Forthcoming. | B．Programme. | C．Magnificent. | D．Magazine. |
| A．Inspiration from babies’ smile and talks. |
| B．Linguists’ efforts to the research of sounds. |
| C．Connection between the word mum and dad. |
| D．Reasons for similar sounds in unrelated languages. |
9 . Have you had any problems while learning English? What did you do to overcome them? Here are five tips for you to enjoy learning English.
1. Read
Read as much as you can in English. No matter what it is, from cartoons to British literature, anything counts.
Naturally if you wish to develop, I would recommend you to choose something that provides you a challenge. So renew your library pass, subscribe to your favorite English magazine or go online!
2. Immerse (沉浸)
Understanding British or American culture can be a part of language learning. There are a lot of expressions or situations that can be understood and remembered better if you know a couple of customs, behavioral patterns, books or poems.
It is always inspiring to realize that you understand a short story, a text or even longer pieces of art in English.
3. Share
Where and how, you might ask. Well, there are many ways to do this. You can start your own blog in English about your hobby, travel experiences or anything that interests you.
If you don’t feel like writing, read others’ blogs or articles and feel free to comment if you have a question! You can also try to find an online community that has the same interest as you where you can share your own ideas, thoughts and beliefs.
4. Dare
This usually seems to be the most difficult part, but you have to overcome yourself! If you find yourself in a situation where you have the chance to use English, catch it!
You must overcome your fear that you might speak incorrectly, and you can also ask your partner to correct you. So whenever you travel or meet foreigners, don’t forget to speak as much as you can!
You can also subscribe to lively web pages that provide not only many interesting ways of online learning but also the chances to meet and speak to other language learners too!
5. Relax
Never forget the power of relaxation! You don’t always have to force yourself to study if you are tired. You can also listen to some music, watch a movie or listen to an audio (有声的) book (in English of course). It doesn’t sound too difficult, does it?
1. What does the author recommend in the first tip?| A．Avoiding a challenge. |
| B．Reading British literature only. |
| C．Staying away from online reading. |
| D．Subscribing to your favorite English magazine. |
| A．Questioning your own ideas. | B．Commenting on others’ articles. |
| C．Expressing your thoughts online. | D．Writing anything you like in your blog. |
| A．Sharing your beliefs. | B．Overcoming fears. |
| C．Remembering expressions. | D．Understanding foreign cultures. |
| A．Forget relaxation. | B．Take English courses. |
| C．Listen to some music. | D．Force yourself to study. |
| A．foreign travelers | B．English learners |
| C．movie producers | D．web page designers |
10 . The older you get, the more difficult it is to learn a new language. But no one knows exactly what the cutoff point is—at what age it becomes harder. In one of the largest studies, researchers from Boston-based universities found that children are good at learning a second language up until the age of 18, about 10 years later than earlier thought. But the study also showed that it is best to start by age 10 if you want to achieve the grammatical fluency of a native speaker.
To solve this problem, the research team collected data on a person’s age, language level and time studying English. They created a short online grammar quiz called “Which English?” that tested noun-verb agreement, pronouns, prepositions and relative clauses, among other linguistic elements. They wanted to find out when the “critical period” for achieving the highest levels of grammatical fluency ends.
Based on people’s grammar scores and information about their learning of English, the researchers developed models to find out how long it takes to become fluent in a language and the best age to start learning. They concluded that the ability to learn a new language, at least grammatically, is strongest until the age of 18. To become completely fluent, however, learning should start before the age of 10.
There are three main ideas as to why language-learning ability falls at 18: social changes, interference (干扰) from one’s primary language and continuing brain development. At 18, kids typically graduate from high school and start college or enter the work force full-time. Once they do, they may no longer have the time, opportunity to study a second language. Or it is possible that after one masters a first language, its rules interfere with the ability to learn a second language. Finally, changes in the brain that continue during the late teens and early 20s may somehow make learning harder.
This is not to say that we cannot learn a new language if we are over 20. There are many examples of people who pick up a language later in life.
Although the study was conducted only in English, the researchers believe the findings will transfer to other languages and they are developing similar tests for Spanish and Mandarin.
1. In Paragraph 2, “this problem” refers to ______.| A．at what age people can do the quiz |
| B．how people improve their language skills |
| C．why people find it hard to master grammar rules |
| D．in what period people can learn a new language well |
| A．Because they have no good learning environment. |
| B．Because they are busy developing other life skills. |
| C．Because they needn’t improve the language ability. |
| D．Because they focus more on their primary language. |
| A．To explain a finding. | B．To provide a solution. |
| C．To lead a discussion. | D．To support an opinion. |
