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 |
2 . On holiday, many will find themselves in places where they do not speak the language. Once upon a time, they might have carried a phrasebook. But now, many simple, free apps are good news for those travelers. With these apps’ conversation mode, people talk into a phone and a spoken translation is heard moments later. Maybe the best-known app is Google Translate, though small mistakes can happen due to its word-for-word translation.
Surprisingly, the best tool may not be a translation app at all. Though not marketed for that, ChatGPT, a generative AI system, can write messages in different languages, producing natural output like a native speaker.
As AI translation becomes an even more popular labour-saving tool, society may divide into two groups. There will be those who want to fully experience other cultures. This group will still take on language study, often aided by technology. Others will look at learning a new language with a different attitude: “Good for you, if that’s your thing, but a bit painful for my taste.” After all, most people do not move abroad or often have contact with a foreign culture. On their holiday, they just want a beer and spaghetti (意大利面).
As a result, some experts are concerned that AI is leading to a decreasing interest in language learning. Writer Douglas Hofstadter has argued that something meaningful will disappear when people communicate through machines. He describes giving a disconnected, difficult speech in Chinese, which required a lot of work but offered a sense of achievement at the end. Who would boast of (吹嘘) taking a helicopter to the top of Mount Everest (珠穆朗玛峰)?
While AI translation seems practical, we must recognize the social nature of language. When trying to ask directions in broken Japanese or make a joke in awkward German, you are making direct contact with someone. The best relationships do not require a third party.
1. Which of the following best describes translation apps?| A．Free but hard to use. | B．Popular but expensive. |
| C．Quick but with mistakes. | D．Easy to use but slow. |
| A．Conversation. | B．Language learning. | C．Message writing. | D．Translation. |
| A．To present an opinion. | B．To support a fact. | C．To make an excuse. | D．To give a reason. |
| A．Reaching Mount Everest is quite easy. |
| B．Learning a foreign language is less attractive. |
| C．Talking without the help of technology is worthwhile. |
| D．Making a speech in another language is too challenging. |
| A．Direct connection with people. | B．Broken but funny translation. |
| C．Awkward relations between people. | D．Communication with the third party. |
3 . When I first met Nao Junior, he was in his 40s and one of only nine members of his Indigenous(土著的) group, Great Andamanese, who still spoke the idiom of his ancestors. As a language specialist, I had researched more than 80 Indian languages. I was on the islands to document their Indigenous voices before they faded into whispers.
Words in this language consisted of two classes: free and bound. The free words were all nouns that referred to the environment and its inhabitants, such as ra for “pig”. They could occur alone. The bound words were nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs that always existed with markers indicating a relation to other objects, events or states. The markers came from seven zones of the body and were attached to a root word to describe concepts such as “inside”, “outside”, “upper” and “lower”. For example, the morpheme(词素) er-, which qualified most anything having to do with an outer body part, could be stuck to -cho to yield ercho, meaning “head”.
Just as a head, a bound word, could not conceptually exist on its own, the mode and effect of an action could not be divided from the verb describing the action. Great Andamanese had no words for agriculture but a great many for hunting and fishing, mainly with a bow and arrow. Thus, the root word shile, meaning “to aim”, had several versions: utshile, to aim from above; arashile, to aim from a distance; and eshile, aiming to make a hole with a sharp object.
The studies established that the language seems to be truly old in origin. In a multistage process of development, words describing diverse body parts had changed into morphemes referring to different zones and combined with content words to yield meaning. The structure alone provides an insight into an ancient worldview in which the macrocosm(宏观世界) reflects the microcosm, and everything that is or that happens inseparably connects to everything else.
1. What is the purpose of the author’s stay on the islands?| A．To meet with an old friend. | B．To teach Indigenous idioms. |
| C．To record an ancient language. | D．To trace her ancestors. |
| A．Arashile raercho | B．Arashile ercho |
| C．Eshile ercho | D．Eshile raercho |
| A．A verb could describe more than one action. | B．Some of the verbs could be used on their own. |
| C．The locals probably live off seafood and meat. | D．The tools used in people’s daily life are diverse. |
| A．Great Andamanese is the origin of multiple languages. |
| B．Great Andamanese is a doorway to the ancient wisdom. |
| C．Great Andamanese tells the development of the community. |
| D．Human body shapes Great Andamanese’s unique worldview. |
1. What language does Saint Mary’s school teach now?
| A．Japanese. | B．Russian. | C．Spanish. |
| A．By offering books. | B．By fully paying teachers. | C．By sending some teachers. |
| A．Teaching rules of Saint Mary. |
| B．Chinese teaching in America. |
| C．Japanese learning in the United States. |
5 . When people ask about my experience of learning Cantonese, I recount a journey driven by unending curiosity and a strong desire to connect with a dynamic culture.
Growing up in a Russian family, my fascination with languages grew thanks to my father, a language expert. It’s during a cultural appreciation class in junior high that I was first introduced to the world of Hong Kong films, famous for their characteristic action-packed dramas and storytelling styles. However, what really amazed me was the uniqueness of the language, Cantonese, which sparked a urgent need within me to explore it and the rich culture behind. This marked the beginning of a thrilling linguistic journey.
Learning Cantonese posed challenges, such as unfamiliar characters, complex tones, and different grammar structures, yet I persevered. Immersed in textbooks and available online courses, I practiced the tones everyday until my pronunciation flowed naturally. Cantonese dramas and music also played a role in familiarizing me with its rhythm.
To truly grasp the essence of Cantonese, I knew that studying alone wasn’t enough — I needed firsthand experience. So, I took a gap year to pack my bags for Hong Kong, a city featuring the lively heartbeat of Cantonese culture. Buried in its busy streets and daily conversations, from casual chats to food ordering, I found myself enveloped in a linguistic wonderland. Within a few months, my Cantonese proficiency flourished, fueling a surge of confidence.
My explorations extended beyond the streets. I enrolled in formal language classes that offered professional guidance. Through hard work, I successfully completed all the courses in Cantonese Linguistics. From then on, I’ve been passionately committed to spreading the Cantonese culture, ensuring its richness reaches a wider audience.
Today, I continue my Cantonese voyage with unflagging enthusiasm. It has transformed into more than just a linguistic pursuit; it grants me a passport to sincere connections, profound insights, and heartfelt admiration for its one-of-a-kind culture.
1. What motivated the author to start his linguistic journey?| A．His father’s intentional arrangement. |
| B．His teacher’s positive encouragement. |
| C．His strong interest in Chinese movies. |
| D．His great passion for cultural exploration. |
| A．To participate in a language workshop. |
| B．To take a bite of the diverse local food. |
| C．To fully comprehend the spirit of Cantonese. |
| D．To stay well informed about studying abroad. |
| A．Demanding but strategic. |
| B．Effortless and enjoyable. |
| C．Challenging but creative. |
| D．Adventurous and eventful. |
| A．Education is the passport to the future. |
| B．Language is the road map of a culture. |
| C．Opportunity favors the prepared mind. |
| D．Success belongs to those with curiosity. |
6 . Have you ever found yourself in a group of people with similar ways of thinking and interests to yours? They understand you. They really get you. They may even be wearing similar clothing to yours. We have a great expression for this: Birds of a feather flock together. This means people of the same kind or with the same tastes and interests often find each other.
We have many similar expressions, and many of them use the word “mind” or “brain.” If someone thinks like me, I can say we are like-minded. I can also say we are of the same mind. There is also something called a hive mind. In a beehive; the bees all work together to reach the same goal. People who are part of a hive mind have similar thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
If you are a spiritual kind of person, you can call them your kindred spirits (灵魂伴侣). If you are more of a science person, you can say you are on the same wavelength. And if you are a person who likes to make things, you can use the expression: cut from the same cloth. All these expressions mean the same thing — you feel a strong connection to someone and feel very similar to them.
We have another expression that can also be used in this situation. But we only use it when we have a similar idea with another person: Great minds think alike. If you often listen to VOA Learning English, you belong to a community of like-minded people: People who want to practice their English.
1. Which suits the saying “Birds of a feather flock together”?| A．Birds are always migrating in large groups. |
| B．Artists may spend time with other artists. |
| C．People who can fly tend to work together. |
| D．Birds in nature are well protected recently. |
| A．Words like mind or brain are popular. |
| B．Similar interests matter for people. |
| C．Working together helps reach goals. |
| D．People think and feel in similar ways. |
| A．Great minds think alike. | B．Cut from the same cloth. |
| C．On the same wavelength. | D．A powerful hive mind. |
| A．To explore words and expressions in English. |
| B．To illustrate the differences among people. |
| C．To prove English plays important roles in life. |
| D．To show keeping words in mind is important. |
1. What does the speaker use initial words mainly for?
| A．Making it easier to communicate with friends. |
| B．Improving her work efficiency. |
| C．Adding fun to conversations. |
| A．LOL. | B．TBH. | C．OMG. |
| A．Minnesota. | B．Georgia. | C．Idaho. |
| A．To state the fact that initial words are widely used. |
| B．To prove some countries rarely use initial words. |
| C．To compare the use of initial words in different countries. |
8 . In 1921, Karel Čapek’s play R. U. R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots had its first public performance in Prague, and was translated into English the following year. He needed a name for the factory produced humanoid workers of the story, and was thinking of coining something based on the word “labour”. But his brother Josef suggested an old Czech word for “forced labour”, robota. And the word “robot” was born.
If the Čapeks had known English, they might have chosen one of the words with relevant senses that were already in the language. “Automaton” had been available since the 17th century and “android” since the 18th. But the clear sound of “robot” seemed to capture the public imagination, because within five years it was being used not only for intelligent artificial beings but for any machine capable of carrying out a complex set of movements.
In science fictions(小说), the word took on new life, with writers such as Isaac Asimov writing well-regarded novels in which robots played a central role. It was these writers who first shortened “robot”to“bot”, but none of them could have expected the explosion of usages which arrived in the 1990s, as the shortened word came to be adopted in computing. Today, a bot is any piece of software that runs an automated task, such as in searching the Internet or playing computer games. It has also become a suffix (后缀), with the function of the“bot”explained in the other part of the word, as in searchbot, infobot, spybot and warbot.
As early as 1923, George Bernard Shaw had applied the word “robot” to people who act automatically, without thinking or emotion, usually because of the repetitive work they have to do. Now anyone having automaton-like behaviour risks attracting the label. A movie star called Samantha who has taken on the same type of character too many times might have her roles described as “Samanthabots.” And in 2009 “Obamabots” arrived-people who support Barack Obama without really knowing anything about him.
1. What does the underlined word “coining” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Delivering. | B．Predicting. | C．Inventing. | D．Recommending. |
| A．It was no longer linked with machines. | B．It was gradually replaced by “android”. |
| C．It was shortened and used in computing. | D．It was only adopted in well-regarded novels. |
| A．The usage of “robot” in different situations. |
| B．The impact of “robot” on people’s behaviour. |
| C．The popularity of “robot” among movie stars. |
| D．The connection of “robot” with public figures. |
| A．A writer’s biography. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．A technology newspaper. | D．A language encyclopedia. |
Sharifkhuja has loved Chinese movies and culture since childhood. His father is also a huge fan of China. Before his
Up to now, Chinese language and calligraphy
Having stayed in China for many years, he hopes to work in the embassy (大使馆)
However, no matter what Sharifkhuja chooses, his future will be
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