Walmart will soon use 360 robot cleaners across a few hundred of its stores. Using maps input by human employees, the AI-powered cleaners will travel in the store with no difficulty, sweeping the floor--just as human employees used to do.
Perhaps the most striking thing about these robot workers is how not-striking they are. Sci-fi movies suggest a future full of human-like robots who appear with their horrible qualities. Now the future is coming into view, and it looks like a giant lie. It's easy to imagine walking past an Auto-C on a shopping trip without even noticing its presence.
AI has already started to become a part of our everyday life. In New Jersey this week, dozens of workers were hospitalized after a robot at an Amazon fulfillment centre accidentally broke a can and enveloped workers in eye-and-lung-damaging gas. Days earlier in California, an auto-piloted Tesla drove a drunk, sleeping driver down a highway, which no doubt did some potential risk to the other drivers on the road. Highway patrol officers figured out on the spot how to stop the AI car.
Of course, industrial accidents and drunk drivers existed well before AI. Tools with the power to release the burden of physical labor—horses, steam machines, self-driving cars—also come with the power to injure. And the presence of AI-powered machines just steps away from us is, for now, still a rare thing for most people.
But the nature of robots’ coming into our daily life lives will make it harder to recognize—or object to—the bigger changes they bring later. Walmart insists that the robot cleaners give employees more time for customer service and other tasks. Critics point out that they could just as easily become an excuse to reduce staff and wages.
1.What is the difference between sci-fi movies and the reality?
A.Now the human-like robots is hard to recognize.
B.Now people don’t go to see the sci-fi movies.
C.Now the human-like robots can tell lies.
D.Now it is easy to ignore the robots.
2.Why were some workers in hospital in New Jersey?
A.They damaged the robot first.
B.The robot caused an accident on purpose.
C.The robot made a mistake by chance.
D.The robot driving them on the highway had an accident.
3.What is the attitude of the author to AI?
A.Supportive B.Objective C.Doubtful D.Indifferent
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Artificial intelligence is bringing great effect to our daily life.
B.Walmart will soon use 360 robot cleaners across its stores.
C.We should say no to artificial intelligence.
D.Artificial intelligence is dangerous to our life.
A new research, presented on Monday, suggests that parents who go down slides with their kids are actually making slides even riskier for their little ones.
Led by Dr. Charles Jennissen, a professor at the University of Iowa, the research found that placing children (especially infants and toddlers蹒跚学步的小孩) on adult laps increases the risk of injury to their lower legs, including broken bones.
"I've seen a lot of these injuries all through my career, and I hadn't seen anybody talk about this problem," says Jennissen.
So Jennissen and his colleagues found that about 350,000 children under the age of six were injured on slides in the U.S. from 2002 to 2015. Injuries were most common among kids from 12-23 months of age, and the most common injury was lower leg fractures (骨折).
The researchers found that 94 percent of 600 cases include lower leg injuries. This is important, because that's not how a kid falling off a slide alone would usually get hurt. The fact that so many kids are getting lower leg injuries—and that those injuries seem to get less common as kids get older—suggests something else is at play.
Jennissen thinks that when children are sliding alone, they aren’t going fast enough or carrying enough body weight to hurt themselves. When they’re sitting on an adult’s lap and their foot gets caught, they have the added momentum of an adult body.
"We think a lot of these lower extremity injuries are because they're on the lap," says Jennissen. "We don't know that for sure, because no parents say that. But from my experience, and the data that suggests it, we think almost all of these are kids are on the lap."
Jennissen isn’t arguing that you should never go down the slide with your kid—he agrees that it’s fun and that he’s done it with his own kids—but he thinks adults should realize the risks.
1.What can we learn about the research from the passage?
A.Many parents are hurt when going down slides with their kids.
B.Dr. Charles Jennissen is the leader of the research team.
C.More and more adult laps are found hurt in the accidents.
D.Many people have discussed the possible reasons for the injuries.
2.The underlined phrase at play in Para.5 probably means _____.
A.taking effect B.paying attention C.making efforts D.solving problems
3.What is Jennissen’s attitude towards parents’ going down slides with kids?
A.He supports it. B.He is against it.
C.He is careful about it. D.He doesn’t care about it.
It was an old day when I set out for a run in Moab, Utah, with my dog, Taz. As an athlete I often went for a run by myself. While running along a canyon (峡谷) road, I hit a piece of ice. I slipped down the rock face and fell 60 feet into the canyon, landing on a ledge (岩脊). Taz found his way to me, so I knew there must be a way out of the canyon, but I couldn’t stand, as I had broken an important bone.
I shouted for help but then decided to move to the bottom of the canyon first. The ledge was too dangerous to stay. It took me five hours to go a quarter of a mile. Eventually it got dark, and I decided to stay where I was for the night, next to a puddle of water. All I had on me was a water bottle and some chocolates. At night, I avoided sleeping for fear of dying of hypothermia (低体温症). Taz stayed with me, providing some warmth. The next morning, I couldn’t move at all. But I was sure somebody would hear me screaming for help. The second night in the canyon seemed even colder. My feet were frostbitten (冻伤). On the third day, I accepted the fact that I might die. I called Taz over and told him to go and get help.
Taz returned, alone. Then I heard an engine in the distance. I started shouting for help, and then I saw a man walking towards me. It turned out that my neighbor noticed I hadn’t come home, and Taz had found the rescue team. I was airlifted to hospital, where doctors found I was seriously wounded, having lost half of my blood.
Five years on, I still think about the experience. I couldn’t run like I used to due to the after-effects of the accident, and cold weather brings back bad memories, but I’m married with two kids, and Taz is still alive. Realizing you have a second chance to live puts things into perspective.
1.Why did the author try to move to the bottom of the canyon?
A.To reach a safe place. B.To climb back to the road.
C.To come across some helper. D.To avoid being attacked by wild animals.
2.What was the biggest challenge the author faced during the nights in the canyon?
A.Lack of food. B.Physical pain.
C.Fear of death. D.Low temperature.
3.What can we infer from the rescue?
A.Taz turned to the author’s neighbor for help.
B.The author stayed in the canyon for 3 nights.
C.The author didn’t hold out much hope of his dog.
D.The rescue team was required by the author's neighbor.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What kind of professional photography is Karen working on?
A.Weddings. B.Advertising. C.Sports.
2.What does Karen spend most time doings?
A.Taking pictures.
B.Using her computer.
C.Organizing the business.
3.What does Karen enjoy most?
A.Pleasing her customers.
B.Travelling to new places.
C.Working for the magazine.
4.What does Karen think photographers' websites should do?
A.Provide detailed information.
B.Have a simple design.
C.Show the latest photos.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Which flat does the man probably prefer?
A.A two-bedroom flat. B.A three-bedroom flat. C.A four-bedroom flat.
2.Where would Phil rather live?
A.In the city centre. B.In the west suburb. C.In the east of the city.
3.What do we know about the first flat?
A.It’s a good size. B.It is well equipped. C.It is far from the station.
4.What is a disadvantage of the second flat?
A.It's too expensive. B.It lacks a shower. C.It's going to be noisy.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will Tom do on Saturday?
A.Go camping. B.Throw a party. C.Attend a wedding.
2.When will Nick watch a basketball match?
A.On Sunday morning. B.On Saturday evening. C.On Saturday afternoon.
3.Who will be free on Saturday?
A.Greg. B.Sam. C.Alan.
