Many of us have already lost the “race against the machines” - we just don’t know it yet. That is the conclusion of new research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Unlike most studies into the impact of automation, this one does not rely on informed guesswork about what machines will be able to do in 20 years’ time. 1. They are literacy, numeracy and problem-solving with computers - and compares our performance against the abilities of machines. The results are sobering, but rather than a reason to despair,
In the survey a group of computer scientists was given the same test and asked which questions computers could answer, using technology that exists but has not necessarily been rolled out yet in the workplace. The conclusion? Almost a third of workers use these cognitive skills daily in their jobs and yet their competency levels have already been matched by computers. About 44 per cent are still better than the machines. The remaining 25 per cent have jobs that do not use these skills every day.
There are two caveats. First, the OECD only asked computer scientists how well they thought machines could do. 2.. Second, just because technology exists does not mean it will be deployed quickly in the workplace. It depends on how easily it can be made operational, how much it costs relative to the value it creates, and whether companies have the appetite to invest.
3.. Stuart Elliott, the author, concludes that in 10 to 20 years, only workers with very strong literacy and numeracy skills will be comfortably more proficient than computers. At the minute, only about one in 10 working-age adults in OECD countries are of this standard.
It is true that the education systems in most countries have been raising their game: younger people tend to have better skills than older people (the UK being one notable, and worrying, exception). But even if you take the most skilled generation in the most skilled country - young people in Finland - two-thirds still do not meet these top levels of literacy and numeracy. 4..
The risks to workers from ever smarter computers are clear, but the opportunities will lie in maximizing the value of their human skills. For some people, such as talented chefs, the battle is already won. Others might need to harness the computers to leverage their human talents.
A.And yet, the implication of the study are hard to dismiss.
B.on many of these fronts, computers are behind humans, if they are in the race at all.
C.Technology does not necessary mean doom to all but the highest skilled.
D.Instead it takes three basic and compares our performance against the abilities of machines.
E.Apart from astonishing improvement in education, it looks like only a minority of people can win this race.
F.The result would be more alarming if machine were actually put to the test.
War is expensive and it is bloody. That is why America's Department of Defence wants to replace a third of its armed vehicles and weaponry with robots by2015. Such a change would save money, as robots can be much cheaper to replace than people. Just as importantly for the generals, it would make waging war less prey to the politics of body bags. Nobody mourns a robot.
The US military already routinely uses robotic aero planes known as unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs ). In November 2001 two missiles fared from a remote-controlled Predator UAV killed Mohammad Atef, al-Qaeda's chief of military operations and one of Osama bin Laden's most important associates, as he drove his car near Kabul. But whereas UAVs and their ground-based equivalents, such as the machinegun-toting Sword robots, are usually controlled by distant human operators, the Pentagon would like to give these robots increasing amounts of autonomy, including the ability to decide when to use lethal force.
To achieve this, Ronald Arkin of the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, is developing a set of rules of engagement for battlefield robots to ensure that their use of lethal force follows the rules of ethics. In other words, he is trying to create an artificial conscience. Dr Arkin believes that there is another reason for putting robots into battle, which is that they have the potential to act more humanely than people. Stress does not affect a robot's judgment in the way it affects a soldier's.
His approach is to create what he calls a "multidimensional mathematical decision-space of possible behavior actions". Based on inputs ranging from radar data and current position to mission status and intelligence feeds, the system would divide the set of all possible actions into those that are ethical and those that are not. If, for example, the drone from which the fatal attack on Atef was launched had sensed that his car was overtaking a school bus, it might then have held fire.
There are comparisons to be drawn between Dr Arkin's work and the famous Three Laws of Robotics drawn up in the 1950s by Isaac Asimov, a science-fiction writer ,to govern robot behaviour. But whereas Asimov's laws were intended to prevent robots from harming people in any circumstances, Dr Arkin's are supposed to ensure only that they are not unethically killed.
This is an admirable goal in theory, but even if ethics can be neatly encoded into software, pitfalls remain. Although a completely rational robot might be unfazed by the chaos and confusion of the battlefield, it could still make mistakes. Surveillance and intelligence data can be wrong, and conditions and situations on the battlefield can change.
1.America’s military force wants to replace people with robots NOT because ________.
A.war cost a lot and it is bloody
B.people show sympathy for a person not a robot
C.. the armed vehicles and weapons are too expensive
D.the general would receive less criticism from the masses
2.Which of the following statements is True?
A.Atef was killed by two missiles fired from a remote-controlled manned aerial vehicle.
B.The department of force already uses UAVs with relatively high autonomy.
C.The study done by Dr. Arkin is similar to Three Laws of Robotics.
D.In Arkin’s opinion, a soldier’s judgment can be affected but robot’s won’t.
3.What’s the main idea of this article?
A.Ronald Arkin is developing a set of rules to increase autonomy.
B.Ronald Arkin is making efforts to create an artificial conscience.
C.Atef was precisely bombed by a remote-controlled Predator UVA.
D.There are comparisons between Dr. Arkin’s work and Three Laws of Robotics.
4.What’s the author’s attitude about Arkin’s approach?
A.His approach is an admirable goal and it can be realized.
B.Robot would fight without any mistakes in the battlefield.
C.Dr. Arkin’s approach is ethical and faultless.
D.Robots are not substitute for people in the battlefield.
When you leave retirement planning too late, it may be difficult to start putting aside adequate funds in the years when you have other financial commitments.
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board conducted a Facebook contest (apps.facebook.com/areyoureadysg) last year, collecting stories and anecdotes others have to share on their difficulties in managing their finances, relating to cash flow, housing, healthcare and retirement.
Thankfully, there is now an easy way to start with the latest CPF Board initiative, Are You Ready(AYR). Launched in 2011, AYR is designed to encourage Singaporeans to kick-start their financial and retirement planning.
Through tools, talks and games, AYR provides an informative and interactive way for Singaporeans to understand the importance of retirement planning; and take an active role in working towards it.
AYR revolves around 4 checklists built upon 4 key messages:
Managing your cash flow
A basic step in financial planning, this puts you in a better position to consider other aspects of retirement planning and adequacy.
Buying a house within your means.
This theme focuses on helping Singaporeans understand the principles of prudence and affordability in making their most expensive financial commitment.
Taking charge of healthcare costs
Singaporeans need to plan ahead to be financially and physically prepared for health uncertainties.
Securing your retirement
Increasing life expectancy means putting a financial plan in place as early as possible; to be financially independent in old age.
1.The purpose of Are You Ready initiative is to ___________.
A.stimulate the interaction among Singaporeans.
B.provide an incentive to contribute more in work
C.inspire Singaporeans to jump off in retirement planning.
D.familiarize Singaporeans with the financial system
2.Which of the following might the author most agree with?
A.The effort to buy a house made people hold off on buying other items.
B.With people living longer, people have to save more money for retirement.
C.Health issue turns out to be the biggest consideration in retirement.
D.Retirement requires people withdraw excessive income to maintain flexibility.
3.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Are You Ready-Hand-on Approaches
B.Real-life Stories -Pressing Financial Burdens
C.A Light for Singaporeans-Early Retirement
D.Let It Go-Retirement Planning
Amazon has suddenly withdrawn its plans to build a satellite headquarters in New York City, citing growing opposition of local elected officials in a shifting political climate.
The decision marks a stunning reversal just three months after Amazon crowned Long Island City, Queens, one of two winners of a highly public nationwide search in which hundreds of communities vied for the tech group’s investment.
By losing Amazon, New York will sacrifice an estimated 25,000 jobs -paying an average annual salary of $150,000 each- as well as a signature victory in a broader effort to transform the financial services capital into a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley.
Amazon’s about-face is a particular setback for governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the company’s recruitment and touted its November decision as the city’s biggest-ever economic development win.
At the same time, it appeared to confirm the dominance of a progressive wing of the Democratic party, led by the recently elected Queens representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was suspicious of Amazon’s arrival. Ms, Ocasio-Cortez questioned its opposition to organized labor and whether local citizens would benefit from its jobs.
Amazon officials said the decision to abandon New York had been taken recently, and would not discuss what role, if any, Jeff Bezos , the company’s founder, played in the move.
“The commitment to building a headquarters required positive, collaborative relationships with state and local officials who will be supportive over the long term,” Amazon wrote in a blog post. “While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us.”
Amazon said it did not intend to reopen the search process for a replacement. Instead , company officials expect to spread the jobs they planned to locate in Queens around existing Amazon facilities in Boston, San Diego, Vancouver and the Bay Area.
1.Amazon drew back from setting up a satellite headquarters in that __________.
A.there is a widespread public objection.
B.the political climate is favorable to revolution.
C.a number of state and local politicians changed their tunes.
D.Long Island lost the fierce competition for the investment.
2.The underlined word “about-face” is closest in meaning to _________.
A.victory B.reversal
C.investment D.support
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Amazon reoriented itself from a financial center to a technology hub.
B.Jeff Bezos was to blame for his mistakes in decision-making.
C.Andrew Cuomo had prejudice against Amazon’s new headquarters plan.
D.Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was cautious in response to Amazon’s plan.
4.What is the passage mainly concerned with?
A.Amazon relocate its new facilities in Queens.
B.Amazon drops plans for headquarters in New York City.
C.Amazon seeks to cooperate with state and local politicians.
D.Amazon is under fire for withdrawing the plan for a facility.
President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today-that business institutions have more prestige(威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions___________ this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans ___________ business as being more firmly based on the ideal of ___________ than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major ___________ of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are _________. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American ___________ such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition ___________ the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly(垄断) of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for _________. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollars, they cannot afford to ___________ them like inferiors or slaves.
A __________is often made between business, which is competitive, and ____________, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving ____________.
Competition in business is also believed to __________ the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person ____________his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American ____________ to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic(贵族的) idea of inherited privilege.
1.A.qualify B.restrict C.impress D.possess
2.A.refer B.view C.reflect D.confirm
3.A.competition B.cooperation C.admiration D.determination
4.A.result B.component C.source D.resource
5.A.estimated B.respected C.admitted D.rejected
6.A.manners B.cultures C.values D.customs
7.A.protects B.builds C.illustrates D.presents
8.A.profits B.savings C.costs D.funds
9.A.attend B.treat C.serve D.charge
10.A.comment B.complaint C.choice D.contrast
11.A.department B.government C.business D.economy
12.A.security B.prices C.freedom D.discipline
13.A.strengthen B.define C.cherish D.supervise
14.A.as a result of B.by means of C.in terms of D.regardless of
15.A.contribution B.solution C.alternative D.appeal
Grammar and Vocabulary
Universities Show “ Red Card” to English Majors
An increasing number of Chinese universities are showing English the “red card” and sending it off the academic playing field. Just last month, five more universities announced that they would no longer offer English as a major, 1. CET-4 (大学英语四级考试) will still be required for graduation.
At first sight, it may appear that these universities are downgrading the importance of learning English. In actual fact, they are responding to the economic reality 2.English majors do not have good job prospects after graduation. And the same holds true for graduates in other Arts majors.
According to MyCOS, the Beijing-based education research group, English graduates, along with those in history, literature and law, have 3.(low) starting salaries and lowest employment rate. Engineering, economics and science graduates have better job prospects and make twice as much money, with IT graduates 4. (make) the most.
In 5. 1980s, the Chinese government made the study of English a priority as part of its reform and opening-up policy. English majors were in high demand in business and in government because people with good English-language skills were so rare. Today, about 350 million Chinese have studied, or are studying, English. Ten million of them 6. (consider) functionally bilingual. So, when an employer looks at a graduate’s résumé , it is assumed that he or she has good English skills.
However, for those of you who truly love English, you should not be discouraged. The demand for English teachers is still high at all levels of education, 7.in public schools and in private institutions.
Zhang Lu is probably familiar to most of you as the elegant young woman 8. (see) standing or sitting slightly behind top government officials when they meet leaders from English-speaking countries. Zhang is a translator. In 2015, she made 54 overseas trips accompanying various leaders such as Li Keqiang. Over the years, she has been the official Chinese/English translator 9.major international conferences.
Zhang studied English and law at university. She 10.(plan) to be a teacher, but her skills attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . They offered her a job in the diplomatic service . It is not the career she had planned, but her abilities enabled her to grasp the opportunity.
So, if English is really your passion, let Zhang be your model and just choose a university that has not shown it the “red card.”
