Working robots, like the KASRO, are typically big, simple, and strong. They are large preprogrammed units working in dangerous and dull jobs. But the growing trend towards collaborative(合作的) robots, or cobots, is transforming robotic use worldwide.
What big companies such as Germany’s Mercedes-Benz discovered was that robots alone were not enough to keep pace with the demand for customized products. Human-robot collaboration was identified as the most suitable strategy. By shrinking robots down to desktop size and equipping them with sensors and AI, the next generation of cobots will feel our presence, learn from us, and cooperate with us better.
“When we have people and machines cooperate, we’re much more flexible and can produce many more products on one production line,” said head of production planning, Markus Schaefer. “The variety is too much to take on for the machines.”
The future of cobot working is likely to change as new ways of interacting are developed. Voice commands are bound to be a feature as natural language processing systems become more widespread. Closer integration( 融 合 ) with machine learning and AI is sure to help realize the benefits of elements such as voice control and machine vision. Unplanned changes to production and safer interaction with humans will then require a step-change in robot learning.
Cobots will learn directly from human interaction or even from simulations( 模拟) that will help them to adapt to real-world situations. Open robotics platforms, such as Carnegie Mellon University’s LoCoBot or Elephant Robotics’ Catbot, mean that programmers can share the skills they have developed via the cloud.
Importantly, for household robots to become popular, robot learning—where environmental data is gathered to make more ideal decisions— will be needed. Cobot carers, such as ElliQ the companion robot and IKEA’s robotic furniture, promise a bright future of cooperation.
Like any achievable technological dream, such as self-driving cars, their realization is coming soon. Cobots will become standard in the same way that a car’s GPS or the smartphone did. Their integration into society will gradually become normal.
1.What inspired Mercedes-Benz to recognize the need for human-robot collaboration?
A.The fast pace of modern life.
B.The decreasing size of robots.
C.The diversity of customer demands.
D.The great demand for personal robots.
2.What might Markus Schaefer’s words in Paragraph 3 imply?
A.People are much smarter than machines.
B.Cobots contribute a lot to effective production.
C.It’s difficult for people to cooperate with machines.
D.Robots are playing a steady role on the production line.
3.What can Carnegie Mellon University’s LoCoBot mainly help researchers do?
A.Share and improve their skills.
B.Make improvements on Catbot.
C.Interact with robots more efficiently.
D.Examine robots’ machine learning feature.
4.Why does the author mention GPS in the last paragraph?
A.To prove the wide use of high-tech machines.
B.To explain the popularity of cobots in the future.
C.To introduce another direction in robot development.
D.To predict possible difficulties in cobot development.
A new report from the U.K. says that more than 1 in 5 teens there spend five hours or more per day on social media. And the heavier users of social media go to bed later and get poorer quality sleep. The new study was based on self-reported survey data from nearly 12,000 teenage participants in the U.K. Millennium Cohort Study.
Megan Moreno, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that social media is too often described as either entirely good or bad, when the reality is more complicated for teens. "Social media may have its problems, but it is the way that they stay in touch with each other," she says.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study found a link between high social media usage and poor sleep patterns. Specifically, teens who report heavier social media use go to sleep later. And, the study authors note, late bedtimes are linked with poorer academic and mental health outcomes.
Holly Scott, a researcher at the University of Glasgow, isn't sounding the alarm. She says, "it's easy to look at the results of this and think, 'We should just get teenagers to spend less time on social media.' I think that's an understandable response, but what I really encourage people to do is look beyond that." She says people should pay attention to the "important emotional and cognitive and social factors" at play with when teenagers are using social media.
Scott emphasizes that the study is pointing to a correlation between social media and poor sleep, but not necessarily demonstrating cause and effect.
"Certainly some teens do say that they struggle to get off of social media at night — they might be worried about missing out on things, or affecting their friends by not answering messages — and they stay up late from that," she says. But, "maybe for some of those young people they have a naturally later body clock, and are passing their free time at night on social media until they're ready to fall asleep," she says.
1.What’s the purpose of the new study in the U.K.?
A.To find the benefits of using social media.
B.To know the effects of using social media.
C.To know teenagers’ habits of using social media.
D.To prove the growing popularity of social media.
2.What attitude does Megan Moreno take towards social media?
A.Critical.
B.Positive.
C.Objective.
D.Confused.
3.What does Holly Scott think of social media’s causing poor sleep?
A.It’s interesting.
B.It’s impossible.
C.It’s beyond doubt.
D.It lacks evidence.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.How to Sleep Well Tonight
B.Social Media Is Wasting Our Time
C.Teens May Be Losing Sleep Over Social Media
D.Make Use of Social Media in an Effective Way
Promise Sawyers, a 10-year-old girl in Nashville, Tenn., is inspiring people old and young after making a video before going to school “bigger and better” with her natural hair, just one day after she was made fun of for her afro.
Promise Sawyers’ motivational video was posted online by her mom Qui Daugherty, after the 5th-grader secretly recorded it on Daugherty’s phone. In it, Sawyers explained that she was feeling “some type of way” after her classmates had mean things to say after she wore her natural hair the day before. But she was determined not to let it bring her down, and wore it the same way the following day. “Don’t allow anyone to steal your joy,” Promise said. “Don’t give them that much power.”
Daugherty says that Promise has been surrounded by that type of positivity her whole life. She’s always taught her daughter to “meet a negative with a positive”, even when somebody is trying to bring her down. And although this example seems like one of the more disheartening( 令人气馁的) ones that Promise has faced after starting at a new school, her video proved that she took her mom’s advice to heart.
Now, nearly 2 million views later, people everywhere are responding to the video. “We had no idea the impact that it was going to make and the amount of messages,” Daugherty said. “It’s made a huge impact behind the scenes that has blessed me personally.”
Daugherty jokes that Promise doesn’t understand how influential her words are. Instead, the 10-year-old is just excited about the millions of views.
“I just tell her not to focus on the numbers,” Daugherty says. “Let’s find a way we can be impactful behind this and make an influence and inspire people. That’s all we want.”
1.What does the underlined word “afro” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.A hairstyle.
B.A disability.
C.An attitude.
D.A video.
2.What did Promise decide to do after being teased by her classmates?
A.Seek some advice from her mother.
B.Make herself look bigger and better.
C.Record her sadness on video silently.
D.Keep wearing the same hair to school.
3.What will Daugherty advise Promise to do when there’s something disheartening?
A.Switch to a new start.
B.Look on the bright side.
C.Make necessary changes.
D.Share her joy with others.
4.How did Daugherty feel about people’s response to the video?
A.Embarrassed. B.Worried.
C.Confused. D.Surprised.
Summer Program Guide for Teens Pre-College Immersive Program
Wellesley College is known for the thousands of accomplished women it has sent out into the world—women who are committed to making a difference. Especially designed for high school girls, the program is based on Wellesley’s campus. Students will take courses and become members of the Wellesley community.
When: July 7 - August 1
More Information: 781-283-2748 Young Scholars Program
Open to high school students who have an academic average of 3.2 or better, the program is a great introduction to the University of Maryland. Seminars featuring speakers in innovative（革新的） career or academic fields further enrich the learning experience. Students enjoy movie nights, activities at the students’ union and more.
When: July 8 - July 27
More Information: 301-405-7762 Zeal Adventure and Travel
We offer two-week and three-week long trips to Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, Costa Rica, and Spain. All trips include 15 to 25 hours of community service activities. Depending on your trip of choice, you’ll be volunteering with sea turtles, caring for dogs in Spain, and much more. Every trip also includes exciting outdoor activities like surfing, ice climbing and hiking.
More Information: 844-282-9325 California College Tour
Students will visit top schools throughout the state on this fun-filled tour. The tour includes enjoying tourist attractions along the way, including Disneyland! Along the way, students take college tours, meet with admissions staff, and learn how to make the most out of future college visits.
More Information: 510-548-6612
1.What can you do if you attend the Young Scholars Program?
A.Take part in various outdoor activities.
B.Learn the history of Wellesley College.
C.Watch films together with other students.
D.Enjoy some tourist attractions along the way.
2.Which number can provide access to volunteering chances?
A.301-405-7762.
B.510-548-6612.
C.781-283-2748.
D.844-282-9325.
3.Which program may help students make a choice during the college application?
A.California College Tour.
B.Young Scholars Program.
C.Zeal Adventure and Travel.
D.Pre-College Immersive Program.
假设你是李华，即将去澳大利亚一所学校短期交流，被安排住在Eric先生家，请你写封电子邮件与他联系并询问以下情况：
1. 住宿条件；2. 膳食安排；3. 交通情况。
I am Li Hua, a student from China.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
下面短文中共有10处语言错误，请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加： 在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除： 把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改： 在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.、每处错误及其修改均限一词；
2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
The other day, it was my birthday and I was looking forward to see my friends. We were meeting at a my favorite Italy restaurant. I was exciting and got to the restaurant at exactly 7 o’clock. I looked around for a familiar face but failed. Still, I decided to wait for him patiently. The restaurant quickly filled up with customer, but none of them were my friends. I called Lily, but she didn’t answer. I felt lonely and sadly. My friends had forgotten my birthday. I went home, opened the door and walk into the dark house. Suddenly the lights went off and my friends jumped up and shouted “Surprise!” They hadn’t forgotten, it was the best birthday ever.
