The Amazon Echo, a voice-driven cylindrical computer that sits on a table top and answers to the name Alexa, can call up music tracks and radio stations, tell jokes, answer trivia questions and control smart appliances; even before Christmas it was already resident in about 4% of American households. Voice assistants are proliferating in smartphones, too: Apple’s Siri handles over 2bn commands a week, and 20% of Google searches on Android-powered handsets in America are input by voice. Dictating e-mails and text messages now works reliably enough to be useful. Why type when you can talk?
Simple though it may seem, voice has the power to transform computing, by providing a natural means of interaction. Windows, icons and menus, and then touchscreens, were welcomed as more intuitive ways to deal with computers than entering complex keyboard commands. But being able to talk to computers abolishes the need for the abstraction of a “user interface” at all. Just as mobile phones were more than existing phones without wires, and cars were more than carriages without horses, so computers without screens and keyboards have the potential to be more useful, powerful and ubiquitous than people can imagine today.
Voice will not wholly replace other forms of input and output. Sometimes it will remain more convenient to converse with a machine by typing rather than talking (Amazon is said to be working on an Echo device with a built-in screen). But voice is destined to account for a growing share of people’s interactions with the technology around them, from washing machines that tell you how much of the cycle they have left to virtual assistants in corporate call-centres. However, to reach its full potential, the technology requires further breakthroughs—and a resolution of the tricky questions it raises around the trade-off between convenience and privacy.
Computer-dictation systems have been around for years. But they were unreliable and required lengthy training to learn a specific user’s voice. Computers’ new ability to recognise almost anyone’s speech dependably without training is the latest manifestation of the power of “deep learning”, an artificial-intelligence technique in which a software system is trained using millions of examples, usually culled from the internet. Thanks to deep learning, machines now nearly equal humans in transcription accuracy, computerised translation systems are improving rapidly and text-to-speech systems are becoming less robotic and more natural-sounding. Computers are, in short, getting much better at handling natural language in all its forms
Although deep learning means that machines can recognise speech more reliably and talk in a less stilted manner, they still don’t understand the meaning of language. That is the most difficult aspect of the problem and, if voice-driven computing is truly to flourish, one that must be overcome. Computers must be able to understand context in order to maintain a coherent conversation about something, rather than just responding to simple, one-off voice commands, as they mostly do today (“Hey, Siri, set a timer for ten minutes”). Researchers in universities and at companies large and small are working on this very problem, building “bots” that can hold more elaborate conversations about more complex tasks, from retrieving information to advising on mortgages to making travel arrangements.
Many voice-driven devices are always listening, waiting to be activated. Some people are already concerned about the implications of internet-connected microphones listening in every room and from every smartphone. Not all audio is sent to the cloud—devices wait for a trigger phrase (“Alexa”, “OK, Google”, “Hey, Cortana”, or “Hey, Siri”) before they start relaying the user’s voice to the servers that actually handle the requests—but when it comes to storing audio, it is unclear who keeps what and when.
1.According to Paragraph I the American Echo ___
A.has been sold out before Christmas
B.has been used by most American families
C.came out the market later than Apple’s Siri
D.is more useful than smart phones in fictating e-mails
2.What can we infer about the technology of voice computing?
A.It is more effective and convenient than typing
B.It needs to be improved in some important aspects
C.It increases a person’s chances of communicating with others
D.It will replace other forms of input and output in the near future
3.What are some users of voice -driven devices concerned about?
A.The devices will be in charge of theit life
B.The devices need to be activeated before working
C.They are in the dark about their data’s ownership
D.Their voices can be recognized by every smart technology?
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards voice-driven technology?
A.Worried B.Doubtful
C.Supportive D.Objective
Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.
A.￡800 B.￡4500 C.￡500 D.5000
2.If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.
A.sign an agreement with the government
B.keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years
C.sell the roof to some energy companies
D.pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment
3.For whom the text most probably written?
A.Lodgers. B.Advertisers.
C.Online companies D.House owners.
阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇 60 词左右的内容概要。注意:1.不分段:2.不使用原句:3.不发表自己观点
Tips on summary writing(写作建议):
1. While reading
Are there any topic sentences or key words? If so, underline them and paraphrase(改述)them.
2. While writing
Pay attention to the structure(结构), including topic sentences and main supporting point or evidence.
Use your own words and try to be concise (准确). Remember do not give your own comments(评论）
Cycling isn’t always easy. Busy streets, honking horns(喇叭), and not enough bike lanes can make it an uphill battle. But not even these difficulties can stopEuropeans’ love for cycling. According to BBC, bicycles outsold cars in 26 of the European Union's 28 states last year.
There are traditional "bicycle capitals", such as Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Copenhagen in Denmark. But in many other traditionally car-made countries,the shift( 转变)to bikes is amazing. Italians, for instance, bought
1.6 million bikes against 1.4 million cars in 2012.
So what has led to cycling,s growing popularity in Europe?
The economic crisis(危机) has played an important role in the issue.”The economic crisis has had an influence on all areas of people's lives, including on transport” Giulietta Pagliaccio, head of the Italian cycling federation Fiab, told the Australian Associated Press.
Since the European debt crisis broke out in 2009, more people lost their job while the cost of living, including fuel costs, continued to rise. It forced many people to give up driving to save money, the Guangzhou-based New Express(《新快报》commented. Take Greece, a country seriously hit by the crisis, for example. It sold320,000 bikes last year against 58,000 cars.
More importantly, people have changed their views toward cars and bikes. Cars are losing their attraction as status( 地 位 ) symbols. Yet, cycling is now seen as"a safe clean, healthy, inexpensive way to get around town, "the Daily Star concluded. "It not only reduces traffic jams and pollution, but also contributes to public health."
However, with more and more people tuning to cycling, questions come up about traffic and safety problems.
To ease people's worries, quite a few cities now offer well-marked bike lanes such as the cycling super-highway marked in blue in London. Copenhagen, for example, it has spent 22 million euros (183 million yuan)in cycling, widening roads and building more parking places.
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从 各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C 和 D)中,选出最佳选项。
Last summer, I had just enough money saved to buy a golden ticket—a 3-month train pass that would take me to the furthest reaches of Europe. Excited for my journey, I _______ all the necessities—_______ the guidebook.
While the _______ of the Internet was surely a contributing factor to my _______ not to take with me kilograms of out-of-date information, this was not the only reason why I decided to fly _______
To be honest, I find the guidebook _______ of a journey—like a bossy aunt who is always telling you what to do, _______ she doesn’t always know what is the best. _______ has taught me that there is a clear _______ between a tourist and a traveler.
While waiting in a queue to see Michelangelo’s Statue of David in Florence, I met a man who showed me his ________ of “Top 20 Things To Do in Italy” and told us ________ that he’d seen everything Italy has to ________ in just four days.
The problem I had with this man’s way of ________ was that he was too focused on ________ the boxes provided by his guidebook. He was ________ in the so-called “must-sees” and blind to all that was happening in the real trip.
So, guidebook-less as we were,my companion and I traveled to Estonia. Arriving without advance plans, we had no choice but to ________ to some friendly faces for advice. We ________ ourselves and asked them what was happening around the town. When this resulted in an ________ we enjoyed a 110-degree wood-stove sauna （桑拿浴） , to a beautiful Estonian home by a river where ________ picked forest-mushrooms and the good ________ of our five new-found Estonian friends, we sure were glad we had left our bossy aunt at home.
1.A.loaded B.collected C.packed D.selected
2.A.except B.with C.including D.besides
3.A.ability B.convenience C.example D.performance
4.A.goal B.decision C.excuse D.mistake
5.A.around B.away C.abroad D.alone
6.A.limits B.influences C.confuses D.encourage
7.A.in case B.as though C.even though D.as long as
8.A.Regulation B.Communication C.Intelligence D.Experience
9.A.relationship B.connection C.similarity D.difference
10.A.list B.book C.file D.summary
11.A.loudly B.positively C.proudly D.happily
12.A.remind B.offer C.discover D.order
13.A.traveling B.planning C.preparing D.thinking
14.A.counting B.following C.drawing D.ticking
15.A.concerned B.interested C.lost D.devoted
16.A.turn to B.turn up C.turn down D.tum in
17.A.presented B.helped C.introduced D.forced
18.A.application B.exit C.entrance D.invitation
19.A.skillfully B.curiously C.fully D.locally
20.A.quality B.company C.possession D.advice
语法填空(在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式)
China's space program has become the first 1. (land) a spacecraft on the so-called dark side of the moon. The landing made the country closer to the goal of becoming 2. space power. The moon’s far side is not always dark. But it is often called the dark side 3. it faces away from Earth and little is know about it. One 4. (difficult) of operating on the far side of the moon is communicating with Earth. Last May. China launched a satellite so that Chang’e 4 could send back information.Chang'e 4 has sent a picture back to Earth 5. shows a small crater(环形山)and an empty surface that appears to be lit 6. a light from the lunar explorer.
The landing is an example of China’s 7. (grow)ability to compete with the American, Russian and European space programs. China also wants to 8. (strength) its position in lunar exploration. The United State is the only country that has 9. (success)sent a person to the moon. Now, China is considering a crewed( 载 人的) mission, as well. And, China plans to send a Chang'e 5 spacecraft to the moon next year and have 10. return to Earth with collected particles(微粒).
We shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance but we do. In fact, the experts say that when we meet someone for the first time we make a decision about what that person is like in three seconds. 1. One of the most important things we look at is clothes, but it isn't the brand of clothes that people wear that is important. The important thing is to wear the right clothes for the right places.
Schools have always understood this and a lot of them ask their students to wear a uniform. Why? A lot of teachers think a uniform makes students feel that they are part of their school and that their form helps them to be serious about their studies. 2. If all the students wear uniforms, they can’t judge each other because of their clothes. It also stops gossips about who or what is fashionable.
3. We all have fixed ideas about what the people in a certain job should wear. If we visit a doctor, we hope to see respectable clothes under the doctor’s white coat. 4. Police officers wear uniforms to make themselves easily identifiable to non-police officers. In fact, a lot of companies have dress codes for their staff because they know that the customers hope to see them dressed in certain types of clothes.
But can our clothes really tell people what we are like? 5. When people see us in the right clothes, they think we are serious about what we are doing. Furthermore, if we are clean, smart and polite, people will believe us a lot.
A. Maybe not, but they can show our attitude to what we are doing at the moment.
B. Some of the teachers hold different opinions.
C. But what do we look at?
D. Teachers say that uniforms can help in other ways too.
E. Our clothes stand for our attitude.
F. However, it is not only schools that want people to dress in a certain way.
G. When we go into a bank we expect the staff to wear suits or dresses.
