Face shape lets AI spot rare disorders
People with genetic syndromes (综合征) sometimes have revealing facial features, but using them to make a quick and cheap diagnosis can be _______given there are hundreds of possible conditions they may have. A new neural (神经系统) network that analyses photographs of faces can help doctors _______the possibilities.
Yaron Gurovich at biotechnology firm FDNA in Boston and his team built a neural network to look at the overall impression of faces and _______ a list of the 10 genetic syndromes a person is most likely to have.
They _______ the neural network, called DeepGestalt, on 17,000 images correctly labeled to match more than 200 genetic syndromes.The team then asked AI to _______potential genetic disorders from a further 502 photos of people with such conditions. It included the correct answer among its list of 10 responses 91 per cent of the time.
Gurovich and his team also_______the neural network's ability to distinguish between the different genetic mutations (父异) that can lead to the same syndrome.They used photographs of people with Noonan syndrome, which can result from mutations in any one of five genes.DeepGestalt correctly identified the genetic source of the physical appearance 64 per cent of the time. It’s clearly not _______, but it’s still much better than humans are at trying to do this.
As the system makes its assessments, the facial regions that are most helpful in the determination are_______and made available for doctors to view. This helps them to understand the relationships between genetic make-up and physical appearance.
The fact that the diagnosis is based on a simple photograph raises questions about_______. If faces can reveal details about genetics, then employers and insurance providers could, in principle,__________ use such techniques to__________ against people who have a high probability of having certain disorders.__________. Gurovich says the tool will only be __________for use by clinicians.
This technique could bring significant__________ for those who have genetic syndromes. The real value here is that for some of these ultra-rare diseases, the process of diagnosis can be many, many years. This kind of technology can help narrow down the search space and then be confirmed through checking genetic markers. For some diseases, it will cut down the time to diagnosis dramatically. For others, it could perhaps add means of finding other people with the disease and, __________, help find new treatments or cures.
1.A.convincing B.practical C.reliable D.tricky
2.A.narrow down B.result in C.bring about D.arise from
3.A.wait B.return C.mail D.feed
4.A.focused B.touched C.based D.trained
5.A.adjust B.identify C.change D.cure
6.A.recognized B.showed C.tested D.acquired
7.A.perfect B.acceptable C.specific D.workable
8.A.covered B.highlighted C.excluded D.monitored
9.A.privacy B.accuracy C.reality D.objectivity
10.A.legally B.regularly C.secretly D.efficiently
11.A.vote B.fight C.argue D.discriminate
12.A.Furthermore B.Similarly C.Otherwise D.However
13.A.available B.impossible C.ready D.rare
14.A.challenges B.damages C.benefits D.concerns
15.A.by contrast B.on the contrary C.in addition D.in turn
Without Her Name
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice by English novelist Jane Austen is one of the most popular tales ever written. But behind the global admiration she enjoys today lies a sad fact.1.
In Pride and Prejudice, she was simply the author of Sense and Sensibility, which had carried the title “By a Lady.” The anonymity(匿名) worked so well that even friends of the Austen family had no idea that dear, sweet Jane was a novelist. A friend of Jane' s brother Henry actually told him that Pride and Prejudice was “much too clever to be the work of a woman.”
2.Tom Paine, a Founding Father of the United States, kept his identity hidden for a short time after the publication of his famous Common Sense.
For a woman, however, there was the added burden of societal expectations. Any sort of publishing or public display of talent was considered improper behavior for a woman.
It wasn't only fear about “bad manners” that discouraged women from writing under their own names.3. Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre, once sent her poetry to Robert Southey, a famous poet. Southey simply responded: “Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life.” Bronte used her pen name, Currer Bell, to publish Jane Eyre in 1847.Her sister Emily published Wuthering
Heights as Ellies Bell in the same year.
4.Mary Shelley' s Frankenstein(《科学人》) had come out without her name in 1818.Mary Anne Evans wrote Middlemarch and her other novels under the pen name George Eliot.
The 20th century saw great progress towards gender equality. In theory, it should be unnecessary for women writers to follow Austen' s path any longer, unless driven by personal reasons.5. Joanne Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, was advised to become J. K. Rowling. That's because boys might dislike the feeling of picking up a book by a woman. Connie Ann Kirk explained in her biography of Rowling.
A.Jane Austen has attracted a great deal of critical attention in recent years.
B.Women 's writing was seldom taken seriously.
C.Politicians, for reasons of safety, also frequently chose to be invisible.
D.In practice, however, certain prejudices just won't go away.
E.in a 2016 interview, Italian novelist Elena Ferrante claimed her use of a pen name let her concentrate on writing.
F.in her own time, Austen 's name never appeared on her books.
G.They joined a long list of women authors who felt they had to hide.
The Jewish(犹太人）family-had-just finished supper and the woman had placed the dishes in the sink.The kitchen was quite damp and even gloomier than in the main room.It was their third apartment since the start of the war,they had abandoned the other two in a hurry.The woman came back into the room and sat down again at the table.The 3-year-old boy sat with his back straight,his eyes fixed on his father,but it was obvious that he was so sleepy that he could barely sit up.
The man was smoking a cigarette.His eyes were blood-shot and he kept blinking in a funny way.This blinking had begun soon after they fled the second apartment.
It was late,past ten o'clock and they could have gone to sleep,but first they had to play the game that they had been playing every day for two weeks.Even though the man tried his best and he moved very quickly,the fault was his and not the child's.The boy was.marvelous.Seeing his father put out his cigarette,he opened his blue eyes even wider.The woman,who didn't actually take part in the game, stroked the boy's hair.
“We'll play the key game just one more time only today.Isn't that right?"she asked her husband.
He didn't answer because he was not sure.They were still two or three minutes off. He arose and walked towards the bathroom door.Then the woman called out softly,“Ding-dong."At the sound of the bell ringing so musically from his mother's lips,the boy jumped up from his chair and ran to the front door,which was separated from the main room by a narrow corridor.
“Who's there?"he asked.
The woman,remaining in her chair,shut her eyes tight as if feeling a sudden, sharp pain.
“I'l1 open up in a minute,I'm just looking for the keys,"the child called out. Then he ran back to the main room,making a lot of noise with his feet.He ran in circles around the table,pulled out one of the sideboard drawers,and slammed it shut.
“Just a minute,I can't find them,I don't know where Mama put them,"he yelled,then dragged the chair across the room,climbed onto it,and reached up to the top of the shelf.
“I found them!”he shouted triumphantly.Then he got down from the chair, pushed it back to the table,and calmly walked to the door and opened it.
“Shut the door,darling,"the woman said softly."You were perfect.”
The child didn't hear what she said.He stood in the middle of the room,staring at the closed bathroom door.
“Shut the door, the woman repeated in a tired flat voice.Every evening she repeated the same words,and every evening he stared at the closed bathroom door.
At last it opened.The man was pale and his clothes were streaked with lime and dust.He stood there,eyes blinking in that funny way.
“Well?How did it go?"asked the woman.
“I still need more time.He has to look for them longer.I slip in sideways all right,but then...It's so tight in there that when I turn...And he's got to make more noise-he should stamp his feet louder."
The child didn't take his eyes off him.
“Say something to him,"the woman whispered.
＂You did a good job,little one,"he said mechanically.
“That's right,”the woman said,“you're really doing a wonderful job,darling. You act just like a grown-up.And you do know that if someone should really ring the doorbell when Mama is at work,everything will depend on you?And what will you say when they ask you about your parents?”
“Mama's at work.”
“And Papa?"He was silent.
“And Papa?"the man screamed in terror.The child turned pale.
“And Papa?”the man repeated more calmly.
“He's dead,”＂the child answered and threw himself at his father,who was standing right beside him,but already long dead to the people who would really ring the bell.
1.What does the underlined sentence in Para.5 mean?
A.The family needed to practise the game for another 2 or 3 minutes.
B.There was still 2 or 3 minutes left before someone knocked at the door.
C.They would become too sleepy to play the game 2 or 3 minutes later.
D.The father needed 2 or 3 more minutes before the kid opened the door.
2.Why did the boy make a lot of noise when he was looking for the key?
A.Because he needed to drown out the noise caused by his father.
B.Because he was too little and just couldn't control his footsteps.
C.Because he was too anxious to find the key to open the door with.
D.Because he met many barriers on his way to where the key was.
3.In Para.12,why did the mother repeat“shut the door”in a tired,flat voice, instead of the previous soft one?
A.She was angry because her son didn't close the door as he had been told to.
B.She felt anxious because she knew her husband would be annoyed at the boy again.
C.She was disappointed because the boy's movement betrayed again where her husband was.
D.She was impatient because she was asked to repeat these words again and again every evening.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.A Scary Night B.The Key Game
C.My Father Is Dead D.An Innocent Boy
Bill Gates on how to fight future pandemics
WHEN HISTORIANS write the book on the covid-19 pandemic, what we've lived through so far will probably take up only the first third or so.The bulk of the story will be what happens next.
I believe that humanity will beat this pandemic, but only when most of the population is vaccinated(接种疫苗）.Until then, life will not return to normal.
As the pandemic slows in developed nations,it will accelerate in developing ones.Their experience,however,will be worse.In poorer countries,where fewer jobs can be done remotely,distancing measures won't work as well.The virus will spread quickly,and health systems won't be able to care for the infected.
Wealthy nations can help.But people in rich and poor places alike will be safe only once we have an effective medical solution for this virus,which means a vaccine.
My hope is that,by the second half of 2021,facilities around the world will be manufacturing a vaccine.If that's the case,it will be a history-making achievement: the fastest humankind has ever gone from recognizing a new disease to immunizing （免疫）against it.
Apart from this progress in vaccines,two other big medical breakthroughs will emerge from the pandemic.One will be in the field of diagnostics.The next time a novel virus crops up,people will probably be able to test for it at home.Researchers could have such a test ready within a few months of identifying a new disease.
The third breakthrough will be in antiviral drugs.We haven't been as effective at developing drugs to fight viruses as we have those to fight bacteria.But that will Researchers will develop large diverse libraries of antivirals,which they'll be able to scan trough and quickly find effective treatments for novel viruses.
All three technologies will prepare us for the next pandemic by allowing us to intervene(干预）early when the number of cases is still very low.
Our progress won't be in science alone.It will also be in our ability to make sure everyone benefits from that science.In the years after 2021,I think we'll learn from the years after 1945. With the end of the Second World War, leaders built international institutions like the UN to prevent more conflicts.After covid-19, leaders will prepare institutions to prevent the next pandemic.
These will be a mix of national,regional and global organizations.I expect they will participate in regular"germ games”in the same way as armed forces take part in War games.These will keep us ready for the next time a novel virus jumps from bats or birds to humans.
I hope wealthy nations include poorer ones in these preparations,especially by devoting more foreign aid to building up their primary health-care systems.This pandemic has shown us that viruses don't obey border laws and that we are all connected biologically by a network of microscopic germs,whether we like it or not.
The best analogy(类比）for today might be November 10th 1942.Britain had just won its first land victory of the war,and Winston Churchill declared in a speech: “This is not the end.It is not even the beginning of the end.But it is,perhaps,the end of the beginning.”
1.What are the three technologies that will prepare us for the next pandemic?
①manufacturing a vaccine fast
②diagnosing a virus at home
③developing antiviral drugs
④allowing us to intervene early
A.①②③ B.①②④ C.①③④ D.②③④
2.As far as poorer countries are concerned,which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A.pandemic disease is more likely to begin in poorer countries
B.Working from home can work well in poorer countries.
C.Health systems are sufficient to care for the infected in poorer countries.
D.Virus will cross borders if poorer countries fail to contain it.
3.Why is the Second World War mentioned in Para.8?
A.The fight against the COVID-19 is similar to the Second World War.
B.People are suffering just as they were in the Second World War.
C.We should cooperate globally just as we did after the Second World War.
D.Countries are fighting each other like in the Second World War.
4.What is the tone of this passage?
A.pessimistic B.optimistic
C.neutral D.indifferent
My school appeared on the news last week because we had made an important change in our local area. Our class had planted a large garden in what was once only a vacant lot. It was a lot of work but it was all worth it. I got blisters(水泡) from digging, and we all got insect bites, too.
I learned a lot about gardening and collaboration(合作), and then I learned about the media. Our teacher telephoned the TV station and informed them of what we had accomplished. She spoke with the producer. The producer checked with the directors, but they said there were plenty of stories similar to ours. They wanted to know what was special about our particular garden, since many schools plant them.
The teacher explained that, after going on the Internet to learn about the prairie(大草原), we had made a prairie garden. We had gone to a prairie and gotten seeds from the plants, and then we planted them. We did not water the garden, but we did weed it. We decided to let nature water it with rain, since that was how prairies grew in the past. We sent a picture of the garden to the news station. In the picture, the grass was so high that it stood taller than the fourth grade students.
As a result, the producer sent a reporter to our school. He interviewed the headmaster and asked him many questions about the garden. After that, they interviewed us, and we explained to them what we had learned through this project.
That night, we watched the news, and there we were. The news reporter told our story. It was only two minutes long, but it was us. We were famous. All that work, all those blisters, it was worth it. We knew that when we saw the garden every day, but now we knew that the whole city thought so, too.
1.What seemed to be the TV directors’ initial reaction to the garden?
A.They were excited. B.They were surprised.
C.They were worried. D.They were uninterested.
2.What is special about the garden?
A.Weeds were allowed to spread naturally.
B.The grass grew faster than common grass.
C.The seeds came from the plants of a prairie.
D.Underground water was used for the plants.
3.What does the underlined word “that” refer to in the last paragraph?
A.We got blisters on our hands. B.Our hard work was worthwhile.
C.The garden would be famous. D.The project would be finished.
4.How did the author feel about the project?
A.Annoyed. B.Curious. C.Proud. D.Regretful.
Want to explore new cultures, meet new people and do something worthwhile at the same time? You can do all the three with Global Development Association(GDA). Whatever stage of life you’re at, wherever you go and whatever project you do in GDA, you’ll create positive changes in a poor and remote community(社区).
We work with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Most of our volunteers are aged 17-24. Now we need volunteer managers aged 25-75. They are extremely important in the safe and effective running of our programmes. We have such roles as project managers, mountain leaders, and communication officers.
Depending on which role you choose, you could help to increase a community’s access to safe drinking water, or help to protect valuable local cultures. You might also design an adventure challenge to train young volunteers.
Not only will you help our young volunteers to develop personally, you’ll also learn new skills and increase your cultural awareness. You may have chances to meet new people who’ll become your lifelong friends.
This summer we have both 4-week and 7-week programmes:
Country | Schedule | |
4-week programmes | 7-week programmes | |
Algeria | 5 Jul. — 1 Aug. | 20 Jun. — 7 Aug. |
Egypt | 24 Jul. — 20 Aug. | 19 Jun. — 6 Aug. |
Kenya | 20 Jul. — 16 Aug. | 18 Jun. — 5 Aug. |
South Africa | 2 Aug. — 29 Aug. | 15 Jun. — 2 Aug. |
GDA ensures that volunteers work with community members and local project partners where our help is needed. All our projects aim to promote the development of poor and remote communities.
There is no other chance like a GDA programme. Join us as a volunteer manager to develop your own skills while bringing benefits to the communities.
Find out more about joining a GDA programme:
Website:www.glodeve.org
Email:humanresources@glodeve.org
1.What is the main responsibility of volunteer managers?
A.To seek local partners. B.To take in young volunteers.
C.To carry out programmes. D.To foster cultural awareness.
2.The programme beginning in August will operate in ________.
A.Egypt B.Algeria C.Kenya D.South Africa
3.The shared goal of GDA’s projects to ________.
A.explore new cultures B.protect the environment
C.gain corporate benefit D.help communities in need
