Question

    Scientists say they’ve developed a system using machine learning to predict when and where lighting will strike.The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.

European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power outages, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. For these reasons, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. In the United States and other places, ground-based sensing devices are used to identify strikes as they happen. But, no system has been created to effectively predict lightning.

The system tested in the experiments used a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.

The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.

The atmospheric, data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (算法), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.

Amirhossein Mostajabi is a PhD student at the institute who led the development of the method. He said, “current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites.”

“Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” Mostajabi said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” he added.

The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project.

1.Why have climate scientists tried to predict and control lighting?

A.To collect relative data.

B.To reduce the destruction lightning has been causing.

C.To create a scientific system.

D.To do research in relation to machine learning.

2.The four mentioned surface conditions include all the following EXCEPT________.

A.air pollution

B.wind speed

C.relative humidity

D.air temperature

3.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A.Lighting.

B.The system being tested.

C.The atmospheric data.

D.The machine learning algorithm.

4.What can we learn about Mostajabi from the passage?

A.He developed the method and the system himself.

B.He thinks the current systems are too slow and simple.

C.He is a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

D.He believes their system does much better in data collection.

5.Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A.Lightning Causes Huge World Wide Damage.

B.Scientists Test Systems to Predict Lightning.

C.Machine Learning Has Made New Breakthrough.

D.A New Approach Has Improved Data Collection.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

5.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了科学家们开发出的一种系统，利用机器学习能力有效地预测闪电，以减少闪电袭击带来的危害和损失。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中“...that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power outages, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. For these reasons，climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning.(世界各地每年有6,000至24,000人死于闪电。闪电袭击还可能导致停电、破坏财产、损坏电气设备和引发森林火灾)”可知，科协家们想预测、控制闪电是因为想找到办法，以减少闪电所带来的危害和损失。故选B项。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段中“The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.”可知，与四个主要表面条件有关的数据有气压、空气温度、相对湿度和风速，没有提到空气污染。故选A项。

3.词句猜测题。根据第五段“The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (算法), which compared it to records of lightning strikes.(将大气数据输入到机器学习计算法中，随后计算法会将这些数据与闪电袭击记录进行比较)”可以推测，it指代上一句中的the atmospheric data。故选C项。

4.推理判断题。第六段中提到“current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites”可知，Mostajabi认为目前收集此类数据的系统缓慢而复杂，需要昂贵的雷达或卫星等收集设备；第七段中提到“Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station…This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut”可知，Mostajabi认为他们这种方法使用的数据可以从任何气象站获得，这将改善雷达和卫星未覆盖的非常偏远地区或通信系统被切断的地方的数据收集。因此可以推断，Mostajabi相信他们的系统在数据收集方面比原来的做得更好。故选D项。

5.主旨大意题。文章第1段讲到：科学家们开发出的一种系统有效地预测闪电。后又提到这个预测系统减少闪电袭击带来的危害和损失以及它的作用。由此可知，Scientists Test Systems to Predict Lightning.(科学家测试系统来预测闪电)能够概述文章大意。故选B项。