Question

New App Helps People Remember Faces

Large gatherings such as weddings and conferences can be socially overwhelming. Pressure to learn people’s names only adds to the stress. A new facial-recognition app could come to the rescue, but privacy experts recommend proceeding with caution.

The app, called SocialRecall, connects names with faces via smartphone cameras and facial recognition, potentially avoiding the need for formal introductions. “It breaks down these social barriers we all have when meeting somebody,” says Barry Sandrew, who created the app and tested it at an event attended by about 1,000 people.

After receiving an invitation to download SocialRecall from an event organizer, the user is asked to take two selfies and sign in via social media. At the event, the app is active within a previously defined geographical area. When a user points his or her phone camera at an attendee’s face, the app identifies the individual, displays the person’s name, and links to his or her social media profile. To protect privacy, it recognizes only those who have agreed to participate. And the app's creators say it automatically deletes users’ data after an event.

Ann Cavoukian, a privacy expert who runs the Privacy by Design Center of Excellence praises the app’s creators for these protective measures. She cautions, however, that when people choose to share their personal information with the app, they should know that “there may be unintended consequences down the road with that information being used in another context that might come back to bite you.”

The start-up has also developed a version of the app for individuals who suffer from prosopagnosia, or “face blindness,” a condition that prevents people from recognizing individuals they have met. To use this app, a person first acquires an image of someone’s face, from either the smartphone’s camera or a photograph, and then tags it with a name. When the camera spots that same face in real life, the previously entered information is displayed. The collected data are stored only on a user’s phone, according to the team behind the app.

1.SocialRecall is used to ________.

A.take photos B.identify people

C.organize events D.make friends

2.Paragraph 3 is mainly about ________.

A.how the app works

B.how the app was created

C.what makes the app popular

D.what people can do with the app

3.SocialRecall helps people with prosopagnosia by ________.

A.giving names to the photos kept in their smartphones

B.collecting information previously entered in the phone

C.providing the information of a person when they first meet

D.showing the person’s information when it spots a stored face

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

A.It may put people’s privacy at risk.

B.It has caused unintended consequences.

C.It can prevent some communication disorders.

D.It is praised by users for its protective measures.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇科普类短文阅读。文章主要介绍一款新的应用程序帮助人们识别面孔，但也有可能泄露隐私。

1.推理判断题。根据文章第二段The app, called SocialRecall, connects names with faces via smartphone cameras and facial recognition, potentially avoiding the need for formal introductions.可知，这款名为SocialRecall的应用软件可以通过智能手机摄像头和面部识别功能将名字和人脸联系起来，从而避免了正式介绍的必要，从而可以推断出，是用来识别人。故选B。

2.段落大意题。根据文章第三段本主要讲述在收到活动组织者发出邀请后，用户需要自拍两张照片并通过社交媒体登录，在活动中，该应用程序在之前定义的地理区域内处于活动状态。当用户将他或她的手机摄像头对准出席者的脸时，该应用程序就会识别这个人，显示这个人的名字，并链接到他或她的社交媒体个人资料，故本段主要介绍SocialRecall这款应用软件工作原理。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据文章最后一段To use this app, a person first acquires an image of someone’s face, from either the smartphone’s camera or a photograph, and then tags it with a name. When the camera spots that same face in real life, the previously entered information is displayed. The collected data are stored only on a user’s phone, according to the team behind the app.可知，用户使用智能手机的摄像头或照片中获取某人的面部图像，然后给它加上一个名字。当摄像机在现实生活中发现相同的人脸时，就会显示之前输入的信息，从而帮助脸盲症患者识别此人的信息。故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据文章第四段She cautions, however, that when people choose to share their personal information with the app, they should know that “there may be unintended consequences down the road with that information being used in another context that might come back to bite you.”可知，当人们选择将自己的个人信息分享给应用程序时，他们应该知道，在未来可能会出现意想不到的后果，从而可以推断出SocialRecall这款应用程序可能会危及人们的隐私。故选A。