Tired of standing in line? Wait a bit longer, and you may never have to again.
Amazon has opened 24 of its Amazon Go stores, which use cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to see what you’ve taken off shelves and charge you as you walk out. Some companies are closely copying Amazon’s approach to using Al-powered cameras fixed in ceilings. But others are trying an entirely different way to skip the checkout: smart shopping carts. These companies have added cameras and sensors (传感器) to the carts, and are using AI to tell what you’ve put in them. Customers pay by entering a credit card, or through an online payment system. When a customer exits the store a green light on the shopping cart shows that their order is complete, and they’re charged.
The companies behind the smart carts, including Caper and Veeve, say it’s much easier to add technology to the shopping cart than to an entire store. Amazom’s Go stores rely on hundreds of cameras in the ceiling. The shelves also include sensors to tell when an item is removed. Ahmed Beshry, co-founder of Caper, believes the technology to run Go is too expensive to use in a large-format grocery store. Neither Caper nor Veeve have said how much their smart shopping carts will cost, making it difficult to compare the different formats. Shariq Siddiqui, CEO of Veeve, said, “We’re always happy when Amazon is doing something. They force retailers to get out of their old school thinking.”
Each time a business uses artificial intelligence and cameras, it raises questions about customers’ privacy and the effect on jobs. Beshry notes that the cameras in his shopping cart point down into the cart, so only a customer’s hand and part of their arm will be captured (拍摄) on camera.
1.What do we know about the smart shopping carts?
A.They are linked to the cameras fixed in the ceilings.
B.They are able to recognize goods put in them.
C.They flash the green light when the order is canceled.
D.They can tell customers where to find what they want.
2.What does Beshry think of the technology used in Amazon’s Go stores?
A.It is far more expensive than their shopping carts.
B.It is likely to help retailers to think differently.
C.It has attracted many more retailers than before.
D.It may reduce the cost of running a store greatly.
3.When it comes to AI and cameras, What makes the public worried most?
A.That somebody may know their privacy.
B.That they can only buy goods online.
C.That goods in the stores may be more expensive.
D.That they behave to wait in a line for a longer time.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.The new technology improves retail sale.
B.Smart shopping carts will let you skip the line.
C.Al-powered cameras are used in retail stores.
D.Artificial intelligence affects the future of job market.
Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don’t even notice that they’re doing it when they sit down. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.
A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason is that the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart and that crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but repeated, drawn-out increases in blood pressure can cause long term health problems. So, panning to sit for a long period of time? Don’t keep your legs crossed.
Crossing your legs at the knee can also cause pressure on the major nerve in your leg that passes just below your knee and along the outside of your leg, explains Richard Graves, a medical expert. This pressure can cause numbness and temporary paralysis of some of the muscles in your foot and leg, preventing you from being able to raise your ankle. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
1.What can we learn about crossing one’s legs?
A.It is a very bad social habit. B.It is usually practiced by design.
C.It can make others feel uncomfortable. D.It has a negative effect on people’s heath.
2.We may conclude from the study that sitting with your legs crossed can ________.
A.improve the function of legs B.help your blood resist gravity
C.effect your blood pressure D.cause health problems instantly
3.According to Richard Graves, repeatedly crossing your legs may ________.
A.paralyze all of your muscles B.preventing you from standing up
C.damage your nerve in the leg in the end D.reduce the pressure on the major nerve
4.What is the main purpose of the text?
A.To blame a bad habit. B.To provide suggestions.
C.To introduce research methods. D.To show effects of an experiment.
While Charlotte Uhlenbroek loves the adventure, she is also glad to be back in “civilization”, at least for the moment.
She’s just finished filming a TV series called Jungle——a 19-week job that involved her exploring the dense jungles of the Congo, the Amazon and Borneo. She says that it was fascinating, but daunting as well. So what was her most challenging experience? “Definitely climbing an 80-metre-high tree in Borneo, when I’m scared of heights! I had to keep going up and up, when a voice inside me was saying, ‘Down! Down!’ I kept thinking the ropes were going to break and send me down below.”
And “down below” was where the bugs were——clinging, stinging, sucking beasts. Apart from the usual mosquitoes, in the Amazon rainforest she was troubled by sand-fly bites. “I’ve had some horrible bites but these really are the itchiest (痒的) bites I’ve ever had. At one stage, I counted 70 bites on one arm,” she says. “Just as annoying were the sweat bees in the Congo. They try to drink the sweat on your face and even the tears from your eyes. The most disgusting thing, though, was try to pull the leches (水蛭) off your skin. The more I pulled, the more they stretched and the tighter their jaws clung to my leg. I kept shouting, ‘Get them off!’ and the film crew kept saying, “Just one minute... this makes a really good shot!”
Back in London, what has she been enjoying since her return to “civilization”? “I’ve been having lots of nice, long showers,” she says. “In the Congo, the possibility of using up our water supplies was always a worrying thought. And I find that when I’ve been in hot, uncomfortable conditions for a while, the things I look forward to more than anything else are being with my family and enjoying my favourite meal.”
1.Why does Charlotte explore the jungles?
A.She enjoys taking adventures.
B.She wants to challenge herself.
C.She takes part in shooting a TV series.
D.She is interested in the jungle bugs.
2.What can we learn about Charlotte’s experience in the jungles?
A.She climbed tall tee with the help of ropes.
B.She once had 70 bites by the sweat bees in the Congo.
C.The mosquito bites were the worst bites she’d ever had.
D.The film crew helped her to get the leches from her leg.
3.What does Charlotte miss most when she was in the jungles?
A.Nice and long showers. B.Her family members.
C.Her comfortable bed. D.Her favourite snacks.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.The TV Series ---- Jungle B.Explore the Amazon Jungle
C.Return to the Age of Civilization D.What a Jungle Journey!
A Journey to China
10 days from just A$1,590
Fully inclusive from Australia
Price covers: international airfares, departure taxes, fuel charges, local transportation, accommodation, all meals, entrance fees, guides, daily tours and visas for Australian citizens.
◆Days 1-3: Australia—Beijing
Fly to Beijing for three nights stay and try Peking Duck. During the stay, stroll through Tian’anmen Square to the Forbidden City, the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China, and visit the Summer Palace. Next day take a walk on the Great Wall, tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy an attractive Chinese Acrobatic show.
◆Days 4-8: Beijing—Yangtze River Tour—Chengdu
Fly to Yichang and change (approx: one hour) to board your Yangtze River ship for the next four nights. Enjoy a tour of the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝) before sailing on the grand Yangtze River, passing through the impressive Three Gorges. Take a side trip to the Lesser Three Gorges or travel up the Shennong Stream in a peapod boat and enjoy various shore trips along the way. Get off in Chongqing and drive to Chengdu for an overnight stay.
◆Day 9-l0: Chengdu—Shanghai
Fly to the great city of Shanghai and in the evening sample traditional Shanghai food. Visit the beautiful Yu Garden, Old Town, cross the Great Nanpu Bridge and tour the Pudong area. Also explore Xintiandi with its 1920’s style Shikumen buildings and end your stay in Shanghai with an amazing Huangpu river evening tour.
◆Day11: Shanghai—Australia
Fly back to Australia, arriving home later the same day filled with happy memories.
Por more information:www.traveltochina.org
1.The underlined word “sample” in the text probably means “________”.
A.book B.sell C.taste D.make
2.According to the ad, the tourists from Australia will ________.
A.take a side trip to the Three Gorges Dam B.visit the Great Nampu Bridge in Chengdu
C.have to pay extra for accommodation and meals D.arrive in Australia on the eleventh day of the trip
3.The advertisement is mainly intended to ________.
A.encourage the Australians to travel in China
B.offer service of booking air tickets to tourists
C.attract the Australians to traditional Chinese food
D.provide Australians with a better understanding of China
假定你是李华，你校将举行“校园书市(a campus book fair)”活动，为给全校同学提供平台义卖图书、参考书、笔记等。请你写信给你的英国笔友Eric，介绍此次活动的有关情况，内容包括：
1.活动目的；
2.活动内容；
3.活动意义。
注意:
1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Eric,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文.文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处.每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加,删除或修改.
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仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分.
It was at a friend’s costume party which I met Roy. Then I invited Roy over in my place. We listen to my CDs together and soon became best friends. Three years ago, Roy’s parents invited I to spend two wonderful week in London with them during the summer holiday. Roy and I loved walk along the beautiful beaches there. Last year I was serious ill and had to stay in hospital for a week. Roy came see me every day. Then his father has changed his job and they moved to another city. Since then we haven’t seen each other many. But we’ve kept writing to each other.
