一、Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension
1、Question 1 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Why so many girls adored Audrey Hepburn.
B、Why the woman wanted to be like Audrey Hepburn.
C、Why Audrey Hepburn had more female fans than male ones.
D、Why Roman Holiday was more famous than Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
2、Question 2 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Her family’s suspension of financial aid.
B、Her shift of interest to performing arts.
C、Her unique personality.
D、Her physical condition.
3、Question 3 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、She was modest and hardworking.
B、She was easy-going on the whole.
C、She was not an outgoing person.
D、She was usually not very optimistic.
4、Question 4 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、She learned to volunteer when she was a child.
B、Her family benefited from other people’s help.
C、Her parents taught her to sympathize with the needy.
D、She was influenced by the roles she played in the films.
5、Question 5 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、Attend a board meeting.
B、Raise some questions.
C、Give a presentation.
D、Start a new company.
6、Question 6 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、No new staff will be hired.
B、No staff will be dismissed.
C、It will raise productivity.
D、It will cut production costs.
7、Question 7 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、The communication channels.
B、The company’s new missions.
C、The timeline of restructuring.
D、The reasons for restructuring.
8、Question 8 is based on the conversation you have just heard.
A、By visiting the company’s own computer network.
B、By exploring various channels of communication.
C、By emailing questions to the man or the woman.
D、By consulting their own department managers.
9、Question 9 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、It allows passengers to have animals travel with them.
B、It uses therapy animals to soothe nervous passengers.
C、It has animals to help passengers carry their luggage.
D、It helps passengers to take care of their pet animals.
10、Question 10 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、Finding their way around.
B、Avoiding possible dangers.
C、Identifying drug smugglers.
D、Looking after sick passengers.
11、Question 11 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、Bring their pet animals on board their plane.
B、Keep some animals for therapeutic purposes.
C、Schedule their flights around the animal visits.
D、Photograph the therapy animals at the airport.
12、Question 12 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、At the entrance to a reception hall in Rome.
B、Beside a beautifully painted wall in Arles.
C、Beside the gate of an ancient Roman city.
D、At the site of an ancient Roman mansion.
13、Question 13 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、Various musical instruments.
B、A number of different images.
C、A number of mythological heroes.
D、Paintings by famous French artists.
14、Question 14 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、The impressive skills and costly dyes.
B、The worldly sophistication displayed.
C、The originality and expertise shown.
D、The stunning images vividly depicted.
15、Question 15 is based on the passage you have just heard.
A、He was a collector of antiques.
B、His artistic taste is superb.
C、His identity remains unclear.
D、He was a rich Italian merchant.
16、Question 16 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They favor scientists from its member countries.
B、They place great emphasis on empirical studies.
C、They lay stress on basic scientific research.
D、They encourage international cooperation.
17、Question 17 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、Many of their projects have become complicated.
B、They believe that more hands will make light work.
C、They want to follow closely the international trend.
D、Many of them wish to win international recognition.
18、Question 18 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It calls for more research funding to catch up.
B、It lags behind other disciplines in collaboration.
C、It is faced with many unprecedented challenges.
D、It requires mathematicians to work independently.
19、Question 19 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、Scientists discovered water on Venus.
B、Scientists found Venus had atmosphere.
C、Scientists tried to send a balloon to Venus.
D、Scientists observed Venus from a space vehicle.
20、Question 20 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It undergoes geological changes like Earth.
B、It is a paradise of romance for alien life.
C、It is the same as fiction has portrayed.
D、It resembles Earth in many aspects.
21、Question 21 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It used to be covered with rainforests.
B、It used to have more water than Earth.
C、It might have been a cozy habitat for life.
D、It might have been hotter than it is today.
22、Question 22 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、Causes of sleeplessness.
B、Cultural psychology.
C、Cross-cultural communication.
D、Motivation and positive feelings.
23、Question 23 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、They attach great importance to sleep.
B、They often have trouble falling asleep.
C、They generally sleep longer than East Asians.
D、They pay more attention to sleep efficiency.
24、Question 24 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、By observing people’s sleep patterns in labs.
B、By asking people to report their sleep habits.
C、By videotaping people’s daily sleeping processes.
D、By having people wear motion-detecting watches.
25、Question 25 is based on the recording you have just heard.
A、It has attracted attention all over the world.
B、It has not yet produced anything conclusive.
C、It has not yet explored the cross-cultural aspect of sleep.
D、It has made remarkable progress in the past few decades.
二、Part III Reading Comprehension
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
26、(1)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
27、(2)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
28、(3)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
29、(4)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
30、(5)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
31、(6)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
32、(7)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
33、(8)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
34、(9)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
Steel is valued for its reliability, but not when it gets cold. Most forms of steel (26)_____ become brittle (脆的) at temperatures below about -25°C unless they are mixed with other metals. Now, though, a novel type of steel has been developed that resists (27)_____ at much lower temperatures, while retaining its strength and toughness—without the need for expensive (28)_____.
Steel’s fragility at low temperatures first became a major concern during the Second World War. After German U-boats torpedoed (用鱼雷攻击) numerous British ships, a 2700-strong fleet of cheap-and-cheerful “Liberty ships” was introduced to replace the lost vessels, providing a lifeline for the (29)_____ British. But the steel shells of hundreds of the ships (30)_____ in the icy north Atlantic, and 12 broke in half and sank.
Brittleness remains a problem when building steel structures in cold conditions, such as oil rigs in the Arctic. So scientists have (31)_____ to find a solution by mixing it with expensive metals such as nickel.
Yuuji Kimura and colleagues in Japan tried a more physical (32)_____. Rather than adding other metals, they developed a complex mechanical process involving repeated heating and very severe mechanical deformation, known as tempforming.
The resulting steel appears to achieve a combination of strength and toughness that is (33)_____ to that of modern steels that are very rich in alloy content and, therefore, very expensive.
Kimura’s team intends to use its tempformed steel to make ultra-high strength parts, such as bolts. They hope to reduce both the number of (34)_____ needed in a construction job and their weight—by replacing solid supports with (35)_____ tubes, for example. This could reduce the amount of steel needed to make everything from automobiles to buildings and bridges.
35、(10)
A、violent
B、channel
C、reshuffled
D、approach
E、additives
F、strived
G、hollow
H、besieged
I、components
J、abruptly
K、ardently
L、comparable
M、relevant
N、fractures
O、cracked
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
36、36. Given the easier accessibility to space, it is time to think about how to prevent misuse of satellites.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
37、37. A group of mini-satellites can work together to accomplish more complex tasks.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
38、38. The greater accessibility of mini-satellites increases the risks of their irresponsible use.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
39、39. Even school pupils can have their CubeSats put in orbit owing to the lowered launching cost.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
40、40. AMSAT is careful about sharing information with outsiders to prevent hijacking of their satellites.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
41、41. NASA offers to launch CubeSats free of charge for educational and research purposes.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
42、42. Even with constraints, it is possible for some creative developers to take the CubeSat technology in directions that result in harmful outcomes.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
43、43. While making significant contributions to space science, CubeSats may pose hazards to other space vehicles.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
44、44. Mini-satellites enable operators to study Earth from LEO and space around it.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
The future of personal satellite technology is here—are we ready for it?
【A】Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of rich governments and wealthy corporations. But increasingly, as space becomes more democratized, they are coming within reach of ordinary people. Just like drones (无人机) before them, miniature satellites are beginning to fundamentally transform our conceptions of who gets to do what up above our heads.
【B】As a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences highlights, these satellites hold tremendous potential for making satellite-based science more accessible than ever before. However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow. The question here is no longer “Can we?” but “Should we?” What are the potential downsides of having a slice of space densely populated by equipment built by people not traditionally labeled as “professionals”? And what would the responsible and beneficial development and use of this technology actually look like? Some of the answers may come from a nonprofit organization that has been building and launching amateur satellites for nearly 50 years.
【C】Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction. But over the past few decades a unique class of satellites has been created that fits the bill: CubeSats. The “Cube” here simply refers to the satellite’s shape. The most common CubeSat is a 10cm cube, so small that a single CubeSat could easily be mistaken for a paperweight on your desk. These mini-satellites can fit in a launch vehicle’s formerly “wasted space”. Multiples can be deployed in combination for more complex missions than could be achieved by one CubeSat alone.
【D】Within their compact bodies these minute satellites are able to house sensors and communications receivers/transmitters that enable operators to study Earth from space, as well as space around Earth. They’re primarily designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—an easily accessible region of space from around 200 to 800 miles above Earth, where human-tended missions like the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station (ISS) hang out. But they can attain more distant orbits; NASA plans for most of its future Earth-escaping payloads (to the moon and Mars especially) to carry CubeSats.
【E】Because they’re so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth’s orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite. For instance, a research group here at Arizona State University recently claimed their developmental small CubeSats could cost as little as $3,000 to put in orbit. This decrease in cost allows researchers, hobbyists and even elementary school groups to put simple instruments into LEO or even having them deployed from the ISS.
【F】The first CubeSat was created in the early 2000s, as a way of enabling Stanford graduate students to design, build, test and operate a spacecraft with similar capabilities to the USSR’s Sputnik (前苏联的人造卫星). Since then, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and even Boeing have all launched and operated CubeSats. There are more than 130 currently in operation. The NASA Educational Launch of Nano Satellite program, which offers free launches for educational groups and science missions, is now open to U.S. nonprofit corporations as well. Clearly, satellites are not just for rocket scientists anymore.
【G】The National Academy of Sciences report emphasizes CubeSats’ importance in scientific discovery and the training of future space scientists and engineers. Yet it also acknowledges that widespread deployment of LEO CubeSats isn’t risk-free. The greatest concern the authors raise is space debris—pieces of “junk” that orbit the earth, with the potential to cause serious damage if they collide with operational units, including the ISS.
【H】Currently there aren’t many CubeSats and they’re tracked closely. Yet as LEO opens up to more amateur satellites, they may pose an increasing threat. As the report authors point out, even near-misses might lead to the “creation of a burdensome regulatory framework and affect the future disposition of science CubeSats.”
【I】CubeSat researchers suggest that now’s the time to ponder unexpected and unintended possible consequences of more people than ever having access to their own small slice of space. In an era when you can simply buy a CubeSat kit off the shelf, how can we trust the satellites over our heads were developed with good intentions by people who knew what they were doing? Some “expert amateurs” in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.
【J】In 1969, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) was created in order to foster ham radio enthusiasts’ (业余无线电爱好者) participation in space research and communication. It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a U.S.-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik. As an organization of volunteers, AMSAT was putting “amateur” satellites in orbit decades before the current CubeSat craze. And over time, its members have learned a thing or two about responsibility. Here, open-source development has been a central principle. Within the organization, AMSAT has a philosophy of open sourcing everything—making technical data on all aspects of their satellites fully available to everyone in the organization, and when possible, the public. According to a member of the team responsible for FOX 1-A, AMSAT’s first CubeSat, this means that there’s no way to sneak something like explosives or an energy emitter into an amateur satellite when everyone has access to the designs and implementation.
【K】However, they’re more cautious about sharing information with nonmembers, as the organization guards against others developing the ability to hijack and take control of their satellites. This form of “self-governance” is possible within long-standing amateur organizations that, over time, are able to build a sense of responsibility to community members, as well as society in general. But what happens when new players emerge, who don’t have deep roots within the existing culture?
【L】Hobbyists and students are gaining access to technologies without being part of a long-standing amateur establishment. They’re still constrained by funders, launch providers and a series of regulations—all of which rein in what CubeSat developers can and cannot do. But there’s a danger they’re ill-equipped to think through potential unintended consequences. What these unintended consequences might be is admittedly far from clear. Yet we know innovators can be remarkably creative with taking technologies in unexpected directions. Think of something as seemingly benign as the cellphone—we have microfinance and text-based social networking at one end of the spectrum, improvised (临时制作的) explosive devices at the other.
【M】This is where a culture of social responsibility around CubeSats becomes important—not simply to ensure that physical risks are minimized, but to engage with a much larger community in anticipating and managing less obvious consequences of the technology. This is not an easy task. Yet the evidence from AMSAT and other areas of technology development suggests that responsible amateur communities can and do emerge around novel technologies. The challenge here, of course, is ensuring that what an amateur community considers to be responsible, actually is. Here’s where there needs to be a much wider public conversation that extends beyond government agencies and scientific communities to include students, hobbyists, and anyone who may potentially stand to be affected by the use of CubeSat technology.
45、45. AMSAT operates on the principle of having all its technical data accessible to its members, preventing the abuse of amateur satellites.
A、A
B、B
C、C
D、D
E、E
F、F
G、G
H、H
I、I
J、J
K、K
L、L
M、M
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的) ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships”. It’s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and churning (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than friends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway.
46、46. What did the author realize when he re-entered the corporate world?
A、Making new friends with his workmates was not as easy as he had anticipated.
B、Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships helped him expel solitary feelings.
C、Working in the corporate world requires more interpersonal skills than self-employment.
D、Building close relationships with his colleagues was not as important as he had expected.
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的) ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships”. It’s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and churning (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than friends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway.
47、47. What do we learn from many studies about collegial relationships?
A、Inharmonious relationships have an adverse effect on productivity.
B、Harmonious relationships are what many companies aim to cultivate.
C、Close collegial relationships contribute very little to product quality.
D、Conflicting relationships in the workplace exist almost everywhere.
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的) ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships”. It’s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and churning (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than friends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway.
48、48. What can be inferred about relationships at work from an academic analysis?
A、They should be cultivated.
B、They are virtually irrelevant.
C、They are vital to corporate culture.
D、They should be reasonably intimate.
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的) ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships”. It’s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and churning (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than friends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway.
49、49. What does the author say about people who are socially lazy?
A、They feel uncomfortable when engaging in social interactions.
B、They often find themselves in confrontation with their colleagues.
C、They are unwilling to make efforts to maintain workplace relationships.
D、They lack basic communication skills in dealing with interpersonal issues.
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn’t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn’t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的) ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships”. It’s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they’re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and churning (产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we’re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than friends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals’ sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one’s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I’ll take it anyway.
50、50. What is one of the benefits of indifferent relationships?
A、They provide fun at work.
B、They help control emotions.
C、They help resolve differences.
D、They improve work efficiency.
In a few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass many of the abilities that we believe make us special. This is a grand challenge for our age and it may require an “irrational” response.
One of the most significant pieces of news from the US in early 2017 was the efforts of Google to make autonomous driving a reality. According to a report, Google’s self-driving cars clocked 1,023,330km, and required human intervention 124 times. That is one intervention about every 8,047km of autonomous driving. But even more impressive is the progress in just a single year: human interventions fell from 0.8 times per thousand miles to 0.2, a 400% improvement. With such progress, Google’s cars will easily surpass my own driving ability later this year.
Driving once seemed to be a very human skill. But we said that about chess, too. Then a computer beat the human world champion, repeatedly. The board game Go (围棋) took over from chess as a new test for human thinking in 2016, when a computer beat one of the world’s leading professional Go players. With computers conquering what used to be deeply human tasks, what will it mean in the future to be human? I worry about my six-year-old son. What will his place be in a world where machines beat us in one area after another? He’ll never calculate faster, never drive better, or even fly more safely. Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: What’s so special about us? It can’t be skills like arithmetic, which machines already excel in. So far, machines have a pretty hard time emulating creativity, arbitrary enough not to be predicted by a computer, and yet more than simple randomness.
Perhaps, if we continue to improve information-processing machines, we’ll soon have helpful rational assistants. So we must aim to complement the rationality of the machines, rather than to compete with it. If I’m right, we should foster a creative spirit because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. Unfortunately, however, our education system has not caught up to the approaching reality. Indeed, our schools and universities are structured to mould pupils to be mostly obedient servants of rationality, and to develop outdated skills in interacting with outdated machines. We need to help our children learn how to best work with smart computers to improve human decision-making. But most of all we need to keep the long-term perspective in mind: that even if computers will outsmart us, we can still be the most creative. Because if we aren’t, we won’t be providing much value in future ecosystems, and that may put in question the foundation for our existence.
51、51. What is the author’s greatest concern about the use of AI?
A、Computers are performing lots of creative tasks.
B、Many abilities will cease to be unique to human beings.
C、Computers may become more rational than humans.
D、Many human skills are fast becoming outdated.
In a few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass many of the abilities that we believe make us special. This is a grand challenge for our age and it may require an “irrational” response.
One of the most significant pieces of news from the US in early 2017 was the efforts of Google to make autonomous driving a reality. According to a report, Google’s self-driving cars clocked 1,023,330km, and required human intervention 124 times. That is one intervention about every 8,047km of autonomous driving. But even more impressive is the progress in just a single year: human interventions fell from 0.8 times per thousand miles to 0.2, a 400% improvement. With such progress, Google’s cars will easily surpass my own driving ability later this year.
Driving once seemed to be a very human skill. But we said that about chess, too. Then a computer beat the human world champion, repeatedly. The board game Go (围棋) took over from chess as a new test for human thinking in 2016, when a computer beat one of the world’s leading professional Go players. With computers conquering what used to be deeply human tasks, what will it mean in the future to be human? I worry about my six-year-old son. What will his place be in a world where machines beat us in one area after another? He’ll never calculate faster, never drive better, or even fly more safely. Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: What’s so special about us? It can’t be skills like arithmetic, which machines already excel in. So far, machines have a pretty hard time emulating creativity, arbitrary enough not to be predicted by a computer, and yet more than simple randomness.
Perhaps, if we continue to improve information-processing machines, we’ll soon have helpful rational assistants. So we must aim to complement the rationality of the machines, rather than to compete with it. If I’m right, we should foster a creative spirit because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. Unfortunately, however, our education system has not caught up to the approaching reality. Indeed, our schools and universities are structured to mould pupils to be mostly obedient servants of rationality, and to develop outdated skills in interacting with outdated machines. We need to help our children learn how to best work with smart computers to improve human decision-making. But most of all we need to keep the long-term perspective in mind: that even if computers will outsmart us, we can still be the most creative. Because if we aren’t, we won’t be providing much value in future ecosystems, and that may put in question the foundation for our existence.
52、52. What impresses the author most in the field of AI?
A、Google’s experimental driverless cars require little human intervention.
B、Google’s cars have surpassed his driving ability in just a single year.
C、Google has made huge progress in autonomous driving in a short time.
D、Google has become a world leader in the field of autonomous driving.
In a few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass many of the abilities that we believe make us special. This is a grand challenge for our age and it may require an “irrational” response.
One of the most significant pieces of news from the US in early 2017 was the efforts of Google to make autonomous driving a reality. According to a report, Google’s self-driving cars clocked 1,023,330km, and required human intervention 124 times. That is one intervention about every 8,047km of autonomous driving. But even more impressive is the progress in just a single year: human interventions fell from 0.8 times per thousand miles to 0.2, a 400% improvement. With such progress, Google’s cars will easily surpass my own driving ability later this year.
Driving once seemed to be a very human skill. But we said that about chess, too. Then a computer beat the human world champion, repeatedly. The board game Go (围棋) took over from chess as a new test for human thinking in 2016, when a computer beat one of the world’s leading professional Go players. With computers conquering what used to be deeply human tasks, what will it mean in the future to be human? I worry about my six-year-old son. What will his place be in a world where machines beat us in one area after another? He’ll never calculate faster, never drive better, or even fly more safely. Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: What’s so special about us? It can’t be skills like arithmetic, which machines already excel in. So far, machines have a pretty hard time emulating creativity, arbitrary enough not to be predicted by a computer, and yet more than simple randomness.
Perhaps, if we continue to improve information-processing machines, we’ll soon have helpful rational assistants. So we must aim to complement the rationality of the machines, rather than to compete with it. If I’m right, we should foster a creative spirit because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. Unfortunately, however, our education system has not caught up to the approaching reality. Indeed, our schools and universities are structured to mould pupils to be mostly obedient servants of rationality, and to develop outdated skills in interacting with outdated machines. We need to help our children learn how to best work with smart computers to improve human decision-making. But most of all we need to keep the long-term perspective in mind: that even if computers will outsmart us, we can still be the most creative. Because if we aren’t, we won’t be providing much value in future ecosystems, and that may put in question the foundation for our existence.
53、53. What do we learn from the passage about creativity?
A、 It is rational.
B、 It is predictable.
C、 It is human specific.
D、It is yet to be emulated by AI.
In a few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass many of the abilities that we believe make us special. This is a grand challenge for our age and it may require an “irrational” response.
One of the most significant pieces of news from the US in early 2017 was the efforts of Google to make autonomous driving a reality. According to a report, Google’s self-driving cars clocked 1,023,330km, and required human intervention 124 times. That is one intervention about every 8,047km of autonomous driving. But even more impressive is the progress in just a single year: human interventions fell from 0.8 times per thousand miles to 0.2, a 400% improvement. With such progress, Google’s cars will easily surpass my own driving ability later this year.
Driving once seemed to be a very human skill. But we said that about chess, too. Then a computer beat the human world champion, repeatedly. The board game Go (围棋) took over from chess as a new test for human thinking in 2016, when a computer beat one of the world’s leading professional Go players. With computers conquering what used to be deeply human tasks, what will it mean in the future to be human? I worry about my six-year-old son. What will his place be in a world where machines beat us in one area after another? He’ll never calculate faster, never drive better, or even fly more safely. Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: What’s so special about us? It can’t be skills like arithmetic, which machines already excel in. So far, machines have a pretty hard time emulating creativity, arbitrary enough not to be predicted by a computer, and yet more than simple randomness.
Perhaps, if we continue to improve information-processing machines, we’ll soon have helpful rational assistants. So we must aim to complement the rationality of the machines, rather than to compete with it. If I’m right, we should foster a creative spirit because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. Unfortunately, however, our education system has not caught up to the approaching reality. Indeed, our schools and universities are structured to mould pupils to be mostly obedient servants of rationality, and to develop outdated skills in interacting with outdated machines. We need to help our children learn how to best work with smart computers to improve human decision-making. But most of all we need to keep the long-term perspective in mind: that even if computers will outsmart us, we can still be the most creative. Because if we aren’t, we won’t be providing much value in future ecosystems, and that may put in question the foundation for our existence.
54、54. What should schools help children do in the era of AI?
A、Cultivate original thinking.
B、Learn to work independently.
C、 Compete with smart machines.
D、Understand how AI works.
In a few decades, artificial intelligence (AI) will surpass many of the abilities that we believe make us special. This is a grand challenge for our age and it may require an “irrational” response.
One of the most significant pieces of news from the US in early 2017 was the efforts of Google to make autonomous driving a reality. According to a report, Google’s self-driving cars clocked 1,023,330km, and required human intervention 124 times. That is one intervention about every 8,047km of autonomous driving. But even more impressive is the progress in just a single year: human interventions fell from 0.8 times per thousand miles to 0.2, a 400% improvement. With such progress, Google’s cars will easily surpass my own driving ability later this year.
Driving once seemed to be a very human skill. But we said that about chess, too. Then a computer beat the human world champion, repeatedly. The board game Go (围棋) took over from chess as a new test for human thinking in 2016, when a computer beat one of the world’s leading professional Go players. With computers conquering what used to be deeply human tasks, what will it mean in the future to be human? I worry about my six-year-old son. What will his place be in a world where machines beat us in one area after another? He’ll never calculate faster, never drive better, or even fly more safely. Actually, it all comes down to a fairly simple question: What’s so special about us? It can’t be skills like arithmetic, which machines already excel in. So far, machines have a pretty hard time emulating creativity, arbitrary enough not to be predicted by a computer, and yet more than simple randomness.
Perhaps, if we continue to improve information-processing machines, we’ll soon have helpful rational assistants. So we must aim to complement the rationality of the machines, rather than to compete with it. If I’m right, we should foster a creative spirit because a dose of illogical creativity will complement the rationality of the machine. Unfortunately, however, our education system has not caught up to the approaching reality. Indeed, our schools and universities are structured to mould pupils to be mostly obedient servants of rationality, and to develop outdated skills in interacting with outdated machines. We need to help our children learn how to best work with smart computers to improve human decision-making. But most of all we need to keep the long-term perspective in mind: that even if computers will outsmart us, we can still be the most creative. Because if we aren’t, we won’t be providing much value in future ecosystems, and that may put in question the foundation for our existence.
55、55. How can we humans justify our future existence?
A、By constantly outsmarting computers.
B、By adopting a long-term perspective.
C、By rationally compromising with AI.
D、By providing value with our creativity.
三、Part IV Translation
56、 中国幅员辽阔，人口众多，很多地方人们都说自己的方言。方言在发音上差别最大，词汇和语法差別较小。有些方言，特别是北方和南方的方言，差异很大，以至于说不同方言的人常常很难听懂彼此的讲话。方言被认为是当地文化的一个组成部分，但近年来能说方言的人数不断减少。为了鼓励人们更多说本地方言，一些地方政府已经采取措施，如在学校开设方言课，在广播和电视上播放方言节目，以期保存本地的文化遗产。
参考答案：
参考译文
China is a vast country with a large population, and people from different places speak their own dialects, which differ greatly in pronunciation but slightly in vocabulary and grammar. Some dialects, especially the dialects of the north and the south, vary so much that it is often difficult for people who speak different dialects to understand each other. Dialects are considered as a part of local culture, but the number of people who speak in dialects has decreased in recent years. In order to encourage people to speak local dialects more often, some local governments have taken some measures, such as setting up dialect lessons in schools and broadcasting programs on radio and television in local dialects, with the hope to preserve local cultural heritage.
四、Part I Writing
57、Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the importance of mutual understanding and respect in interpersonal relationships. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
参考答案：
参考范文
In contemporary society, good interpersonal relationships may help a lot in one’s life and career. As the base of interpersonal relationships, there is no doubt that mutual understanding and respect are of vital importance.
For one thing, you reap what you sow. Respect and understanding can be earned only by respecting and understanding others. If a person treats others with bias and misunderstanding, chances are that the person will be misunderstood, too. As a result, there will be little chance for a harmonious interpersonal relationship to form, let alone to go any further. For another, when you hold different perspectives with others, if you can stand in others’ shoes and think more about common grounds, most conflicts could be avoided and productive working environment could be created, thus jobs done more smoothly. Also, your social circle can be expanded.
In conclusion, mutual understanding and respect are essential in interpersonal relationships. We should treat others understandingly and respectfully. We also need to try to stay humble and respect diversity when communicating and interacting with others.
参考译文
在当今社会，良好的人际关系可以对人的生活和事业提供很大的帮助。作为人际关系的基础，毫无疑问，互相理解和尊重至关重要。
一方面，种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。尊重与理解只能通过尊重和理解他人获得。如果一个人以偏见和误解对待他人，那么他也很可能会遭到误解。如此一来，和谐的人际关系就不大可能形成，更不用说进一步发展了。另一方面，当你和别人的观点不一致时，如果你能换位思考并多想想共同点，就可以避免多数冲突，创造出高效的工作环境，工作也可以因此更加顺利地完成。你的社交圈也将得以扩展。
总之，人际交往中相互理解和尊重必不可少。我们应该理解并尊重他人。我们还要在与他人的交流互动中保持谦虚并尊重差异。
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