Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike. The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. It can strike between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. Since lightning carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can be destructive and deadly. It is difficult to know exactly how many people die of lightning-related causes. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power failure, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires.
For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning. The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity (湿度) and wind speed. The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (计算程序), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
“Once trained, the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time,” the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement. “It can now be used anywhere.”
Amirhossein Mostajabi, a PhD student at the institute, said current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites. “Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” he said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” he added.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. Scientists working on the Paris-based project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity. The idea is that powerful, ground-based lasers can be positioned in the sky to direct energy from lightning.
1.What does Paragraph 2 mainly focus on?
A.The cause of lightning. B.The forming process of lighnting.
C.The destruction of lightning. D.The difficulty to count the deaths.
2.Which is the correct order of how the system works?
① develop a prediction model.
② learn to recognize weather conditions.
③ collect related data.
④ input the data onto the computer.
⑤ make predictions.
A.①→②→③→④→⑤ B.③→④→①→②→⑤
C.①→②→④→③→⑤ D.③→①→②→⑤→④
3.What’s the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s attitude toward the system?
A.Satisfied. B.Doubtful.
C.Negative. D.Neutral.
4.The advantage of the new system for collecting data lies in its .
A.accuracy B.efficiency
C.wide coverage D.reliability
5.What does the Paris-based project aim to do?
A.Identify lighting. B.Predict lighting.
C.Stop lighting. D.Control lighting.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike. Researchers report the system is able to predict lightning strikes up to 30 minutes before they happen within a 30-kilometer area.
Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. Since it carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can be destructive and deadly. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict lightning.
The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.
The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data, related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, was placed into a unique machine learning algorithm (算法), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
The researchers test-ran the system several times. They found that the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time. “It can now be used anywhere,” the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection program. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project. Scientists working on the project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity, transferring lightning charges from clouds to the ground. They hope that such technology can one day be used as protection against lightning strikes. Possible uses could be at stations, airports or places where large crowds gather.
1.Why was the system developed?
A.To meet kids’ curiosity about lightning.
B.To show the power of lightning.
C.To keep track of lightning deaths.
D.To protect people from lightning.
2.What is special about the system?
A.It was based on a number of samples worldwide.
B.It adopted a different machine learning algorithm.
C.It used an effective method of collecting data.
D.It required low cost of predicting lightning.
3.What will the researchers do next with the laser technology?
A.Monitor lightning activity. B.Prevent the occurrence of lightning.
C.Direct energy from lightning. D.Generate electricity with lightning.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A System of Controlling Lightning B.A Method of Forecasting Lightning
C.A Theory of Employing Lightning D.A Model of Creating Lightning
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike. The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. It can strike between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. Since lightning carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can be destructive and deadly. It is difficult to know exactly how many people die of lightning-related causes. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power failure, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires.
For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning. The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity (湿度) and wind speed. The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (计算程序), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
“Once trained, the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time,” the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement. “It can now be used anywhere.”
Amirhossein Mostajabi, a PhD student at the institute, said current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites. “Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” he said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” he added.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. Scientists working on the Paris-based project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity. The idea is that powerful, ground-based lasers can be positioned in the sky to direct energy from lightning.
1.What does Paragraph 2 mainly focus on?
A.The cause of lightning. B.The forming process of lighnting.
C.The destruction of lightning. D.The difficulty to count the deaths.
2.Which is the correct order of how the system works?
① develop a prediction model.
② learn to recognize weather conditions.
③ collect related data.
④ input the data onto the computer.
⑤ make predictions.
A.①→②→③→④→⑤ B.③→④→①→②→⑤
C.①→②→④→③→⑤ D.③→①→②→⑤→④
3.What’s the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s attitude toward the system?
A.Satisfied. B.Doubtful.
C.Negative. D.Neutral.
4.The advantage of the new system for collecting data lies in its .
A.accuracy B.efficiency
C.wide coverage D.reliability
5.What does the Paris-based project aim to do?
A.Identify lighting. B.Predict lighting.
C.Stop lighting. D.Control lighting.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists say they’ve developed a system using machine learning to predict when and where lighting will strike.The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power outages, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. For these reasons, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. In the United States and other places, ground-based sensing devices are used to identify strikes as they happen. But, no system has been created to effectively predict lightning.
The system tested in the experiments used a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.
The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.
The atmospheric, data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (算法), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
Amirhossein Mostajabi is a PhD student at the institute who led the development of the method. He said, “current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites.”
“Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” Mostajabi said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” he added.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project.
1.Why have climate scientists tried to predict and control lighting?
A.To collect relative data.
B.To reduce the destruction lightning has been causing.
C.To create a scientific system.
D.To do research in relation to machine learning.
2.The four mentioned surface conditions include all the following EXCEPT________.
A.air pollution
B.wind speed
C.relative humidity
D.air temperature
3.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A.Lighting.
B.The system being tested.
C.The atmospheric data.
D.The machine learning algorithm.
4.What can we learn about Mostajabi from the passage?
A.He developed the method and the system himself.
B.He thinks the current systems are too slow and simple.
C.He is a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
D.He believes their system does much better in data collection.
5.Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
A.Lightning Causes Huge World Wide Damage.
B.Scientists Test Systems to Predict Lightning.
C.Machine Learning Has Made New Breakthrough.
D.A New Approach Has Improved Data Collection.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Electrical devices(仪器)could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking , British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee. As the person walks ,the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this ,the device helps with the slowing sown movement of the leg, the movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also he used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起博器), it could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy, but the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version, An improved version should be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries; nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania, He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from walking. The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag, but the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.
1.. The second paragraph mainly talks about
A. who developed the device B. how the device works
C. several possible uses for the devices D. how much electricity the device can produce
2.. What is the disadvantage of the experimental version of the device?
A. It is too heavy for the walker to bear B. It is too complex for people to use
C. It is too expensive for most people to afford D. It will slow down one’s walking speed
3.. Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome, this new device________
A. produces power without adding more loads to the walker
B. can produce more power in a much shorter time
C. needs to be equipped with a battery
D. can help the walker walk faster
4.. From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can________
A. help housewives operate the washing machine
B. make it much easier for us to go online
C. produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome
D. be applied in medical fields to operate heart pacemakers
5.. What would be the best title for the passage
A. First device powered by walking will soon be on the market
B. Advanced technology brings in a new way to operate heart pacemakers
C. Device gives new meaning to the idea of power walking
D Human energy will become a main source of electricity
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Electrical devices(仪器) could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking. British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee. As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this, the device helps with the slowing down movement of the leg. The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起搏器). It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy. But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version. An improved version shou1d be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries. Near1y twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania. He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from wa1king.
The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag. But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.
1.The second paragraph mainly talks about .
A. who developed the device
B. how the device works
C. several possible uses for the devices
D. how much electricity the device can produce
2.Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome, this new device .
A. produces power without adding more loads to the walker
B. can produce more power in a much shorter time
C. needs to be equipped with a battery
D. can help the walker wa1k faster
3.From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can .
A. help housewives operate the washing machine
B. make it much easier for us to go online
C. produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome
D. be applied in medicine to operate heart pacemakers
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. First device powered by walking wi1l soon be on the market
B. Advanced technology brings in a new way to operate heart pacemakers
C. Device gives new meaning to the idea of power walking
D. Human energy will become a main source of electricity
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Scientists are trying to develop a special material, _______ they will make use of in space.
A. that B. what C. it D. one
高三英语简单题查看答案及解析
Scientists say they have used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to repair a person’s eyesight for the first time. The CRISPR tool makes it possible to change DNA to add needed genes or take some away if they lead to problems.
A patient recently had the procedure done for an inherited form of blindness. The operation took place at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. “We literally have the potential to treat people who are essentially blind and make them see,” said Charles Albright. He is chief scientific officer at Editas Medicine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Editas is one of the companies developing the treatment. Albright added, “We think it could open up a whole new set of medicines to go in and change your DNA.”
The people taking part in the study have a genetic condition that keeps the body from making a protein needed to turn light into signals to the brain, which leads to sight.
Scientists have found it difficult to treat the condition with usual gene therapy. So, they are aiming to edit or remove the mutation（突变）by making two cuts on either side of it. The hope is that the ends of DNA will reconnect and make the gene work as it should. Through a tube the width of a human hair, doctors put three drops of fluid containing the gene editing machinery just under the retina（视网膜）, which is the lining at the back of the eye that contains the light-sensing cells. Doctors believe they need to fix one-tenth to one-third of the cells to repair vision. In animal tests, scientists were able to correct half of the cells with the treatment, Albright said.
Some independent experts were hopeful about the new study. Dr. Kiran Musunuru is a gene-editing expert at the University of Pennsylvania. He said the treatment seems likely to work, based on tests in mice and monkeys. The gene editing tool stays in the eye and does not travel to other parts of the body. So, “If something goes wrong, the chance of harm is very small.” Musunuru said. “It makes for a good first step for doing gene editing in the body.”
1.Who can most possibly benefit from this new treatment?
A.Patients who are essentially color-blinded.
B.Patients who turn blind due to accidents or diseases.
C.Patients who are born with no ability to see.
D.Patients who lose their vision at a young age.
2.Which is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.The result of the treatment.
B.The theory of the treatment.
C.The difficulty of the treatment.
D.The disadvantage of traditional treatment.
3.What is likely to be discussed after the last paragraph?
A.The function of the gene-editing tool.
B.The limitation of the gene-editing tool.
C.The effect of the treatment on animals.
D.The research of the treatment on humans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Researchers say they have developed technology that could predict heart attacks years before they happen. They report using mathematical systems to examine CT images of a patient’s heart. A CT scan uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed pictures of bones, organs and other tissue inside the body.
The new method was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford in England. A report on their study was published in the medical journal The Lancet. Also taking part in the study were teams from Germany and the US.
Most heart attacks result from a build-up of fatty tissue inside arteries（动脉）that carry blood from the heart to other areas of the body, thus blocking this flow of blood and causing a heart attack.
Currently, doctors use CT scans to learn when a sticky substance called plaque has already built up inside an artery. The new technology is designed to predict which arteries are at risk for future buildup.
The researchers reported using computers to examine CT scans to measure how much fat is present around heart arteries. That fat changes when an artery becomes affected, serving as an early warning system for heart attacks.
Charalambos, a professor at Oxford University, said he believes the research shows this method could be very effective in getting patients to take early steps to prevent future problems, adding that researchers had yet to estimate exactly how many heart attacks could be prevented. But he said he believes the technique could help identify between 20 to 30 percent of people at risk of having one.
He added that the new technology will make such predictions easier because it works together with existing CT technology. The research was based on two large, independent studies of 4,000 patients in Germany, and the US. A company with ties to Oxford University is developing a service to examine CT scans of patients around the world, Reuters reported.
1.What’s the aim of the new technology?
A. To predict ways to block fatty issues in heart arteries.
B. To provide detailed pictures of how arteries work.
C. To build computer models of the image of a heart.
D. To decide which arteries are likely to have fat built up.
2.When does a heart attack generally happen according to the text?
A. When the CT scan affects the flow of blood in the heart.
B. When fat around heart arteries blocks the flow of blood.
C. When a sticky material flows into an artery near the heart.
D. When bones and organs of the body begin to be weak.
3.What is an early warning for heart attacks?
A. A change of fat happening around heart arteries.
B. The finding of a sticky material in the blood.
C. The presence of fat around the bones and organs.
D. The aging and failure of arteries near the heart.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. The harm of fat build-up to heart arteries.
B. The use of CT scans to prevent of heart attacks.
C. Research into the early warning of heart attacks.
D. The warning the body gives about heart attacks.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
US scientists say they have poured cold water on the theory that washing hands with hot water kills more germs (细菌) than unheated water. The small study of 20 people found using water at 15C (59F) left hands as clean as water heated to 38C (100F).
National Health Service (NHS) recommends that people wash their hands in either cold or warm water. In this study, scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick wanted to find out if popular assumptions about the benefits of warm or hot water and official guidance on hot water —given to the food industry in the US - held true. They asked 20 people to wash their hands 20 times each with water that was 15C (59F), 26C (79F) or 38 degrees (100F). Volunteers were also asked to experiment with varying amounts of soap. Before they started the tests, their hands were covered in harmless bugs. Researchers say there was no difference in the amount of bugs removed as the temperature of the water or the amount of soap changed.
Prof Donald Schaffner said: “People need to feel comfortable when they are washing their hands but as far as effectiveness goes, this study shows us that the temperature of the water used did not matter.”
However, the researchers accept their study is small and say more extensive work is needed to determine the best ways to remove harmful bacteria.
In the UK, NHS experts say people can use cold or hot water to wash their hands. They say hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds and stress the importance of using enough soap to cover the whole surface of the hands. Their guidance focuses on rubbing hands together in various .ways to make sure each surface of each hand is clean.
1.What does the underlined phrase “poured cold water” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Proved. B. Created.
C. Contradicted. D. Accepted.
2.After they washed their hands with either hot or cold water, .
A. volunteers nearly had the same amount of germ removed
B. volunteers all talked about American food industry
C. volunteers still had much germ on their hands
D. volunteers all didn’t feel very comfortable
3.How do researchers feel about their study?
A. It is popular. B. It is incomplete.
C. It is convincing. D. It is abstract.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Using Cold Water Instead of Hot Water
B. How to Use Cold Water to Wash Hands
C. It Is Better to Wash Hands in Cold Water
D. Washing Hands in Cold Water as Good as in Hot Water
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
US scientists say they have poured cold water on the theory that washing hands with hot water kills more germs (细菌) than unheated water. The small study of 20 people found using water at 15℃ (59F) left hands as clean as water heated to 38℃ (100F).
National Health Service (NHS) recommends that people wash their hands in either cold or warm water. In this study, scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick wanted to find out if popular assumptions about the benefits of warm or hot water and official guidance on hot water — given to the food industry in the US — held true. They asked 20 people to wash their hands 20 times each with water that was 15℃ (59F), 26℃ (79F) or 38 degrees (100F). Volunteers were also asked to experiment with varying amounts of soap. Before they started the tests, their hands were covered in harmless bugs. Researchers say there was no difference in the amount of bugs removed as the temperature of the water or the amount of soap changed.
Prof Donald Schaffner said: “People need to feel comfortable when they are washing their hands but as far as effectiveness goes, this study shows us that the temperature of the water used did not matter.”
However, the researchers accept their study is small and say more extensive work is needed to determine the best ways to remove harmful bacteria.
In the UK, NHS experts say people can use cold or hot water to wash their hands. They say hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds and stress the importance of using enough soap to cover the whole surface of the hands. Their guidance focuses on rubbing hands together in various ways to make sure each surface of each hand is clean.
1.What does the underlined phrase “poured cold water” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Proved. B. Contradicted.
C. Created. D. Accepted.
2.After they washed their hands with either hot or cold water, ________.
A. volunteers all didn’t feel very comfortable
B. volunteers all talked about American food industry
C. volunteers still had much germ on their hands
D. volunteers nearly had the same amount of germ removed
3.How do the researchers feel about their study?
A. It is popular. B. It is convincing.
C. It is incomplete. D. It is abstract.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Using Cold Water Instead of Hot Water
B. How to Use Cold Water to Wash Hands
C. It Is Better to Wash Hands in Cold Water
D. Washing Hands in Cold Water as Good as Hot
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析