Alibaba reveals new driverless delivery robot

安徽宿州市碭山縣唐寨中學 翟曉霞

精彩導讀

阿里巴巴已經推出了一款新型自動送貨機器人，據稱這款機器人容易量產，并且可以發揮多種功能。這些功能中包含送貨和自動咖啡供應等方面。中國希望到2030年超越美國，成為人工智能領域世界最領先的國家。

文章詞數 3 2 1 建議用時 6′ 難度系數 ★★★

Chinese retail giant Alibaba has unveiled（推出）a new automated vehicle which is easy to mass-produce and could serve a number of functions.These could includedeliverycourier（信使） andautomatedcoffee vendor（供應商）.

The Cainiao G Plus can travel at up to nine miles per hour.It was shown at aconferencewhere Alibaba founder Jack Ma announced a 100bn yuan（$15.5bn） investment in smart logistics（物流）.This includes devices such as warehouse robots as well as delivery aids.

AI expert and author Calum Chace described the G Plus asresemblingthe “ugly big brother” of a delivery bot developed by UK firm Starship Technologies.Starship has been working on this project for several years，so the Alibaba project looks to be behind as well as ugly， he said.“But that won't matter.Anything to do withartificial intelligence is a high priority for China，which has set itself the target of overtaking the US as world leader in AI by 2030”.

Chinabenefits from havingfreeaccess tolarge amounts of data，essentialfor training algorithms（運算程序），he added，potentially adrawbackin Europe since the introduction of GDPR legislation（立法）， designed to protectprivacy.

“Don't bet against the Chinese pulling ahead in any AI-related competitions， be it self-driving cars，facialrecognition， or delivery bots，” Mr Chace said.

The G Plus vehicleis fitted withsolid state Lidar—the laser sensors which form an important part of the system autonomous vehicles use tobe aware oftheir surroundings.

Solid state Lidar is more compact，cheaper and easier to manufacture than the traditional system，which involves spinning multiple lasers in circles to help build up a 360-degree image of what surrounds the vehicle.There are various developers creating their own versions but essentially Alibaba uses fewer lasers and a tiny swinging mirror.

Last month BMW revealed（透露）that its autonomous vehicles will be fitted with solid state Lidar when they will belaunchedin 2021.

閱讀掃障

1.serve v.服務;供應

2.function n.功能

3.delivery n.運送

4.automated adj.自動化的

5.conference n.會議

6.resemble v.看起來像

7.essential adj.必要的；重要的

8.drawback n.缺點；劣勢

9.privacy n.隱私

10.recognition n.識別；承認

11.manufacture v.生產；制造

12.launch v.發射；發布

13.anything to do with任何與……相關的

14.benefit from 受益于

15.have access to接近；有使用……的機會（權利）

16.be fitted with配備

17.be aware of知道；意識到

18.build up建立；豎立；增進

讀文刷題

閱讀短文，從每題所給的A、B、C和D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。

1.What is AI expert Calum Chace's attitude towards China's AI?

A.worried. B.unconcerned.

C.negative. D.confident.

2.What do we know about the delivery bot developed by UK firm Starship Technologies?

A.It looks nicer and more modern.

B.It is behind but looks nicer.

C.It is behind and looks ugly.

D.It is modern about looks ugly.

3.What is the aim of GDPR legislation in Europe?

A.To let people have free access to data.

B.To protect personal information.

C.To encourage more people to go online.

D.To train people to go online properly.

4.What plays an important part in the system the vehicles use to know their surroundings?

A.The laser sensors.

B.The tiny swinging mirror.

C.The traditional system.

D.The things around the vehicles.

語言提取

1.中國零售巨頭阿里巴巴已經推出了一款新型自動送貨機器人。這款機器人容易量產，并且可以發揮多種功能。

Chinese retail giant Alibaba has unveiled a new automated vehicle________________________to mass-produce and could serve a number of functions.

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句。which引導的是限制性定語從句；定語從句使用的是“sth is+adj.+to do”句式，其中動詞不定式用主動形式表示被動意義。

【答案】which is easy

句式仿寫

我很喜歡在夏天早起，早晨的空氣呼吸起來感覺很好。

2.Starship公司近年來一直致力于智能物流領域，所以阿里巴巴的產品看起來落后并且丑陋，他說。

Starship has been working on this project for several years，so the Alibaba project looks to be behind__________________ugly，he said.

【點石成金】本句是由so連接的一個并列句。第一個分句用的是現在完成進行時，表示動作從過去開始一直持續到現在；第二個分句中的as well as意為“也；還”，連接并列成分時，謂語動詞與最前面的名詞保持一致。

【答案】as well as

句式仿寫

這個項目有助于改善我的自信、社交技能和分數。

自從1930年以來，發明家門就一直試圖制造飛行汽車。

3.與傳統系統相比，固態激光雷達更緊湊、更便宜且更容易制造，通過旋轉多線激光器幫助車輛建立周圍環境的360度圖像。

Solid state Lidar is more compact，cheaper and easier to manufacture than the traditional system，_________involves spinning multiple lasers in circles to help build up a 360-degree image of________surrounds the vehicle.

【點石成金】本句第一空含有一個which引導的非限制性定語從句，先行詞是物，從句缺主語，所以填which，第二空填what，引導介詞賓語從句，從句缺主語，所以填what.

【答案】which;what

句式仿寫

他說以前從沒見過她，這不是真的。

我當時對我所做的事情感到滿意。