無人機的用途很多，從保護人們免受瘧疾危害到向偏遠地區(qū)發(fā)送郵件，使用這種技術的新方法一直在研發(fā)中。本文介紹無人機的最新用途。

詞匯：Technology 科技

Technology is developing?by leaps and bounds. A?gadget?as small as a smartphone now has more?processing power?than rockets to the Moon once had. New?tech?brings many advantages, making our lives easier and opening up new opportunities. One piece of?kit?that’s been really taking off recently is the?drone. This?pilotless?mini?aircraft, originally developed for?aerial photography?and warfare, is now bringing us benefits closer to home. In the last few years, tech companies such as Amazon, Alphabet and Uber have promised us?delivery drones?– bringing goods to our doorsteps in a matter of minutes. Progress in developing them has, however, been slow.

技術正在突飛猛進地發(fā)展。一個智能手機那么小的設備現(xiàn)在的處理能力比登月火箭曾經(jīng)擁有的還要強。新技術帶來了許多優(yōu)勢，使我們的生活更容易，并開辟了新的機會。最近最流行的一種裝備就是無人機。這種無人駕駛的微型飛機，最初是為航空攝影和戰(zhàn)爭而開發(fā)的，現(xiàn)在正在為我們帶來更近的好處。過去幾年，亞馬遜(Amazon)、Alphabet和優(yōu)步(Uber)等科技公司向我們承諾使用無人機送貨——在幾分鐘內(nèi)將貨物送到我們家門口。然而，它們的開發(fā)進展緩慢。

Drones are helping to connect with and enhance the lives of people in remote locations. In the UK, the Royal Mail wants a?fleet?of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to far-flung communities. Windracers, the company developing the drones, say they can fly in fog and produce 30% fewer?emissions?than comparable?piloted?aircraft. And in Coventry in the UK, construction has started on an?air hub, which will act as a base for police and delivery drones. Urban-Air Port Limited is working with car-maker Hyundai on the mini-airport, known as a?skyport.

無人機有助于與偏遠地區(qū)的人們聯(lián)系并改善他們的生活。在英國，皇家郵政(Royal Mail)希望組建一支由500架無人機組成的艦隊，幫助將郵件投遞到偏遠的社區(qū)。研發(fā)這種無人機的Windracers公司表示，這種無人機可以在霧中飛行，比同類有人駕駛的飛機減少30%的排放量。在英國考文垂，一個空中樞紐的建設已經(jīng)開始，它將成為警察和快遞無人機的基地。城市航空港口有限公司(Urban-Air Port Limited)正與汽車制造商現(xiàn)代汽車(Hyundai)合作建設這座小型機場，即空中港(skyport)。

Drones could also play a part in improving the health of millions of people. In Zanzibar, for example, they’re being used to?spray?wetlands against malaria. And writing for BBC Future website, Harriet Constable describes an incredible development project by the University of South Australia. The plan is for drones to eventually be able to?survey?populations for disease by reading the blood oxygen levels of humans from the air. They’ll also be able to?scan?for other vital signs, like coughing and a high temperature.

無人機還可以在改善數(shù)百萬人的健康方面發(fā)揮作用。例如，在桑給巴爾，它們被用于噴灑濕地對抗瘧疾。哈里特·康斯特布爾為BBC未來網(wǎng)站撰寫文章，她描述了南澳大利亞大學一個令人難以置信的發(fā)展項目。該計劃是讓無人機最終能夠通過從空氣中讀取人類的血氧水平來調(diào)查人群的疾病。他們還能掃描其他生命體征，比如咳嗽和高燒。

It seems?the sky’s the limit?for what drone technology can achieve. The only thing that sometimes keeps it?grounded?is regulation. Writing for the BBC, Jessica Brown says: “If our skies are to become as crowded as our streets,?airspace?rules need updating to prevent accidents.” There are also related problems, such as?noise pollution.

看來無人機技術的極限是無限的。有時唯一能讓它保持穩(wěn)定的就是監(jiān)管。杰西卡·布朗(Jessica Brown)在為BBC撰寫的文章中說:“如果我們的天空變得像街道一樣擁擠，空域規(guī)則就需要更新，以防止事故發(fā)生?！边€有一些相關的問題，比如噪音污染。

詞匯表

by leaps and bounds 突飛猛進地，非常迅速地
gadget 小設備
processing power （計算機）處理（數(shù)據(jù)）能力
tech 科技設備
kit 成套裝備
drone 無人機
pilotless 無人駕駛的
aircraft 飛機，飛行器
aerial photography 航空攝影
delivery drone 交付無人機，物流無人機
fleet 機隊
emissions 碳排放
piloted 有人駕駛的
air hub 航空樞紐
skyport 小機場
spray 噴灑
survey 檢查
scan 掃描
the sky’s the limit 沒有限制的
grounded 停飛的
airspace 領空
noise pollution 噪音污染

測驗與練習

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. How quickly do tech companies want to deliver goods to your home?

2. Where does the UK’s Royal Mail want to deliver mail to by drone?

3. What might drones be able to do to check for disease in a community?

4. True or false??Drones work by having a mini pilot on board.

5. According to Jessica Brown, why do we need to update airspace rules?

2.?選擇意思恰當?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The bus company has bought a new _______ of electric vehicles.

hub? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? fleet? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?gadget? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? survey

2. The speed of our broadband connection has improved _______.

by leap and bound? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?by leaps of bounds???????????????????

by bounds and leaps? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? by leaps and bounds

3. London’s Heathrow airport is a _______ for much of the UK’s international flights.

skyport? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?kit? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?grounded? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? hub

4. My laptop has great _______, so it’s much quicker than yours.

process power??????? ???processed power? ? ? ? processing power? ? ? ? ? ?power process

5. The _______ say we have to have smoke alarms installed in every room.

emissions? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? skyport? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? drones? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? regulations

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。?

1. How quickly do tech companies want to deliver goods to your home?
Quickly – in a matter of minutes.

2. Where does the UK’s Royal Mail want to deliver mail to by drone?
The Royal Mail wants a fleet of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to far-flung communities.

3. What might drones be able to do to check for any disease in a community?
They may be able to survey populations for disease by reading the blood oxygen levels of humans from the air and scan for other vital signs, like coughing and a high temperature.

4. True or false??Drones work by having a mini pilot on board.
False. Drones are mini aircraft that have no pilot.

5. According to Jessica Brown, why do we need to update airspace rules?
Jessica Brown says: “If our skies are to become as crowded as our streets, airspace rules need updating to prevent accidents, terrorist attacks, and related problems, such as noise pollution.”

2.?選擇意思恰當?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The bus company has bought a new?fleet?of electric vehicles.

2. The speed of our broadband connection has improved?by leaps and bounds.

3. London’s Heathrow airport is a?hub?for much of the UK’s international flights.

4. My laptop has great?processing power, so it’s much quicker than yours.

5. The?regulations?say we have to have smoke alarms installed in every room.

文章來源BBC，侵權刪，本文僅用于英語學習。