In a surprising discovery about where higher life can survive, scientists have found a shrimp —— like creature and a jellyfish swimming beneath an Antarctic ice sheet.
About 180 meters below the ice where no light can get through, scientists had thought nothing much more than a few microbes (微生物) could exist.
That’s why a NASA team was surprised when they lowered a video camera to get the first long look at the underbelly of an ice sheet in Antarctica. A curious shrimp – like creature came swimming by and then parked itself on the camera’s cable. Scientists also pulled up a tentacle (触须) they believe came from a jellyfish.
“We were operating on the presumption that nothing’s there.” Said NASA ice scientist Robert Bindschadler. “It was a shrimp you’d enjoy having on your plate.”
“We were just gaga (狂热的) over it,” he said of the 7.5cm long, orange creature starring in their two – minute video. Technically, it’s not a shrimp. It’s a Lyssianasid amphipod, which is distantly related to the shrimp.
The video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists thinking that if shrimp – like creatures can live below 180 meters of Antarctic ice in freezing dark water, what about other cold places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Cynan Ellis – Evans, a scientist of the British Antarctic Survey called the finding fascinating. He said it was possible the creatures swam in from far away and don’t live there permanently.
But Kim, who is a co-author of the study, doubts it. “The site in West Antarctica is at least 19 km from open seas. Bindschadler drilled a 20 cm – wide hole and was looking at a tiny amount of water. That means it’s unlikely that two creatures swam from great distances and were captured randomly in that small of an area,” she said.
Yet scientist were puzzled at what the food source would be for these creatures. While some microbes can make their own food out of chemicals in the ocean, complex life like the shrimp can’t, Kim said.
“So how do they survive? That’s the key question.” Kim Sai.
“It’s pretty amazing when you find a huge puzzle like that on a planet where we thought we know everything.” Kim said.
【小题1】 What does the underlined word “harsh” probably mean?
| A.cold | B.loud | C.cruel | D.ugly |
| A.swam great distances to Antarctic | B.has always lived in the region |
| C.gradually evolved from shrimps | D.has nothing in common with shrimps |
| A.it marks NASA’S first Antarctic biological study |
| B.it proves there is marine life in the Antarctic |
| C.it could inspire further study of life in harsh environments |
| D.it shows that Lyssianasid amphipod is closely related to shrimps |
| A.Complex life usually lives on other forms of life. |
| B.Scientists saw two creatures in the two – minute video. |
| C.It is possible for creatures to live 180 meters below the ice though there is no light. |
| D.Scientists captured the shrimp – like creature in a camera by drilling a hole through the ice. |
A robot is a computer-controlled machine that is programmed to move and handle objects. Robots are able to perform repetitive tasks more quickly, cheaply, and accurately (精确的) than humans. In 1995, about 700,000 robots were used-including over 500,000 in Japan, about 120,000 in Western Europe, and about 60,000 in the United States-all in the industrialized world. Many robots applications are designed for tasks that are either dangerous or unpleasant for human beings. Now, robotic technology can be used in more and more fields. Experts say in the future robots will be able to make new highways, constructsteel frameworks of buildings, clean sewage (污水系统), and such physical work. Besides, another possibility is the development of robotic technology in medical surgery operations.
Perhaps the greatest changes in future robots will improve from their increasing ability to reason. The field of artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from university labs to practical application in industry, and machines of a new kind of robots are being developed, which can perform something involved in the process of understanding and planning, such as the management of a battlefield. Even the control of a large factory will be performed by intelligent computers. And there might be a possibility that these computers can design and make robots of their own.
Is there anything dangerous involved in this artificial intelligence progress then? Robot technology has been making people nervous ever since it was invented. Is it unreasonable to worry that robots will someday become too clever? Is it impossible that these human-like robots will start to think and plan for themselves? Will robots take over the world and force humans to give them energy to survive?
【小题1】 In 1995, about 700,000 robots were working in _____________.
| A.Japan | B.the United States | C.Western Europe | D.the industrialized world |
| A.Take care of roads. | B.Be used as medicine. |
| C.Used as underground pipeline cleaner. | D.Take up jobs of building construction. |
| A.Greatest changes in future robots. | B.The field of artificial intelligence. |
| C.Machines of a new kind of robots. | D.Practical application in industry. |
| A.It is possible that robots will be able to think like human beings. |
| B.It is sure that robots might be able to manage battlefields. |
| C.There is no doubt that computers can design and make robots of their own. |
| D.It is proved that computers can’t reason like human beings. |
| A.Future robotic technology might cause dangers. |
| B.Future robotic technology might make people too clever. |
| C.Future robotic technology might help to do all dangerous jobs. |
| D.Future robotic technology might not survive because of its shortage of energy. |