from VOA
Learning English, this is the Technology Report in Special English. Every year,
IBM chooses1 five
new technologies that the company2
believes will change the world3
within the next five years4.
The list is
called "5 in 5." IBM says it considers5
its own6 research7 and the new
directions of society and business8
when identifying9
the technologies. This year, the list describes10
devices11 that
will extend12 our
five senses13.
Imagine looking for14 clothes15 online and touching16 your
computer or smartphone to feel the
cloth17. IBM's vice president of innovation, Bernie
Meyerson, says this technology could
be available18 in the next five years.
Touch19 is just one of the senses that technology will help to extend. IBM says
smart machines20 will soon be able21
to listen to22 the
environment23 and
give us information about24
the sounds they hear25.
For example, Bernie Meyerson says an advanced26
speech recognition system27
will tell new parents28
why their baby is crying29.
Smart
machines will also30
help identify medical conditions. If you sneeze31
on your computer or cell phone, the device will study the molecules that came out of your mouth32.
It will then tell you whether33
you need to see a doctor.
Another prediction34 is that computers will be better35
able to not just look at images36
but understand what they show37
and act38 on that
information. Bernie Meyerson says IBM scientists are also developing39 a computer system that can examine40 and
combine molecules to create the most
popular41 flavors42
and smells43.
Mark
Maloof is a computer scientist at Georgetown University. He says it will be exciting44 to see
what young people will do with the mobile technology, networking and computing
power of tomorrow. For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Presutti. (Adapted
from a radio program broadcast 18Feb2013)
Vocabulary
1. chooses = escolhe
2. company = empresa
3. will change the world = mudará o mundo
4. within the next five years = dentro dos próximos 5 anos
5. considers = considera
6. own = próprio(a)
7. research = pesquisa
8. business = negócios
9. business = identificando
10. describes = descreve
11. devices = dispositivos
12. extend = ampliar
13. senses = sentidos
14. looking for = procurer
15. clothes = roupas
16. touching = tocar
17. feel the cloth = sentir o tecido
18. could be available = poderia estar disponivel
19. Touch = tato
20. smart machines = máquinas inteligentes
21. will soon be able = serão logo capazes
22. listen to = escutar (com atenção)
23. environment = ambiente
24. about = sobre
25. hear = ouvir
26. advanced = avançado
27. speech recognition system = sistema de reconhecimento de fala
28. parents = pais
29. crying = chorando
30. also = também
31. sneeze = espirrar
32. came out of your mouth = saíram da sua boca
33. whether = se (ou não)
34. Another prediction = uma outra previsão
35. Better = melhor
36. not just look at images = não apenas olhar para imagens
37. show = mostrar
38. act = agir
39. developing = desenvolvendo
40. can examine = consegue examiner
41. the most popular = o mais popular
42. flavors = sabores
43. smells = cheiros
44. exciting = empolgante
