High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 20 · What the AI Could Not Notice
Audio track 20
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
Our school used an AI tool to suggest how many study seats the library should offer each afternoon. It looked at last term's visitor numbers and predicted that Tuesday would be quiet. The librarian planned to close one small room that day.
On the first Tuesday before exams, every table was full. Students had also come to work on a group presentation that had not existed last term. The old numbers could not include either change.
We did not call the tool useless. Its usual pattern helped with many ordinary weeks. But the librarian asked us to add a simple way for students to report upcoming events. She also kept a few flexible seats that could be opened when demand changed.
The prediction had answered a question about the past. We needed to answer a question about this week. The difference was not hidden inside a complicated formula; it was visible in the crowded room, if we looked.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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Our school used an AI tool to suggest how many study seats the library should offer each afternoon.
-
It looked at last term's visitor numbers and predicted that Tuesday would be quiet.
-
The librarian planned to close one small room that day.
-
On the first Tuesday before exams, every table was full.
-
Students had also come to work on a group presentation that had not existed last term.
-
The old numbers could not include either change.
-
We did not call the tool useless.
-
Its usual pattern helped with many ordinary weeks.
-
But the librarian asked us to add a simple way for students to report upcoming events.
-
She also kept a few flexible seats that could be opened when demand changed.
-
The prediction had answered a question about the past.
-
We needed to answer a question about this week.
-
The difference was not hidden inside a complicated formula; it was visible in the crowded room, if we looked.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
学校使用一款人工智能工具，建议图书馆每天下午开放多少个自习座位。它查看上学期的到访人数，预测星期二会比较清闲。图书管理员因此打算那天关闭一间小自习室。
可到了考试前的第一个星期二，每张桌子都坐满了人。还有学生来做一项上学期尚不存在的小组展示。旧数据无法包含这两种变化。
我们并不认为工具毫无用处。平常几周，它找出的规律仍有帮助。不过，图书管理员请我们增加一种简便的方式，让学生提前报告即将开展的活动。她还留了几个可灵活启用的座位，以便需求变化时开放。
预测回答的是关于过去的问题，我们需要回答的是这周的问题。差别并不藏在复杂的公式里；只要看看拥挤的自习室，就能发现。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- suggest
- 建议；工具提出座位数量。
- visitor number
- 到访人数；预测所用的上学期数据。
- predict
- 预测；认为星期二较安静。
- ordinary
- 普通的；一般的周次中模型有用。
- exist
- 存在；小组展示上学期还没有。
- include
- 包含；旧数据无法纳入新变化。
- usual pattern
- 通常的规律；过去的到访模式。
- upcoming
- 即将到来的；让学生提前报告活动。
- flexible
- 灵活的；需要时可开放的座位。
- demand
- 需求；考试前自习座位的需要。
Background notes (Chinese)
根据历史到访量做出的预测，可以辅助日常安排，却未必涵盖考试和新活动。管理员结合学生的预报与现场情况调整座位。