介绍:
2017-02-28 Special English
This is Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.
China has started to build a new-generation supercomputer that is expected to be 10 times faster than the current world champion.
This year, China is aiming for breakthroughs in high-performance processors and other key technologies to build the world&`&s first prototype "exascale supercomputer", the Tianhe-3. The prototype is expected to be completed early next year.
"Exascale" means it will be capable of making a quintillion calculations per second. One quintillion is written as 1 followed by 18 zeros. That is at least 10 times faster than the world&`&s current speed champ, the Sunway Taihu-Light, China&`&s first supercomputer to use domestically designed processors.
The new computer will be available for public use and can help tackle some of the world&`&s toughest scientific challenges with greater speed, as well as better precision and scope.
Tianhe-3 will be made entirely in China, from processors to the operating system. It will be stationed in Tianjin and will be fully operational by 2020, earlier than the same product planned in the United States.
The exascale supercomputer will be able to analyze smog distribution on a national level, while current models can only handle information from one region at a time.
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China will test how its largest solar drone performs near-space flight this year.
The rainbow series drone has a wingspan of more than 40 meters, bigger than of Boeing 737 passenger air craft. The drone has just passed its first full-scale test flight.
This is one of the largest solar-powered drones in the world, second only to a model by NASA in the United States. A chief engineer says its performance index and technological capacity are among the most advanced in the world.
The drone is capable of flying at an extremely high altitude for a long period of time and its maintenance is easy and simple. It can travel to an altitude of 30 kilometers, with an maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour.
The unmanned aerial vehicle will be used mostly for airborne early warning, aerial reconnaissance and disaster monitoring.
You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing.
A drug to treat cancer manufactured in China has hit the market. The release has ended an almost decade-long monopoly by a similar product developed in Britain and introduced to China in 2005.
This is a generic targeted drug, meaning this pharmaceutical is equivalent in dosage, effects and quality to the original product manufactured by its developer. Generic drugs often become available after the patent protection on the original drug expires.
This drug&`&s product name is Yiruike. It is a much-needed first line medicine used in targeted therapies against non-small-cell lung cancer, which accounts for around 80 percent of lung cancer cases in China.
Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer in China. Almost 600,000 people die from lung cancer in the country every year, with more than 700,000 new cases being seen annually.
With the price of less than 2,000 yuan per pack, the new drug is a fraction of the one previously used, meaning that more people in need can be helped.
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A Chinese health alliance has agreed to promote the use of peak flow charts on both physical paper and smartphone apps to monitor the breath for children suffering from asthma.
The alliance is joined by the State Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, the Beijing Children&`&s Hospital, and the Chinese Pediatric Society under Chinese Medical Association.
One professor on respiratory diseases says parents&`& knowledge, compliance with medicine instructions, and regular monitoring remain key factors to control childhood asthma.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions for children. China has more than 6 million children with asthma. Almost 30 percent of them do not seek treatment in time and more than two thirds have reported asthma attacks.
Some people have benefited from regular peak expiratory flow monitoring but find the process is a hassle.
A professor recommended using newly-developed smartphone apps that only require the user to breathe into an accessory connected to the phone. It automatically records the reading and produces a chart. Better still, the results can be shared via a smartphone with the family and the doctor.
You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing.
Search engine Baidu will take the lead with the first national lab on deep learning as China strives to rise up in the ranks of artificial intelligence research.
The National Development and Reform Commission, the country&`&s top economic regulator, has appointed Baidu to lead the national lab on deep learning technologies and applications. The move comes as Beijing prioritizes artificial intelligence development through policy and financial support.
The company will team up with China&`&s leading institutions including Tsinghua University and Beihang University in areas including deep learning, interactive technologies and standardized services.
Baidu will also share its rich resources on computing and big data, which are crucial to beef up fundamental research in artificial intelligence.
Deep learning is a leading algorithm that aims to improve search results and computing tasks by training computers to work more like the human brain.
China is betting on the technology to advance high-end manufacturing as it shifts from an export-driven economy to one that is higher up the value chain.
Fueling the trend is a three-year initiative to boost the industry through to 2018. China aims to make breakthroughs in core artificial intelligence technologies and stay in line with global standards on fundamental research on the application front.
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A Chinese scientist has participated in the human gene editing committee based in the United States.
Chinese scientist Pei Duan-qing has been admitted in making recommendations for human gene editing that cover basic laboratory research and heritable genome editing.
According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pei, a researcher from Guangzhou, is participating in the study.
The committee who has released a report, is calling for transparency, fairness and transnational cooperation in human gene editing.
Human gene editing policies were set up by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, following the International Summit on Human Gene Editing held in Washington D.C. in December 2015.
Pei is the only Chinese scholar in the committee, which consists of 22 scholars from countries including the United States, Britain and France.
Though a promising disease treatment method, human gene editing is controversial in many countries due to ethical considerations.
You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.
China had 770 million 4G users at the end of last year, double the number from a year earlier.
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that more than 58 percent of China&`&s mobile phone users were 4G subscribers.
China has the world&`&s largest 4G network and is aiming to add 2 million 4G base stations, mainly for townships and villages, by 2018.
The country is also researching and testing 5G technology with a goal to commercialize it by 2020.
The research and development has entered the second phase. International cooperation in the process will be strengthened.
5G is much faster than 4G. It is more reliable and can be used to support virtual reality technology, ultra-high definition video transmission, autopilot and smart manufacturing.
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Tsinghua University has denied suggestions the university&`&s new system of admission for international applicants has made it easier for foreign students to get a chance to study in the university.
A heated debate was triggered following media reports that an updated procedure had been adopted for the university&`&s international student recruitment.
According to the new rules regarding undergraduate programs, one will be admitted by the university if the applicant passes two hurdles: an "Online Application" and a "Comprehensive Evaluation", which includes an application review and interview.
Outstanding applicants recognized by Tsinghua University may have the interview waived and get an offer directly.
One of the main differences from the previous rules is that applicants don&`&t have to take an academic test.
Critics say this has made it much easier for foreigners to get into Tsinghua University, especially those who are originally Chinese citizens.
In response, the university has said the new rules do not lower standards for international applicants.
Applicants are required to provide a National and Regional Graduation Examination certificate, or a Matriculation Examination Certificate.
If applicants don&`&t have that certificate, they have to provide the Grade Point Average and the academic ranking certification from their high school.
You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing.
Car-sharing services provided by a number of companies in Beijing are striving for a place in China&`&s burgeoning sharing economy. But they will encounter disappointment unless they avoid or remove the costly speed bumps ahead.
Some of these services are Gofun Chuxing launched by Beijing Shouqi Group and Car2go under the automobile giant Daimler AG.
The sharing cars, mostly powered by electricity are in good condition, and can be ready for first-time users in minutes once they finish the required registration via the service app.
In some cases they cost less than taking a cab. One of the companies offers services for a refundable deposit of 700 yuan, roughly 100 U.S. Dollars. Following that, a passenger has to pay only 1 yuan per kilometer and 0.1 yuan per minute for a ride.
However, like their bike-sharing counterparts such as Mobike, the car-sharing apps are struggling to keep illegal parking in check and bring unruly users out of the dark. There are also worries that traffic accidents involving these vehicles become more complicated issues.
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Archaeologists have discovered a cluster of tombs with boat-shaped coffins that are 2,200 years old.
The tombs were found in southwest China&`&s Sichuan Province. A total of 60 tombs are scattered in an area of 10,000 square meters.
The boat-shaped coffins are made of nanmu, a precious wood for making furniture and coffins.
Archeological diggings have been finished on 47 of the tombs.
Archaeologists say the site was the graveyard of an ancient indigenous tribe called Shu, which was part of the Shu Kingdom.
The discoveries include more than 300 pieces of pottery, bronze, iron and bamboo items as well as weapons, coins and a dozen marking seals.
In one of the tombs, ten bamboo baskets of well-preserved grain were found, as well as a string of crystal beads surrounding the waist of the occupant. Scientists say the delicate crystals indicate that the occupant was a wealthy person and the crystals had probably been imported from other countries via the Silk Road.
As the area is surrounded by ruins of ancient salt wells, experts say the occupant was possibly a salt administration official.
This is not the first time that boat-shaped coffins are found in the area.
The local government is planning to build a theme museum to display the findings.
This is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I&`&m going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.
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