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Big data (数 据) is a lot of sets of information that are put together so they can be used by a computer program. The computer program looks for different kinds of patterns in the data. Big data includes information collected from many sources (来源), such as information from schools, social media site, companies and governments. One set of data may include people’s names and addresses. Another set can have what they like, where they go to school, and how much time they spend on the computer.

Big data can be used in many ways. The government uses it to understand how many people travel on buses or trains. This information is then used to make bus or train systems better. Some schools use big data to understand which children may need extra help in class. The teacher can then give certain students more help or support so they can succeed in school. Companies use big data, too. It helps them understand who buys their products. For example, one company uses weather data to see when people eat the most ice cream.

Big data can be used for good reasons. Some hospitals use big data to predict (预测) if a baby who is born too early will get sick. The hospital can then take extra steps to take care of that baby so he or she does not get sick. Big data can also be used for bad reasons. It can be used to predict which kinds of people are likely to break the law or hurt others, even if they have not done anything wrong yet.

How can big data be used both for good and bad things? It is because the computer programs are written by people. How people think will decide how they use the date. People think in a certain way and they build models based on their ideas. These models will decide how computer programs look at the data. Good ideas are helpful for people and businesses while bad ideas can cause problems for certain groups of people.

I was travelling on a British ship from India to London in 1905. Among all the passengers, no one would fail to notice Padishah, an Indian businessman. From the moment he got on the ship, he kept showing off the diamond on his turban. The big diamond successfully attracted attention, including that of the five ostriches on the deck.

One morning, as Padishah passed by the ostriches, one swallowed his diamond suddenly. The bird ran around and mixed itself with the others in no time.

“Whose are these stupid ostriches? I want my diamond back!” Padishah shouted angrily. People began to crowd on the deck. I was among the first to arrive. I didn’t feel half sorry for the man as he was asking everyone what to do for the diamond’s return.

Word swept across the ship about the accident, reaching a man named Potter. After lunch in the hall, Potter went to Padishah and claimed, “I’ve contacted the ostriches’ owner in London. He accepted my offer for all five and now I am the owner. I have the right to keep the birds and the diamond inside.” I thought Potter was rather smart and regretted deeply at a lost chance.

Padishah was so upset and blurted, “There’s no way you can get my diamond,” he continued as he got calmer. “I can offer you 100 pounds for the birds.” Potter simply refused and left.

After a while, Potter came back to the hall with a sly smile. He announced that he wanted to sell four birds separately to separate people by auction. The starting price was 80 for a bird. One of them, he would keep for himself.

Before the crowd realised what was happening, a diamond businessman got one bird for 100 pounds. The prices for the following birds rose higher and higher. After the fourth being sold, Padishah got half mad, not knowing what to do. Potter seemed suddenly sorry and said, “I should have kept them all. But... Trust me! The last bird must be the one.”

I stared at the last bird for quite a while and asked Potter for a private conversation. After a long talk, I finally got the bird for 700 pounds.______

The next morning, I was waiting in line to get off the ship, picturing the amazing future life in mind. Then, I saw Padishah and Potter walk arm in arm on the shore, just like old friends. At that moment, I learnt a lesson worth a diamond.

假设你是学校第二课堂社团“绿色家园俱乐部”的负责人。下周进行俱乐部的招新，在招新活动上，你要对“绿色家园俱乐部”进行介绍，请你根据以下内容，用英语写一篇发言稿。

Hello, everyone! I’m glad to introduce our Green House Club to you.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Come and join us! Let’s work together for a green house!

①Looking at wind turbines(涡轮机), you might wonder, “Where does all the energy go?” You might think it’s used immediately, or stored away until needed. However, the reality might surprise you. Because of being short of long-term storage choices, most energy from wind farms is lost. In fact, during 2020, electricity that could have powered two million homes was wasted for this reason!

②Wind power depends heavily on the weather. This causes problems when the wind isn’t blowing. If the need for energy exceeds the supply of wind power, electricity may be cut off. Conversely, power may be wasted when it cannot be stored over the long term.

③Ocean Grazer, a Dutch company, is suggesting a new solution for this problem—an underwater storage system! Called the Ocean Battery, this system’s purpose is to collect and store electricity in an environmentally-friendly manner using a system of pumps(泵) and turbines.

④During low demand(需求), the electricity from wind farms will pump water from underground pools into expandable bladders(囊状物) on the seafloor. When power is needed, the water runs back down into the pools through a turbine, creating energy. This idea is similar to how hydroelectric(水力发电的) dams work.

⑤What changes will the Ocean Battery bring? It can be used with solar farms, tidal energy farms, and any other off-shore electricity producers.

⑥This new solution can have a 70%~80% efficiency(效率) rate, and since it can run a countless number of cycles in its lifetime(around 20 years), it is cost-efficient and dependable. Its many-sided use as well as its high efficiency makes it a great way for energy storage! It can be used almost everywhere.

⑦An example for the Ocean Battery is already being tested in the Netherlands and several other areas. Underwater storage of electricity causes greater challenges compared to storage on land, and we may see newer and more helpful designs as technology continues to advance.