公共英语四级
Police in the popular resort city Virginia Beach recently began operating video surveillance cameras with controversial face recognition technology. Virginia Beach and Tampa in Florida two dries in the United States acquired the technology, which cost them $197,000. "Before we switched it on, we went through an extensive public education process with hearings and the in-volvement of citizen groups and minority groups, who helped write the policies we are using, "said deputy police chief Greg Mullen. A citizens´ auditing committee has the right to perform unan-nounced spot checks on police headquarters to make sure the technology is not being misused.
Three of the city´s 13 cameras are linked full time to the face recognition system, though the others can be activited as needed. The database of wanted people is updated every day. So far, the system has failed to produce a single arrest, though it has generated a few false alarms. It works by analyzing faces based on a series of measurements, such as the distance from the tip of the nose to the chin or the space between the eyes. Critics say it is highly inaccurate and can be easily fooled.
Mullen, who sees the system eventually being linked to the databases of other city, state and feder-al law enforcement agencies to track criminals and suspected terrorists, said, "The system doesn´t look at skin color or your hair or your gender. It takes human prejudices out of the equation. "
"This technology has little or no effect on the crime rate but it does have an effect on people´s behavior. People feel cowed, " said Bruce Steinhardt, who directs the technology. Despite the fact that tests have shown faces recognition only works in around 30% cases, the ACLU is alarmed that the technology may soon spread to airports. The organization also fears it could potentially be used to monitor individual´s political activities to harass law-abiding citizens.
"This kind of surveillance should be subject to the same procedures as wiretaps. Law enforce-ment agencies should justify why they need it and it should be tightly limited, otherwise it will soon become a tool of social control, " said Mihir Kshisagar of the Electronic Information Privacy Cen-ter.Nor does such criticism come exclusively from the political left.Lawyer John Whitehead,founder of the conservative Rutherford Institute.wrote in all editorial that the technology threatened the right of each U.S.citizen to participate in society.“After all,that is exactly what constant surveillance is-me ultimate implied threat of coercion.”he wrote.
What does Mullen’s statement in Paragraph 1 indicate?
A.Police is confident in using the technology.
B.Police has made preparation for the use of the technology.
C.Citizens have rights over managing the technology.
D.Police has gone through public education process.
度假胜地弗吉尼亚海滩的警察最近开始运用有争议的面孔识别技术操作录像监控摄像机。弗吉尼亚海滩和佛罗里达的坦帕是美国利用这项技术的两个城市,其成本高达19.7万美元。警察局副局长格雷格·马伦说:“我们使用监控摄像机之前通过听证会对广大民众进行教育,公民群众和少数派群体也参与了这项活动,他们帮助起草了我们正在使用的方案。”公民审查委员会有权对警察局进行未通知的现场检查,以确保该技术不被滥用。
全市共有十三台摄像机,有三台是全天候与面孔识别系统相连,不过其他几台在需要的时候也可以投入使用。通缉犯的资料每天都有更新。
尽管警报响了很多次,但系统迄今尚未抓到一个犯人,也就是说,发出的警报是错误的。它的运作是通过一系列的测量来分析面孔的,譬如测量鼻尖与下巴之间的距离或者两眼之间的距离。批评家说这个系统极不准确,且容易被愚弄。马伦认为这个系统最终会和其他城市,其他州和联邦的执法部门连在一起跟踪罪犯和可疑的恐怖分子,他说:“这个系统不看人的肤色,头发和性别,它排除了人为的偏见。”
“这项技术对犯罪率没有或几乎没有什么作用,但他对人们的行为影响却很大。它使人们感到害怕。”指导这项技术的布鲁斯·斯坦哈德说。尽管测试表明面孔识别只对大约30%的情况有效,但是美国公民自由协会被告知该项技术很快会被应用于机场。但同时协会也担心这项技术很可能会被用来控制个人的政治活动,从而骚扰守法公民。
电子情报中心的米歇尔·科舍萨加说:“这种监督系统应和搭线窃听装置一样受限于相同的程序。执法部门应当证明他们有需要这种系统的正当理由,并应对它严格控制,否则,它很快会成为社会控制的工具。”
这样的批评绝不仅仅来自左派政党。保守的卢瑟福德研究所创建人,约翰·怀特海德律师在一篇社论中说,这项技术威胁到美国每个公民参与社会的权利。他写道:“毕竟,那项技术确实就是连续的监控——是十足的潜在威胁。”
答案及解析
文章第一段第三句话马伦的话“Before we switched it on,we went through an extensive public education process-with hear-ings…”。这说明警察局对这项技术非常谨慎,为监视摄像机的使用做了充分准备。因此正确答案为B。
你可能感兴趣的试题
A.The system is not effective in recognizing people.
B.The system doesn’t look at skin color or one’s gender.
C.The system doesn’t consider people’s specific features.
D.The system is highly inaccurate and can be easily fooled.
A.Worried.
B.Skeptical.
C.Confident.
D.Indifferent.
A.Face recognition technology may interfere with people’s privacy.
B.Face recognition technology may enhance the country’s constant surveillance.
C.Face recognition technology Can be used in the same way wiretaps are used.
D.Face recognition technology Can be used after its threat has been removed.
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