如今，越来越多的新兴科技正逐步被应用于体育比赛中，但是这些应用的可靠性却令人存疑。比如，在很多球类比赛中，“video assistant referee （视频助理裁判）和 “artificial intelligence （人工智能）” 系统的应用虽然能够为比赛中的判罚决定提供一定的技术支持，做出相对客观准确的判断，但是这些新兴科技时而也会 “犯错”。尽管如此，体育竞赛科技化的 “步伐” 似乎不会停下。我们真的准备好了吗？

词汇：sport 体育比赛

1 Use of technology in sports is supposed to be able to provide accurate and instant feedback, with better decision-making and reduced errors compared to human intervention. But is that always the case?

2 The annual tennis tournament Wimbledon made the decision this year to replace their line judges. These have traditionally been men and women who judge whether the ball is in or out of bounds, but they were switched out for AI that analyses camera footage, which should be faster and more accurate. Despite this, the electronic line calling system failed just a week into the 2025 championship. The ball-tracking technology was turned off by a person accidentally. This meant a point had to be replayed, which resulted in Sonay Kartal controversially winning the game. If technology needs humans to operate it in the first place, whose fault is it in situations like these where things go wrong?

3 In football, referees often come under fire for their decision-making. But VAR, that's 'video assistant referee', is regularly used in football these days too. A referee can ask for a VAR check, which means that if they are unsure of something, like the awarding of a penalty, they can double-check their own judgement. However, last football season, VAR made oversights which angered a lot of managers, players and fans. They said the system was not fit for purpose and even favoured some teams over others. Despite this, the Premier League's chief football officer, Tony Scholes, said during the middle of last year's season that standards were actually higher than ever. "Before VAR, 82% of the decisions made were deemed to be correct. In the season so far, that figure is 96%," he said.

4 So,why do we still not trust technology if it often improves a situation? Professor Gina Neff from Cambridge University says that we have a very strong, in-built sense of fairness." The machine makes decisions based on the set of rules it's been programmed to adjudicate," she said. "Right now, in many areas where AI is touching our lives, we feel like humans understand the context much better than the machine."

5 Whether you trust it or not, technology is here to stay, including in the world of sport.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 ________
Paragraph 2 ________
Paragraph 3 ________
Paragraph 4 ________
Paragraph 5 ________

a. A human error
b. We can't change the future
c. Mistrust in tech
d. A mismatch of beliefs in accuracy
e. Short-term changes
f. How do they compare?

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. Wimbledon replaced line judges with AI this year.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. The match that Sonay Kartal won was controversial because…
a. she only won because of a human-caused error.
b. she won despite technology failing.
c. she won in a replay that was not needed.

3. VAR is used in football…
a. in replacement of a referee.
b. to support referees who are unsure of their decisions.
c. to the anger of managers, players and fans.

4. What does 'this' refer to in the following sentence? Despite this, the Premier League's chief football officer, Tony Scholes, said during the middle of last year's season that standards have never been higher.
a. referees making oversights
b. the football season changing
c. VAR oversights and the subsequent anger

5. VAR has caused there to be less accurate decision-making by referees.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Plenty of technology is used in sport. 1) _______ assists referees in football, and this year 2) _______ were replaced with a technology that is supposedly faster and more 3) _______. Though it doesn't always go smoothly, and technology has even been accused of 4) _______ some teams over others because of 5) _______ it's made.

trust
under fire
accurate
line judges
oversights
favouring
VAR

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

feedback 反馈
human intervention 人工干预
tournament 锦标赛
line judge 边线裁判
out of bounds 在界外，出界
switch out 替换
AI (artificial intelligence) 人工智能
electronic line calling system 电子边线裁判系统
ball-tracking 球运动轨迹追踪
point 分，得分
referee 裁判
come under fire 遭到批评
VAR (video assistant referee) 视频助理裁判
penalty 判罚
double-check 复查
oversight 失察，疏漏
fit for purpose 适合做某事的，发挥预期作用的
favour 偏袒
season 赛季
in-built 与生俱来的，内在的
programme 设置
adjudicate 裁决

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 f) How do they compare?
Paragraph 2 a) A human error
Paragraph 3 d) A mismatch of beliefs in accuracy
Paragraph 4 c) Mistrust in tech
Paragraph 5 b) We can't change the future

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. a. True. The annual tennis tournament Wimbledon made the decision this year to replace their line judges.

2. a. The ball-tracking technology was turned off by a person accidentally meaning a point was replayed, which resulted in Sonay Kartal controversially winning the game.

3. b. A referee can ask for a VAR check, which means that if they are unsure of something, they can double-check their own judgement.

4. c. However, last football season, VAR made oversights which angered a lot of managers, players and fans.

5. b. False. "Before VAR 82% of the decisions made were deemed to be correct. In the season so far, that figure is 96%."

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Plenty of technology is used in sport. VAR assists referees in football, and this year line judges were replaced with a technology that is supposedly faster and more accurate. Though it doesn't always go smoothly, and technology has even been accused of favouring some teams over others because of oversights it's made.