Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? Reading Answers

Jul 1, 2025

Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the first question set, you have to choose the correct letter. In the next question set, you have to complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F. In the next question set, you have to state whether the statement is yes, no or not given according to the passage

The candidate's understanding and assessment of academic and general texts are examined in the IELTS Reading Section. By using IELTS Reading Practice Questions, you can increase your vocabulary, sharpen your critical reading skills, and become more familiar with the various question types in reading tasks. Furthermore, practice enhances vocabulary and improves analytical reading skills, both of which are necessary for success. It's critical to comprehend the guidelines for every question type and create effective ways to manage time if you wish to receive excellent band scores.

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Section 1 IS THE ERA OF ARTIFICIAL SPEECH TRANSLATION UPON US?

Once the stuff of science fiction, technology that enables people to talk using different languages is now here. But how effective is it? Noise, Alex Waibel tells me, is one of the major challenges that artificial speech translation has to meet. A device may be able to recognize speech in a laboratory or a meeting room, but will struggle to cope with the kind of background noise I can hear in my office surrounding Professor Waibel as he speaks to me from Kyoto station in Japan. I'm struggling to follow him in English on a scratchy line that reminds me we are nearly 10,000 kilometers apart - and that distance is still an obstacle to communication even if you're speaking the same language, as we are. We haven't reached the future yet. If we had, Waibel would have been able to speak more comfortably in his native German and I would have been able to hear his words in English.

At Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where he is a professor of computer science, Waibel and his colleagues already give lectures in German that their students can follow in English via an electronic translator. The system generates text that students can read on their laptops or phones, so the process is somewhat similar to subtitling. It helps that lecturers speak clearly, don't have to compete with background chatter, and say much the same thing each year. The idea of artificial speech translation has been around for a long time. Douglas Adams' science fiction novel, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, published in 1979, featured a life form called the 'Babel fish' which, when placed in the ear, enabled a listener to understand any language in the universe. It came to represent one of those devices that technology enthusiasts dream of long before they become practically realizable, like TVs flat enough to hang on walls: objects that we once could only dream of having but that are now commonplace. Now devices that look like prototype Babel fish have started to appear, riding a wave of advances in artificial translation and voice recognition. At this stage, however, they seem to be regarded as eye-catching novelties rather than steps towards what Waibel calls 'making a language-transparent society.' They tend to be domestic devices or applications suitable for hotel check-ins, for example, providing a practical alternative to speaking traveler's English. The efficiency of the translator is less important than the social function. However, 'Professionals are less inclined to be patient in a conversation,' founder and CEO at Waverly Labs, Andrew Ochoa, observes. To redress this, Waverly is now preparing a new model for professional applications, which entails performance improvements in speech recognition, translation accuracy and the time it takes to deliver the translated speech.

For a conversation, both speakers need to have devices called Pilots (translator earpieces) in their ears. 'We find that there's a barrier with sharing one of the earphones with a stranger,' says Ochoa. That can't have been totally unexpected. The problem would be solved if earpiece translators became sufficiently prevalent that strangers would be likely to already have their own in their ears. Whether that happens, and how quickly, will probably depend not so much on the earpieces themselves, but on the prevalence of voice-controlled devices and artificial translation in general.

Waibel highlights the significance of certain Asian nations, noting that voice translation has really taken off in countries such as Japan with a range of systems. There is still a long way to go, though. A translation system needs to be simultaneous, like the translator's voice speaking over the foreign politician being interviewed on the TV, rather than in sections that oblige speakers to pause after every few remarks and wait for the translation to be delivered. It needs to work offline, for situations where internet access isn't possible, and to address apprehensions about the amount of private speech data accumulating in the cloud, having been sent to servers for processing. Systems not only need to cope with physical challenges such as noise, they will also need to be socially aware by addressing people in the right way. Some cultural traditions demand solemn respect for academic status, for example, and it is only polite to respect this. Etiquette -sensitive artificial translators could relieve people of the need to know these differing cultural norms. At the same time, they might help to preserve local customs, slowing the spread of habits associated with international English, such as its readiness to get on first-name terms. Professors and other professionals will not outsource language awareness to software, though. If the technology matures into seamless, ubiquitous artificial speech translation, it will actually add value to language skills. Whether it will help people conduct their family lives or relationships is open to question, though one noteworthy possibility is that it could overcome the language barriers that often arise between generations after migration, leaving children and their grandparents without a shared language.

Whatever uses it is put to, though, it will never be as good as the real thing. Even if voice-morphing technology simulates the speaker's voice, their lip movements won't match, and they will look like they are in a dubbed movie. The contrast will underline the value of shared

languages, and the value of learning them. Sharing a language can promote a sense of belonging and community, as with the international scientists who use English as a lingua franca, where their predecessors used Latin. Though the practical need for a common language will diminish, the social value of sharing one will persist. And software will never be a substitute for the subtle but vital understanding that comes with knowledge of a language.

Questions 27-30

Choose the correct letter.

27. What does the reader learn about the conversation in the first paragraph?

A. The speakers are communicating in different languages.

B. Neither of the speakers is familiar with their environment.

C. The topic of the conversation is difficult for both speakers.

D. Aspects of the conversation are challenging for both speakers.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: Waibel would have been able to speak more comfortably in his native German and I would have been able to hear his words in English.

Keywords: native, English

Keyword Location: Para 1, Lines 9-10

Explanation: According to the text, both speakers find it difficult to have a conversation.

28. What assists the electronic translator during lectures at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology?

A. the repeated content of lectures

B. the students' reading skills

C. the languages used

D. the lecturers' technical ability

Answer: A

Supporting statement: and say much the same thing each year.

Keywords: same, year

Keyword Location: Para 2, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text, it is easy to use the electronic translator during lectures at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology because the lecture contains repeated content.

29.When referring to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the writer suggests that

A. the Babel fish was considered undesirable at the time.

B. this book was not seriously intending to predict the future.

C. artificial speech translation was not a surprising development.

D. some speech translation techniques are better than others.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: It came to represent one of those devices that technology enthusiasts dream of long before they become practically realizable,

Keywords: technology, practically

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 9-10

Explanation: As per the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an artificial speech translator is not something new, as the novel featured a life form called the 'Babel fish' which, when placed in the ear, enabled a listener to understand any language in the universe.

30. What does the writer say about sharing earpieces?

A. It is something people will get used to doing.

B. The reluctance to do this is understandable.

C. The equipment will be unnecessary in the future.

D. It is something few people need to worry about.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: That can't have been totally unexpected.

Keywords: totally, unexpected

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, the sharing of the earpieces is considered something not everyone is comfortable with.

Questions 31-34

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F below.

31. Speech translation methods are developing fast in Japan

Answer: C

Supporting statement: noting that voice translation has really taken off in countries such as Japan with a range of systems. There is still a long way to go, though.

Keywords: Japan, systems

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 2

Explanation: According to the text, despite the development of the translation system, Japan still has a long way to go.

32. TV interviews that use translation voiceover methods are successful

Answer: E

Supporting statement: A translation system needs to be simultaneous, like the translator's voice speaking over the foreign politician being interviewed on the TV

Keywords: translation, interviewed

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 3-4

Explanation: As per the text, translation in TV interviews is successful only because the translation is immediate.

33. Future translation systems should address people appropriately

Answer: F

Supporting statement: they will also need to be socially aware by addressing people in the right way.

Keywords: socially, addressing

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 9

Explanation: According to the text, it is important to keep in mind while creating translation devices that they should be aware of addressing the people with manners.

34. Users may be able to maintain their local customs

Answer: B

Supporting statement: At the same time, they might help to preserve local customs,

Keywords: preserve, customs

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 12

Explanation: People may no longer need to be aware of these different cultural conventions thanks to etiquette-sensitive artificial translators. By limiting the development of international English-related practices, like its willingness to adopt first-name terms, they may also aid in maintaining local customs.

A. but there are concerns about this.

B. as systems do not need to conform to standard practices.

C. but they are far from perfect.

D. despite the noise issues.

E. because translation is immediate.

F. and have an awareness of good manners.

Questions 35-40

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write

YES - if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO - if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN - if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

35. Language translation systems will be seen as very useful throughout the academic and professional worlds.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: Professors and other professionals will not outsource language awareness to software

Keywords: Professors, awareness

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 14

Explanation: The text clearly mentions that the use of a language translation system will not be used by the professors or other professionals in the academic setup.

36. The overall value of automated translation to family life is yet to be shown.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: Whether it will help people conduct their family lives or relationships is open to question,

Keywords: family, relationships

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 16-17

Explanation: According to the text, the value of automated translation to help conduct their family lives or relationships is yet to be known. Though one noteworthy possibility is that it could overcome the language barriers that often arise between generations after migration,

37. Automated translation could make life more difficult for immigrant families.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: though one noteworthy possibility is that it could overcome the language barriers that often arise between generations after migration,

Keywords: overcome, migration

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 17-18

Explanation: According to the text, automated transition makes it easier for migrated families to overcome the language barrier faced by them between generations.

38. Visual aspects of language translation are being considered by scientists.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No mention of the Visual aspects of language translation is being considered by scientists is given in the text.

39. International scientists have found English easier to translate into other languages than Latin.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No information about English being easier to translate into Latin than any other language is given by International scientists

40. As far as language is concerned, there is a difference between people's social and practical needs.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: Though the practical need for a common language will diminish, the social value of sharing one will persist.

Keywords: practical, social

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, the practical need for a common language might decrease, but the social value of sharing a language will remain the same.

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