Dog owners often wish they could understand their pets’ thoughts. “Dog buttons” might turn their dream into a reality. These specially designed buttons, __1__ sound chips, enable dogs to communicate their needs by pressing buttons corresponding to pre-recorded words like “walk,” “play,” “outside,” and “food.” This bridges the communication __2__ between humans and their canine companions.
The science behind dog buttons is based on the concept of associative learning. It’s a process __3__ learners can link actions with outcomes. For instance, if an owner consistently presses the “walk” button and then takes their dog for a walk, the dog can eventually learn to connect the sound of the “walk” button with the experience of going for a walk.
狗狗的飼主常希望能了解自家寵物的想法。「狗狗按鈕」或許能將他們的夢想變成現實。這些專門設計的按鈕配備了聲音晶片，狗狗透過按下與預先錄製的單字（例如「散步」、「玩耍」、「外面」和「食物」）相對應的按鈕，就能表達牠們的需求。這縮小了人類和犬類夥伴之間溝通上的鴻溝。
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狗狗按鈕背後的原理是基於連結學習的概念。這是一個學習者可將行動與結果連結起來的過程。例如，如果飼主一直在按下「散步」按鈕後帶著狗狗去散步，狗狗最終就能學會將「散步」按鈕的聲音與散步的經驗連結起來。
Words in Use
1. communicate vt. 傳達，傳遞
Photo: AdobeStock 照片：AdobeStock
communication n. 溝通
The counselor helped the client communicate his fears.
諮商師幫助該客戶表達出自己的恐懼。
Clear communication is vital for avoiding misunderstandings.
清晰的溝通對於避免誤解至關重要。
2. companion n. 夥伴，同伴
Scott brought his dog as a companion on his travels.
史考特在旅行時帶著他的狗作為旅伴。
3. outcome n. 結果
We can’t predict the outcome of the election, but we hope for a fair process.
我們無法預測選舉結果，但我們希望過程公平。
Practical Phrases
1. correspond to N 和……對應
correspond vi. 對應
The mark on the map corresponds to this location.
地圖上的標記對應到的是這個位置。
2. a great deal of + 不可數名詞 大量的……
The news of the new product was met with a great deal of excitement.
新產品的消息引起了極大的興奮。
3. speed up... / speed... up
加快…（速度）
The doctor advised the patient to speed up his recovery by following a strict diet.
醫師建議那名患者嚴格控制飲食來加速康復。
To be continued tomorrow（明日待續）
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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