In Sichuan Province, there is a village high in the mountains. Many old people there have to walk a long way to buy medicine. Some cannot use smartphones at all. This problem caught the attention of a 10-year-old boy named Abu Wang’an. During a visit to his hometown, he asked himself: what if an AI machine could help?
So the boy designed a smart medicine cabinet. It stands at the village entrance and works by voice. An old person just speaks: “My stomach hurts,” and a voice assistant called “Doctor Dongdong” asks simple questions and gives basic advice. The cabinet can even tell the village clinic when medicine is running low.
This project came from a national competition for young developers. In 2026, hundreds of teenagers in Shanghai showed AI projects made by themselves. Many of them started from real-life problems: Why do village elders have to travel far for medicine? Why can’t some deaf people join a normal conversation? Why do children feel stressed before exams?
Some adults worry that children spend too much time on screens. But these young creators are using technology in a different way. They look at the world with fresh eyes and ask: how can AI make life better for others? “Children see things that adults take for granted,” said one organizer. “That curiosity is the most valuable creativity.”
Of course, a medicine cabinet cannot replace a real doctor. But it can be a helpful first step, especially in places where hospitals are far away. More importantly, it shows that kindness and technology can go hand in hand — even when the programmer is only ten years old.
Words to know:
- smart (智能的)
- medicine (药；医学)
- voice assistant (语音助手)
- competition (比赛)
- teenager (青少年)
- stressed (有压力的)
- curiosity (好奇心)
- valuable (宝贵的)
长难句拆解 · where 定语从句与倒装引述
① But it can be a helpful first step, especially in places where hospitals are far away. 主干是 it can be a helpful first step（它可以是有益的第一步）。where 引导定语从句修饰 places——先行词是地点，where 在从句中作地点状语，相当于 in which；especially「尤其是」引出强调的例子；情态动词 can 此处表可能性而非能力。
② “Children see things that adults take for granted,” said one organizer. 主干是 Children see things（孩子们能看到一些东西）。直接引语放在句首时，引述部分 said one organizer 用主谓倒装；that adults take for granted 是定语从句修饰 things，that 在从句中作 take 的宾语，省略后成 things adults take for granted 也成立；take… for granted 是固定搭配，「把……视为理所当然」。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
题目爱用近义词给原文「改头换面」。先圈出题干里的信号词，再回原文找同义变体，定位就不再靠运气。本文可迁移的替换组：
- caught the attention of → drew the attention of（吸引注意类通用）
- walk a long way → cover a long distance
- works by voice → operates by voice command
- running low → about to run out
- started from real-life problems → began with real-world problems
- take for granted → regard as normal
- go hand in hand → complement each other
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The smart medicine cabinet can replace a real doctor in the village.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — What is the name of the voice assistant in the cabinet?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The village clinic pays for the old people’s medicine.
参考答案与解析
- F — 原文明确「a medicine cabinet cannot replace a real doctor」，题干去掉了 cannot，属「正反混淆」。
- Doctor Dongdong. — 第二段「a voice assistant called “Doctor Dongdong”」，专有名词照抄即可。
- NG — 原文只说药柜「can tell the village clinic when medicine is running low」，谁付药费并未提及，属「无中生有」。
中文译文
在四川的一处高山村落，许多老人要走上很远才能买到药，有些人根本不会用智能手机。这个问题引起了10岁男孩阿布王安的注意。一次回老家时他问自己：要是有一台AI机器能帮忙呢？
于是这个男孩设计了一台智能药柜。它立在村口，靠语音操作。老人只需说一句「我肚子疼」，名叫「东东医生」的语音助手便会询问简单情况并给出基础建议。药柜还能在药品将尽时通知村卫生室。
这个项目源自一场面向青少年开发者的全国性比赛。2026年，数百名少年在上海展示了自己动手做的AI项目。许多项目都从真实问题出发：村里老人为何要远行买药？有些聋人为何无法参与正常交谈？孩子考前为何倍感压力？
一些大人担心孩子屏幕时间太长，但这些少年创作者用的是另一种方式：他们用新鲜的眼光看世界，追问AI如何为别人改善生活。一位组织者说：「孩子能看到大人习以为常的东西，那份好奇，就是最宝贵的创造力。」
当然，药柜无法取代真正的医生，但它能成为有用的第一步，尤其在医院遥远的地区。更重要的是，它表明善意与技术可以并肩前行——哪怕程序员只有十岁。