Joannewasstuckinatrafficjaminc-优题课

The most complex object known to humanity is the human brain — and not only is it complex, but it is one of the few natural phenomena that science has no consciousness of. To try to replicate (复制) something that is so poorly understood may therefore seem like pride. But you have to start somewhere, and International Business Machines (IBM) and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, propose to start by replicating “in silico”, one of the brain’s building blocks.
In a partnership announced, the two organizations said they would be working together to build a simulation (模拟) of a structure known as a neo-cortical（新大脑皮质的）column on a type of IBM supercomputer that is currently used to study the molecular functioning of genes. If that works, they plan to use more powerful computers to link such simulated columns together into something that mimics（模仿) a brain.
In a real brain, a neo-cortical column is a cylindrical（圆柱形的）element about a third of a millimeter in diameter and three millimeters long. It is these columns, arranged side by side like the cells of a honeycomb, which make up the famous “grey matter” that has become shorthand for human intelligence. The Blue Gene/L supercomputer that will be used for the simulation consists of enough independent processors for each to be programmed to mimic an individual nerve cell in a column.
The EPFL’s contribution to the Blue Brain Project will be to create a digital description of how the columns behave. The database from its Brain Mind Institute will provide the raw material for the simulation. Biologists and computer scientists will then connect the artificial nerve cells up in a way that mimics nature. They will do so by assigning electrical properties（电能）to them, and telling them how to communicate with each other and how they should modify their connections with one another depending on their activity.
That will be no mean feat. Even a single nerve cell is complicated, not least because each one has about 10,000 connections with others. And nerve cells come in great variety—relying, for example, on different chemical transmitters to carry messages across those connections. Eventually, however, a digital representation of an entire column Should occur.
Assuming that the growth of computing power continues to follow Moore’s Law, the leader of IBM’s side thinks it should be practical to mimic an entire human brain in silico this way in ten to fifteen years. Such an artificial brain would, of course, be a powerful research tool. It would allow neurological experiments that currently take days in a “web lab” to be conducted in seconds. The researchers hope that their simulated brain will reveal the secrets of how certain psychiatric and neurological, disorders develop. But that is probably not the real reason for doing it. The most interesting question, surely, is whether such an artificial brain will be intelligent, or conscious, or both.
In a real brain, a neo-cortical column ____________.

A．looks like the cells of a honeycomb

B．is a simulation of a structure

C．is the famous grey matter

D．contains a large number of nerve cells

What does the underlined sentence “That will be no mean feat” in Paragraph 5 indicate?

A．It is rather difficult to connect the artificial nerve ceils up.

B．The function of chemical transmitters is hard to understand.

C．A digital representation of an entire column is time-consuming.

D．A single nerve cell is complicated to identify across connection

s.

The fundamental purpose of doing the research is probably ____________.

A．to simulate an entire human brain in silico

B．to tell us how some certain disorders emerge

C．to discover how the artificial brain would work

D．to examine whether Moores Law is still functioning

What type of writing is this passage?

A．A science fiction

B．A research report

C．An official document

D．A computer advertisement

The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry’s highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars. British director Steve McQueen’s brave portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana. “Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup,” said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
“12 Years a Slave” was better over space thriller “Gravity” from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless got the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness. Referring to the “transformative” experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making “Gravity”, Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, “For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair.” In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film “Dallas Buyers Club”, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe who turned AIDS victim and then turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg). His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof’s unlikely business partner, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia’s Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband’s financial crimes in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” “As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women,” said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.
The film which won the largest number of Oscar awards this year is ______.

A．12 Years a Slave	B．Gravity
C．Dallas Buyers Club	D．Blue Jasmine

Which director spent the least money in making the film?

A．Steve McQueen.	B．Alfonso Cuaron.
C．Jean-Marc Vallee.	D．Woody Allen.

How many Oscar best actresses are mentioned in this passage?

A．One.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．12 Years a Slave won two Oscar awards altogether.

B．The director of Gravity is from Latin America.

C．The character Rayon is played by Jared Leto.

D．The woman film star Cate Blanchett comes from Oceania.

The following are the sculptures in the Underwater Museum, which are accessible in person by glass boat, or scuba diving.
	The Archive of Lost Dreams The Visual: It describes an underwater archive of messages in bottles. The Meaning: The bottles contain messages of dreams for future generations. The Hope: The statue is placed with the purpose of helping draw visitors away from the healthy parts of the reef. The Location: The Archive of Lost Dreams was placed 8 meters deep at Manchones Reef, close to Isla Mujeres. Behind the Scenes: The collection of bottled messages were provided by various communities who wrote about today’s values and their dreams for the future generations.
	The Gardener of Hope The Visual: Here a young Mexican girl lies in a garden surrounded by pots which will be grown with live coral. The Meaning: The young girl in the sculpture represents a model for hopeful future generations. The Hope: The base of the Gardener of Hope was built to attract various marine creatures. The coral in the pots is also expected to grow. The Location: The Gardener of Hope was placed 4 meters deep at Punta Nizuc near the coast of Cancun. Behind the Scenes: The pots here are filled with live coral cuttings that were saved from areas of the local reef system.
	Man on Fire The Visual: Man on Fire describes a lone male figure covered in live fire coral to resemble fire. The Meaning: The sculpture symbolizes the unawareness of the “fire” our generation has started with the over use of limited natural resources. The Hope: Man on Fire has 75 holes planted with small live cuttings of fire coral which are expected to grow like fire. The Location: Man on Fire was installed 8 meters deep at the Manchones Reef nearby to Isla Mujeres. Behind the Scenes: The sculpture was cast from a local Mexican fisherman and it weighs over 1 ton.
	The Silent Evolution The Visual: Here more than 400 sculptures depict the timeline of human nature. The Meaning: It is a documentation of how society and people have changed over time. It is also to remind us of how we are connected to nature. The Hope: The installation is designed for forming a complex reef structure that marine life will claim as its own and inhabit. The Location: The Silent Evolution will be installed 8 meters deep behind the Manchones Reef. Behind the Scenes: The total installation will expand over 150 square meters and will weigh over 120 tons.
Attention: Guided tours are a must. You can catch a tour from Aquaworld, which leaves every hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．You can tour individually without a tourist guide by glass boat.

B．The Gardener of Hope will remind us of the relationship with nature.

C．Bottled messages are filled with live coral cuttings for future generations.

D．Man on Fire can educate us to protect the limited natural resources.

Which sculptures are installed in the same area?

A．Man on Fire & The Silent Evolution.

B．The Archive of Lost Dreams & Man on Fire.

C．The Gardener of Hope & The Silent Evolution.

D．The Archive of Lost Dreams & The Gardener of Hope.

The writer introduces the sculptures to _______.

A．defend Mexican Tourism Industry

B．call on us to go on a tour to Aquaworld

C．appeal to readers to protect Marine Life

D．attract tourists to the Underwater Museum

Teaching your child to cook is not hard; the hard part could be getting them out of the kitchen. When you are teaching them, remember to stress safety and cleanliness, after all these are skills they will need for many years into the future.
Start by finding simple no-cook recipes. A salad or other no-cook recipe is an ideal way to start. Show your child how to hold, and cut with knives. Make sure they know how to wash everything in hot soapy water as they use it, so that it becomes a habit that is part of the process and not an extra chore to do after they have finished.
If possible, find one of the good children’s cookbooks that are available. Many of these have simple recipes that demonstrate the basic cooking terms such as chop, mix, and stir. When it is practical, you may as well have your child help you prepare meals. Even a small child can get bowls out, pour, and start learning to measure. A two- year -old child can stir a batter（面糊）, or taste the results.
Allow your older child to find a recipe that they think sounds nice. Go over the recipe with them as you discuss the steps needed, and how to adjust any ingredients to match your budget, and family preferences.
When you go shopping， have your child help find the necessary ingredients for their ‘special’ recipe. When it is time to make the recipe, allow them to do as much as possible, only helping out if asked or when they run into trouble. Be sure to praise their efforts even if they are not perfect. After the results are gone, talk about any problems, and see if there is a solution.
Most children like to cook, and if they are part of deciding what to cook, as well as the preparation they will be well on the way to being good cooks.
The author wants to say in the passage that__________.

A．it is a pleasure to cook with your children

B．children are eager to learn how to cook

C．parents should perform their duty

D．it is no good cooking with children

Why should we tell children safety and cleanliness?

A．Because children are often careless

B．Because we must keep them free of danger

C．Because they will develop good habits

D．Because they think cooing is hard

What should you do when cooking is finished？

A．Give praise in good time to your child.

B．Have a taste of what has been made.

C．Avoid mentioning any mistakes he/she made.

D．Help them out of any difficult situation.

Dear Editor,
Recent reports have indicated an additional 1, 400 Marines（海军陆战队）are being sent to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. This means it costs over $1 million annually on the ground over there. I do place a higher level of blame on the policymakers who send soldiers off to kill and be killed in the field. I think the human race needs to think more about killing.
One needs to do the introspection: “Are these wars JUST?” I believe that all of our wars since 1945 have been illegal, under international law as well. I suggest that all your readers examine their conscience（良心）as it relates to the matter of making war. The fact that many soldiers are motivated by a strong sense of duty does not give them some unqualified moral right to support these wars or any other. It’s responsible for all the troops, and the entire population, to determine whether the Afghan or Iraq wars are in accordance with （符合）the development of the state.
I wish someone would give me one or more logical reasons why we are still fighting in Afghanistan and what our goals are. I certainly don’t understand it and neither do many who are more knowledgeable than I.
Outsiders have tried unsuccessfully for centuries to conquer Afghanistan, and we seem to be no more successful. We are trying to develop a stable central government, but the country is badly divided into ethnic and tribal groups, and the current government is corrupt（腐败的）. Moreover, we are apparently regarded as undesirable occupiers by many of its people, most notably the Taliban.（塔利班）
If we are to continue spending billions every year in Afghanistan and killing hundreds of our people and many of theirs, our government must provide us with a reasonable explanation of why we are doing so and what we can expect to accomplish.
George Myers
What caused the author to write the letter?

A．His conscience of being a citizen.

B．Reports about sending soldiers to Afghanistan.

C．His relatives being killed in the war.

D．Getting no reasonable explanation.

The underlined word “introspection” in the passage means .

A．self-awareness	B．self-confidence
C．self-examination	D．self-defence

The soldiers go to Afghanistan because .

A．they can contribute to the development of America

B．they have the moral right to do so

C．they are performing their duty as a resident

D．they want to become heroes in the war

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Most people can’t understand why the States makes wars.

B．The U.S.A has developed a stable central government.

C．The Afghan considered Americans as undesirable occupiers

D．American government should make an explanation to the public.

A．To walk her dog．	B．To see her doctor．
C．To attend a club meeting．	D．To play tennis with her friends．

A．to dress up for the meeting	B．to phone the police station
C．to catch the badly hurt burglar	D．to wait for her dog to be cured