Certain forms of AI are indeed becoming ubiquitous. For example， algorithms （算法） carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets， self﹣driving cars are appearing on city streets， and our smartphones are translating from one language into another. These systems are sometimes faster and more perceptive than we humans are. But so far that is only true for the specific tasks for which the systems have been designed. That is something that some AI developers are now eager to change.
Some of today's AI pioneers want to move on from today's world of "weak" or "narrow" AI， to create "strong" or "full" AI， or what is often called artificial general intelligence （AGI）. In some respects， today's powerful computing machines already make our brains look weak. AGI could， its advocates say， work for us around the clock， and drawing on all available data， could suggest solutions to many problems. DM， a company focused on the development of AGI， has an ambition to "solve intelligence". "If we're successful，" their mission statement reads， "we believe this will be one of the most important and widely beneficial scientific advances ever made."
Since the early days of AI， imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965， an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an "ultra﹣intelligent machine …that can far surpass all the intellectual （智力的） activities of any man， however clever." Good went on to suggest that "the first ultra﹣intelligent machine" could be "the last invention that man need ever make."
Fears about the appearance of bad， powerful， man﹣made intelligent machines have been reinforced （强化） by many works of fiction﹣Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Terminator film series， for example. But if A I does eventually prove to be our downfall， it is unlikely to be at the hands of human﹣shaped forms like these， with recognisably human motivations such as aggression （敌对行为）. Instead， I agree with Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom， who believes that the heaviest risks from AGI do not come from a decision to turn against mankind but rather from a dogged pursuit of set objectives at the expense of everything else.
The promise and danger of true AGI are great. But all of today's excited discussion about these possibilities presupposes the fact that we will be able to build these systems. And， having spoken to many of the world's foremost A I researchers， I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see AGI any time soon， if ever.
（1）What does the underlined word "ubiquitous" in Paragraph 1 probably mean？
| A． |
Enormous in quantity. |
| B． |
Changeable daily. |
| C． |
Stable in quality. |
| D． |
Present everywhere. |
（2）What could AGI do for us， according to its supporters？
| A． |
Help to tackle problems. |
| B． |
Make brains more active. |
| C． |
Benefit ambitious people. |
| D． |
Set up powerful databases. |
（3）As for Irving Good's opinion on ultra﹣intelligent machines， the author is .
| A． |
supportive |
| B． |
disapproving |
| C． |
fearful |
| D． |
uncertain |
（4）What can be inferred about AGI from the passage？
| A． |
It may be only a dream. |
| B． |
It will come into being soon. |
| C． |
It will be controlled by humans. |
| D． |
It may be more dangerous than ever. |
Many people have influence on my life, based on their personal characteristics, achievements, and values. I have been lucky to have had a great many teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence. There are artists who have encouraged me by their talents and creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.
As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl”. While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In every aspect of my life, my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could finish my work excellently among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always turn to him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but don’t make yourself made use of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to do anything he sets his mind on, no matter how small it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, sympathy（同情）for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very strict man, but in our daily life, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.
Living in his love and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are doing in.Which of the following could NOT be used to describe the author’s father?
| A．Caring and humorous. |
| B．Knowledgeable and sociable. |
| C．Sympathetic and open-minded. |
| D．Energetic and helpful. |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “excel”?
| A．be cleverer than others. | B．show off. |
| C．do better than others. | D．keep healthy |
According to the underlined sentence, the father was telling the author to ____.
| A．think about others and help them, but not to be used in a bad way |
| B．try to take advantage of those who were friendly to her |
| C．think about others and help them, so that she could make them serve her |
| D．try to be good to those who were worth making friends with |
What can we infer(推论) about the author?
| A．She appreciated her father because he could solve all the problems. |
| B．She considered her father strict and had no smile to her. |
| C．She was outstanding because her father forced her to do so. |
| D．She felt pity for those children without the father. |
The time may soon come when we say goodbye to most of the world’s languages. Today humans express themselves in over 6,000 different languages. But that is quickly changing. Many scientists say that over half of these languages will disappear within the next 50 years. After 100 years, the languages used in the world will not be more than 20.
Why? It is because people from different cultures live and work together much more often than before. This brings changes. The languages of the world’s main culture are replacing the languages of the smaller cultures. Most international trade takes place in world languages such as English. People respect their own cultures and traditions, but when it comes to getting a job, knowing a world language is often necessary. It may mean the difference between success and failure.
Technology works on the change of languages in an even more amazing way. Modern media such as radio and television give young people in developing countries much knowledge about the world. But this knowledge doesn’t come in words from the mouths of their parents or the elders in their neighborhood. It usually comes in the language of a different culture.
People in different cultures think it good for them to share a popular language. They can quickly share ideas and work together. Knowing the same language means easier communication and is a basis for trust.
Is the death of a small local language such a terrible thing? The answer is maybe. Many cultures may have words for many useful things we know nothing about. If their languages die, their valuable wisdom may be lost forever. The future of the world’s language depends on our actions now. Will we protect endangered languages or allow them to quietly disappear?
Time will have the last word.Scientists say that within 50 years, perhaps, there will be only_____ languages in the world.
| A．no more than 20 | B．over 3,000 |
| C．4,000 | D．around 3,000 |
According to the passage, if all the people in the world knew a major world language, _____.
| A．radio and television would all use the language |
| B．it would be easier for them to share their ideas |
| C．lessons at schools would be taught in the language |
| D．people would respect their own culture more |
We can know that if nobody spoke the languages of smaller cultures, _____.
| A．people would find working together was difficult. |
| B．knowledge would come from the mouths of the elders |
| C．many of the words for things we do not know would be lost |
| D．there would be no smaller cultures in the world |
By saying “Time will have the last word.”, the writer means “_____”.
| A．let us wait and see |
| B．we have time to do something |
| C．it is too late to do anything |
| D．it is only a problem of time |
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups—porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive—telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured（确信的）that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided for us.”
God brews（泡，沏）the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. "
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.What did the conversation turn into?
| A．complaints | B．study |
| C．discussion | D．chat |
Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups?
| A．To give his students many more choices. |
| B．To teach his students how to enjoy coffee. |
| C．To show the students his collection of cups. |
| D．To tell his students the right attitude to life. |
According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _____.
| A．get the best type of coffee cups |
| B．make the best of what they have |
| C．have a wide range of coffee cups |
| D．care about social status and wealth |
The best title for the passage would be _____.
| A．God's Coffee |
| B．The Pressure of Life |
| C．The Happiest People |
| D．Professor's Coffee Cups |
Here is a great new toy just for you! It is called FUNNY FACES. It is small enough to fit in your hand, but you can do so many things with Funny Faces!
With Funny Faces, you can shape a mouth into a happy smile, or you can make a sad face. If you want to show an angry face, you can make it appear to be fierce（凶狠的）. The eyebrows (眉毛) move up and down, the eyes turn from side to side, and the ears move slightly.
It is lots of fun to play with Funny Faces, by yourself or with your friends, make up stories about the different faces, put on a Funny Faces show and invite your friends to watch it.
A Funny Faces toy costs only five dollars. It is a super toy that every child should have. Buy Funny Faces today! You will find it in many stores in your city or town.
And if you buy Funny Faces now, we will send you a FREE gift. It is a special case for your toy. You will not find this case in stores. Here is all you have to do:
Cut off the top of the Funny Faces box. It writes “A Great New Toy!”
Write your name and address on a piece of paper.
Mail both pieces to the Funny Faces address on the front of the box.
Act today! This offer is good only until June 30.According to the passage, what is Funny Faces?
| A．A kind of toy. | B．A box. |
| C．A special show. | D．A picture. |
With Funny Faces, we can _____.
| A．make our friends angry |
| B．write names and address |
| C．shape a mouth into a smile |
| D．turn our eyes from side to side |
Why does the author write this passage?
| A．To tell us how to get a free gift. |
| B．To encourage us to buy Funny Faces. |
| C．To show us how to enjoy Funny Faces. |
| D．To advise us to put on an interesting show. |
We can see the passage is _____.
| A．a story | B．a news report |
| C．a letter | D．an advertisement |
The iMOVE database is a foreign-language information platform for persons interested in job opportunities offered by German companies. The information can be obtained in seven languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
All programs in the area of professional training are carried out by German training providers. All these programs have a clear content to meet your special needs.
Programs which take place in Germany are carried out in English. Many of the German training providers have stated their training activities towards the international market. Therefore, they also offer courses abroad. These courses are taught in English or the language of the target country. Providers will be glad to supply you with additional information on these courses. You can contact the provider directly to find out more about a program and the training provider.
To guarantee(保证) high standards in the database, iMOVE has developed quality standards for training providers and their services. All of the training facilities in the iMOVE database have to follow these quality criteria(标准). All training providers who publish their international training programs in the iMOVE database have recognized general terms and conditions.The iMove database is intended for people who __________.
| A．seek a job as a language translator |
| B．wish to work for professional training providers |
| C．are interested in German |
| D．want to be employed by German companies |
Which of the following measures has iMove taken to guarantee its high standards?
| A．Offering different language courses. |
| B．Providing modern training facilities. |
| C．Developing quality standards. |
| D．Starting training courses overseas. |
The purpose of the passage is to _______________.
| A．advertise the iMove database |
| B．hire overseas employees to work in German |
| C．make German companies more popular |
| D．encourage people to learn more foreign languages |