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. |
When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations, she and her husband were overjoyed. So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister, Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally--the beauty and the star of the family--and felt happy about her achievements.
But since the baby's arrival, the sisters have become distant. Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby. Sally, who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a baby before."
Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite. Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister--and Sally doesn't like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competition don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.
In a study of the University of Cincinnati, 65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings. In a few cases, these emotions were so strong as to have affected their entire lives.
Many adult brothers and sisters are close, supportive--yet still tend to compete. Two brothers I know turn into killers when on opposite sides of a tennis net. Off the court, they are the best of friends. My own younger sister can't wait to tell me when I've put on weight. However, she's a terrible cook and that pleases me; I tease her when she comes to dinner. Happily, despite these small failings, we have been an important resource for each other.
In between the very competitive and the generally supportive children lie those who say that no friendship should survive. Some brothers and sisters stay at arm's length, but never give up competition completely. Why do these puzzling, unproductive, often painful relationships continue to exist?When Joan's son was born, Sally.
| A．felt very happy | B．felt not delighted | C．moved away | D．admired her a lot |
What happens to children's desire to compete with their brothers and sisters?
| A．It sometimes will disappear when they grow up. |
| B．It will never disappear throughout life. |
| C．It will improve their relationships when they grow up. |
| D．It will never harm their relationships when they grow up. |
Why does the author's sister often tell her when she's put on weight?
| A．Because she wants the author to go on a diet. |
| B．Because she wants the author to stop calling her a bad cook. |
| C．Because she wants to make fun of the author's weight. |
| D．Because she wants to be honest with the author. |
The underlined sentence means that although some brothers and sisters.
| A．live near each other, they still have competitions |
| B．live away from each other, they stop their competitions |
| C．live together, they often think of ending their competitions |
| D．live within a big family, they often try to end their competitions |
Do you like seahorses? What do you know about them?
The seahorse is actually not a horse but a fish, and much smaller than any regular horse. In general, a seahorse is about an inch long. It is a beautiful fish that likes warm waters, swims upright (直立的), and looks a little like a chess piece.
Seahorses are an unusual kind of animal because the males (雄性) give birth to babies. Mating (交配) takes place in cooler waters on spring and summer nights with a full moon. The females (雌性) put their eggs into the bodies of the males, and the males give birth to baby seahorses.
The seahorse can use each eye separately, which allows it to search for food without moving the rest of its body. Seahorses situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels rich in plankton, a kind of life on which they feed. They can catch food from an inch and a half away. Seahorses can change from gray or black to yellow or purple within seconds to fit in with their surroundings, and in this way escape from most of their enemies.
One of the surprising facts about seahorses for most people is that they are vertebrates (脊椎动物). They can turn and curl freely, and like to swim in pairs connected by their tails. Their tails are powerful, and they can use them to grasp the surrounding seaweed (海藻) to keep themselves from being swept away. So seahorses are usually found in warm water filled with seaweed.
Now that you know all these facts about seahorses, don’t you find them more interesting?We can learn from the passage that seahorses _______.
| A．are beautiful, and live on seaweed |
| B．are as big as regular horses |
| C．live near deep channels |
| D．like to be alone |
The third paragraph tells us that _______.
| A．male seahorses lay eggs |
| B．seahorses mate in spring or autumn |
| C．male seahorses give birth to babies |
| D．seahorses mate in warmer waters at night |
Which of the following protects seahorses from being eaten by their enemies?
| A．Their fast speed of swimming. |
| B．Their ability to change colours. |
| C．Their unique eyes. |
| D．Their strong tails. |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word "grasp"?
| A．Eat. | B．Hold. | C．Make. | D．Handle. |
The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
| A．the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere |
| B．most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music |
| C．fast food spreads from Spain to the United States |
| D．some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills |
What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?
| A．American novels. | B．Hollywood movies. |
| C．McDonald’s. | D．American music. |
Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?
| A．To protect foreign culture in Spain. |
| B．To earn more money from Spanish films. |
| C．To limit the number of foreign movies. |
| D．To unite the European Community. |
What do you think Spanish tapas might be?
| A．The name of a drink. | B．The name of a restaurant. |
| C．A clothing brand. | D．A certain kind of food. |
Actress Hayden Panettiere recently got into trouble with Japanese fishermen as she tried to stop them from killing dolphins.
The 18-year-old star with some other surfers sailed out to reach the dolphins in order to stop them from being driven into a nearby pool and killed, but the six surfers, from Australia and the United States, were stopped by a fishing boat before they could reach them. The fishermen blocked their way with a boathook (钩篙). It was an ugly, unfriendly and life-threatening struggle before the surfers were forced to return to the beach. It is believed that the dolphins were later taken into a pool and killed.
Panettiere, who is a brave surfer and loyal animal protector, made up her mind to save the dolphins of Japan and said, "It was really frightening. Some of us were hit by the boathook, but in the end all we were really worried about the dolphins. It was so sad. We were so close to them and they were jumping out of the water to see us." Breaking down in tears, she added, "One little baby dolphin stuck his head out and looked at me and the thought that it’s no longer with us is really hard to take."
The surfers left the country to avoid arrest (逮捕) by the Japanese police. Panettiere is now back in Los Angeles.
More than 22,000 dolphins are killed by fishermen in Japan every year. Many Japanese believe dolphins should be treated like fish. They have been hunting dolphins for centuries and see any criticism (批评) of this as an attack on their culture.Why did the surfers get into trouble with the fishermen in Japan?
| A．They said something that hurt the fishermen. |
| B．They entered a pool which wasn’t allowed to go into. |
| C．They attacked Japanese culture. |
| D．They tried to stop the fishermen from killing the dolphins. |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that Panettiere ________.
| A．was really frightened and sad |
| B．succeeded in saving the dolphins |
| C．cried when they were hit by the boathook |
| D．didn’t like the Japanese fishermen |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．What Happened While Surfing in Japan |
| B．Hayden Panettiere Cried in the Sea of Japan |
| C．People Worldwide Are Against Killing Dolphins |
| D．Protect the Wild Animals |
A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house，the same house I grew up in，I had a sudden，scary realization．When my parents bought the house，in 1982，they were only two years older than I am now．I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later．
It seemed ridiculous．On a practical level，there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon．More importantly，I wouldn’t want to．I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years，or what kind of job I’ll have．And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place．
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents．When our parents were our age，they’d got their education，chosen a career，and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives．
My friends and I--“Generation Y”--still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives．Whatever we end up doing，we want to make sure we’re happy doing it．We’d rather take risks first，try out different jobs，and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place．We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account．
This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”(自大的), “impatient”, and “overprotected”．Some of these complaints have a point．As children, we were encouraged to succeed in school，but also to have fun．We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cell phones，the Internet，instant messaging，and video games．
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.When the author walked through her parents’ house，she_______.
| A．had no idea what she wanted from life |
| B．realized I should buy a house |
| C．started to think about her own life |
| D．wondered why her parents had settled down early |
What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?
| A．Their attitude toward responsibility． |
| B．Their ways of making their way to the top． |
| C．Their ways of gaining experience． |
| D．Their attitude towards high technology． |
Which of the following might the author agree with?
| A．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier． |
| B． It’s all right to try more before settling down． |
| C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically． |
| D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”. |
What is the main theme of the article?
| A．The sudden realization of growing up. |
| B．Criticisms of the young generation. |
| C．A comparison between lifestyles of generations. |
| D．The factors that have changed the young generation. |