Robots make me nervous—especially the ones which seem to think for themselves. I was embarrassed to admit this till I heard that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, felt the same way.
Gates said in an interview with the social networking and news website Reddit: “I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent．That should be positive if we manage well. A few decades after that, though, the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern.”
Well, maybe I don’t have to worry about my computer and kitchen equipment yet. After I use them I can always pull the plug. But in the future, machines might find a way to prevent us from switching them off. There’s a terrible thought!
Maybe the problem with computers too clever for us is not that they are evil like some we’ve seen in sci-fi movies. What could put us in danger is that they might be too efficient. That’s what philosopher Nick Bostrom from Oxford University believes. He says that machines are indifferent to humans and in pursuit of their own goals，the destruction of people might be just additional damage. Bostrom gives us an example: A machine which might have its only goal to produce as many paperclips as possible might look at human bodies as extra material for paperclips and go after you. Because it is, well, a machine, it would not take pity on you.
It’s a good thing that American writer Isaac Asimov thought about how far robots can go and left us his three rules of robotics. They state that a robot may not hurt a human being or allow the human being to come to harm.
I’m glad my machines at home are “dumb”. All my cleaner wants to take over is the carpet in my living room. Let’s hope they don’t create an appliance which wants to take over the world!
1.The author quoted Bill Gates’ words in Paragraph 2 in order to make the text________.
A. better-known B. more persuasive
C. better-organized D. more interesting
2.An intelligent paperclip machine would harm us because _______.
A. it is much cleverer than us B. it would take over the world
C. it has the strong feeling of destroying us D. it would see us just as material
3.How does the author feel about Isaac Asimov’s rules of robotics?
A. Optimistic B. Worried
C. Disappointed D. Regretful
4.What does the text mainly focus on?
A. The benefits of future robots. B. The new applications of robots.
C. The concern for super intelligence. D. The popularity of robots in the future.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A Guide to the University
Food
The TWU Cafeteria is open 7 am to 8 pm. It serves snacks, drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.
If you are on campus in the evening or lat at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying , cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 pm.
Transportation
The TWU Express is a shuttle service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8 am and 3 pm. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.
1.What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria?
A. Do homework and watch TV B. Have meals and meet with friends
C. Buy drinks and enjoy concerts D. Add money to your ID and play chess
2.Where and when can you cook your own food?
A. The TWU Cafeteria , Friday B. The Lower Café, Sunday
C. The Globe, Friday D. The Mattson Centre, Saturday.
3.The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre _________.
A. gives advice on mental health B. offers services free of charge
C. trains students in medical care D. is open six days a week
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Generally speaking, government regulations normally ban anything from smoking in public places to parking in certain zones. But officials in the Brazilian town of Biritiba Mirim, 70km (45miles) east of Sao Paulo, have gone far beyond that. They plan to prohibit residents from dying early because the local cemetery(墓地) has reached full capacity.
There’s no more room to bury the dead, they can’t be cremated(火化) and laws forbid a new cemetery. So the mayor has proposed a strange solution: outlaw death. Mayor Roberto Pereira says the bill is meant as a protest against federal regulations that prohibit new or expanded cemeteries in preservation areas. “They have not taken local demands into consideration”, he claims.
A 2003 decree(法令) by Brazil’s National Environment Council forbids burial grounds in protected areas. Mr. Pereira wants to build a new cemetery, but the project has been stopped because 98% of Biritiba Mirim is considered as a preservation area.
Biritiba Mirim, a town of 28,000 inhabitants, not only wants to prohibit residents from passing away. The bill also calls on people to take care of their health in order to avoid death. “I haven’t got a job, nor am I healthy. And now they say I can’t die. That’s ridiculous,” Amarido do Prado, an unemployed resident said.
The city council is expected to vote on the regulation next week. “Of course the bill is laughable, illegal, and will never be approved,” said Gilson Soares de Campos, an assistant of the mayor. “But can you think of a better resolution to persuade the government to change the environmental decree that is prohibiting us from building a new cemetery?” The bill states that “offenders will be held responsible for their acts.” However, it does not say what the punishment will be.
1.What is the bill to be proposed by the officials in Biritiba Mirim?
A. Ban on building a new cemetery. B. Ban on parking in certain zones.
C. Forbidding buried grounds in preservation. D. Prohibiting residents from dying early.
2.What can we infer from the phrase “have gone far beyond that” in the first paragraph?
A. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have made these regulations.
B. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have been to many places around the world.
C. The bill to be proposed by officials in Biritiba Mirim is much too unexpected.
D. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have built too many cemeteries in their town.
3.What’s the attitude of the mayor of Biritiba Mirim towards the federal regulations?
A. He gives strong backing to them.
B. He objects to them.
C. He remains silent about them.
D. He asks the residents for advice on them.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. The bill has come into effect but it doesn’t state clearly what punishements the offenders will receive.
B. The residents of the town sing high praise for the bill.
C. The government is going to change the unreasonale and laughable decree.
D. No better resolution of the problems has been thought out.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Anyone can try to lead a group, but not every individual is cut out for leadership. The better leaders possess a few qualities that can mean the difference between the success and failure of the group. These are the qualities the leader of higher rank will look for when choosing a leader for a group, or when evaluating the performance of a leader. They're also the qualities team members want in a group leader, and appreciate when they find them.
Take Responsibility
Group leaders might share tasks around a group as necessary, but eventually a group leader needs to be able to accept that responsibility lies on his shoulders. That means that if things go wrong in a group project, he’s the one who must accept the consequences and work out what mistakes are made. The group leader won't always have the power to control everything group members do, but he should be ready to admit any mistakes the group has made as a result of his leadership
Concern for Members
The group leader has a commitment to the task or project at hand, but perhaps more importantly, he has a real concern for each and every person who is part of his group. This means getting to know the strengths, weaknesses and goals of team members, as well as making time to build the group through collective activities. The group leader should make sure that everyone is included, even if an individual is new to a group.
Good Listener
The group leader needs to be able to listen to the suggestions, complaints and ideas of group members. Not only will this allow complaints to be addressed and potentially suitable ideas to be put into practice, but a leader who listens will also encourage group members to share their concerns and thoughts, creating an atmosphere of free speech and productivity.
1.The passage is mainly about____________.
A. choosing a good leader for a group.
B. assessing the performance of a leader.
C. team members’ appreciation of a leader.
D. qualities of a good group leader.
2.A good leader should always be able to_______.
A. tell when things go wrong in a group project.
B. recognize any mistakes as his own.
C. make group members admit their mistakes.
D. control everything group members do.
3.According to “Concerns for members”, which of the following is a good quality of a leader?
A. fair B. reliable
C. determined D. generous
4.Which of the following is not a benefit of the group leader being a good listener?
A. Offering a chance for group members to express themselves freely
B. Making it possible to deal with group members’ complaints.
C. Allowing the leader to put his ideas into practice.
D. Making group members productive by sharing their thoughts.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
1. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here’s how:
Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First, time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then, decide a good, regular time for studying. 2. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a comer of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
Make good use of your time in class. 3. Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. 4.. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you’ll remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.
5.. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
A. There are other methods that might help you with your studying.
B. Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.
C. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.
D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.
E. Maybe you are an average student.
F. Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teacher says in class.
G. This will help you understand the next class.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
It was at a concert that I happened to find David. He was holding his head at a strange ______ as if he were staring down at something. Then the truth struck me. He was blind. The last thing he remembers _____ was his daughter being born. Then the world went ______.
Bad luck is no stranger to this 44-year-old man. His mother died of cancer, and his weak father had to ______ 11-year-old David to the care of the state. Things seemed always to go from bad to ______. Two years ago, his beloved guide dog pulled him out of the ______ of a truck. David was not hurt. The dog ______. But David does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little obstacles (障碍) you have to _____ in your life," he said. He has to make a daily two-hour trip to his working place---the X-ray department of an ______ room. It was a hard job to ____. Before he got it, David was determined to escape the workshop run by the Lighthouse, an organization ____ to help blind people. He wanted a job of developing X-ray film,, something ____, not just he, must do in the dark, including people with ____ eyesight. The Lighthouse called many hospitals, with no result, ____ they offered to pay his first three months' salary.
David works alone in a dark room that ____ chemicals. He cannot wear gloves. ____, he could not feel. Since this is an emergency room, lives can be ____ or out of danger. His directress says she trusts him 100 percent. He makes $ 20 000 a year. But his motivation (动机) goes ___ money. "By working, I can actualize my own ____. That's the most important!" he said.
What a shining example for us to ____!
1.A. ankle B. direction C. angle D. altitude
2.A. doing B. feeling C. seeing D. hearing
3.A. blank B. colorful C. empty D. silent
4.A. bring up B. bring in C. give up D. give in
5.A. worse B. good C. better D. mad
6.A. bottom B. path C. wheel D. back
7.A. killed B. sacrificed C. died D. injured
8.A. seek B. overcome C. surround D. search
9.A. upstairs B. emergency C. information D. underground
10.A. deal with B. get through C. take up D. come by
11.A. intended B. planned C. offered D. devoted
12.A. everyone B. nobody C. someone D. none
13.A. common B. poor C. normal D. actual
14.A. because B. if C. in case D. even though
15.A. consists of B. smells of C. tastes like D. feels like
16.A. However B. Unfortunately C. Otherwise D. Besides
17.A. put at risk B. put up with C. taken hold of D. taken in charge
18.A. into B. beyond C. onto D. below
19.A. blindness B. income C. value D. experience
20.A. set B. take C. study D. follow
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
Online shopping is coming into fashion in most cities, where people are able to make full use of the rapidly-developed internet technology. Nowadays, can we find a person 1.has not experienced online shopping? Definitely not.
Online shopping 2.(welcome) by most people due to various reasons. From the perspective of consumers, it can save some time for people who don’t have much spare time. Just click the mouse, and they can get whatever they want while staying at home. For the retailers, it can cut some costs for those who don’t have much circulating funds.3.(compare) with the traditional trade mode, they don’t have to spend money in renting a house. However, there are still some 4.(disadvantage) in online shopping. First, a face-to-face deal makes online shopping less 5.(rely) and trustworthy. Second, people will lose 6.fun of bargain.
7.is undeniable that shopping on the Internet has become an irresistible trend in modern society. It’s 8.(true) urgent that we need to make the relative laws 9.the rapid growth of online shopping. Only in this way can we enjoy the pleasure and convenience of online shopping without the concern of 10.(cheat).
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(^ )，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
With the summer vacation is drawing near, my classmates are all trying very hardly to get train tickets to go home except me. I have a different plan for the upcoming vacation. I have made up my mind to spend the first two weeks of the vacation travel alone in Sichuan and Guizhou and then work part-time in the city centre library for rest of the vacation. Since I won’t go home, my parents are going to visit myself on campus. When they coming here, I will show them around my university and the city as well. I am thinking of buying them some nice gifts, it will be a big surprising for them. My parents mean a lot to me. I think it is high time that I do something special to express my thanks to them for that they have done for me.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假设你叫李华，你和几位英语爱好者在互联网上建了一个叫 easyenglish 的网站。请用英语写一篇推介信，向你校学生介绍这个网站。要点如下；
1．创立网站的目的；
2．网站内容及功能(英语材料，聊天，展示交流等)；
3．感谢关注和号召使用。
注意： 1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头语已为你写好。
Dear fellow students,
My name is Li Hua and I'd like to introduce to you a new website-- easyenglish. com.__________________
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难度: 简单查看答案及解析