Robots are now being employed not just for dangerous tasks, such as discovering mines or rescuing people in disasters. They are also finding application as household helps and as nursing assistants. As increasing numbers of machines, equipped with the latest artificial intelligence, take on a growing variety of specialized and everyday tasks, the question of how people see them and behave towards them becomes ever more urgent.
A team led by Sari Nijssen of Radboud University and Markus Paulus, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU),have carried out a study to determine the degree to which people show concern for robots and behave towards them based on moral principles.
According to Sari Nijssen, the study set out to answer the following question:” Under what circumstances would adults be willing to sacrifice robots to save human lives?” The participants were faced with a hypothetical (假设的) moral dilemma: Would they be prepared to put a single person at risk in order to save a group of injured persons? In the situations presented the intended victim was either a human, a humanoid robot that had been humanized (人性化的) to various degrees or a robot that was clearly recognizable as a machine.
The study suggested that the more the robot was humanized, the less likely participants were to sacrifice it. Situations that included vivid stories in which the robot was described as a merciful being or as a creature with its own understandings, experiences and thoughts, were more likely to stop the study participants from sacrificing it in the interests of anonymous (无名的) humans.
“This result indicates that our study group attached a certain moral status to the robot,” says Paulus. “One possible suggestion of this finding is that attempts to humanize robots should not go too far. Such efforts could come into conflict with their intended function—to be of help to us.”
1.What has become a concern about robots?
A.How to humanize them. B.How to treat them in life.
C.How to use them effectively. D.How to find more applications.
2.In the study the participants probably have to decide ________.
A.when to sacrifice a robot B.where to experience risks
C.which robot to work with D.what robots should be like
3.What can be inferred from Paulus’ words?
A.Humanized robots offer less help to people.
B.Humanizing robots too much may be improper.
C.Certain moral status should be attached to robots.
D.Conflicts often happen between humans and robots.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Robots, A Must for Future
B.Humanized Robots, A New Trend
C.Robot Saved, People Take the Hit
D.Humanized Robots, Replace Human
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Robots are now being employed not just for dangerous tasks, such as discovering mines or rescuing people in disasters. They are also finding application as household helps and as nursing assistants. As increasing numbers of machines, equipped with the latest artificial intelligence, take on a growing variety of specialized and everyday tasks, the question of how people see them and behave towards them becomes ever more urgent.
A team led by Sari Nijssen of Radboud University and Markus Paulus, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU),have carried out a study to determine the degree to which people show concern for robots and behave towards them based on moral principles.
According to Sari Nijssen, the study set out to answer the following question:” Under what circumstances would adults be willing to sacrifice robots to save human lives?” The participants were faced with a hypothetical (假设的) moral dilemma: Would they be prepared to put a single person at risk in order to save a group of injured persons? In the situations presented the intended victim was either a human, a humanoid robot that had been humanized (人性化的) to various degrees or a robot that was clearly recognizable as a machine.
The study suggested that the more the robot was humanized, the less likely participants were to sacrifice it. Situations that included vivid stories in which the robot was described as a merciful being or as a creature with its own understandings, experiences and thoughts, were more likely to stop the study participants from sacrificing it in the interests of anonymous (无名的) humans.
“This result indicates that our study group attached a certain moral status to the robot,” says Paulus. “One possible suggestion of this finding is that attempts to humanize robots should not go too far. Such efforts could come into conflict with their intended function—to be of help to us.”
1.What has become a concern about robots?
A.How to humanize them. B.How to treat them in life.
C.How to use them effectively. D.How to find more applications.
2.In the study the participants probably have to decide ________.
A.when to sacrifice a robot B.where to experience risks
C.which robot to work with D.what robots should be like
3.What can be inferred from Paulus’ words?
A.Humanized robots offer less help to people.
B.Humanizing robots too much may be improper.
C.Certain moral status should be attached to robots.
D.Conflicts often happen between humans and robots.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Robots, A Must for Future
B.Humanized Robots, A New Trend
C.Robot Saved, People Take the Hit
D.Humanized Robots, Replace Human
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Shopping centers，stadiums and universities may soon have a new tool to help fight crime.
A California company called Knightscope says its robots can predict and prevent crime. Knightscope says the goal is to reduce crime by half in areas the robots guard.
William Santana Li is the chief executive officer of Knightscope. He says，"These robot security guards will change the world. Our planet has more than seven billion people on it. It's going to quickly get to nine billion people. The security equipment that we have globally is just not going to develop that fast. The company's Autonomous Data Machines can become the eyes and ears of law enforcement（执法）."
"You want them to be machines plus humans. Let. the machines do the heavy and sometimes dangerous work and let the humans do the strategic decision-making work，so it's always working all together."
The machines do not carry weapons but they have day and night video cameras which are able to turn 360 degrees and can also sense chemical and biological weapons.
Some people may become concerned about their privacy, especially in connection with the video recordings. Some people may worry that such recordings will appear on the Internet. Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the UCLA School of Law, says the machines have to be used in the right way and it will be interesting to see how state laws deal with this kind of video.
William Santana Li says there is a long waiting list for the robots in the US. Workers in the company are working overtime to meet the demands of the market. At least 25 other countries are also interested in these robot security guards.
1.What can this new tool do for humans?
A.Make strategic decisions.
B.Keep watching day and night.
C.Carry heavy weapons.
D.Stop crime autonomously.
2.Why are some people worried about the new robots?
A.Their privacy may be let out.
B.The robots are very expensive.
C.Robots will replace humans.
D.They will be out of work soon.
3.Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
A.Robots Are Becoming More Popular
B.Robots Contribute a Lot to the World
C.Robots Are in Great Demand Now
D.Security Robots Could Help Cut Crime
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Japanese scientists and technology companies are coming up with new ways to deal with employee shortages in delivery service. How exactly? By introducing a robot that can deliver food to your home. A Japanese company ZMP has launched robot tests recently.
The ZMP's delivery robot in the process of testing is a red box that measures 109 cm and 133 cm in heights and lengths respectively. It is designed to carry up to 100 kilograms of anything with a approximate speed of 4 miles an hour. It has its own navigating system and a map, sensors(传感器)and cameras that allow it to self-drive. These, for now, are its main technical abilities. The next developments will be control of food temperature, and perhaps，voice control and speaking abilities.
The robot will be tested together with a local sushi(寿司)delivery company Ride on Express Co. Upon making a sushi order, customers will receive codes on their smart phones that will allow them to unlock the robot and get their orders out. Similar testing attempts have been undertaken by Domino's Pizza in Australia, where they tested a delivery robot a year ago.
In any case, before robots are able to deliver food or any other goods to real customers, massive testing on public roads or in the public air space will have to take place. While it is in the government's best interest to make up for the shortage of delivery in the Japanese labor market, it is clear that self-driving machines of any kind will not be permitted on the roads until they are fully tested and proven safe enough for public roads. According to the experts, this could take another 3 to 5 years.
In any case, robot delivery is not such a distant future after all, and recent developments show that there is significant market demand for such type of delivery.
1.How do Japanese handle the employee shortages in delivery service?
A.By raising employment and working hours.
B.By employing science and technology.
C.By increasing the salary.
D.By delivering more at a time.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The introduction of delivery robots.
B.The usage of delivery robots.
C.The basic data of delivery robots.
D.The appearance of delivery robots.
3.What's the reaction of Japanese government to delivery robots?
A.Being critical of the technology.
B.Ignoring the development.
C.Being a little bit hesitated.
D.Becoming great interested.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Robot Delivery：New Tests in Japan B.Robot Delivery Coming to Use in Japan
C.Employee Shortage in Delivery in Japan D.Latest Automatic Service：Robots
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ask people to name a safe place and most will say “home”. But every year the British Government produces its official Home Accident Survey, which shows that home can be a dangerous place. Last year 7 British citizens died while putting up their Christmas decorations. Over 1,600 needed medical help after falling off their chairs. And 70 people had fatal accidents while lying in bed. 1.
Modern societies are designed to be safe. 2. “Extreme sports”, such as bungee jumping and skiing down cliffs(悬崖), are becoming more and more popular. Psychologists call this “ self-actualization”. They mean a desire to be different and stand out from the crowd.
3. But they will take risks in other areas. For example, they risk failure when they start new businesses. This is a more acceptable risk than mountain climbing. Even when people fail, they are still alive. It is possible to say that the whole world economy simply consists of people deciding whether to take risks or not.
Maybe it is safer to keep your head down at work. Perhaps now is not the time for that great business idea. Shouldn't we just play it safe? But this too is risky. 4. This is why, according to the Home Accident Survey, twice as many people fall from short ladders as from long ones.
5. It sharpens up the mind's decision-making processes. This may date from the onrigins of human civilization. Our remote ancestors were faced with a choice. Leaving their cave might mean being eaten by wild animals. But staying in the cave meant starving for certain. They took the risk and society was born.
A.Most people do not want to risk their lives.
B.It may well be that we need risk as a kind of mental training.
C.It is safe to say that no activity is without danger.
D.If we refuse to take any risks then we limit our ability to think clearly.
E.Yet this produces a desire in some people to look for danger.
F.Maybe you will try to keep away from what is too dangerous.
G.This proves that danger is usually caused by people themselves.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
If your parents will retire soon, to live comfortably in retirement, you need to persuade them to save until it hurts. 1.They may think they can't afford to save or fear losing money to had investments （投资）,but they have to overcome those fears, because a financially （财政上）secure future will be up to them.
They can start by saving as little as $10 a paycheck or putting away half their next rise. A small amount of money can produce massive amounts of wealth over time. 2.
People used not to worry about saving for their later years because many had pensions, and they didn't live as long as people do now. But they can no longer count on their employers, partly because the employers might not he able to afford their pensions, and most people don't stay with one employer. 3. Consequently, they should depend on themselves for retirement.
4. You can advise them to start by contributing 1% of their pay. If the 1% contribution hurts, then they can slay at that level until it doesn't hurt any more. If it doesn't hurt, then increase their contribution（by another 1%.）Do that until it hurts.
5.They just ask for a small cup of coffee instead of a large cup in the coffee house or they can try to skip drinking soda daily at lunch. In time they will benefit a lot from today's’ efforts when they retire.
A.They can start small.
B.The key is getting started.
C.But believe you can make it.
D.Many people change jobs every few years.
E.It's easy to cut a dollar a day from most budgets.
F.People give lots of excuses for not saving for retirement.
G.Some seniors are confident that they will be supported by their children.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
While it is impossible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can’t be avoided. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to deal with stress.
•Try physical activities
When you are nervous, angry or upset, try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical activities. 1.
•Take care of yourself.
You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and cannot sleep well enough, or if you're not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into situations of stress. 2.
•Make time for yourself.
3.Don't forget, play can be just as important as work. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun. Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least half an hour each day to do something you enjoy.
•4.
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there's so much to do, and not enough time. " Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and, as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do. Set out to do the most important tasks first. Then do one thing at a time.5.
A.Bear in the most important task.
B.Schedule time for both work and play.
C.Check off each task as it is completed.
D.Make a list of the things you need to do.
E.For example, you could take your job as your hobby.
F.If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult a doctor.
G.Running, walking, or playing tennis are just some of the activities you might try.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Everyone procrastinates(拖延). “It's part of the human condition, ”says procrastination researcher Tim Pychyl. “We want to feel good now. The way to do that is avoid the task.” He admits that in the short term, procrastination is powerfully rewarding. The present self-benefits, of course, but not the future self.
His research has shown that people can procrastinate on nearly anything, even enjoyable tasks such as planning a vacation. Some people procrastinate cleaning. Some people procrastinate by cleaning. The top tasks people delay are advancing their careers, taking care of their health, and planning their finances.
One big factor for them is fear of failure, of not living up to expectations. Kelli Saginak, a 57-year-old health coach from Wisconsin, procrastinated about looking for a new job for years. That inability to take action only confirmed her belief that she would never do any better. “It's totally fear of judgment,” says Saginak. “If I don't take the risk, I don't have to face the judgment. Yet it's simply me judging myself.”
Some people embrace procrastination, insisting that the white-hot pressure of a last-minute completion makes his or her work better. But researchers have proved it wrong. “I did an experiment, putting procrastinators under restrictions of time. They did worse than non-procrastinators, but they thought they did better.” says Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor. “Non- Procrastinators focus on the task that needs to be done. They have a stronger personal identity and are less concerned about what psychologists call social esteem's how others like us.”
Procrastination is usually not going to be good for you. Just thinking about what you haven't done may cause discomfort. So if you have been procrastinating on starting an exercise routine, just put on your walking shoes. If you've been putting off a work project, reread your boss's notes about it.
1.According to Tim Pychyl, people procrastinate because .
A.it simplifies the tasks B.it offers temporary relief
C.it allows more time for planning D.it benefits one's self development
2.What did Kelli Saginak mean by “Yet it's simply me judging myself”?
A.She has false expectations. B.She makes quick judgement.
C.She regrets taking no action. D.She values her present career.
3.What does Joseph Ferrari's experiment show?
A.Procrastinators usually lack confidence.
B.Procrastinators turn pressure into motivation.
C.Non-procrastinators care much about others 'feelings.
D.Non-procrastinators perform better within a time limit.
4.What is the author's attitude towards procrastination?
A.Favorable. B.Reserved. C.Opposed. D.Objective.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Easy ways to have the best day ever
Having to set an alarm every day to wake up early is an awful feeling. So what if you could wake up in the morning and be ready to take the day on head first? Well, it takes just several simple steps. Wake up, and be awesome!
Get ready the night before.
The first approach to becoming a morning person and ensuring you have an amazing day is getting ready the night before. Keep your bags ready to go, filled with a snack for the day and all your belongings. 1.
Try and stay off your phone.
We are all guilty of getting up，then going straight on our phones, then two minutes turns into 20 and then it is rush, rush! Avoid going on your phone apart from turning your alarm off. 2. They can be read afterwards.
3.
When you get to work/ school or even if you are home for the day, prepare for some tasks in advance. Put the most important one at the top in red so that you know that you have to get it done firstly.
Eat breakfast.
There is no denying that the best way to feel and look good for the entire day is by eating your breakfast. Just eat something, a breakfast bar or even a piece of fruit. 4. Your body needs food to keep it going and a hungry stomach puts you in the worse mood.
Be positive
The last way to have the best day ever is not to think of all the things that went wrong yesterday or all the things you need to get done but haven’t got enough time for. The thought will stress you out even more. 5.
Now you’re on the path to having the best day ever.
A.Ignore the messages.
B.Write a list of things to do.
C.Find the best feeling to finish a task.
D.Make sure you will not forget anything.
E.A positive mind is beneficial for you to solve all the problems.
F.So focusing on the good things that could happen will be helpful.
G.This will energize your brain and start to make the nervous system work.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Robots are increasingly being developed to think and act like humans. But one common human quality that has been difficult for engineers to recreate in machines is humor.
Most robots are powered by artificial intelligence, or AI. Some have performed better than humans in tests designed to measure machine intelligence.
Computer scientists have also hoped to give robots technical skills to help them recognize, process and react to humor. But these attempts have mostly failed.
Kiki Hempelmann is a computational language expert who studies humor at Texas A&M University. “Artificial intelligence will never get jokes like humans do,” he told the Associated Press. The main problem, Hempelmann says, is that robots completely miss the context of humor.
Tristan Miller is a computer scientist and linguist at Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany. In one research project, he studied more than 10,000 puns(双关语).
Puns are a kind of joke that uses a word with two meanings. For example, you could say, “Balloons do not like pop music.” The word “pop” can be a way of saying popular music; or, “pop” can be the sound a balloon makes when it explodes.
But a robot might not get the joke. Tristan Miller says that is because humor is a kind of creative language that is extremely difficult for computer intelligence to understand.
Despite the difficulties, Darmstadt University’s Miller says there are good reasons to keep trying to teach humor to robots. It could make machines more relatable, especially if they can learn to understand sarcasm(讽刺), he noted. Humans use sarcasm to say one thing but mean another.
But Texas A&M’s Kiki Hempelmann is not sure such attempts are a good idea. “Teaching AI systems humor is dangerous because they may find it where it isn’t, and they may use it where it’s inappropriate,” he said. “Maybe bad AI will start killing people because it thinks it is funny,” he added.
1.Which is difficult for robots to gain according to the passage?
A.Thinking. B.Humor.
C.Intelligence. D.Action.
2.What does Kiki mean by saying robots’ missing the context of humor?
a. They lack creativity and skills.
b. They have no sense of humor at all.
c. They don’t understand the situation.
d. They have no related ideas that make a joke funny.
A.ab B.ac
C.bd D.cd
3.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.The risk of teaching humor to AI.
B.The necessity of making AI smart.
C.The reason to keep robots humorous.
D.The possibility of robot understanding humor.
4.Which is the best title of the passage?
A.To Be Smarter, Be Humorous.
B.AI can Get Jokes Like Humans.
C.How to Help Robots Learn Humor?
D.Why Robot Humor Mostly Falls Flat.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
With self-driving vehicle technology rapidly advancing, many companies are turning to autonomous robots for the final leg of the delivery process, from the store or local distribution center to the customer. The latest to join the trend is e-commerce giant Amazon. Following a successful eight-month test run in Snohomish County, Washington, the company’s Scout robots have been making the rounds of Irvine, California, since August 6, 2019.
The six-wheeled Scout is about the size of a large cooler with the capacity to carry small or medium-sized packages. The battery-powered vehicle, which moves at a regular walking pace, has been programmed to avoid pedestrians, animals, and unexpected obstacles, such as garbage cans. Its powerful sensors can also detect the movement of a car backing out of a driveway.
To accelerate Scout’s development and bring it nationwide sooner, the company has created several detailed virtual maps of American suburbs and conducted trial deliveries to homes there.
Though Amazon has not shown how Scout ensures the delivery is picked up by the right person, it most likely requires the customers to apply a unique code, texted to them prior to the delivery, to unlock the store box. Also unclear is the number of deliveries Scout can complete before its battery needs to be recharged. Though the initial tests are being conducted with a human for company, the robot will be autonomous in the future. Its location, however, will be tracked at all times—if someone attempts to steal Scout, Amazon employees will be instantly sensed.
However, the eco-friendly robots are unable to climb stairs or open gates, which means that they can only reach consumers who live on the ground level. Additionally, the robots are unable to leave packages at the front door if the customers are not home. Whether these problems get resolved remains to be seen. For now, it appears that humans will still be needed to achieve the ever-growing demand for home and office deliveries.
1.Which of the following descriptions about Scout is right?
A.They can be powered themselves. B.They are strong enough to carry big things.
C.They can run with their six wheels. D.They can avoid obstacles ahead.
2.What about Scout is still confusing to common people?
A.How many deliveries it can do on a full charge. B.Whether it can climb stairs or open gates.
C.How it recognizes the right owner of the things. D.How long it will take to get it fully charged.
3.What does the underlined phrase “prior to” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.due to B.after C.in front of D.before
4.What is the author’s opinion about delivery robots according to the last paragraph?
A.They are not easily available. B.They have some limitations.
C.They will replace humans soon. D.They won’t be well accepted.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析