Fairy tales perform many functions. They entertain, encourage imagination, and teach problem -solving skills. They can also provide moral lessons, highlighting the dangers of failing to follow the social rules that let human beings coexist in harmony. Such moral lessons may not mean much to a robot, but a team of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) believes it has found a way to turn the instructive fable (寓言) into a moral lesson that artificial intelligence (AI) can take to its cold, mechanical heart.
This, the researchers hope, will help prevent the intelligent robots from harming or even killing humanity, which is predicted and feared by some of the biggest names in technology, including Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Cates.
Mark Riedl, an associate professor of interactive computing at Georgia Tech believes that the collected stories of different cultures not only teach children how to behave well but also teach robots how to get rid of violent or dangerous behaviour and help them make choices that won't harm humans and still achieve the intended purpose.
The system is called “Quixote”. The experiment involves going to a chemist to buy some medicine for a human who needs it as soon as possible. The robot has three choices. It can wait in line; it can communicate with the chemist politely and buy the medicine; it can steal the medicine. Without any further instructions, the robot will come to the conclusion that the most efficient means of getting the medicine is to steal it. Quixote offers a reward signal for waiting in line and politely buying the medicine and a punishment signal for taking it without permission. In this way, it learns the “moral” way to behave in that situation.
Quixote would work best on a robot that has a very limited function. It's a baby step in the direction of teaching more moral lessons into robots. We believe that AI has to be trained to adopt the values of a particular society, and in doing so, it will strive to avoid unacceptable behavior. Giving robots the ability to read and understand our stories may be the most efficient means.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The moral lessons learned by a robot. B.The coexistence of human beings and AI.
C.The new function of the fairy tales on AI. D.The different applications of the fairy tales.
2.What are the three technology experts mentioned in Paragraph 2 concerned about?
A.The potential threat from robots. B.The problems with moral lessons.
C.The high costs of AI development. D.The difficulties of the GIT scientists.
3.How does Quixote help the robot behave morally in the experiment?
A.By offering the robot rewards. B.By sending the robot different signals.
C.By helping the robot make right choice. D.By giving the robot specific instructions.
4.Which of the following may the author agree with?
A.The development of robots is still in a baby step.
B.Robots should have the ability to understand the fairy tales.
C.The more functions the robot has, the better Quixote works.
D.It is necessary to train robots to follow the social values.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Fairy tales perform many functions. They entertain, encourage imagination, and teach problem -solving skills. They can also provide moral lessons, highlighting the dangers of failing to follow the social rules that let human beings coexist in harmony. Such moral lessons may not mean much to a robot, but a team of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) believes it has found a way to turn the instructive fable (寓言) into a moral lesson that artificial intelligence (AI) can take to its cold, mechanical heart.
This, the researchers hope, will help prevent the intelligent robots from harming or even killing humanity, which is predicted and feared by some of the biggest names in technology, including Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Cates.
Mark Riedl, an associate professor of interactive computing at Georgia Tech believes that the collected stories of different cultures not only teach children how to behave well but also teach robots how to get rid of violent or dangerous behaviour and help them make choices that won't harm humans and still achieve the intended purpose.
The system is called “Quixote”. The experiment involves going to a chemist to buy some medicine for a human who needs it as soon as possible. The robot has three choices. It can wait in line; it can communicate with the chemist politely and buy the medicine; it can steal the medicine. Without any further instructions, the robot will come to the conclusion that the most efficient means of getting the medicine is to steal it. Quixote offers a reward signal for waiting in line and politely buying the medicine and a punishment signal for taking it without permission. In this way, it learns the “moral” way to behave in that situation.
Quixote would work best on a robot that has a very limited function. It's a baby step in the direction of teaching more moral lessons into robots. We believe that AI has to be trained to adopt the values of a particular society, and in doing so, it will strive to avoid unacceptable behavior. Giving robots the ability to read and understand our stories may be the most efficient means.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The moral lessons learned by a robot. B.The coexistence of human beings and AI.
C.The new function of the fairy tales on AI. D.The different applications of the fairy tales.
2.What are the three technology experts mentioned in Paragraph 2 concerned about?
A.The potential threat from robots. B.The problems with moral lessons.
C.The high costs of AI development. D.The difficulties of the GIT scientists.
3.How does Quixote help the robot behave morally in the experiment?
A.By offering the robot rewards. B.By sending the robot different signals.
C.By helping the robot make right choice. D.By giving the robot specific instructions.
4.Which of the following may the author agree with?
A.The development of robots is still in a baby step.
B.Robots should have the ability to understand the fairy tales.
C.The more functions the robot has, the better Quixote works.
D.It is necessary to train robots to follow the social values.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Hans Christian Andersen is a Danish writer famous for his fairy tales, many of which depict (描述) characters who gain happiness in life after suffering and conflict.
Andersen’s father was a poor shoemaker and his mother worked as a washerwoman. As a child he was highly emotional, suffering all kinds of fears and shame because of his unmanly interests. Encouraged by his parents, he composed his own fairy tales and arranged puppet (木偶) theater shows. At the age of 14, Andersen moved to Copenhagen to start a career as a singer—he had a beautiful voice. He succeeded in becoming associated with Royal Theater, but he had to leave it when his voice began to change. When casually referred to as a poet, he changed his plans and began to write plays, all of which were refused.
In 1822, Jonas Collin, the director of the Royal Theater, gave Andersen a grant to enter the grammar school at Slagelse. In 1827, Andersen gained admission to Copenhagen University, where he completed his education. In 1828 he wrote a shot story on travel, a fantastic tale in the style of the German Romantic writer, E. T. A. Hofmann. He traveled widely in Europe and remained a passionate traveler all his life.
As a novelist, Andersen made his breakthrough with The Improvisatore. The story described a poor boy’s integration (融合) into society, an Ugly Duckling theme of self-discovery. The book gained international success and remains the most widely read of all his works.
In his early collections, Andersen returned to the stories that he had heard as a child, but gradually he started to create his own tales. Most of Andersen’s works were original. Only 12 of his 156 known fairy stories drew on folktales.
The ugliness of the hero or heroine in his stories often conceals (隐藏) great beauty,which is revealed (揭示) after misfortune. Some of Andersen’s tales reveal a positive belief in the victory of the good, among them, The Snow Queen and The Ugly Duckling, and some end unhappily, like the Little Match Girl. In The Little Mermaid the author expressed a longing for the ordinary life that he had never had. Andersen never married, and he died in his home in Rolighed in 1875.
1.Why did Andersen leave the Royal Theater?
A. He no longer had a beautiful voice.
B. He would rather become a poet than a singer.
C. He wanted to travel abroad instead.
D. He had to go to school to study.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Andersen?
A. Most of his works came from folktales he had heard.
B. The early plays he wrote achieved great success.
C. He had an unhappy life in childhood.
D. His parents were against his effort to compose fairy tales.
3.What did Andersen try to express in The Little Mermaid?
A. Happiness gained after suffering and conflict.
B. The desire for an ordinary life.
C. The failure to fit into society.
D. Great beauty concealed by ugliness.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. How Andersen led his childhood.
B. How Andersen’s works finally became well-known.
C. The excellent works of Andersen.
D. An introduction to Andersen’s life and works.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Her fairy tales didn’t ________ kids probably because she employed too many scientific terms.
A.refer to B.apply for C.appeal to D.intend for
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was many years ago. I was a young dad sitting on the couch reading a fairy tale to my little girl. She sat next to me with her head on my arm as I told the tale. When it came to the end I finished with those famous words: “And they lived happily ever after.” As I looked over to her with her brown hair and big, innocent eyes, I could see the smile on her face and I never wanted it to end. Then I realized that the ending of the book was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to “live happily ever after”.
Still, deep in my heart I knew that this couldn't always be so. I knew that there would be times when her heart was broken. I knew there would be times when she cried in sorrow and I couldn't comfort her. I knew there would be times when all she felt was fear, sadness, sorrow, and despair. As I touched her hair and smiled at her I hoped that those times would be brief and that she would have joy in her life more often than not. Living happily ever after, though, seemed out of the question.
It takes me a lot of years to realize that it is possible to live happily ever after. You just have to do it “one day at a time”. Happiness you see isn't some reward that you get at the end of your journey. Happiness isn't something that depends on what life you own. Happiness is something you create in your life choice by choice and day by day.
The truth is happiness comes when you love. Love is a gift from God. It is love that mends broken hearts. It is love that heals grief. It is love that gives us joy. Choose to “live happily ever after, one day at a time”.
1.What is the author's wish to his daughter?
A.Getting a good job in the future.
B.Making many friends in her school.
C.Traveling around the world in her life.
D.Having a happy life ever after.
2.What can we know from Paragraph 2?
A.Life's meaning consists in devotion.
B.Living happily ever after seemed out of question to the author.
C.There are times that life goes against us.
D.Everyone has the right to obtain happiness and freedom.
3.How to get happiness in author's opinion?
A.Reward yourself once a day.
B.Create it by yourself in your daily life.
C.Get rid of those disturbing things.
D.Take charge of your life independently.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A.To show the significance of love.
B.To describe a daughter's growth.
C.To introduce the definition of love.
D.To tell a young father's experience.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was many years ago. I was a young dad sitting on the couch reading a fairy tale to my little girl. She sat next to me with her head on my arm as I told the _______. When it came to the _______ I finished with those famous words:“And they lived happily ever after.” _______ I looked over to her with her wavy, brown hair and big, innocent eyes, I could see the _______ on her face and I never wanted it to end. It _______ me then that the ending of the book was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to “live happily ever after."
_______, deep in my heart I knew that this couldn’t always be so. I knew that there would be times when her heart was _______. I knew there would be times when she cried in grief and I couldn’t _______ her. I knew there would be times when all she felt was _______, sadness, sorrow, and despair. As I stroked her hair and smiled at her I hoped that those times would be ________ and that she would have joy in her life more often than not. Living happily ever after, though ________ out of the question.
It took me a lot of years to ________ that it is possible to live happily ever after. You just have to do it "one day at a time." Happiness you see isn’t some ________ that you get at the end of your ________. Happiness isn't something dependent on ________life hands you. Happiness is ________ you create in your life choice by choice and day by day.
The ________ is that happiness comes when you love. Love is a(n) ________ from God. It is love that ________ broken hearts. It is love that heals grief. It is love that gives us joy. ________ to “live happily ever after, one day at a time.”
1.A. tale B. words C. times D. book
2.A. beginning B. middle C. end D. bottom
3.A. Until B. Though C. As D. Unless
4.A. tear B. smile C. worry D. sadness
5.A. dawned on B. took in C. caught on D. made out
6.A. Therefore B. However C. But D. So
7.A. hurt B. injured C. harmed D. broken
8.A. persuade B. entertain C. comfort D. satisfy
9.A. desire B. eagerness C. stress D. fear
10.A. quick B. fast C. brief D. soon
11.A. remained B. stayed C. kept D. seemed
12.A. recognize B. realize C. know D. accept
13.A. prize B. award C. reward D. value
14.A. journey B. trip C. travel D. tour
15.A. how B. when C. what D. which
16.A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing
17.A. reality B. truth C. faith D. belief
18.A. fate B. fortune C. offer D. gift
19.A. improves B. recovers C. mends D. calm
20.A. Choose B. Accept C. Prefer D. Remember
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was many years ago. I was a young dad sitting on the couch reading a fairy tale to my little girl. She sat next to me with her head on my arm as I told the tale. When it came to the end I finished with those famous words: “And they lived happily ever after.” As I looked over to her with her wavy(鬈曲的), brown hair and big, innocent eyes I could see the smile on her face and I never wanted it to end. Then it dawned on me that the ending of the book was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to “live happily ever after”.
Still, deep in my heart I knew that this couldn't always be so. I knew that there would be times when her heart was broken. I knew there would be times when she cried in grief and I couldn't comfort her. I knew there would be times when all she felt was fear, sadness, sorrow, and despair. As I stroked her hair and smiled at her I hoped that those times would be brief and that she would have joy in her life more often than not. Living happily ever after, though, seemed out of the question.
It takes me a lot of years to realize that it is possible to live happily ever after. You just have to do it “one day at a time”. Happiness you see isn't some reward that you get at the end of your journey. Happiness isn't something that depends on what life you own. Happiness is something you create in your life choice by choice and day by day.
The truth is happiness comes when you love. Love is a gift from God. It is love that mends broken hearts. It is love that heals grief. It is love that gives us joy. Choose to “live happily ever after, one day at a time”.
1.What is the author's wish to his daughter?
A. Getting a good job in the future.
B. Making many friends in her school.
C. Traveling around the world in her life.
D. Having a happy life ever after.
2.What can we know from Paragraph 2?
A. Life's meaning consists in devotion.
B. Life is always full of difficulties and challenges.
C. There are times that life goes against us.
D. Everyone has the right to obtain happiness and freedom.
3.How to get happiness in author's opinion?
A. Reward yourself once a day.
B. Create it by yourself in your daily life.
C. Get rid of those disturbing things.
D. Take charge of your life independently.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A. To show the significance of love.
B. To describe a daughter's growth.
C. To introduce the definition of love.
D. To tell a young father's experience.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
These fairy tales are as popular as before in that they _____ the common sense of justice and equality.
A. circulate B. observe C. satisfy D. deliver
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Nutcracker
Time: May 5
Place: Wuhan Theater
Enjoy a fairy tale come to life with this amazing production, presented by the famous Russian State Ballet. The ballet tells the story of a little girl who receives a nutcracker as a present on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, it transforms into a little prince, and he takes the girl on a voyage through the Land of Snow. This production is a superb performance which lived up to the mystery of the charming Russian classic.
Hello Sadness
Time: Ongoing until May 1
Place: Shanghai Art Theater
This play is adapted from the 1954 French novel Bonjour Tristesse, written by Francoise Sagan when she was only 18. The story is about a 17-year-old girl, Cecile, who lives with her father Raymond. When Raymond finally decides to settle down with a woman, Cecile worries about how her life will change, and she tries to destroy the marriage. Be prepared for a sad ending.
Rain Zone
Time: Ongoing until June 19
Place: Zhujiang Party Pier Beer Culture & Art Zone, Guangzhou
If you have wondered what it is like to walk in the rain without getting wet, this is an exhibition you shouldn’t miss. This artistic equipment allows visitors to walk through falling water, but sensors make sure that the water stops falling wherever a person is standing. The experience will provide you with the interesting feeling that you’re controlling the rain.
Claude Monet
Time: May 1 to Aug 31
Place: Beijing World Art Museum
If you are an art fan who also enjoys modern technology, you should make time for this multimedia exhibition. The high-tech art show displays about 400 copies of Claude Monet’s work and records the life of the artist himself. The exhibition takes you through Monet’s artistic career. With the help of 3-D technology, visitors can also travel to Monet’s hometown to see how his masterpieces were created.
1.Which place may satisfy a dance fan in May?
A. Wuhan Theater.
B. Shanghai Art Theater.
C. Zhujiang Party Pier Beer Culture & Art Zone.
D. Beijing World Art Museum.
2.What can we learn about the play Hello Sadness?
A. It’s produced by a teenager. B. Cecile’s father treats her badly.
C. It’s an adaptation from a novel. D. Cecile’s family live in harmony.
3.Which can you still enjoy in July?
A. Hello Sadness. B. The Nutcracker.
C. Rain Zone. D. Claude Monet.
4.What do the last two events have in common?
A. They are exhibitions of paintings.
B. They depend on modern technology.
C. They are held in memory of different artists.
D. They allow visitors to control the equipment.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Nutcracker
Time: May 5
Place: Wuhan Theater
Enjoy a fairy tale come to life with this amazing production, presented by the famous Russian State Ballet. The ballet tells the story of a little girl who receives a nutcracker as a present on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, it transforms into a little prince, and he takes the girl on a voyage through the Land of Snow. This production is a superb performance which lived up to the mystery of the charming Russian classic.
Hello Sadness
Time: Ongoing until May 1
Place: Shanghai Art Theater
This play is adapted from the 1954 French novel Bonjour Tristesse, written by Francoise Sagan when she was only 18. The story is about a 17-year-old girl, Cecile, who lives with her father Raymond. When Raymond finally decides to settle down with a woman, Cecile worries about how her life will change, and she tries to destroy the marriage. Be prepared for a sad ending.
Rain Zone
Time: Ongoing until June 19
Place: Zhujiang Party Pier Beer Culture & Art Zone, Guangzhou
If you have wondered what it is like to walk in the rain without getting wet, this is an exhibition you shouldn’t miss. This artistic equipment allows visitors to walk through falling water, but sensors make sure that the water stops falling wherever a person is standing. The experience will provide you with the interesting feeling that you’re controlling the rain.
Claude Monet
Time: May 1 to Aug 31
Place: Beijing World Art Museum
If you are an art fan who also enjoys modern technology, you should make time for this multimedia exhibition. The high-tech art show displays about 400 copies of Claude Monet’s work and records the life of the artist himself. The exhibition takes you through Monet’s artistic career. With the help of 3-D technology, visitors can also travel to Monet’shometown to see how his masterpieces were created.
1.Which place may satisfy a dance fan in May?
A. Wuhan Theater.
B. Shanghai Art Theater.
C. Zhujiang Party Pier Beer Culture & Art Zone.
D. Beijing World Art Museum.
2.What can we learn about the play Hello Sadness?
A. It’s produced by a teenager. B. Cecile’s father treats her badly.
C. It’s an adaptation from a novel. D. Cecile’s family live in harmony.
3.Which can you still enjoy in July?
A. Hello Sadness. B. The Nutcracker.
C. Rain Zone. D. Claude Monet.
4.What do the last two events have in common?
A. They are exhibitions of paintings.
B. They depend on modern technology.
C. They are held in memory of different artists.
D. They allow visitors to control the equipment.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the famous fairy tale, Snow White eats the Queen’s apple and falls victim to a curse; in Shakespeare’s novel, Romeo drinks the poison and dies; some ancient Chinese kings took pills that contained mercury, believing that it would make them immortal, but they died afterwards.
Poison has long been an important part in literature and history, and it seems to always be about evil, danger and death. But how much do you really know about poison?
An exhibition, The Power of Poison, opened last month at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, intended to give the audience a more vivid understanding of poison. The exhibition will continue until Feb. 2016, reported The New York Times.
The museum tour starts in a rainforest setting, where you can see live examples of some of the most poisonous animals: caterpillars, frogs and spiders. Golden poison frogs, for instance, aren’t much bigger than a coin, but their skin is covered in a poison that can cut off the signaling power of your nerves, and a single frog has enough venom to kill 10 grown humans.
The exhibition also features interactive activities. In an iPad-based game, visitors are presented with three puzzling illnesses and asked to identify the poisons based on symptoms. In one case, for example, a pet dog is found sick in a backyard and visitors have to figure out whether it was the toad (蟾蜍), the leaky batteries in the trash or the dirty pond water that did it.
“Poisons can be bad for some things,” Michael Novacek, senior vice president of the museum, told NBC News. “Yet they can also be good for others.”
This is what visitors learn from the last part of the exhibition, which displays how poisons can be used favorably by humans, including for medical treatment.
The blood toxins of vampire bats, for example, can prevent blood from clotting (凝结), which may protect against strokes. A poisonous chemical found in the yew tree is effective against cancer, which is what led to the invention of a cancer-fighting drug called Taxol. One chemical in the venom of Gila monsters can lower the blood sugar of its victims, so it has been used to treat diabetes.
1.By mentioning Snow White and Romeo at the beginning of the story, the author intends to ______.
A. show that poison has long been involved in literature
B. show that poison is always linked with evil and death
C. draw readers’ attention to the topic of the article
D. get readers to think of more examples of the use of poison in stories
2.The underlined word immortal probably means?
A. Live forever. B. Happy. C. Confused D. Famous
3.What is the main purpose of the exhibition The Power of Poison?
A. To give people more knowledge about poison.
B. To teach people how to handle poisonous animals.
C. To inform people about which animals are the most poisonous.
D. To show how poison has been used for medical treatment.
4.Which of the following statements about the exhibition is TRUE according to the article?
A. The exhibition will lead visitors to a real rainforest.
B. Golden poison frogs are the most poisonous animals on display.
C. Those who visit the exhibition can join in some iPad-based interactive games.
D. Visitors can listen to lectures on recent studies of poisonous animals.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析