We like to think our intelligence is self-made; it happens inside our heads, the product of our inner thoughts alone. But the rise of Google, Wikipedia and other online tools has made many people question the impact of these technologies on our brains. Is typing in “Who has played James Bond in the movies?” the same as our knowledge about the names like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Can we say we know the answer as long as we know how to rapidly get the information on Google?
Here the question is about how we define intelligence itself. The answer appears to be interesting, because the evidence from psychological studies suggests that much of our intelligence comes from how we coordinate ourselves with other people and our environment.
An influential theory among psychologists is that we're cognitive misers(认知吝啬者). This is the idea that we are unwilling to do mental work unless we have to. We try to avoid thinking things fully when a short cut is available. If you've ever voted for the presidential candidate(总统候选人) with the most honest smile, or chosen a restaurant based on how many people are already sitting in there, then you are a cognitive miser. The theory explains why we'd much rather type a zip code into Google Maps than memorize and recall the location of a place – it's so much easier to do so.
Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access. Buildings can somehow disappear from pictures we're looking at, or the people we're talking to can be changed with someone else, and often we won't notice – a phenomenon called “change blindness”. This isn't an example of human stupidity – far from it, in fact – this is an example of mental efficiency. The mind relies on the world as a better record than memory.
Philosophers have suggested that thinking is really happening in the environment as much as it is happening in our brains. The philosopher Andy Clark called humans "natural born cyborgs(电子人)", those naturally capable of absorbing and combining new tools, ideas and abilities. In Clark's view, the route to a solution is not the issue – having the right tools really does mean you know the answers, just as much as already knowing the answer.
Rather than being forced to rely on our own resources for everything, we can share our knowledge. Technology keeps track of things for us so we don't have to, while large systems of knowledge serve the needs of society as a whole. I don't know how a computer works, or how to grow vegetables, but that knowledge is out there and I can get to benefit. The internet provides even more potential to share this knowledge. Wikipedia is one of the best examples – an increasingly large database of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.
So as well as having a physical environment – like the rooms or buildings we live or work in – we also have a mental environment, which means that when I ask you where your mind is, you shouldn’t point toward the centre of your forehead. As research shows, our minds are made up just as much by the people and tools around us as they are by the brain cells inside our skull.
1.Why did the writer raise the questions in Paragraph 1?
A.To find out who has played James Bond in the movies.
B.To introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage.
C.To show that he knows the answer to the questions.
D.To attract readers’ attention by mentioning James Bond.
2.What is the writer’s attitude towards the rise of technologies like Google and Wikipedia?
A.Supportive B.Objective C.Indifferent D.Neutral
3. Which of the following might the philosopher Andy Clark agree with?
A.Intelligence is something that is made by one’s brain itself.
B.Intelligence is something that only happens inside one’s head.
C.Intelligence is the product of one’s inner thoughts alone.
D.Intelligence is a mixture of the environment, people and one’s brain cells.
4.It is true about the phenomenon called “change blindness” that human beings____.
A.are stupid not to notice the changes
B.are efficient in mental work
C.are blind to changes around them
D.rely on memory when dealing with things
5.According to the text, how do technologies like Google, Wikipedia affect us?
A.They make us much more intelligent.
B.They make us lazier and more stupid.
C.They have little to do with our intelligence.
D.They have a negative effect on our intelligence.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
We like to think our intelligence is self-made; it happens inside our heads, the product of our inner thoughts alone. But the rise of Google, Wikipedia and other online tools has made many people question the impact of these technologies on our brains. Is typing in “Who has played James Bond in the movies?” the same as our knowledge about the names like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Can we say we know the answer as long as we know how to rapidly get the information on Google?
Here the question is about how we define intelligence itself. The answer appears to be interesting, because the evidence from psychological studies suggests that much of our intelligence comes from how we coordinate ourselves with other people and our environment.
An influential theory among psychologists is that we're cognitive misers(认知吝啬者). This is the idea that we are unwilling to do mental work unless we have to. We try to avoid thinking things fully when a short cut is available. If you've ever voted for the presidential candidate(总统候选人) with the most honest smile, or chosen a restaurant based on how many people are already sitting in there, then you are a cognitive miser. The theory explains why we'd much rather type a zip code into Google Maps than memorize and recall the location of a place – it's so much easier to do so.
Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access. Buildings can somehow disappear from pictures we're looking at, or the people we're talking to can be changed with someone else, and often we won't notice – a phenomenon called “change blindness”. This isn't an example of human stupidity – far from it, in fact – this is an example of mental efficiency. The mind relies on the world as a better record than memory.
Philosophers have suggested that thinking is really happening in the environment as much as it is happening in our brains. The philosopher Andy Clark called humans "natural born cyborgs(电子人)", those naturally capable of absorbing and combining new tools, ideas and abilities. In Clark's view, the route to a solution is not the issue – having the right tools really does mean you know the answers, just as much as already knowing the answer.
Rather than being forced to rely on our own resources for everything, we can share our knowledge. Technology keeps track of things for us so we don't have to, while large systems of knowledge serve the needs of society as a whole. I don't know how a computer works, or how to grow vegetables, but that knowledge is out there and I can get to benefit. The internet provides even more potential to share this knowledge. Wikipedia is one of the best examples – an increasingly large database of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.
So as well as having a physical environment – like the rooms or buildings we live or work in – we also have a mental environment, which means that when I ask you where your mind is, you shouldn’t point toward the centre of your forehead. As research shows, our minds are made up just as much by the people and tools around us as they are by the brain cells inside our skull.
1.Why did the writer raise the questions in Paragraph 1?
A.To find out who has played James Bond in the movies.
B.To introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage.
C.To show that he knows the answer to the questions.
D.To attract readers’ attention by mentioning James Bond.
2.What is the writer’s attitude towards the rise of technologies like Google and Wikipedia?
A.Supportive B.Objective C.Indifferent D.Neutral
3. Which of the following might the philosopher Andy Clark agree with?
A.Intelligence is something that is made by one’s brain itself.
B.Intelligence is something that only happens inside one’s head.
C.Intelligence is the product of one’s inner thoughts alone.
D.Intelligence is a mixture of the environment, people and one’s brain cells.
4.It is true about the phenomenon called “change blindness” that human beings____.
A.are stupid not to notice the changes
B.are efficient in mental work
C.are blind to changes around them
D.rely on memory when dealing with things
5.According to the text, how do technologies like Google, Wikipedia affect us?
A.They make us much more intelligent.
B.They make us lazier and more stupid.
C.They have little to do with our intelligence.
D.They have a negative effect on our intelligence.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We like to think that the human mind is special. One sign of our superiority is self-awareness, which is generally seen as the peak of consciousness. Only a select group of species has passed the test of being able to recognise themselves in a mirror. Most, including elephants, apes and dolphins, are smart. But now a little fish, the cleaner wrasse has become the first fish ever to pass the mirror test——a classic experiment used to judge self-awareness in animals. What are we to make of this?
Admittedly^ the mirror test is a questionable way of probing (探究)the minds of other animals. But the finding does fit with a new idea that the ability to recognise oneself is more related to an animal’s lifestyle than to its brain size. Self-awareness is likely to occur in creatures whose survival is dependent on reading the minds of others. In fact, by this way of thinking, it is nothing more than an accidental by-product of evolution^ a simulation (模拟)created by the brain, or even just a hall of mirrors giving the illusion of complexity.
The cleaner wrasse lives on coral reefs and provides a service by biting parasites (寄 生虫)off the scales of bigger fish gently, a delicate relationship that may require insight into the minds of its clients. Such “theory of mind” has long been seen as another cornerstone of human mental superiority. The possibility that fish possess it is not, however, the only threat to our human exceptionalism (例外).It may not be long before computers give us a run for our money , too.
Researchers have created a set of tests to look for theory of mind in artificial intelligence— and some systems are on the point of passing. No AIs have passed the tests yet, but one got extremely close. We probably don't need to worry about robots that can recognise themselves in mirrors. But we might want to be more open to the idea that human intelligence isn't quite as special as we like to think.
1.What can we learn from the mirror test?
A.Mammals have a more adaptive body system.
B.A species of fish is capable of self-recognition.
C.The human mind is just as special as expected.
D.Humans have reached the peak of consciousness.
2.According to the passage, self-awareness .
A.is formed during evolution by chance B.corresponds with the size of the brain
C.isn't a hall of mirrors but a simulation D.reflects the typical mental complexity
3.The underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably means "
A.bring us huge profits
B.cost us a lot of money
C.have great control over us
D.challenge our exceptionalism
4.What' s the main idea of the passage?
A.Fish possess no level of intelligence.
B.Humans are not unique in intelligence.
C.AIs will be able to understand our thoughts.
D.Self-awareness is a big mystery of the mind.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Although it is not our normal _______ to give credit in our shop, this time I think we should consider the matter more closely.
A.habit B.practice C.action D.intention
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
请根据以下提示,并结合事例,用英语写一篇短文。
In our daily life, we'd like to receive whatever we can get. But it is often the case that giving is better than receiving.
注意: ①无须写标题;
②除诗歌外,文体不限;
③内容必须结合你生活中的一个事例;
④不得透露个人姓名和学校名称;
⑤词数不少于120,如引用提示语则不计入总词数。
高三英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析
It looks like the weather is changing for ______. Shall we stick to our plan?
A. the worse B. worse C. the worst D. worst
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It looks like the weather is changing for ______. Shall we stick to our plan?
A. the worse B. worse C. the worst D. worst
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It looks like the weather is changing for ______. Shall we stick to our plan?
A. the worse B. worse C. the worst D. worst
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It looks like the weather is changing for ______ .Shall we stick to our plan?
A.the worse B.worse C.the worst D.worst
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
I always reflect on what happened in my life. I think this is important—to appreciate our wins, losses, new passions, insights, etc. ________1.________ Here are some tips for you on reflection.
1. Focus on the process and not the outcome.
This thought was beautifully summed up by Srikumar Rao. He explains how we fail because
we focus our energies on the outcome rather than the- process itself. When a child learns to walk, she never focuses on the outcome but on the process.
2. Failure is a lead not a stop sign.
When you hit a wall and things don’t turn up the way they are intended, no one is saying to you, “This is where you stop because you failed”. If you do, you are reading the wrong information. Failure tells us, “ ________2.________ Try another method.”
3. Happiness is not the destination but the journey.
We think that happiness is a result that comes after having acquired or achieved something we don’t have. This is not quite right. ________3.________ It’s about stepping back and enjoying the ride rather than expecting it at your destination point.
4. Wisdom comes from the balance between your knowledge and your heart.
Let your heart talk more; it’s wiser than you think. You can be as knowledgeable and clever as one can be. ________4.________ Wisdom is really having reached a stage where you balance all your knowledge with your heart.
5. Gratitude is the energy-drink of the soul.
Say thank you to the universe every morning. Appreciation can lift your soul from anxiety which weighs you down. Try it out. ________5. It will help you appreciate life with more depth and perspective.
A. Failure is the mother of success.
B. Happiness is when we accept and enjoy everything as it is.
C. This method and the intended result do not match.
D. Be thankful to at least one thing in your day.
E. Not reflecting on our lives and experiences is a wasted chance for growth.
F. Happiness means achieving your goals and getting what you want.
G. But if your mind doesn’t go with your heart, you are losing energy in internal conflicts.
高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
Slowly, so slowly that we never even noticed how it happened, our family stopped talking to each other. Our own worlds opened up to us through the computer or the cell phone or the CD player.
Family Night was born when Mom called us for dinner. Jessica and I came and sat down. Dad loaded his plate and started to rise from the table.
“Where are you going?” Mom questioned.
“To the living room. I have some work,” Dad replied as he hurried away. Mom’s face got tight, but she said nothing. About two minutes later, my cell phone buzzed. Jessica kept her earphones on during most of the meal. Mom was clearly upset.
Family Night started the next week. Mom established three rules: no phones, no music, and no leaving the table. Everyone would eat together and play a game together “like a real family.”
All seemed to be going according to Mom’s plan until the first buzz of a cell phone. After dinner, we had been playing the board game for only ten minutes when another cell phone let out a shrill scream. This time the phone belonged to my father.
“Work’s calling. I have to answer,” he whispered as he hurried out of the room.
Mom sighed, but she forced a smile and encouraged us to continue with the game. We kept playing through every interruption afterwards: the beeping of Jessica’s phone, the buzz of another text message from Darnell, the soothing voice announcing the arrival of an e-mail on Dad’s computer. When the game was over, Mom released us to our rooms.
That first Family Night was not a success, but Mom soldiered on. Every Monday evening we silenced our electronics and gathered around the table; and each time, setting aside our technological toys became a little easier. The next two months my father would be taking business trips. We wouldn’t be able to have Family Night every Monday.
To my surprise I realized that I would miss those few hours each week when the house was filled with my family’s laughter and conversation. I was also glad to know that when we really wanted to, we could silence the electronic buzz and just be a family again.
1.What led to the start of Family Night?
A. Electronics harmed the family’s life.
B. Heavy housework made Mom angry.
C. Dad didn’t get along well with others.
D. The children were too lazy to help Mom.
2.Family Night made the family ________ than before.
A. closer B. healthier
C. more relaxed D. more confident
3.What words can best describe the first Family Night?
A. Tiring but satisfying. B. Challenging but exciting.
C. Busy but interesting. D. Unsuccessful but meaningful.
4.It can be inferred that ________.
A. Dad seldom took business trips
B. the author enjoyed Family Night
C. Family Night would not continue
D. the children threw away the cellphones
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析