Driverless cars are the best-known example of how artificial intelligence is influencing daily life in China, according to a new report on social attitudes toward AI technology that was released at Fudan University on May 17.
Based on the responses of 625 questionnaires made by Fudan University’s National Center for Cultural Innovation Research and the communication and data science laboratory, the report states that nearly 90 percent of the respondents are familiar with driverless cars, with over 67, percent having access to both positive and negative information on cars. About 62 percent of the respondents said they were willing to ride in driverless cars. Meanwhile, around 47 percent were supportive of unmanned vehicle road tests in the country. However, more than 30 percent of the respondents expressed their concerns about the safety of driverless cars.
If personal injuries or property loss are suffered in the event of an accident, 80.5 percent of the respondents said that the designers of the AI products should bear legal responsibility while 55.5 percent said that vehicle users should also shoulder the blame.
Smart cars with partial or fully autonomous functions are expected to account for 50 percent of new vehicles sold in China by 2020.According to the blueprint released by the National Development and Reform Commission in January, the country is aiming to become a global power in smart-car development and production by 2035.
“One cannot ignore the risks and ethics issues brought up by artificial intelligence technology,” said Sun Shaojing, director of the Communication and Data Science Laboratory of the National Center for Cultural Innovation Research at Fudan University, “Policies should be strengthened to ensure a balanced development of ethics and science, especially for some fast-growing applications like driverless cars.”
1.What do we know about the responses of 625 questionnaires?
A. More than half of the people surveyed were willing to ride in driverless cars.
B. Nearly 90% knew both positive and negative information on cars.
C. Unmanned vehicle road tests were hardly supported in the country.
D. Few people were concerned about the safety of driverless cars.
2.Who should take responsibility if an accident happened to a driverless car?
A. The designers of the AI products.
B. Both AI products designers and vehicle users.
C. Policy makers who regulate the use of driverless cars.
D. It hasn’t been decided yet.
3.What does the underlined word “autonomous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. high-tech B. advanced
C. self-directed D. useful
4.What do Sun Shaojing’s words suggest in the last paragraph?
A. We should mainly focus on the benefit that driverless cars bring to us.
B. Effective policies and rules are needed with appliances fast growing.
C. Risks and ethics issues brought up by AI cannot be avoided.
D. Driverless cars play a significant role in AI technology.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Driverless cars are the best-known example of how artificial intelligence is influencing daily life in China, according to a new report on social attitudes toward AI technology that was released at Fudan University on May 17.
Based on the responses of 625 questionnaires made by Fudan University’s National Center for Cultural Innovation Research and the communication and data science laboratory, the report states that nearly 90 percent of the respondents are familiar with driverless cars, with over 67, percent having access to both positive and negative information on cars. About 62 percent of the respondents said they were willing to ride in driverless cars. Meanwhile, around 47 percent were supportive of unmanned vehicle road tests in the country. However, more than 30 percent of the respondents expressed their concerns about the safety of driverless cars.
If personal injuries or property loss are suffered in the event of an accident, 80.5 percent of the respondents said that the designers of the AI products should bear legal responsibility while 55.5 percent said that vehicle users should also shoulder the blame.
Smart cars with partial or fully autonomous functions are expected to account for 50 percent of new vehicles sold in China by 2020.According to the blueprint released by the National Development and Reform Commission in January, the country is aiming to become a global power in smart-car development and production by 2035.
“One cannot ignore the risks and ethics issues brought up by artificial intelligence technology,” said Sun Shaojing, director of the Communication and Data Science Laboratory of the National Center for Cultural Innovation Research at Fudan University, “Policies should be strengthened to ensure a balanced development of ethics and science, especially for some fast-growing applications like driverless cars.”
1.What do we know about the responses of 625 questionnaires?
A. More than half of the people surveyed were willing to ride in driverless cars.
B. Nearly 90% knew both positive and negative information on cars.
C. Unmanned vehicle road tests were hardly supported in the country.
D. Few people were concerned about the safety of driverless cars.
2.Who should take responsibility if an accident happened to a driverless car?
A. The designers of the AI products.
B. Both AI products designers and vehicle users.
C. Policy makers who regulate the use of driverless cars.
D. It hasn’t been decided yet.
3.What does the underlined word “autonomous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. high-tech B. advanced
C. self-directed D. useful
4.What do Sun Shaojing’s words suggest in the last paragraph?
A. We should mainly focus on the benefit that driverless cars bring to us.
B. Effective policies and rules are needed with appliances fast growing.
C. Risks and ethics issues brought up by AI cannot be avoided.
D. Driverless cars play a significant role in AI technology.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Advances in artificial intelligence and the use of big data are changing the way many large companies recruit (招募) entry level and junior management positions. These days, graduates’ CVs may well have to impress an algorithm (算法) rather than an (human resources) manager.
While algorithms supposedly treat each application equally, experts are divided about whether so-called robo-recruitment promises an end to human prejudice in the selection process —or whether it may in fact add to it.
“AI systems are not all equal,” says Loren Larsen, chief technology officer for HireVue, which has developed an automated video interview analysis system. “I think you have to look at the science team behind the work,” says Mr Larsen.
The problem, experts say, is that to find the best candidates an algorithm has first to be told what “good” looks like in any given organization. Even if it is not given criteria that seem discriminatory, a powerful machine-learning system will quickly be able to copy the characteristics of existing workers. If an organization has favoured white male graduates from well-known universities, the algorithm will learn to select more of the same.
The growing dependence on automation to judge suitability for everything from a loan to a job worries Yuriy Brun, an associate professor specializing in software engineering. “It takes a lot of the time for a company to put out software but it doesn’t know if it is discriminatory” he says. Prof Brun explains that, considering the use of big data, algorithms will unavoidably learn to discriminate.
Many of those working with robo-recruiters are more optimistic. Kate Glazebrook, the leader and co-founder of Applied, a hiring platform, says her task is to encourage hiring manager to move away from such indicators of quality as schools or universities and move to more evidence-based methods. When candidates complete tests online, Applied hides their names and shows the tests the candidates have completed, question by question, to human assessors. Every stage of the process has been designed to remove prejudice.
With the same aim, Unilever decided in 2016 to switch to a more automated process for its graduate-level entry programme. Unilever worked with HireVue, Amberjack, which provides and advises on automated recruitment processes, and Pymetrics, another high volume recruitment company, which developed a game-based test in which candidates are scored on their ability to take risks and learn from mistakes, as well as on emotional intelligence. Unilever says the process has increased the ethnic diversity of its listed candidates and has been more successful at selecting candidates who will eventually be hired.
“The things that we can do right now are impressive, but not as impressive as we’re going to be able to do next year or the year after,” says Mr Larsen.
Still, robo-recruiters must be regularly tested in case prejudice has occurred without anyone realizing it, says Frida Polli, the leader and co-founder of Pymetrics. “The majority of algorithmic tools are most likely causing prejudice to continue existing. The good ones should be examined.”
1.What’s the purpose of adopting automated recruitment processes according to the passage?
A. For the sake of fairness.
B. For the purpose of cutting down costs.
C. To relieve the pressure of staff.
D. To favor graduates from well-known universities.
2.The automated process Unilever adopted in 2016 for its graduate-level entry programme ________.
A. was found to have prejudice
B. was copied by many other companies
C. scored the candidates on their ethnic backgrounds
D. turned out to be less or not racially discriminatory
3.According to Mr Larsen, robo-recruitment ________.
A. is good enough for wide use now
B. is not suitable for practical use now
C. will do better and better in the near future
D. will completely replace HR staff within two years
4.Frida Polli stresses in the last paragraph that algorithmic tools ________.
A. need routine checks
B. will unavoidably have prejudice
C. are mostly good and effective
D. must be combined with human staff
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the bag made of?
A. Animal skin. B. Cloth. C. Artificial leather.
2.How does the man want to pay for it?
A. By cash. B. By check. C. By credit card.
高二英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析
The time that cars could go completely driverless is coming "very soon", according to Jianxiong Xiao, CEO and founder of AutoX, a Shenzhen-based start-up developing autonomous driving technology.
Now, most regulations across various cities in China still require the presence of a safety driver in vehicles, but the company foresees that as more data gets captured over time, that requirement would be reduced, Xiao told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday.
The autonomous driving tech firm chose to partner with Alibaba's AMAP—a Chinese mapping service provider—to roll out its RoboTaxi ride hailing service in Shanghai on Monday. AMAP is a "super mobility app" with almost 500 million active monthly users, according to Xiao.
AutoX had received support from Shanghai authorities to roll out a fleet of 100 autonomous ride-hailing cars in Shanghai's Jiading district in September last year.
Earlier this month, AutoX announced that it had set up an 80, 000 square feet RoboTaxi operations center in Shanghai to help facilitate(使容易)operations of its driverless fleet, as well as act as a center to collect data from daily operations.
Backed by investors such as Alibaba, Shanghai Motor and Dongfeng Motor, AutoX is one of the players in the trillion U. S. dollar Chinese autonomous driving vehicles market alongside others like DiDi Chuxing.
Xiao said they were working with the technology to ensure the vehicles were "very, very safe" and are carrying out a lot of testing.
Over a hundred vehicles have been arranged on roads daily to obtain enough data needed to validate the software and system, according to Xiao.
He added that the company was also running a hundred times more simulations(模拟)in the car every day, and the "huge amount of data" would help to prove that the vehicles could be used in "full safety".
"Our goal is not to just make(it)as safe as human beings, but going one step forward to really make…a superhuman safety standard; (cars)that(can)drive much safer than any human being ever, " Xiao said.
1.What will be most required to go driverless according to CEO of AutoX?
A.Traffic regulations. B.Driving technology.
C.Enough data. D.Mapping service.
2.What is the attitude of Shanghai authorities towards driverless technology?
A.Doubtful. B.Favorable.
C.Critical. D.Uncaring.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "validate" in paragraph 8?
A.test B.invent
C.develop D.design
4.Where does the passage probably come from?
A.A biography. B.An advertisement.
C.A textbook. D.A news report.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The story of Whitney Houston is a good example of how drugs and bad relationships can _______ even the most talented stars.
A. murder B. present C. ruin D. suspect
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won the Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one damaged by Hurricane Hugo years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.
Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. Now all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be strong enough not to be damaged by a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometres per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but(根本不) hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it look like “a large party lantern” at night. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is strengthened with long steel rods(杆) to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings(木桩) buried deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also raise the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “The waves of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed(隐藏) by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of storm, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
1.After Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required
to________.
A. be easily pulled down B. look smarter in design
C. meet stricter building standards D. be designed to be cube-shaped
2.The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.
A. it is strengthened by steel rods B. it is made of redwood
C. it is in the shape of a shell D. it is built with timber and concrete
3.Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.
A. avoid peak winds of about 200 km/h
B. bury stronger pilings deep in the sand
C. break huge sea waves into smaller ones
D. prevent the waves from running into it
4.It can be inferred from the passage that the house’s shell should be ________.
A. smooth B. waterproof C. easily broken D. extremely hard
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit，So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired．Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash into each other．
1.Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?
A．Sending information for weather forecast
B．Taking photographs of the Earth
C．Sending TV pictures
D．Providing food for airplane pilots
2.What’s the speed the earth rotates at?
A．35,880 kilometers per hour． B．335,880 kilometers per hour
C．11,000 kilometers per hour． D．110,000 kilometers per hour
3.Why does the satellite move around the world at the same speed as the Earth rotates?
A．In order to take photographs
B．In order to stay in a certain position in the orbit
C．In order to move away from its orbit
D．In order to send television pictures．
4.What does the underlined word “This” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?
A．A satellite
B．A little rocket
C．A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky
D．The satellite puts the rockets in the right position．
5.Which is true of satellites?
A．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．
B．Every time a satellite gets broken，it is brought back to the Earth to be repaired．
C．A broken satellite is never left in space
D．They often crash into each other．
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit，So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired． Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash into each other．
1.Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?
A. Sending information for weather forecast B. Taking photographs of the Earth
C. Sending TV pictures D. Providing food for airplane pilots
2.What’s the speed the earth rotates at?
A.35,880 kilometers per hour B.335,880 kilometers per hour
C.11,000 kilometers per hour D.110,000 kilometers per hour
3. Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A. There are little rockets on the satellite to put it in the right position every day.
B. Because some satellite use nuclear power, they can crash into each other.
C.A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky
D. In order not to move away from its orbit, the satellite puts the rockets in the right position.
4.Which is true of satellites?
A. A satellite usually works for over 10 years．
B. Every time a satellite gets broken，it is brought back to the Earth to be repaired．
C. A broken satellite is never left in space．
D. They often crash into each other．
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
More and more cities across the world are experimenting with driverless vehicles on public streets. Two of the latest to conduct testing are Paris, France and Las Vegas, Nevada. The cities have used self-driving electric buses to carry passengers on short rides to try out the technology and see how humans react to it.
In Paris, two buses have been transporting passengers across a bridge between two of the city’s busiest rail stations. The vehicles, built by French company EasyMile, travel in a special safety lane created for the project. The fully electric buses can carry up to 10 people. The testing in Paris is expected to last three months. If things go well, officials plan to launch more driverless bus lines later this year.
Jean-louis Missika, deputy mayor of Paris, told reporters at a recent launch event that driveless vehicles represent a “revolution” happening in many cities around the world. He said self-driving technology is set to “change our city environment and public space in an astonishing fashion over the next 20 years”.
Transportation officials say they are planning to use the bus to connect neighborhoods to rail stations around Paris. They will also help ease traffic crowding and reduce severe pollution in the city.
In Las Vegas, the city recently launched the first driverless shuttle bus in the United States. The 12-passenger bus from French company Navya has no steering wheel or brake pedals. It uses cameras and sensors to avoid other vehicles and people while making its way down city streets. The electric vehicles can reach a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
The bus operated for a two-week period along one of the busiest entertainment areas in Las Vegas. Rides during the shuttle experiment were free. “The ride was smooth. It's clean and quiet and the seats are comfortable,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman after taking a ride.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.More cities are using driveless vehicles.
B.Driveless electric buses are tested in some cities.
C.Some cities are trying out a new technology.
D.The driveless buses will reduce severe pollution.
2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A.The bridge connects the Paris’ busiest bus stations.
B.A special safety lane was built to test the self-driving buses.
C.The fully electric buses can hold over 10 people.
D.More driverless bus lines have been set up.
3.What does the driverless shuttle bus use to avoid other vehicles and people?
A.Steering wheel. B.Brake pedals.
C.Alarm. D.Cameras and sensors.
4.In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?
A.Technology. B.Entertainment.
C.Culture. D.Education.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
---How did the accident happen?
---The car went out of___ control and rushed into___ truck ahead of it.
A./, the B. the. / C. the, the D. a, the
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析