Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring, burdensome, or just plain nasty. That compulsion has resulted in robotics—the science of conferring various human capabilities on machines. And if scientists have yet to create the mechanical version of science fiction, they have begun to come close.
As a result, the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with mechanical politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robot-drivers. And thanks to the continual miniaturization of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with sub-millimeter accuracy—far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone.
But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves—goals that pose a real challenge. “While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error,” says Dave Lavery, manager of a robotics program at NASA,“we can’t yet give a robot enough ‘common sense’ to reliably interact with a dynamic world. ’’
Indeed the quest for true artificial intelligence has produced very mixed results. Despite a spell of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010, researchers lately have begun to extend that forecast by decades if not centuries.
What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain’s roughly one hundred billion nerve cells are much more talented —and human perception far more complicated—than previously imagined. They have built robots that can recognize the error of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can’t approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don’t know quite how we do it.
1. Human ingenuity was initially demonstrated in( ).
2. The word “gizmos” (Line 2,Paragraph 2) most probably means( ).
3. According to the text, what is beyond man’s ability now is to design a robot that can( ).
4. Besides reducing human labor, robots can also( ).
5. The author uses the example of a monkey to argue that robots are( ).
问题1选项
A.the use of machines to produce science fiction
B.the wide use of machines in manufacturing industry
C.the invention of tools for difficult and dangerous work
D.the elite’s cunning tackling of dangerous and boring work2. The word “gizmos” (Line 2,Paragraph 2) most probably means( ).
问题2选项
A.programs
B.experts
C.devices
D.creatures3. According to the text, what is beyond man’s ability now is to design a robot that can( ).
问题3选项
A.fulfill delicate tasks like performing brain surgery
B.interact with human beings verbally
C.have a little common sense
D.respond independently to a changing world4. Besides reducing human labor, robots can also( ).
问题4选项
A.make a few decisions for themselves
B.deal with some errors with human intervention
C.improve factory environments
D.cultivate human creativity.5. The author uses the example of a monkey to argue that robots are( ).
问题5选项
A.expected to copy human brain in internal structure
B.able to perceive abnormalities immediately
C.far less able than human brain in focusing on relevant information
D.best used in a controlled environment
第1题:C
第2题:C
第3题:D
第4题:B
第5题:C
1.事实细节题。题干:人类的创造性最初表现在_________。根据关键词“Human ingenuity”和“initially”可以定位到文章第一段开头Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring,burdensome, or just plain nasty.(从人类产生智慧初期至今,人们一直在设计越来越巧妙的工具来应付那些危险的、枯燥的、繁重的或者直接就是肮脏的工作。),可知,C选项“发明工具以处理困难和危险的工作”,符合题意。由于讲的是最初的创造力,因此可以排除A选项“用机器来创作科幻小说”,B选项“制造业对机器的广泛使用”和D选项“精英人士对危险和枯燥的工作的巧妙的处理”。综上所述,本题的正确答案是C选项。
2.词义辨析题。题干:单词“gizmos”(第二段第一行)最有可能的意思是_________。由题干定位到文章第二段第一句话As a result,the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor.(由此引起的结果是,现代世界已经充斥着越来越多的智能____,尽管我们几乎都注意不到它们,但它们的普遍存在却节省了许多人类劳力。),然后作者提及到了“工厂机械手”、“自动柜员机”以及“机器人驾驶员”等等。由此我们可以认定这些设施都是对“gizmo”的举例和解释。而这几样东西具有一个共同的特征,即它们都是“工具”。相比四个选项,只有C选项“设备”最合适。A选项“程序”,B选项“专家”和D选项“生物”,均不符合题意。综上所述,本题的正确答案是C选项。
3.事实细节题。题干:根据本文,现在超越人类能力范围的是设计一种能________的机器人。根据题干定位到第三段最后一句话we can’t yet give a robot enough ‘common sense’ to reliably interact with a dynamic world.(我们现在还没法设计出能有足够的常识去应付一个动态世界的机器人。),因为该句中的“dynamic”就是“动态的、变化的”意思,因此我们可以判定选项D“对一个变化的世界独立应付”是可以目前不能做到,D选项符合题意。而C选项“有一些常识”,是可以做到的。第二段末尾提到there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with sub-millimeter accuracy(已经有一些机器人系统可以进行精确到亚毫米的脑部和骨骼手术。),可知A选项“完成诸如脑手术这样的精细的工作”,是可以做到的,排除。第二段第三句话Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with mechanical politeness for the transaction(我们的银行业务是在自动柜员机完成的,它们会机械地、礼貌地感谢我们的服务。),所以现在的机器人例如自动柜员机可以进行口头交流,B选项“与人类进行口头交流”,排除。综上所述,本题的正确答案是D选项。
4.事实细节题。题干:除了减少人类劳动,机器人还能够_________。寻找机器人还能够从事什么工作,这就需要对四个选项进行比较,寻找答案。A选项提到机器人能够为自己做几个决策,通过“decision”这个单词可以定位到第三段第一句话But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves.(但是如果机器人要进入节省劳力的下一个阶段,他们必须能够在更少的人工监控下运行,并且至少能够独立地做一些决定。),这句话表明,目前机器人还不能独立做一些决定,所以A选项排除。通过第三段第二句话While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error(虽然我们知道如何让机器人去纠正一个特定的错误),可知,B选项“通过人类干预处理一些错误”,符合题意。由最后一段第二句话They have built robots that can recognize the error of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment.(他们已经制造出能够在受控的工厂环境中识别出一毫米以内的机器误差的机器人。),可知机器人是受环境控制的,所以C选项“改善工厂环境”不正确。D选项“培养人的创造性”,机器人的性能应该是由人培养的,所以D选项的说法不正确。综上所述,本题的正确答案是B选项。
5.作者意图题。题干:作者使用猴子的例子,为的是说机器人_________。最后一段提到But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can’t approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don’t know quite how we do it.(但人们看一眼迅速变化的场景就能够迅速的排除98%的不相干信息,立即把注意力集中到蜿蜒的森林小路边的一只猴子,或者在茫茫人海中的一张可疑的脸。地球上最先进的计算机系统也无法达到这种能力。),由此可知,机器人、人工智能,虽然能为人类做很多工作,但与人的大脑智能、感知能力相比,还相差甚远。所以C选项“在聚焦相关信息方面远远不如人类”,描述正确。A选项“被期望复制人脑内部结构”,B选项“能够立即觉察到不正常情况”,D选项“最适合在受控环境下使用”,均不是作者举例子的意图。综上所述,本题的正确答案是C选项。