Directions: In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For questions 1–5, choose the most suitable one from the list A–G to fit into each of numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
In the movies and on television, artificial intelligence (AI) is typically depicted as something sinister that will upend our way of life. When it comes to AI in business, we often hear about it in relation to automation and the impending loss of jobs, but in what ways is AI changing companies and the larger economy that don’t involve doom-and-gloom mass unemployment predictions?
A recent survey of manufacturing and service industries from Tata Consultancy Services found that companies currently use AI more often in computer-to-computer activities than in automating human activities. Here are a few other ways AI is aiding companies without replacing employees:
Better Hiring Practices
Companies are using artificial intelligence to remove some of the unconscious bias from hiring decisions. “There are experiments that show that, naturally, the results of interviews are much more biased than what AI does,” says Pedro Domingos, author of The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World and a computer science professor at the University of Washington. In addition, “1. _______________” One company that’s doing this is called Blendoor. It uses analytics to help identify where there may be bias in the hiring process.
More Effective Marketing
Some AI software can analyze and optimize marketing email subject lines to increase open rates. One company in the UK, Phrasee, claims their software can outperform humans by up to 10 percent when it comes to email open rates. This can mean millions more in revenue. 2. _______________ These are “tools that help people use data, not a replacement for people,” says Patrick H. Winston, a professor of artificial intelligence and computer science at MIT.
Saving Customers Money
Energy companies can use AI to help customers reduce their electricity bills, saving them money while helping the environment. Companies can also optimize their own energy use and cut down on the cost of electricity. Insurance companies, meanwhile, can base their premiums on AI models that more accurately access risk. Domingos says, “3. _______________”
Improved Accuracy
“Machine learning often provides a more reliable form of statistics, which makes data more valuable,” says Winston. It “helps people make smarter decisions.” 4. _______________
Protecting and Maintaining Infrastructure
A number of companies, particularly in energy and transportation, use AI image processing technology to inspect infrastructure and prevent equipment failure or leaks before they happen. “If they fail first and then you fix them, it’s very expensive,” says Domingos. “5. _______________”
A. AI replaces the boring parts of your job. If you’re doing research, you can have AI go out and look for relevant sources and information that otherwise you just wouldn’t have time for.
B. One accounting firm, EY, uses an AI system that helps review contracts during an audit. This process, along with employees reviewing the contracts, is faster and more accurate.
C. There are also companies like Acquisio, which analyzes advertising performance across multiple channels like Adwords, Bing and social media and make adjustments or suggestions about where advertising funds will yield best results.
D. You want to predict if something needs attention now and point to where it’s useful for employees to go to.
E. Before, they might not insure the ones who felt like a high risk or charge them too much, or they would charge them too little and then it would cost the company money.
F. We’re also giving our customers better channels versus picking up the phone to accomplish something beyond human scale.
G. AI looks at résumés in greater numbers than humans would be able to, and selects the more promising candidates.
【整体分析】
来源：The Atlantic（《大西洋月刊》）于2018年11月27日刊登的文章How AI Might Actually Make Your Job Easier（人工智能如何让你的工作更容易）。
主题：文章主要论述了公司利用人工智能改善商业运作的各种方式。文章提到了几个例子，人工智能被应用于更好的招聘实践、有效的营销、为客户节省资金、提高准确性，以及保护和维护基础设施。
【试题解析】
A. AI replaces the boring parts of your job. If you’re doing research, you can have AI go out and look for relevant sources and information that otherwise you just wouldn’t have time for. A. 人工智能取代了你工作中的无聊部分。如果你在做研究，你可以让人工智能去寻找相关的来源和信息，否则你就没有时间了。
B. One accounting firm, EY, uses an AI system that helps review contracts during an audit. This process, along with employees reviewing the contracts, is faster and more accurate. B. 安永会计师事务所在审计期间使用人工智能系统帮助审查合同。这一过程和员工审查结合在一起，会更快更准确。
C. There are also companies like Acquisio, which analyzes advertising performance across multiple channels like Adwords, Bing and social media and make adjustments or suggestions about where advertising funds will yield best results. C. 还有像Acquisio这样的公司，它分析了Adwords、必应和社交媒体等多个渠道的广告表现，并就广告资金在何处产生最佳效果做出调整或提出建议。
D. You want to predict if something needs attention now and point to where it’s useful for employees to go to. D. 你想预测现在是否有地方需要修理，然后指出员工去哪里修理才有用。
E. Before, they might not insure the ones who felt like a high risk or charge them too much, or they would charge them too little and then it would cost the company money. E. 以前，他们可能不会承包那些看似风险很高的人，或者不会向他们收费太高，或者向他们收费太低，然后就会给公司带来损失。
F. We’re also giving our customers better channels versus picking up the phone to accomplish something beyond human scale. F. 我们也在给我们的客户提供更好的渠道，而不是拿起电话来完成超出人力规模的事情。
G. AI looks at résumés in greater numbers than humans would be able to, and selects the more promising candidates. G. 人工智能看简历的数量比人类要多，并选择更有前途的候选人。
1.【解题思路】空格前说到“实验表明，面试结果会自然比人工智能的结果更有偏见（biased）”，介绍了人力面试相较于人工智能面试的不足之处，空格后又说“它使用分析来帮助确定招聘过程中可能存在的偏见（help identify where there may be bias）”，可知此处讲的是人工智能在招聘实践方面的优势。G选项中的résumés（简历）、candidates（候选人）与文中的Hiring Practices（招聘实践）、hiring decisions（招聘决策）相对应。因此G选项“人工智能看简历的数量比人类要多，并选择更有前途的候选人。”正确。
2.【解题思路】空格前说到“一些人工智能软件可以分析和优化营销电子邮件的主题（analyze and optimize marketing email subject lines），以提高打开率”，接着介绍了Phrasee公司的例子“在电子邮件打开率方面，他们的软件可以比人类处理的结果高出10%。这可能意味着增加数百万美元的收入（millions more in revenue）”，可知此处说的是人工智能在营销方面的优势，可以为公司增加收益。C选项中的There are also companies（还有一些公司）与文中One company（一家公司）相对应，analyzes advertising performance（分析广告表现）和analyze and optimize marketing（分析和优化营销）相对应。因此C选项“还有像Acquisio这样的公司，它分析了Adwords、必应和社交媒体等多个渠道的广告表现，并就广告资金在何处产生最佳效果做出调整或提出建议。”正确。
3.【解题思路】空格前说到“保险公司可以根据能够更准确地获取风险的人工智能模型来制定保费（can base their premiums on AI models that more accurately access risk）”，说明此处是在介绍人工智能在保险行业发挥的作用。E选项中的Before（以前）体现了将以前的情况和现在的情况进行对比，补充说明了人工智能的好处。因此E选项“以前，他们可能不会承包那些看似风险很高的人，或者不会向他们收费太高，或者向他们收费太低，然后就会给公司带来损失。”正确。
4.【解题思路】空格前说到“机器学习通常提供更可靠的统计形式（a more reliable form of statistics），这使得数据更有价值（makes data more valuable）”和“帮助人们做出更明智的决定（make smarter decisions）”，说明人工智能处理的数据更可靠、更准确。B选项中的more accurate（更准确）与文中Improved Accuracy（提高准确性）相对应。因此B选项“安永会计师事务所在审计期间使用人工智能系统帮助审查合同。这一过程和员工审查结合在一起，会更快更准确。”正确。
5.【解题思路】空格前说到“使用人工智能图像处理技术来检查基础设施，并在设备故障或泄漏之前防止其发生（inspect infrastructure and prevent equipment failure or leaks before they happen）”，可知此处是说人工智能在预防设备障碍方面的作用。D选项中的predict（预测）与文中before they happen（在它们发生之前）相对应。因此D选项“你想预测现在是否有地方需要修理，然后指出员工去哪里修理才有用。”正确。
【重点词汇】
sinister /ˈsɪnɪstə/ adj. 邪恶的；险恶的；不祥的；有凶兆的
upend /ʌpˈend/ v. 翻倒；倒放；使颠倒
automation /ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃn/ n. 自动化
algorithm /ˈælɡərɪðəm/ n. 算法；计算程序
optimize /ˈɒptɪmaɪz/ v. 使最优化；充分利用
outperform /ˌaʊtpəˈfɔːm/ v. 超过；胜过
premium /ˈpriːmiəm/ n. 保险费
doom-and-gloom 凄惨；前景不妙
【全文翻译】
在电影和电视中，人工智能（AI）通常被描绘成颠覆我们生活方式的邪恶之物。当谈到在商业领域的人工智能时，我们经常听到它与自动化和即将到来的失业有关，但人工智能在哪些方面改变了公司和更大的经济体，而不涉及悲观的大规模失业预测呢？
塔塔咨询服务公司最近对制造业和服务业进行的一项调查发现，目前企业更多地在计算机之间的活动中使用人工智能，而不是自动化人类活动。以下是人工智能在不取代员工的情况下帮助公司的其他一些方式：
更好的招聘实践
公司正在使用人工智能来消除招聘决策中的一些无意识偏见。华盛顿大学计算机科学教授佩德罗·多明戈斯说：“实验表明，面试结果会自然比人工智能的结果更有偏见。”他是《终极算法：追求终极学习机器将如何重塑我们的世界》一书的作者。此外，“人工智能看简历的数量比人类要多，并选择更有前途的候选人。”Blendoor公司就是这样做的。它使用分析来帮助确定招聘过程中可能存在的偏见。
更有效的营销
一些人工智能软件可以分析和优化营销电子邮件的主题，以提高打开率。英国一家名为Phrasee的公司声称，在电子邮件打开率方面，他们的软件可以比人类处理的结果高出10%。这可能意味着增加数百万美元的收入。还有像Acquisio这样的公司，它分析了Adwords、必应和社交媒体等多个渠道的广告表现，并就广告资金在何处产生最佳效果做出调整或提出建议。麻省理工学院人工智能和计算机科学教授帕特里克·H·温斯顿说，这些是“帮助人们使用数据的工具，而不是人类的替代品”。
为客户省钱
能源公司可以使用人工智能来帮助客户减少电费，在改善环境的同时为他们省钱。公司还可以优化自己的能源使用，降低电力成本。与此同时，保险公司可以根据能够更准确地获取风险的人工智能模型来制定保费。多明戈斯说：“以前，他们可能不会承保那些看似风险很高的人，或者不会向他们收费太高，或者向他们收费太低，然后就会给公司带来损失。”
提高准确性
“机器学习通常提供更可靠的统计形式，这使得数据更有价值，”温斯顿说。它“帮助人们做出更明智的决定。”安永会计师事务所在审计期间使用人工智能系统帮助审查合同。这一过程和员工审查结合在一起，会更快更准确。
保护和维护基础设施
许多公司，特别是在能源和运输领域，使用人工智能图像处理技术来检查基础设施，并在设备故障或泄漏之前防止其发生。多明戈斯说：“如果先出现故障，然后再进行修复，成本会非常高。你想预测现在是否有地方需要修理，然后指出员工去哪里修理才有用。”
