The human brain contains
10 thousand million cells and each of these may have a thousand connections.
Such enormous numbers used to discourage us and cause us to dismiss the
possibility of making a machine with human-like ability, but now that we have
grown used to moving forward at such a pace we can be less sure. Quite soon, in
only 10 or 20 years perhaps, we will be able to assemble a machine as complex as
the human brain, and if we can we will. It may then take us a long time to
render it intelligent by loading in the right software or by altering the
architecture but that too will happen. I think it certain that
in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon will arise first to rival and
then exceed their human ancestors. Once they exceed us, they will be capable of
their own design. In a real sense they will be able to reproduce themselves.
Silicon will have ended {{U}}carbon's{{/U}} long control. And we will no longer be
able to claim ourselves to be the finest intelligence in the known
universe. As the intelligence of robots increases to match that
of humans and as their cost declines through economies of scale we may use them
to expand our frontiers, first on earth through their ability to withstand
environments, harmful to ourselves. Thus, deserts may bloom and the ocean beds
be mined. Further ahead, by a combination of the great wealth this new age will
bring and the technology it will provide, the construction of a vast,
man-created world in space, home to thousands or millions of people, will be
within our power.
单选题
In what way can we make a machine intelligent?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】作者在第一段最后一句说"It may then take us a long time to render it intelligent by loading in the right software or by altering the architecture but that too will happen"，说明我们要通过给机器编程，或通过改变机器的结构来使机器智能化，可见[C]正确。
单选题
What does the writer think about machines with human-like ability?
单选题
The underlined word "carbon" (Para. 2) stands for ______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】作者在文章第二段中指出“…machines of silicon will arise first to rival and then exceed their human ancestors．Once they exceed us they will be capable of their own design．In a real sense they will be able to reproduce themselves．Silicon will have ended carbon's long control"，由此可以看出carbon就是指由carbon为元素构成的human beings，故[D]为正确选择。
单选题
A robot can be used to expand our frontiers when ______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】作者在文章第三段开始就指出；“As the intelligence of robots increases to match that of humans and as their cost declines through economies of scale we may use them to expand our frontiers…”，由此就不难看出intelligence和cost是制约机器人能否用于开发边远地区的两个重要因素，故[A]为正确答案。
单选题
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.