阅读理解 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 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 soft--ware or by altering the architecture but that too will happen. I think it certain that in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon will 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. 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】细节题。本题询问的是人类怎样才能使机器具有智慧。文章第一段的最后一句话说明人类可以通过装进合适的软件或改变其结构使机器具备智能,故选择C为正确答案。
单选题 The underlined word" carbon" (Para.2) stands for_______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】推理题。本题需要根据上下文判断“carbon”一词在文中所代表的内容。文章第二段中作者指出在不远的将来,即几十年后,就会出现可与人类媲美,甚至超过制造它们的人类的硅机器人。一旦硅机器人超过人类,它们就会自行繁殖,并最终结束carbon对地球的长期统治,这时人类就再也不能宣称自己是已知宇宙中最高智慧的代表了。由此可见,在这段内容中与硅机器人相比的人类,人类一直是宇宙中最高智慧的代表而且长期统治着地球,故carbon在本文中应该是喻指以碳元素为基本元素的人类。故选项D为正确答案。
单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that_______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节题。文章第三段第一句话指出一旦机器人的智慧达到人类的水平,制造机器人的成本又降低到了可接受的程度,人类便可以利用它们来首先开创地球上那些环境恶劣、不适宜人类生存的疆域,故选项C是正确答案。