When a search engine guesses what you want before you finish typing it, or helpfully ignores your bad spelling, that is the result of machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence. Although AI has been through cycles of hype and disappointment before, big technology companies have recently been scrambling to hire experts in the field, in the hope of building machines that can learn even more sophisticated tasks. IBM said this month it would invest $ 1 billion in a new division to develop uses for Watson, its computer that understands human language. But this week Google enhanced its lead in this field by paying around $ 660 m for DeepMind Technologies, a startup in London that has yet to announce a product. The boss of DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, previously created video games such as " Evil Genius" and "Theme Park". DeepMind"s 75 geniuses will join the world"s leading group of machine-learning experts, which Google has been assembling in the past few years. Google"s main source of income, its search engine and the accompanying ad-placement system, is driven by machine learning. The firm"s self-driving cars rely on it, as do the intelligent thermostats made by Nest, a firm it has just taken over, and the robots made by Boston Dynamics and other robotics outfits it has been buying. The technology is already the backbone of many other internet firms. It is why Facebook and Linkedln have that slightly creepy ability to find people you know, and why Amazon and Netflix are good at suggesting books and films you might like. It also helps intelligence agencies to identify terrorist networks. As machine learning leaves the lab and goes into practice, it will threaten white-collar, knowledge-worker jobs just as machines, automation and assembly lines destroyed factory jobs in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, the technique has been applied by researchers at Stanford University to tell whether a biopsy of breast cells is highly cancerous, something that until now has required a human expert to assess. Another of DeepMind"s founders, Shane Legg, has predicted that artificial intelligence running wildly will be the biggest existential risk to humans in this century. Its founders have asked Google to set up an "ethics board" to consider the appropriate use of machine learning in its products. The creator of "Evil Genius" is ensuring that his new overlord sticks to its motto, "Don"t be evil".

单选题 The underlined word "hype"(Para 1, Line 3)may be closest to______.

单选题 DeepMind Technologies is______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：根据题干中的DeepMind Technologies定位到第二段。该段第三行指出：DeepMindTechnologies，a startup in London…其中，“a startup一家新兴企业”与选项[A]“a giant一家大型企业”和[C]“a leading technological company一家带头的技术公司”完全不符，故可以排除[A]和[C]两项。而[B]项中的develop video games与原文倒数第二行“previously created video games”中的previously一词不符。再根据文章第二句“But this week Google enhanced its leadin this field by paying around $660m for DeepMind Technologies…”一句我们可以得知，Google付给DeepMind Technologies这些费用，说明二者是合作关系，因此选项[D]a newly started firmthat cooperates with Google是对DeepMind Technologies的最佳描述，故答案为选项[D]。

单选题 Google has done the following EXCEPT______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：根据Google和选项[D]中的Nest and Boston Dynamics这些大写词共同定位到第三段。选项[A]对应该段首句：DeepMind’s 75 geniuses will join the world’s leading group of ma—chihe—learning experts，which Google has been assembling in the past few years．由此可见选项[A]表述正确，其中gathering对应assembling；talents on machine—learning对应machine—learning ex—perts。即该项不是该题的答案。选项[B]对应第二句：Google’s main source of income，itssearch engine and the accompanying ad—placement system…其中该项的earning money from对应原文中的source of income。故该项表述正确，非答案。选项[C]中的purchasing让我们定位到最后一句的buying，该句的“other robotics outfits it has been buying它(Google)一直以来购进的其他自动化装备”对应[C]项“purchasing large number of automatic devices”，其中buying对应purchasing；has been buying(一直购买)对应purchasing large number of(大量购买)；robotics out—fits(机器人设备，自动化设备)对应automatic devices(自动化设备)，故该项表述也正确，非答案。选项[D]对应最后一句：…made by Nest，a firm it has just taken over，and the robots madeby Boston Dynamics…该句指出，Nest被Google接管，但是Boston Dynamics则没有提到，故该项的taking over firms like Nest and Boston Dynamics是错误的，故答案为[D]。

单选题 Technology contributes to all EXCEPT______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：根据出题顺序以及technology一词定位到第四段。该段讨论technology的一些作用，“It is why Facebook and LinkedIn have that slightly creepy ability to find people you know”一句对应选项[B]discovering people’s acquaintance。其中find people you know=discovering people’sacquaintance。“…and why Amazon and Netflix are good at suggesting books and films you mightlike．”一句对应选项[C]recommending good books and movies。其中，suggesting books and films对应recommending good books and movies。“It also helps intelligence agencies to identify terroristnetworks”对应选项[D]confirming hacker attack for spy agencies。其中identify(确认)对应con—firm(证实)；terrorist networks(网络恐怖)对应hacker attack(黑客攻击)；intelligence agencies(情报部门)对应spy agencies(间谍机构)。故[B]、[C]、[D]三项原文均有涉及，唯一没有提到的是选项[A]，故该项为答案。

单选题 Machine learning may be a threat to workers because______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：根据题干中的machine learning，threat，workers等词定位到第五段第一句：As ma—chine learning leaves the lab and goes into practice，it will threaten white-collar，knowledge—workerjobs just as machines，automation and assembly lines destroyed factory jobs in the 19th and 20thcenturies．由此可见，“machine learning机械学习”威胁工人是因为它能够“destroyed factory jobs破坏工厂工作，使工人失业”，因此选项[B]为答案。选项[A]all human jobs过于绝对。