How soon will it be before robots become so intelligent that will be able to do things, such as teaching
languages or looking after patients in hospital? Some experts believe this will happen within twenty years
while others disagree.
One London company, UAS (Universal Automated Systems) has already developed machines that can be used as "home helps" for old people unable to look after themselves and who are living on their own or
in special homes.These machines can now do such things as cooking eggs and cleaning the floor, and the
company says that future models still accept simple voice instructions and be controlled by a " brain" that is the equivalent(当量) of the latest IBM microcomputer. The director of USA, Mr Henry Jeffries, believes
that in the next five to ten years companies will have developed even more sophisticated(复杂的) robots
for use in industry. By this time, it is likely that they will also have begun to sell new forms of these
machines into ordinary homes. Robots could do a wide range of household tasks, such as preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and so on. By then, the price of such machines may have come down to as little as $1 000.
But Dr Sandra Lomax, who has done research into artificial(人工的) intelligence at Sussex University
and MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology) believes we have a long way to go before we can
develop truly intelligent machines,
"Preparing an omelette (煎蛋) may seem easy enough. But suppose one of the eggs has gone bad,
even the most "intelligent" robot would probably still use it. If something slightly unusual needs
doing-something that requires even a little bit of ordinary human imagination, a robot is useless. They need programming for even the simplest of tasks and are not able to leam from experience. And teaching a
robot how to recognize a bad egg is far more difficult than teaching it to prepare the omelette the egg goes
into," she says.
B. How to Make Robots
C. Robots More Clever Than Man
D.The Robots and People
B.a robot will soon be able to do unusual house- work people can"t do
C. we can programme a robot to learn from experience
D. making an omelette is easier for a robot than recognizing a bad egg
hospital.
B. Dr Sandra Lomax believes there are very great problems in developing intelligent robots.
C. Robots have taken an important part in people"s daily life.
D. Such machines are already being sold into ordinary homes.
B. can help old people do certain jobs in the house
C.is controlled by microcomputer "brain"
D. can accept simple voice instructions
B. cost much less than $1 000
C. be used more in ordinary homes than in industry
D. do more housework
can power a network ofsensors(传感器)to prevent spreading forest fires.
What they learn could also raise the possibility of usingtrees as silent guards along the
nation"s borders to discoverpotential threatssuchassmuggled (走私的 ) radioactivematerials.
The U. S. Forest Service currently predicts and tracksfires with a variety of tools,
including remotc automatcdweather stations. But these stations arc expcnsive andsparsely
(稀疏地) distributed. Additionalsensors could savetrees by providing better local climate
data to be used in fireprediction models and earlier warnings. However,rechargingor
replacing batteries by hand at very hard-to-reach locationsmakes it impractical and costly.
The new sensor system seeks to avoid this problem bydeveloping trees into a
self-sustaining power supply. Eachsensor is equipped with a battery that can be slowly
recharged using electricity produced by the tree. "A singletree doesn"t generate a lot of
power, but over time thetrickle (细流 ) chargeaddsup, justlike "-", saidShuguang Zhang,
one of the researchers on the project andthe associate director of the MIT" s Center for
Biomedica}Engineering( CBE). "
The system produces enough electricity to allow the temperature and humidity sensors
to wirelessly send outsignals four times a day,or immediately if there"s a fire.Each signal
spreads from one sensor to another, until itreaches an existing weather station that sends
the data bysatellite to a forestry command center in Boise,Idaho. Scientists have long
known that trees can produceextremely small amounts of electricity. But no one knew
exactly how the energy was produced or how to takeadvantage of the power.
a. They cost too much.
b. They are of poor quality.
c. They are not enough.
d. They can"t reach remote places.
B. b,d
C. a,c
D. b,c
A. Far water does not put out near fire.
B. All rivers run into sea.
C. Many a little makes a miracle.
D. It never rains but it pours.
B. Trees can produce electricity
C. Tree power in daily life
D. Developing new energy
There is no denying that students should learn something about how computers work, just
as we expect them at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine (内燃机) has
something to do with burning fuel, expanding gases and pistons (活塞) being driven. For
people should have some basic idea of how the things that they use do what they do. Further,
students might be helped by a course that considers the computer"s impact on society. But
that is not what is meant by computer literacy. For computer literacy is not a form of literacy
(读写能力); it is a trade skill that should not be taught as a liberal art.
Learning how to use a computer and learning how to program one are two distinct
activities. A case might be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free
themselves from their fear of computers. But this is quite different from saying that all ought
to know how to program one. Leave that to people who have chosen programming as a
career. While programming can be lots of fun, and while our society needs some people
who are experts at it, the same is true of auto repair and violin-making.
Learning how to use a computer is not that difficu1t, and it gets easier all the time as
programs become more "user-friendly". Let us assume that in the future everyone is
going to have to know how to use a computer to be a competent citizen. What does the
phrase "learning to use a computer" mean? It sounds like "learning to drive a car", that is,
it sounds as if there is some set of definite skills that, once acquired, enable one to use a
computer.
In fact, "learning to use a computer" is much more like "learning to play a game", but
learning the rules of one game may not he1p you play a second game, whose rules may
not be the same. There is no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer.
One can only teach people to use this or that program and generally that is easily accomplished.
B. be aware of how the things that they use do what they do
C. learn to use a computer by acquiring a certain set of skills
D. understand that programming a computer is more essential than repairing a car.
B. our society needs experts in different fields
C. violin-making requires as much skill as computer programming
D. people who can use a computer don"t necessarily have to know computer programming
B. programs are designed to be convenient to users
C. programming is becoming easier and easier
D. programs are becoming readily available to computer users
B. the fundamentals of computer science
C. specific programs
D. general principles of programming
B. to explain the concept of computer literacy
C. to illustrate the requirements for being competent citizens of tomorrow
D. to emphasize that computer programming is an interesting and challenging job.
scientists: the feathered navigators follow the roads just like we do.
Scientists now believe the phrase "as the crow (乌鸦) flies" no longer means the shortest most
direct route between two points. They say it is likely that crows and other day birds also choose
AA-suggested routes, even though it makes their journeys longer.
Scientists at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using global positioning
satellite (GPS) and got a surprising result. The birds often don"t use the sun to decide their directions.
Instead they fly along motorways, turn at crossing and even go around roundabouts (绕道) , adding
miles to their journeys.
"It really has knocked our research team sideways to find that after a decade-long international
study, pigeons appear to ignore their inbuilt directional instincts (本能) and follow the road system,"
said Prof Tim Guilford, reader in animal behavior at Oxford University"s Department of Zoology.
Guilford said pigeons use their own navigational system (导航系统) when doing long distance trips
or when a bird does a journey for the first time.
"But once homing pigeons have flown a journey more than once, they can fly home on a habitual
route, much as we do when we are driving or walking home from work," said Guilford.
"In short, it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road. They are just making their
journey as simpl e as possible."
B. Why Pigeons Can Fly long Distance?
C. How Pigeons Find Their Ways Home?
D. Why Crows Fly the Shortest Distance?
B. The crows.
C. Day birds.
D. Animals that can fly.
B. by the sun
C. by the road system
D. by following other birds
B. Because their own navigational system doesn"t work.
C. Because it is too hard to use their own navigational system.
D. Because it is easier to make journey simple by following road system.
flesh and blood but also of time. They were
__1__ to show that we all have 6"a body clock" 2__ us. which controls the 3_ and fall of our
body energies, 4_ us different from one day to the next.
The 5 _ 0f "a body clock" should not be too 6 _ since the lives of most living things are controlled
7 the 24-hour night-and-day cycle. We feel 8 and fall asleep at night and become 9__ and
energetic during the day.lf the
24-hour-cycle is _10 , most people experience unpleasant 11 .For example, people who are not 12
to working at night can find that 13__ of sleep causes them to 14 _ badly at work.
15 the daily cycle of sleeping and 16 , we also have other cycles which 17 longer than one day.
Most of us would 18 that we feel good on some days and not so good on 19 ; sometimes our ideas
seem to flow and at other times, they _20__ do not exist.
( ) 2. A.inside
( ) 3. A. movement
( ) 4 A. showing
( ) 5. A. invention
( ) 6. A. difficult
( ) 7. A. from
( ) 8. A. dull
( ) 9. A. regular
( )10. A. disturbed
( )11. A. moments
( )12. A. prevented
( )13. A. miss
( )14. A. perform
( )15. A. With
( )16. A. working
( )17. A. repeat
( )18. A. agree
( )19. A. other
( )20. A.just
B. around
B. supply
B. treating
B. opinion
B. exciting
B. by
B. tired
B. excited
B. shortened
B. feelings
B. allowed
B. none
B. show
B. As well as
B. moving
B. remain
B. believe
B. the other
B. only
C. between
C. use
C. making
C. story
C. surprising
C. over
C. dreamy
C. lively
C. rested
C. senses
C. expected
C. lack
C. manage
C. Except
C.living
C. last
C. realize
C. all other
C. still
D. on
D. rise
D. changing
D. idea
D. interesting
D. During
D. peaceful
D. clear
D. troubled
D. effects
D. used
D. need
D. control
D. Rather than
D. waking
D. happen
D. allow
D. others
D. yet
To learn with your classmates is important in learning process.
At the b________I thought that learning was
none of others" business.I kept telling myself the truth
________the harder you study, the better grade
you get.________(遗憾), the truth seemed no
truth to me.It doesn"t w________ on all exams of
mine.No matter how hard I worked, I still
________(不及格). Each time I didn"t pass the
exam, I thought I hadn"t studied hard e________for
it.The situation didn"t look up________my
teacher suggested I should learn with my classmates.One day I
came a________a difficult problem.Keeping my
teacher"s advice in________, I turned to one of my
classmates for help and solved it________(顺利).
- 1芬兰籍华人科学家张霞昌研制的“超薄型软电池”获2009年中国科技创业大赛最高奖,被称之为“软电池”的纸质电池总反应为:Z
- 2列车在机车的牵引下沿平直铁轨匀加速行驶,在100s内速度由5.0m/s增加到15.0m/s. 求:(1)列车的加速度大小
- 3选词填空。work on weekends, instead of, stay up, should be all
- 4若ax=2,ay=3,则a3x-y=( )
- 5如图所示,敲击右边的音叉时,能看到左边音叉旁悬挂的泡沫塑料小球会 ;如果在月球上进行同样的
- 6— We should adopt ________ methods to deal with some inciden
- 7计算-(-2)0-|-|+2-1+tan60。=
- 8复数(1+i1-i)2008=( )A.-1B.1C.22008D.-22008
- 9请听下面一段材料,回答第1至第3三个小题。 1. When did Armstrong land on the moon
- 10已知x2+y2=4上恰好有3个点到直线l:y=x+b的距离都等于1,则b=________.
- 1下列句子中,加点的成语使用恰当的一句是( )A.国内媒体披露的“歼-10”战斗机将亮相建国60周年庆典的消息不胫而走,
- 2Boris has brains. In fact, I doubt whether anyone in the cla
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- 4下列各组物质及粒子性质变化不正确的是A.酸性:HClO4>H2SO4>H3AsO4>H3PO4 B.碱性:Ca(OH)2
- 5请根据以下提示发挥想象以My sister 为题写一篇70字左右的短文。NameAmyAge14Birthpalce南京
- 6如图,抛物线y=-18x2+bx+c交x轴于A、B两点,交y轴于点C,且抛物线的对称轴为直线x=1,设∠ABC=α,且c
- 7阅读《海燕》中的选段,回答1-7题。 乌云越来越暗,越来越低,向海面直压下来,而波浪一边唱歌,一边冲向高空,去迎接那雷
- 82012年1月6日,瑞安市第十五届人大一次会议举行旁听公民座谈会,听取群众心声,共话瑞安发展。7位受邀公民代表各抒己见、
- 9_____ seemed as if nobody knew anything about the matter. A
- 10下列说法正确的是 A.宇航员太空行走时,与飞船之间连有一根细绳,这样使宇航员处于平衡状态B.在探究太阳对行星的引力规律时