阅读理解 Scientists are poor forecasters of the future. But two trends can be confidently predicted. First, the world will get more crowded. There will be more than 9 billion people by 2050. Second, the world will get warmer and some governments won't prioritize the long-term measures needed to deal with climate change, even though science offers us a road-map to a low-carbon future. That's why we should be promoters of new technology—without it the world can't provide the food and sustainable energy needed for an expanding population. But we should also be cautious, as new technologies, such as AI, may be hard to control. AI will undoubtedly become more aggressive in the future. Records of our movements, health and financial transactions will be stored in the cloud. The data may be used for justifiable reasons, such as protein folding and drug development, or to warn us of initial health risks, but its availability to Internet companies is already shifting the balance of power from governments to global-scale corporations. Actually, it's beyond Earth that AI has the most enormous potential. Humans may have established bases beyond Earth by the year 2100. But don't ever expect mass emigration(移民)from Earth. It's a false belief that space offers an escape from our problems. Dealing with climate change on Earth is a piece of cake compared to terraforming(地球化)Mars. Nevertheless, we should cheer on these brave human space adventurers. They'll be ill-adapted to a Martian habitat, so they'll have a super motive to redesign themselves. It's they, not those of us adapted to life on Earth. who will pioneer the post-human era (时代). If post-humans make the shift from flesh and blood to fully artificial intelligence, they won't need an atmosphere of even gravity, so it's in deep space —not even on Mars that non biological "brains" may develop powers that we can't imagine. They may end up being mentally different from us. AI could jump-start a huge emigration and thus even more complex intelligence spreads through the universe. But let's refocus from the science fiction of the far future, closer to the here and now. This century is special. It's the first, in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history where one species-ours—holds the planet's future in its hands. Our intelligence could initiate billions of years of post-human evolution(演化), even more amazing than that which led to us. On the other hand, humans could cause biological, environmental or cyber catastrophes that foreclose all this potential. If science is to save us, we need to think globally, sensibly and long-term—empowered by science, but guided by values that science alone can't provide

1.阅读理解

Scientists are poor forecasters of the future. But two trends can be confidently predicted. First, the world will get more crowded. There will be more than 9 billion people by 2050. Second, the world will get warmer and some governments won't prioritize the long-term measures needed to deal with climate change, even though science offers us a road-map to a low-carbon future.

That's why we should be promoters of new technology—without it the world can't provide the food and sustainable energy needed for an expanding population. But we should also be cautious, as new technologies, such as AI, may be hard to control. AI will undoubtedly become more aggressive in the future. Records of our movements, health and financial transactions will be stored in the cloud. The data may be used for justifiable reasons, such as protein folding and drug development, or to warn us of initial health risks, but its availability to Internet companies is already shifting the balance of power from governments to global-scale corporations.

Actually, it's beyond Earth that AI has the most enormous potential. Humans may have established bases beyond Earth by the year 2100. But don't ever expect mass emigration(移民)from Earth. It's a false belief that space offers an escape from our problems. Dealing with climate change on Earth is a piece of cake compared to terraforming(地球化)Mars.

Nevertheless, we should cheer on these brave human space adventurers. They'll be ill-adapted to a Martian habitat, so they'll have a super motive to redesign themselves. It's they, not those of us adapted to life on Earth. who will pioneer the post-human era (时代).

If post-humans make the shift from flesh and blood to fully artificial intelligence, they won't need an atmosphere of even gravity, so it's in deep space —not even on Mars that non biological "brains" may develop powers that we can't imagine. They may end up being mentally different from us. AI could jump-start a huge emigration and thus even more complex intelligence spreads through the universe.

But let's refocus from the science fiction of the far future, closer to the here and now. This century is special. It's the first, in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history where one species-ours—holds the planet's future in its hands. Our intelligence could initiate billions of years of post-human evolution(演化), even more amazing than that which led to us. On the other hand, humans could cause biological, environmental or cyber catastrophes that foreclose all this potential. If science is to save us, we need to think globally, sensibly and long-term—empowered by science, but guided by values that science alone can't provide

(1) Why does the author mention the two trends in the first paragraph? A. To justify the governments' policies. B. To criticize scientists' poor prediction ability. C. To advocate for advancements in tech. D. To highlight the challenges faced by scientists.

(2) According to this passage, AI can A. put an end to climate change B. facilitate mass human migration C. speedup the competition in medical fields D. bring about potential threats from big companies

(3) As for the future, which of the following will the author agree with? A. Post-humans will echo the history of humans. B. Complex intelligence will dominate the universe. C. Non-biological brains may invite unknown disasters. D. Fully artificial intelligence may inhabit outer space.

(4) Which would be the best title for the passage? A. Future of Humanity: Could AI Save Us? B. Change or Die: Will Science Lead Further Evolution? C. Towards a Sustainable Future: What Can We Do? D. Unstoppable Trend: Is Complex Intelligence Coming?

【考点】

推理判断题; 政治经济类; 社会现象类; 科普类; 学习教育类; 议论文; 标题选择;

【答案】

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阅读理解未知困难

1.阅读理解

Family dynamics in the animal kingdom are as different as the animals themselves. In the animal world, there are advantages to be gained from being part of an extended family.

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are the world's largest living primates. These creatures are peace-loving and may live together for a lifetime. The dominant male has many wives who may stay with him for most of their lives, which can cause everyday conflicts. It is the male who settles the conflicts by a warning stare or hitting the back of the offenders' heads.

Elephants

Females stick together in the elephant world, living in herds under a stateswoman. The experience and knowledge of this elder one, who may be 60-years-old, are of great benefit. She will remember, for example,the location of water holes and seasonal food supplies. In times of danger, the group bunches around the young and it is the stateswoman who decides whether to flee or confront the threat.

Lions

Lions are the only cats to live in a large family group guarded by a pair of powerful males. Family life is relatively harmonious and baby lions may be fed by any mother with milk, so orphaned babies do not starve. Males live in the wilderness for some years before seeking their own pride by challenging resident males in a bloody battle. The male lion protects his pride from other males and enemies.

Ostriches (鸵鸟)

Ostriches travel in bands of 10-50 individuals, the most remarkable birds being the eight-foot-tall males. The largest birds in the world, ostriches cannot fly, but run fast. The wives of the male ostrich all put their eggs in the same nest. A primary female will then join the male to hatch (孵化) the eggs and she will push away other eggs on the outside to ensure her own are in the middle.

(1) How is an elephant herd different from other three animal groups? A. The leader should be the oldest and experienced. B. The number of the animals in a herd must be large. C. An experienced female elephant dominates the herd. D. They will protect their young when they are in danger.

(2) Which of the following statement is correct? A. Baby lions often go hungry as they can't hunt. B. A female and a male ostriches hatch eggs jointly. C. Elephants remember every place they have been to. D. The female chimpanzee leader settles daily conflicts.

(3) Where is this text probably taken from? A. A text book. B. A science fiction. C. A course plan. D. A wildlife journal.

阅读理解未知普通

2. 阅读理解

Every community has an ice cream store, but not all of them have a mission. When Charles Foreman opened his store, Everyday Sundae, he had a goal in mind, "My objective is to make a positive impact in my community by treating people like family and remembering them," he said.

With his business slogan, "A place for community," Foreman's store has quickly gained a devoted following. Customers visit to enjoy their favorite flavors; artwork and cards from them decorate the walls; and some purchase their paper napkins there to support the store. Foreman has also organized events like storybook readings accompanied by sweet treats for children. What truly sets this business apart is the free ice cream that Foreman generously gives out.

"You know when they come in, you can see it. It was natural to notice some of the kids have it and others don't. So I'm going to sponsor them." Foreman said as he talked about how he can tell when a visitor wants a treat they can't afford. "I just want to do some positive things. I believe my community is missing a family-friendly ice cream shop."

One day, Nicole Harkin, one of his regular customers, noticed Foreman give a free ice cream to children without money. For Foreman, this was a constant gesture that had just gone unnoticed, but Harkin reacted with surprise. She came back and handed him an envelope containing 100 dollars. Foreman was so touched by Harkin's gift that he posted it on Instagram. Foreman and Harkin's kind behaviors also moved other customers to cover Foreman's free ice creams for people they didn't know. Foreman's ice cream fund has received many donations since then.

"When you see people doing their best, you want to do your best," Foreman said. "Everything is contagious, whether you do something negative or positive. We're supposed to do all we can to help each other."

(1) Why was Charles Foreman's store so special? A. It provides free goods to the community. B. It offers children ice cream for free. C. It is a place to show creativity. D. It collects donations from others.

(2) What does Foreman really want to stress in paragraph 3? A. The motive for his generous action. B. The sympathy for those poor children. C. The urge for an ice cream shop. D. The methods to help those in need.

(3) Which of the following led to a wider donation for his fund? A. A report on his unnoticed gesture. B. An envelope with a letter in it. C. A post of someone's generous action. D. A game between him and his customer.

(4) What does the underlined word "contagious" in the last paragraph mean? A. Critical. B. Optimistic. C. Precious. D. Influential.

阅读理解未知普通

3.阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

What do work relationships, personal relationships and diplomacy have in common? First, they best function when based on purely positive energy.

I developed a more remarkable ability to relate to the people in my life after taking multiple courses from an organization. The organization offers advice far more than anything I've ever experienced. As an example of the benefits of their teachings, my decade conflict with my mom has turned into loving relationship. This turnaround was critical since she is now in her late 70s. This renewed love was worth my investment in training or the organization. Had I continued down my former path, I believe my life today would be one of suffering.

They teach never to criticize, condemn, or complain. I have applied these principles to great success in all my relationships. And the rewards have been astounding, beyond my imagination. But in my role of management at work, I need to learn how to combine authority with positivity.

Recently, however, I found a solution. In other words, I discovered the secret to maintaining authority in the workplace while maintaining pure positivity. For the most part, I found it in Napoleon Hill's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I found many of the same principles taught by the organization, but the guidelines were less optimistic in Hill's book. For instance, Napoleon Hill's advice on criticizing without offending suggests we start by mentioning the positives about the person and then follow up with criticism.

But, of course, the organization advises against all complaints and I've concluded that work relationships, too, shouldn't have any criticisms. Instead, work relationships should focus on another of Napoleon Hill's strategies: focusing only on the positives while using suggestions instead of criticism. In other words, say, "That looks great. Do you think this addition might make it even better?" instead of "Here's what that is lacking."

(1) Why did the author take several courses from an organization? A. To mainly learn management skills. B. To enrich his technological knowledge. C. To deal with relationships in a positive way. D. To become more sociable as a successful diplomat.

(2) What did the author think of the change of his relationship with his mother? A. It did not come as a surprise. B. It had little to do with the courses. C. It was the result of his mother's great efforts. D. It was very important considering her old age.

(3) What does the underlined word "astounding" in paragraph 4 probably mean? A. Satisfactory. B. Unexpected. C. Unsurprising. D. Imaginary.

(4) Why did the author give the example at the end of the text? A. To show how powerful criticism is. B. To suggest replacing complaints with criticism. C. To show how to use suggestions instead of criticism. D. To advise readers to combine suggestions with criticism.

阅读理解常考题困难