【推荐1】Certain forms of AI are indeed becoming ubiquitous. For example, algorithms (算法) carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets, self-driving cars are appearing on city streets, and our smartphones are translating from one language into another. These systems are sometimes faster and more perceptive than we humans are. But so far that is only true for the specific tasks for which the systems have been designed. That is something that some AI developers are now eager to change.

Some of today’s AI pioneers want to move on from today’s world of “weak” or “narrow” AI, to create “strong” or “full” AI, or what is often called artificial general intelligence (AGI). In some respects, today’s powerful computing machines already make our brains look weak. AGI could, its advocates say, work for us around the clock, and drawing on all available data, could suggest solutions to many problems. DM, a company focused on the development of AGI, has an ambition to “solve intelligence”. “If we’re successful,” their mission statement reads, “we believe this will be one of the most important and widely beneficial scientific advances ever made.”

Since the early days of AI, imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965, an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an “ultra-intelligent machine…that can far surpass all the intellectual (智力的) activities of any man, however clever.” Good went on to suggest that “the first ultra-intelligent machine” could be “the last invention that man need ever make.”

Fears about the appearance of bad, powerful, man-made intelligent machines have been reinforced (强化) by many works of fiction — Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the Terminator film series, for example. But if AI does eventually prove to be our downfall, it is unlikely to be at the hands of human-shaped forms like these, with recognisably human motivations such as aggression (敌对行为). Instead, I agree with Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom, who believes that the heaviest risks from AGI do not come from a decision to turn against mankind but rather from a dogged pursuit of set objectives at the expense of everything else.

The promise and danger of true AGI are great. But all of today’s excited discussion about these possibilities presupposes the fact that we will be able to build these systems. And, having spoken to many of the world’s foremost AI researchers, I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see AGI any time soon, if ever.

1. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in Paragraph I probably mean?

A．Enormous in quantity.	B．Changeable daily.
C．Stable in quality.	D．Present everywhere.

2. What could AGI do for us, according to its supporters?

A．Help to tackle problems.	B．Make brains more active.
C．Benefit ambitious people.	D．Set up powerful databases.

3. As for Irving Good’s opinion on ultra-intelligent machines, the author is ____________.

A．supportive	B．disapproving
C．fearful	D．uncertain

4. What can be inferred about AGI from the passage?

A．It may be only a dream.

B．It will come into being soon.

C．It will be controlled by humans.

D．It may be more dangerous than ever.

【推荐3】Google Cloud is racing to roll out new features and services aimed at helping its customers maintain business during the coronavirus pandemic, including a new security product expected to launch Tuesday. The new security product includes technology that could attract more businesses, especially those in highly regulated industries, to adopt cloud services. The technology protects data while it is being processed. “We wanted people comfortable in knowing they can move to the cloud and don’t have to worry about the security of their data,” said Mr. Kurian, chief executive of the unit.

Google Cloud accelerated the development of several features for its virtual meeting product, Google Meet, in April, including one that automatically filters out background noises such as keystrokes and dog barks. Another feature automatically adjusts a user’s video with lighting variations. In 2018, the company launched an AI tool for manufactures that automatically inspects products for quality.

Google Cloud also benefited from the protocols(协议) for Black Friday, when shopping websites see a rush of online shoppers, to deal with sudden more demand for cloud services. The protocols benefited the customers in online videogames, government services, education and shopping, who needed assistance in more computing capacity.

Also, the protocols benefited many companies. Godbole, chief information officer for home improvement company Lowe’s Cos., worked with Mr. Kurian and his team in March and April to manage increased business. Lowe’s customers were doubling on projects such as those related to home offices during those months, and “Our company saw tremendous demand,” Ms. Godbole said.

The coronavirus pandemic presented a new opportunity for Google Cloud to prove its value for customers, said Plummer, chief of research for cloud computing. “Google Cloud aims to differentiate itself by being known as a provider that can handle unpredictable events,” Mr. Plummer said. It aims to do that by offering secure remote-work tools and software development tools that require minimal coding. “Trust is built in times of crisis,” he said.

1. During the coronavirus pandemic, Google Cloud is working hard to ________.

A．start more highly regulated businesses.

B．help customers to save more money.

C．make people move to the cloud more safely.

D．remove data while it is being processed.

2. What does the underlined phrase “filters out” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Produces.

B．Breaks.

C．Matches.

D．Removes.

3. Why does the author mention Ms. Godbole’s company?

A．To show the market needs the new products of Google Cloud.

B．To share the experience of Ms. Godbole’s company.

C．To offer an example of running a company in times of crisis.

D．To encourage people to follow the step of Godbole.

4. What does Mr. Plummer think of the new service of Google Cloud?

A．Insufficient.

B．Reliable.

C．Unpredictable.

D．Complex.

【推荐1】阅读下面短文和问题，根据短文内容和每小题后的具体要求，在答题卡相应题号后的横线上写下相关信息，完成对该问题的回答。答语要意思清楚，结构正确，书写工整。

A seed expert who brought high-quality vegetable seeds to many countries, was awarded the 2019 World Food Prize. Simon Groot of the Netherlands is credited with introducing high-quality, disease- resistance vegetable seeds to more than 60 countries including the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

He began his search to create better vegetable seeds to help farmers in Southeast Asia in 1981. Sixteen years earlier, he had made his first trip to Indonesia. There, Groot learned that vegetable seeds which were developed for the climate of Europe, did poorly when planted in the hot tropics. He thought there was a great possibility to introduce hybrid vegetables to the area. The area lacked vegetable seed developers who were trying to create hybrids for the local climate.

“I noticed the seed quality in that part of world was so much below our standards and below achievable standards. I could not stand that the farmers there did not have better seeds.” Said Groot.

At that time, farmers in Southeast Asia usually saved seeds from season to season. That was because the seeds available for sale were often old. Those seeds were usually from Europe or North America and did not grow well in their tropical climate. This meant that the farmers ended up with smaller crops, and lower quality that changed greatly from season to season. The plant also could easily become infected with diseases.

Groot partnered with seed trader Benito Domingo of the Philippines. They put together a team of seed researchers and growers from Wageninge University in the Netherlands and the University of the Philippines. Within a few years, they developed a hybrid bitter gourd that sold successfully. Then they adapted a tomato plant, followed by eggplants, pumpkins and leafy vegetables.

The early success led to the start of the East-West Seed Company ,which now has more than 970 improved seeds of 60 vegetable crops. Over the past 40 years, the discoveries have led to the creation of a tropical vegetable seed industry aimed at small farmers. The tropical seeds are now spreading into Asia, Africa and Latin America. It is estimated that the company’s seeds are used by 20 million farmers each year in more than 60 countries.

The award was announced during a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State hosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “The remarkable improvements made in these tropical vegetable seeds helped small farmers in developing nations produce more food and importantly get more income for themselves and their families,” Pompeo said. He added that these seeds fight hunger and help increase economic growth.

1. Who is Simon Groot? (不多于四个字)
2. Why was Groot awarded? (不多于六个字)
3. What caused lower incomes from crops in Southeast Asia in the past?（不多于三个字）
4. When did Groot begin his search to create better vegetable seeds? (不多于两个字)
5. Why does the author mention the Pompeo’s statement at last?（不多于五个字）

【推荐2】Foldable phones are once again facing questions about their durability(耐久性).The Galaxy Z Flip and the Motorola Razr are now both available to buy in the US-but early reports suggest the screens are easily damaged.

One media published photos of two layers of the Razr's display separating, affecting the touch screen. The Galaxy flip, meanwhile, boasts(自夸)a "flexible glass" display---but tests appear to show it scratching(刮擦)as easily as plastic.

In a statement, Samsung said the display had a protective layer, and had undergone extensive testing. "While the display does bend, it should be handled with care, "it said.

The Z Flip's "pretty thin glass" is one of Samsung's primary marketing messages for the new phone. But a durability test conducted by popular Zack Nelson, a regular buyer, suggested it was no more durable than soft plastic screen, and could even be dented(痕)by fingernail.

Nelson said Samsung's screen scratched exactly how plastic screen would react. "I don't know what material this is, but Samsung definitely shouldn't be calling it glass," he said. He found that the screen of the Motorola Razr scratched as easily but it is not marketed as "glass".

The Motorola Razr was put on sale 13 days ago in the US, but Raymond Wong, an editor says the flexible screen on his handset has already broken. The upper layer of the Razr's screen separated from the bottom, creating "a giant horizontal air bubble" for no apparent reason. He wrote that the fault appeared after 45-minute train ride during which the phone was in his pocket. The screen was completely warped from hinge-to-hinge with the top layer raised like a poorly applied screen protector. But Mr. Wong said that apart from the visual problem, the damage has affected the responsiveness of the touchscreen.

1. What attitude do the buyers have to the quality of Galaxy Flip and Razr?

A．Suspicious.	B．Objective.
C．Optimistic.	D．Unconcerned.

2. What is the outstanding feature of the Z Flip by Samsung?

A．Low price.	B．Portable style.
C．Extremely thin screen.	D．Protective function.

3. Why does Nelson complain about Samsung?

A．He is angry at its post-sale service.

B．He is strict in its screen materials.

C．He is disappointed at its unfair competition.

D．He is unsatisfied with its inexact statement.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Cheat always exists in business

B．Foldable phones may not be all that great

C．Different brands have their special features

D．Disadvantages of two kinds of phones

【推荐3】Almost everybody in America will spend a part of his or her life behind a shopping cart(购物手推车). They will, in a lifetime, push the chrome-plated contraptions many miles. But few will know—or even think to ask—who it was that invented them.

Sylvan N. Goldman invented the shopping cart in 1937. At that time he was in the supermarket business. Every day he would see shoppers lugging(吃力地携带) groceries around in baskets they had to carry.

One day Goldman suddenly had the idea of putting baskets on wheels. The wheeled baskets would make shopping much easier for his customers, and would help to attract more business.

On June 4, 1937, Goldman’s first carts were ready for use in his market. He was terribly excited on the morning of that day as customers began arriving. He couldn’t wait to see them using his invention.

But Goldman was disappointed. Most shoppers gave the carts a long look, but hardly anybody would give them a try.

After a while, Goldman decided to ask customers why they weren’t using his carts. “Don’t you think this arm is strong enough to carry a shopping basket?” one shopper replied.

But Goldman wasn’t beaten yet. He knew his carts would be a great success if only he could persuade people to give them a try. To this end, Goldman hired a group of people to push carts around his market and pretend they were shopping! Seeing this, the real customers gradually began copying the phony(假冒的) customers.

As Goldman had hoped, the carts were soon attracting larger and larger numbers of customers to his market. But not only did more people come—those who came bought more. With larger, easier-to-handle baskets, customers unconsciously bought a greater number of items than before.

Today’s shopping carts are five times larger than Goldman’s original model. Perhaps that’s one reason Americans today spend more than five times as much money on food each year as they did before 1937—before the coming of the shopping cart.

1. Why was Goldman disappointed at first?
2. Why did Goldman hire people to push carts around his market?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
The purpose of Goldman’s invention was to make shopping easier and show off his imagination.
4. What do you think of Goldman? Please briefly explain. (about 40 words)

【推荐1】Children often learn new languages more easily than adults do, but it’s unclear why. Some theorize that grasping a language requires absorbing subtle patterns unconsciously and that adults’superior conscious reasoning is to blame. New research suggests that, indeed, grown-ups might just be too smart for their own good.

For a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, a group of Belgian adults at the same time read and heard strings of four made-up words(such as “kieng nief siet hiem”). Specific consonants (辅音) always appeared at the beginning or end of a word if the word contained a certain vowel (元音). Participants next read the sequences aloud quickly. Their ability to avoid mistakes doing so indicated how well they absorbed the consonant-vowel patterns.

But before exposure to the new words, the participants had carried out a separate test: pressing keys to react to letters and numbers. Some got a much faster, more mentally draining version of this test. Those who did the difficult version claimed greater mental exhaustion afterward—but performed better on the following language task. The researchers assume that tired learners used less conscious analysis on the word rules: they were free to learn like a child.

For a related paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, the research team had English-speaking adults listen to streams of syllables (音节) secretly grouped into three-syllable “words.” Later, they played pairs of three-syllable units; one word in the pair came from the stream, and one was a new combination. The participants guessed which word was familiar, then rated their confidence.

In one participant group, some had first done the original mentally draining test. In another, some had received magnetic pulses to interrupt activity in a brain area that previous research has linked to executive control. In both groups, these measures improved participants’ performance on the syllable task when they were unsure about their answers, indicating unconscious analysis of speech.

Neuroscientist Michael Ullman, who was not involved in either paper, likes that both the studies added to mental burden differently and measured different skills. That’s really good in science because you’ve got evidences pointing to the same direction,” he says, adding that he would like to see higher language skills such as grammar studied this way.

1. The reason why some Belgians were given a more difficult test before the language task was that __________.

A．they would have no time to prepare for the upcoming task.

B．they would be too tired mentally to consciously analyze the rules

C．they could have something to refer to in the following task

D．they might compare the difficulty level of the two tasks

2. What can be inferred from Michael Ullman’s remark?

A．The research result is not solid until grammar is included.

B．Subconscious mind remains to be explored in science.

C．The outcomes of the two researches back each other up

D．More evidence is needed to back the claim of the two papers.

3. Which of the following conclusions will the research team agree with?

A．Human brain processes languages in multiple ways.

B．Conscious analysis is the key to mastering a language.

C．Increasing mental health improves one’s language.

D．Reducing reasoning may help to learn a language.

【推荐3】A case highlights a little-known fact about a poor diet: In addition to being tied to obesity, heart disease and cancer, they can also permanently damage the nervous system, particularly vision, according to a report published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

A teen who ate nothing but fries, chips and other junk food for years slowly went blind. The teen’s problems began at age 14, when he went to the doctor’s office complaining of tiredness. The teen was reportedly a picky eater, and blood tests showed he had anemia and low levels of vitamin B12. He was treated with injections of vitamin B12 along with advice on how to improve his diet.

However, by age 15, he developed hearing loss and vision problems, but doctors couldn’t seem to find the cause—results from an MRI and eye exam were normal. Over the next two years, the teen’s vision got progressively worse. When the boy was 17, an eye test showed that his vision was 20/200 in both eyes, the threshold (起始点) for being “legally blind” in the United States.

Further tests showed the teen had developed damage to the optic nerve (视神经). In addition, the teen still had low levels of vitamin B12, along with low levels of selenium (硒) and vitamin D. These deficiencies caused doctors to ask the teen about the foods he ate. “The patient admitted that, since elementary school, the only things he ate had been fries, chips, white bread, processed ham slices and sausage,” the authors from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom wrote in the report.

This kind of vision loss is potentially reversible (可逆的) if caught early. However, by the time the teen was diagnosed, his vision loss was permanent. What’s more, wearing glasses would not help the teen’s vision, because damage to the optic nerve cannot be corrected with lenses, said the study lead author Dr. Denize Atan.

1. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．A poor diet can cause poor vision.

B．Vitamin B12 is important to vision.

C．Unhealthy food causes many diseases.

D．Doctors’ advice is helpful to people.

2. Why did the teen’s condition get worse?

A．His illness couldn’t be treated.

B．He kept having a poor diet.

C．Vitamin B12 didn’t work on him.

D．He developed damage to his nerves.

3. What does the underlined word “deficiencies” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Barriers.

B．Materials.

C．Reasons.

D．Shortages.

4. What can be inferred about the teen?

A．His optic nerve will be recovered.

B．His problems will be solved well.

C．He is advised to take in more nutrition.

D．He needn’t wear glasses any more.