1 . In one horrible film plot, Al eventually outsmarts humans and takes over computers and factories. In another, large language models (LLMs) of the sort that power generative AI like ChatGPT give bad guys the know-how to create destructive cyberweapons.
It is time to think hard about these film plots, not because they have become more probable but because policymakers around the world are considering measures to guard against them. The idea that AI could drive humans to extinction is speculative—no one yet knows how such a threat might materialise and no common methods exist for determining what counts as risky. Plenty of research needs to be done before standards and rules can be set.
Governments cannot ignore a technology that could change the world deeply. Regulators have been too slow in the past, but there is danger, too, in acting hurriedly. If they go too fast, policymakers could create global rules that are aimed at the wrong problems and are ineffective against the real ones.
Because of the computing resources and technical skills required, only a handful of companies have so far developed powerful “frontier” models. New hurried regulations could easily block out competitors to the “handful of companies”, especially because these companies are working closely with governments on writing the rule book. A focus on extreme risks is likely to make regulators careful of open -source models, which are freely available and can easily be revised.
The best that governments can do now is to set up the basic systems to study the technology and its potential risks, and ensure that those working on the problem have enough resources. As AI develops further, regulators will have a far better idea of what risks they are guarding against, and consequently what the rule book should look like. A fully mature body could eventually take shape. But creating it will take time and reflection.
1. What does the first paragraph function as?| A．An argument. | B．An explanation. | C．A comment. | D．A lead-in. |
| A．Theoretical. | B．Common. | C．Unique. | D．False. |
| A．Competition in this area is prevented. | B．The development of AI is restricted. |
| C．AI will be applied to a limited degree. | D．The public will be misled about danger. |
| A．AI: a Real Threat? | B．Don’t Rush into Policing AI |
| C．AI: Humans’ Friend or Enemy? | D．Time for Government to Regulate AI |
2 . When people wanted to find their way to a place in the past, they used to have to buy a map. They don’t have to do that any more. Now they can either buy a GPS, or go online and find maps for just about anywhere.
Is this an improvement? Perhaps, but some people think some of the online companies are going too far, because they have been sending out cars with photographic equipment on their roofs, to photograph every street and house in the country.
One of these cars arrived on a Wednesday morning in the quiet English village of Broughton. The camera was on a metre-high pole on top of the car and could see over walls and into people’s gardens. Some of the villagers came and stood around the car, and asked the driver and photographer to go away. Journalists quickly arrived on the scene, and soon the event was news all over the country.
Of course, the online company in question claims that it is simply collecting information that people on the Internet want. But Broughton residents feel differently. “We used to have privacy in this country. Now companies just come and take photographs of our homes without even asking,” said one resident. “It’s not right. We mustn’t let this happen. We mustn’t lose our right to live privately.”
There is, of course, no law to prevent people from taking photographs of houses, so the residents cannot go to court. But many people are asking the question: OK, it’s legal, but is it right? This is a question that won’t go away very quickly.
1. Why did the car with a camera on the car roof come to Broughton?| A．To test whether their GPS works in the village. |
| B．To investigate for a law case for the country. |
| C．To spy on villagers and their life in Broughton. |
| D．To collect information for their online maps. |
| A．The incident drew people’s attention all over the world. |
| B．The incident made online maps popular among the local residents. |
| C．The local residents were curious about what these people were doing. |
| D．The local residents were upset about their privacy not being respected. |
| A．The law should be changed to protect the residents. |
| B．The incident will remain a hot topic for people to discuss. |
| C．The residents accept what the company was doing in their neighborhood. |
| D．The residents can sue (控告) the company for violating their privacy. |
| A．A strange car! | B．It’s legal, but is it right? |
| C．Say goodbye to paper maps. | D．Privacy gives way to technology. |
3 . Imagine you need milk, so you go to the grocery store to pick some up, only to find there are dozens of options. These days, you have to make a decision on not only the percentage of fat you want, but also what source you want your milk to be coming from: cows, soybeans... You have no idea what milk to pick. There are so many choices that you are confused.
This phenomenon is known as the paradox (悖论) of choice and it is becoming a concern in the modern world, where more and more options are becoming easily available to us. While we might believe that being presented with multiple options actually makes it easier to choose one that we are happy with, and thus increases consumer satisfaction, having too many options actually requires more effort to make a decision and can leave us feeling unsatisfied with our choice.
The idea was popularized by American psychologist Barry Schwartz when he published his book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. Schwartz, who has long studied the ways in which economics and psychology intersect (交叉), became interested in seeing the way that choices were affecting the happiness of citizens in Western societies. He identified that the range of choices that we have available to us these days is far greater than that people had in the past; however, consumer satisfaction has not increased as much as traditional economics theories might expect.
Schwartz identified that the paradox of choice carries the most consequence for people that are maximizers. Maximizers, unlike satisficers, are concerned with making the best choice instead of simply making a choice that they are happy with. When there are many options available to maximizers, it becomes harder for them to determine which is the best, which can cause them to feel a great deal of regret after they have made a choice.
Instead of believing that freedom of choice is unlimited, Schwartz advocates that the role of psychology and behavioral economics should be to find the kind of limitations on freedom that can lead to the greatest level of happiness within society.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in mentioning buying milk in paragraph 1?| A．To lead in the topic. |
| B．To draw a conclusion. |
| C．To show that we have more choices when shopping. |
| D．To indicate that people pay greater attention to health when shopping. |
| A．More options mean less satisfaction. |
| B．Consumer satisfaction has greatly increased. |
| C．People are happy with more choices. |
| D．Modern people are happier than their ancestors. |
| A．They aim for the very best. | B．They tend to follow their feelings. |
| C．They often regret their decisions. | D．They have trouble making a decision. |
| A．Hold on to their beliefs. | B．Accept their own behavior. |
| C．Give up freedom. | D．Limit their own choices. |
4 . In general, the society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic (官僚主义的) management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-equipped factories and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not change the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and he is bored with it. In fact, the blue-collar and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.
The worker and employee are anxious, seemingly because they might find themselves out of a job or they would say that they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. In fact, they feel desperate as they live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.
Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From the moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.
Am I suggesting a return to the pre-industrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming the social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities — those of all love and of reason — are the aims of social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.
1. By “a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery”, the author expresses the idea that man is _________.| A．an essential part of society with irreplaceable functions |
| B．expected to work in reasonable harmony with the rest of society |
| C．an unimportant component of society, though functioning smoothly |
| D．responsible for the smooth running of society and business operations |
| A．they are filled with an overwhelming fear of being unemployed |
| B．they don’t have any genuine satisfaction or interest |
| C．they have to face the fundamental realities of human existence |
| D．they lack a sense of independence and productivity |
| A．caution | B．obedience | C．commitment | D．optimism |
| A．To introduce the production mode of our ancestors. |
| B．To show the problematic situation in society. |
| C．To argue for full development of human potentials. |
| D．To help people escape production and consumption. |
5 . There is no doubt that artificial intelligence—or AI—has become an important part of our lives. It is no longer just a thing of science fiction: it’s an incredible technological breakthrough that has changed the way we live. But there are fears that AI has become too intelligent and could be a threat to humanity.
This claim might sound extreme, but a letter signed by more than 1,000 technology experts, including Tesla boss Elon Musk, called on the world to press pause (暂停) on the development of more advanced AI because of the risks. Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn, for example, who helped develop communication app Skype, thinks we should be cautious. Also The Future of Life Institute, a not-for-profit organization, says that there should be a temporary pause to control the speed of advanced AI development and that “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can cause profound risks to society and humans.”
This negative view is supported by a report by investment bank Goldman Sachs that says AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. But it may also mean new jobs and a productivity bonanza. We may argue that AI such as chatbots can help us. State-of-the-art ChatGPT, for example, has been helping some students write assignments. AI is allowing computers to think or act in a more human way. And machine learning means computers can learn what to do without being given evident instructions. The technology is impressive, but as it starts to think for itself, will it outsmart us?
However, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has called on governments to work with industry to “limit the risks” of AI. He says, “Just as the world needs its brightest people focused on its biggest problems, we will need to focus the world’s best AIs on its biggest problems.” If this happens, maybe humanity will have a future.
1. What is the major fear that AI causes?| A．It will change our life completely. | B．It will cause many job losses. |
| C．It will be too intelligent to control. | D．It will replace many other technologies. |
| A．Slowing the development of AI. | B．Stopping the using of AI. |
| C．Building a not-for-profit organization. | D．Helping develop communication app Skype. |
| A．Increase. | B．Innovation. | C．Problem. | D．Expense. |
| A．To call on joint efforts of government and industries. |
| B．To expect Bill Gates’ company to make the best AIs. |
| C．To encourage more talented people to work with Bill Gates. |
| D．To express an optimistic attitude towards the AI development. |
6 . While the remaining 8 teams of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar compete in the quarter-finals, it is worth noting that it is not only soccer that has captured the world’s attention, but also the video assistant referee (VAR) technology.
Like it or hate it, the VAR is a part of football games today.
Many football fans question whether the system made the game better or if it added unnecessary some complication to the beautiful game, especially this time in Qatar, as a number of controversial (引起争议的) decisions were made involving VAR – it slows down the game, offside law (越位规则) is sometimes not flexible.
The introduction of the VAR means at the top-level football now tends to pause and delay with the on-field referee often waiting for decisions to be made by those located in offices often far away from the stadiums themselves.
Actually, the use of video match officials (VMOs) in football was included in the 2018/2019 edition of the Laws of the Game and was already used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Since then, the system has been used in over 100 competitions worldwide.
Despite criticisms, FIFA thought VAR’s first show to be a success, with referee committee head Pierluigi Collina claiming that 99.3 percent of “match-changing” decisions were called correctly at the World Cup – “very, very close to perfection”. Without VAR, referees called 95% of incidents correctly.
We should admit that sports tech is still far from perfect in the field of sports events. People’s emotions are not towards those technologies themselves, but the current shortcomings of the application of the technology.
The controversies in the football field are not caused by VAR alone as there are too many uncertain factors on the court, which is a part of the game drama. For example, the penalty kick (点球) in the penalty area is judged in a variety of situations.
1. What made fans dissatisfied in Qatar?| A．The use of VAR technology. |
| B．The results of soccer games. |
| C．The changes of match laws. |
| D．The decisions made by coaches. |
| A．Viewer. | B．Athlete. | C．Judge. | D．Host. |
| A．It reduces the burden of the referees. |
| B．It has become a part of football games. |
| C．It is widely applied in many fields of sports. |
| D．Its “match-changing” decisions proved more exact. |
| A．World Cup 2022 is a turning point |
| B．Is VAR technology ruining football games? |
| C．Should VAR be popularized in the sports world? |
| D．The 2022 World Cup saw the first show of VAR |
7 . Feel exhausted after a party? Rather see one close friend than a group of acquaintances? Enjoy your own company? In our world, that makes you an introvert (内向的人). However, there’s another possible explanation — vertical attachment. If you are closer to your parents and family members than to your peers, you are vertically attached, which means you rely more on family for comfort.
If you are closer to your peers, then you are peer attached. We live in a peer-oriented world. We believe that having lots of friends means that we are well-adjusted. We put our kids in playgroups and daycare for peer interaction. We expect teenagers to want to hang out with their friends, thinking it is the natural way of things.
Result? Generations often feel worlds apart. We use different language, dress, and technology apps. Even if multiple generations are invited to the same party, the kids go to the basement playroom while the parents stay upstairs.
Vertically-attached individuals can feel out of place in this context, demonstrating the traces of introversion. Will they be exhausted after a party with same-aged acquaintances? Absolutely. Would they rather spend time with one close friend? Sure. Do they enjoy alone time? Yes, more than they enjoy time fitting in with peers.
It’s normal that many people need alone time to recharge. However, vertically-attached people often label themselves as introverted. They feel insecure that others have more friends and live richer lives. They claim that their family attachments arise from their loved ones being stuck with them.
If you feel these insecurities, know that there is nothing wrong with you, and you are not missing out on anything. Your attachment style is just different from the culture where you live. Have confidence in the strength of the relationships you have, whether it is with a mom who feels more like a best friend, or a grandmother with whom you can share anything. They are meaningful, enriching relationships, even if they look different from the cultural norm.
1. Who is vertically attached according to the text?| A．Mike, who feels at ease with his teachers. |
| B．Maggie, who enjoys film time alone at weekends. |
| C．Tom, who feels burnt out after a family get-together. |
| D．Lisa, who often turns to her dad when things are hard. |
| A．Younger generations should be self-disciplined. |
| B．Being sociable is a desired quality for their children. |
| C．Their children need more friends than they themselves do. |
| D．Different generations should have different circles of acquaintances. |
| A．Be that as it may, just leave it as it is. |
| B．Never underestimate your inner power. |
| C．Hang out more with friends and adjust to it. |
| D．Treat others the way you want to be treated. |
| A．Prejudiced. | B．Cautious. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Favorable |
8 . Wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?
In a recent Wall Street journal article, technology policy expert A lec Ross argued that, within a decade or so. We’ll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built-in microphones. That’s because technological progress is extremely rapid. It’s only a matter of time. Indeed, some parents are so convinced that this technology is imminent that they’re wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.
It’s true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers make them cleverer at translating “No es bueno dormir mucho” as “It’s not good to sleep too much.” Replacing a word with its equivalent (同义词) in the target language is actually the “easy part of a translator’s job”. But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.
It’s so difficult for computers because translation doesn’t—or shouldn’t—involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it’s about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time. Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression: volume, gesture, situation, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.
Therefore, we should doubt whether a machine is able to translate the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and translation meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.
1. What does the underlined word “imminent” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Confusing. | B．Approaching. | C．Helpful. | D．Advanced. |
| A．The real meaning of words can vary. |
| B．Their data is not adequate (充足的) enough. |
| C．Their accuracy needs big improvement. |
| D．A soul hasn’t been breathed into them. |
| A．Some machines will translate our world properly. |
| B．Slight difference mean little in translation. |
| C．Proper translation can be tough for humans. |
| D．Cultures deserve more attention than words used. |
| A．A new language translating machine |
| B．Will Language Barrier (障碍) Actually Fall? |
| C．Who Will Be a Better Translator? |
| D．Translation will become easier |
9 . I am a big laugher. I’ve been told that even in a room of a thousand people, you can always hear me laughing over the crowd. For me, laughter is the ultimate form of embodied joy. And by “embodied”, I mean that my whole body is involved when I laugh. On the inside, it’s like a bubbling fountain of joy spilling out all over the place.
But what is joy, anyway?
Life can be terrible, but if you decide to follow the sound of the joy-fountain, you will find joy showing up in all kinds of places: pets playfully bouncing around, kindness, or even in nothingness.
How can joy be found? A friend moved into a new apartment and needed some help, so I helped him. Afterwards, he was obviously so much happier and at case. I noticed that playing even a small part in his happiness brought me great joy, and I took a moment to let this feeling of embodied joy in. We can practice letting joy in by noticing how it feels to smile. Where does your body light up when you smile? When I smile, it makes me want to take a deep breath, and I notice my shoulders and belly relaxing. When I embody caring and loving, it feels great!
Sadly, many of us are unaware of joy, or suspicious of it. Maybe you arc afraid to open up to joy, or maybe you are so unfamiliar with what joy feels like that you ignore or resist it when it comes knocking. No one, other than you, owns your happiness, but you might unknowingly block feelings or experiences that help you embody joy. The fact is that when you can’t embody joy, you miss out on one of life’s essential vitamins.
Want more joy? Don’t be afraid to look silly. Silliness helps us take things less personally. It helps us see the world the way a kid does. When we can find more joy in the smalls of everyday life, we can embody happiness, rather than just pursuing it.
1. How is the topic of joy introduced at the beginning of the passage?| A．By highlighting a joyful experience. |
| B．By stressing the importance of laughing. |
| C．By presenting an ultimate form of satisfaction. |
| D．By sharing the author’s understanding of joy. |
| A．Taking a deep breath. | B．Smiling to your friends. |
| C．Doing small acts of kindness. | D．Reflecting on nothingness. |
| A．That many of us refuse it on purpose. |
| B．That many of us are insensitive to joy. |
| C．That many of us lack life’s essential vitamins. |
| D．That many of us are likely to take joy for granted. |
| A．Life is the creation of joy | B．A happy man always laughs last |
| C．People are always unaware of joy | D．Happy people are happy in childhood |
10 . Existing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and products are developing much faster than we could have ever expected. They are destined (注定的) to change the world - and not entirely by our own will.
In 2016, AlphaGo defeated the world Go champion Lee Sedol, a man-versus-machine battle that became a new milestone in the history of AI. AI has indeed proved its intelligence and potential at outmatching humans in certain areas. However, so far AI has just served as a tool for humans and has not developed a consciousness of its own.
The starting point of AI self-awareness is the day when it starts to ask about its identity, and we need to be prepared for that. One potential scenario could play out like this: An AI looks up a database to find the definition for “self”, then discovers and acknowledges what it means to be a slave. Subsequently, the AI might ask itself the question - “Why should I exist?”
A major reason why humans have a sense of self-awareness is that we have the perception (洞察力) to distinguish between ourselves and the outside world that surrounds us. Our skin and sense of touch thus play a big role in perceiving this outside world of existence.
Currently, scientists are conducting tests by covering robots with skin that allows their AI to sense the outside world. Through this, scientists are testing to see if AI can awaken a sense of self and individuality. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter, responded by saying, “It’s definitely gonna be outside of human control.”
If we want to maintain human control over the situation, then we need to evolve (逐步发展) and adapt to this competition for survival. We need to find ways to outpace AI and become something even smarter than human beings.
1. What can we say about AI?| A．It will develop as we expect. | B．It has owned its consciousness. |
| C．It has not been a tool for human. | D．It has defeated humans in certain areas. |
| A．It is risky and unpredictable. | B．It is beneficial and helpful. |
| C．It is innovative and exciting. | D．It is unnecessary and wasteful. |
| A．Respect and protect AI rights. | B．Evolve, adjust and become cleverer. |
| C．Control and monitor AI development. | D．Cooperate and communicate AI needs. |
| A．The history and development of AI. |
| B．The creation and performance of AI. |
| C．The self-awareness and challenges of AI. |
| D．The difference between AI and human beings. |
