1 . When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform amazing feats of strategy, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords. But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science fiction writing and popular movies have shown us about artificial intelligence (AI) that exceeds the expectations of its creators and escapes their control, eventually outcompeting and enslaving humans or targeting them for extinction(灭绝).
Even in the real word, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warmed about the frightening dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to humanity, even suggesting that AI capabilities could destroy the human race.
But why are people so frightened about the idea of AI?
Elon Musk is one of the famous voices that have raised red flags about AI, In July 2017. Musk told attendees at a meeting of the National Governors Association, I have exposured to the very cutting-edge Al,and I think people should be really concerned about it.I keep sounding the alarm bell. But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don't know how to react, because it seems so impossible."
Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI "our biggest existential threat," and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a greater risk from AI than the terrorists. Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on March14, also expressed concerns about AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that "the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.
1. What are top scientists in AI worried about?| A．Its ability of impressive fests. | B．It contributes too much to movies. |
| C．It may end the human race some day. | D．It's capability to bury our seeds in jokes. |
| A．Questions. | B．Warnings |
| C．Complaints. | D．Wonders. |
| A．be a great threat to human beings. | B．learn the human emotions like fear. |
| C．predict the future of the human race. | D．compose horrible tales into scary stories. |
| A．Technology | B．Health |
| C．Planet earth. | D．Human nature. |
2 . Self-driving cars are so popular that the University of Michigan has even established a town called Mcity to allow car manufacturers to safely test their autonomous cars.
While Mcity can be used to simulate（模拟）many real-life road conditions，it can't help test gestures drivers use to communicate their intention（意图）to other drivers，pedestrians or cyclists. To find a solution，US car manufacturer Ford，with researchers from Virginia Tech，at the beginning considered using text as a way to communicate the car's intention，but decided it would probably not work universally. The option of using symbols was also rejected，because research shows that a majority of people do not have a good understanding of what they mean.
Finally, the researchers settled on light signals. A white light warned that there were no humans in the car. A slow blinking one indicated that the car was coming to a stop, while a rapidly flashing light cautioned passersby that the car was about to speed up.
Then came the big challenge—testing the signals on real roads. "We needed to try out this new lighting to communicate the intention of the vehicle, but if you've got a driver behind the seat, you still have natural communication between humans," said Andy Shaudt, who led the research team. "So we needed to make it look like a driverless car."
The team designed a car seat costume（戏装）that the driver would wear to cover his or her face and upper body. Of course，the drivers could see very clearly. The researchers then equipped the car with cameras to capture human reactions to a light bar，which flashed one of the three signals when appropriate. Six drivers，all keeping their hands low on the wheel so as not to be noticed，took turns to test driving the car through the busy streets.
The overall reaction to the flashing lights was very encouraging. Who knew costumes could be useful for more than Halloween？
1. What did the team first consider using as a way to communicate the car's intention?| A．Light. | B．Language. |
| C．Symbols. | D．Sound. |
| A．symbols | B．drivers |
| C．researchers | D．flashes |
| A．The car was coming to a stop. |
| B．There was no driver in the car. |
| C．The car was about to speed up. |
| D．The car was about to slow down. |
| A．amuse the driver | B．attract the pedestrians |
| C．warn the cyclists | D．confuse the people |
