Robots make me nervous-especially the ones which seem to think for themselves．I was embarrassed to admit this till I heard that Bill Gates，the founder of Microsoft，felt the same way．Gates said in an interview with the website Reddit：“I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence．First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent．That should be positive if we manage well．A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern．”
Well，maybe I don’t have to worry about my laptop and kitchen appliances yet．After I use them I can always pull the plug．But in the future，machines might find a way to prevent us from switching them off．There’s a scary thought!
Professor Stephen Hawking warned a few months ago about the possibility that artificial intelligence could evolve and end up beyond human contro1．He suggested that machines could“spell the end of the human race”．
Maybe the problem with computers too clever for us is not that they are evil or rebellious．What could put us in danger is that they might be too efficient．That’s what philosopher Nick Bostrom from the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University believes．He says that machines are indifferent to humans and in pursuit of their own goals，the destruction of people might be just collateral(附带的)damage．A machine would not take pity on you．
I’m glad my machines at home are“dumb”．All my vacuum cleaner wants to take over is the carpet in my living room．Let’s hope they don’t create an appliance which wants to take over the world!
We can conclude from Gates’statements that ___________．
| A．he is embarrassed that he is afraid of robots |
| B．he doesn’t think machines are intelligent |
| C．machines should be fully employed |
| D．machines’super intelligence should be a concern |
The underlined word“spell”in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _____________．
| A．record | B．cause | C．explain | D．develop |
Why are computers dangerous according to Nick Bostrom?
| A．They are too evil and rebellious． |
| B．They are indifferent to humans． |
| C．They show pity on humans. |
| D．They are too clever and efficient． |
What can be inferred about the author?
| A．He doesn’t agree with Bill Gates． |
| B．He is not content with the present kitchen appliances． |
| C．He is scared about the super intelligence of machines． |
| D．He expects that machines will take place of humans． |
If you wish to dance with a certain lady, go to her, bow, and say, “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” If it is a formal dance with programs, she will tell you which dance she will have with you; if there are no programs, she will either rise and dance with you, or she may say, “I have this dance taken.” Or she may say, “I am sorry, I am not dancing this dance.” This may be a polite way of saying that she does not want to dance with you, or it may be that she is tired and wants to rest; you will have to judge which is her attitude.
Do not expect a lady whom you have invited to dance in advance for a dance to make any attempt to find you. It is her part to remain seated until you find her. Bow and say, “I believe this is my dance.”
At the end of a dance, thank your partner, but do not leave her until you have led her to a seat. Then, if you wish, you may excuse yourself, and go in search of your next partner.
If you cannot dance very well, it is always permissible to ask a lady if she is willing to sit out a dance with you. Sometimes during the evening, your hostess, the daughter of the hostess, and any guest of honor should all be asked by you to dance.When a lady says, “I am sorry I am not dancing this dance.”, she actually means .
| A．she is not willing to dance with you |
| B．she is too tired to dance with you |
| C．she is not good at dancing at all |
| D．either A or B |
If you have already made an appointment with a lady at the ball, .
| A．it is her duty to find you |
| B．it is still your duty to find her |
| C．it is both of your duty to find each other |
| D．you wait and wait until it is your turn to dance with her |
At the end of the dance, .
| A．you leave your partner and go to find your next partner |
| B．you thank your partner and leave her |
| C．you should introduce your partner to another gentleman |
| D．none of the above is right |
The underlined phrase “sit out” means .
| A．to dance slowly |
| B．to sit there and dance |
| C．to dance without moving |
| D．to remain seated during a dance |
Oyster
What is an Oyster card?
Oyster is the easiest way to pay for journeys on the bus, Tube, tram, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and National Rail journeys in London. You can store your travel cards, Bus&Tram Pass, season tickets and credit to pay for journeys as you go.
Where to get an Oyster card?
There are a number of ways for you to get an Oyster card：
• At over 3,900 Oyster Ticket stops
• At Tube and London Overground station ticket offices
• At some National Rail stations
• At London Travel information Centres
• Online at tfl. gov. uk/oyster
How to use an Oyster card?
To pay the correct fare on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services, you must always touch in on the yellow Oyster card reader at the start of your journey, and touch out at the end. If you don’t, a maximum cash Oyster fare will be changed. When using the bus or tram, you must only touch in at the start, but not at the end of your journey.
What happens if I don’t visit London very often?
Don’t worry. Any pay as you go credit on your card will not expire (过期), so you can keep it for your next visit or lend it to a friend.
Fares
Traveling by Tube from Central London (Zone l)to Heathrow (Zone 6)
Adult Oyster single fare
£ 4. 20 Monday to Friday 06:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 -19:00
£ 2. 70 at all other times including public holidays
Adult single cash fare £ 5.00
For further information, visit tfl.gov. uk /fares.
You can get an Oyster card at the following places EXCEPT_____
A. on the website B. at an Oyster Ticket stop
C at a post office D. at a Tube station
Which of the following is TRUE about Oyster cards?
| A．They are limited in use to the owners themselves. |
| B．On National Rail services you must touch them on the reader twice. |
| C．They are not suitable for those who don’t visit London often. |
| D．Oyster card Tube fares cost more on public holidays than on weekdays. |
Haperson with an Oyster card takes the 7 o’clock Tube from Central London to Heathrow for a week (no public holiday in between)，he should pay_____.
| A．£ 18.90 | B．£ 29.40 |
| C．£21.90 | D．£26.40 |
The passage is probably taken from a_______
| A．magzine | B．travel guide |
| C．textbook | D．novel |
Last week the manager of an old jeweler’s shop received a letter marked “personal”, so of course his secretary gave it to him unopened. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. Then he opened it and a￡10 note fell out onto his desk. With the note was a short letter. This is what it said:
Dear sir,
In 1935 I got engaged. But unfortunately at that time there was a lot of unemployment and I lost my job. I was six months without a job and then I got work again. But of course I was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring. The assistant brought some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girl-friend’s finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring.
My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for her ring has been on my conscience (良心) all these years. At the time the ring cost ￡2 so I reckon (估计) that is about ￡10 at today’s price. And I am sending you that amount.
Yours truly,
A customer
“Well, well, well,” said the manager, “life is full of surprises!”The best headline for this article would be _______.
| A．A Customer Pays His Bill | B．An Old Jeweler’s Shop |
| C．The Manager and the Letter | D．A Letter with￡10 |
Why didn’t the secretary open the letter? Because _______.
| A．he was very busy |
| B．it was a personal letter |
| C．there was a ￡10 note in it |
| D．the letter was unimportant |
What happened to the writer of the letter in 1935?
A. He was engaged to a girl.
B. He was out of work for six months.
C. He lost a ring.
D. Both A and B.What was true about the assistant?
| A．She lost her job. |
| B．She was short of money. |
| C．She was called away while serving the customer. |
| D．She put one of the rings in her pocket. |
Making friends is a skill like many other skills. It improves with practice. If you want to meet people and make friends, you must be willing to take some actions. You must first go where there are people. You won't make friends staying home alone. Join a club or a group. Talking with those who like the same things as you do is much easier. Or join someone in some activities. Many people are nervous when talking to new people. After all meeting strangers means facing the unknown. And it's human nature to feel a bit uncomfortable about the unknown. Most of our fears about dealing with new people come from doubts about ourselves. We imagine other people are judging us or finding us too tall or too short, too this or too that. But don't forget that they must be feeling the same way. Try to accept yourself as you are and try to put the other person at ease. You'll both feel more comfortable.
Try to act selfconfidently even if you don't feel that way. When you enter a room full of strangers, such as a new classroom, walk tall and straight, look directly at other people and smile.
If you see someone you'd like to speak to, say something. Don't wait for the other person to start a conversation.
Just meeting someone new does not mean that you will make friends with that person—friendship is based on mutual liking and“give and take”. It takes time and effort to develop.The best title of the text may be________.
| A．Friendship | B．How to Make Friends |
| C．Meeting New People | D．Facing the Unknown |
You can't make friends if you________.
| A．take some actions | B．go to where there are people |
| C．avoid meeting people | D．won't start a conversation |
Friendship is based on________.
| A．selfconfidence |
| B．meeting more unknown people |
| C．more talking and smiling to people |
| D．taking from and giving to people |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Making friends needs practising. |
| B．Making friends needs to be more active in starting a conversation. |
| C．When meeting someone, make him feel nice and starting a conversation. |
| D．Before making friends with someone, judge if he's too this or too that. |
A man once had a dream about the Black Forest in Germany. In his dream he was walking in the forest when two men ran out and tried to throw him to the ground. He ran off as fast as he could, but they followed him. He reached a place where he saw two roads in front of him, one to the right and the other to the left. Which road should he take? He heard the two men behind him, getting nearer, and at the same time he heard a voice in his ear. It told him to go to the right, and he did so. He ran on and soon came to a small hotel. He was received there kindly and given a room, and he was saved from the two men. That was the dream.
Twenty years later he was really in the Black Forest and, as happened in the dream long ago, two men ran out and tried to throw him down. He ran off, and came to a place with two roads, like in the dream. He took the road to the right without thinking. He soon reached a small hotel, was taken in, and so was safe. His dream of twenty years before had saved his life.The Black Forest is __________.
| A．a place in Europe | B．not a real place |
| C．dangerous place | D．a place visited twice by the man |
It was _________ that saved the man’s life 20 years later.
| A．a voice | B．the dream 20 years before |
| C．guests of the hotel | D．guard of the forest |
The story tells us that _________.
| A．the man knew something about The Black Forest before he went there |
| B．the man had a good memory but bad luck |
| C．people should not believe their dreams because they never come true |
| D．people should believe dreams because they always can save their lives |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号