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Technology: Taking the good without the bad?

Very soon, unimaginably powerful technologies will remake our lives.This could have dangerous consequences, especially because we may not even understand the basic science underlyi ng them.There’s a growing gap between our technological capability and our basic scientific understanding.We can do very clever things with the technology of the future without necessarily understanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous.

The technologies that are particularly dangerous over the next hundred years are nanotechnology (纳米技术), artificial intelligence and biotechnology.The benefits that they will bring are beyond doubt.But they are going to be very, very dangerous.I’m working in the field of artificial intelligence.I have a model design for something that might be 50,000 million times smarter than the human brain.Target date is 2010.The only thing that's not possible in the film Terminator(终结者) is that the people win.If you're fighting against technology w hich is 50,000 million times smarter than you, you probably will not win.

Nanotechnology.We've all heard of the grey glue problem, that self-replicating nanotech devices might keep on copying until the world has become sticky glue.And certainly in biotechnology, we've really got a big problem because it's converging with nanotechnology and IT.Once you start mixing nanotech with organisms and you start feeding nanotech-enabled bacteria, we can really go an awful lot further than the Borg in Star Trek(星际迷航).And those superhuman organisms might not like us very much.

Eventually these technologies will become routine.That’s a threat to humanity.I don’t think it’s possible to slow it down.So what we need to do is accelerate the scientific research and try to get some extra tools.The problems facing us in the future are getting bigger and bigger.I think if we don’t get some proper science done, the future is hopeless indeed.

1.From the text, we know that the author’s greatest concern is         

A.our lack of technological understanding of the process involved

B.our lack of technological capability

C.creating technology without really understanding the basic science

D.Our refusal to face the consequences of the technology we create

2.It can be inferred from the text that the author         

A.thinks people overvalue the capabilities of technology

B.is not optimistic that artificial intelligence will always be used positively

C.thinks that we should take science fiction movies more seriously

D.believes artificial intelligence is the greatest threat we face technologically

3.Why does the author say it is not possible in the film Terminator that the humans win?

A.Because the power of the technology is exaggerated(夸大).

B.Because the strength of the machines is much greater.

C.Because machines with that much intelligence can easily defeat humans.

D.Because human beings are not courageous enough to win the battle.

 

【答案】

1.C

2.B

3.C

【解析】

试题分析:

1.推理题,由第一段第五行technology of the future without necessarilyunderstanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous.可以推出答案,所以选C

2.推理题,由第二段第三行benefits that they will bring are beyond doubt.But they are going to be very, very dangerous.可以推出作者对人工智能将被明确的使用很不乐观,所以选B

3.推理题,由第二段最后一句If you're fighting against technology w hich is 50,000 million times smarter than you, you probably will not win.可以推出带有很多智能的机器能很容易打败人类,所以选C

考点:本文为一篇说明文。

点评:本文说明了人们在没有真正明白最基本的科学创造了技术,比如人工智能和生物技术,先通读全文,然后带着问题,再读全文,找出答题所需要的依据,完成阅读。本文主要考查推理题,要求学生有很强的推理分析能力。

 

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