Many people will be familiar with automated writing through Gmail. Smart Reply provides brief answers to routine emails. If someone asks “Do you want to meet at 3 pm?”, Gmail offers one-click responses such as “Sure!”
The New Yorker’s John Seabrook recently described a more powerful version of this technology, called GPT-2, which can ably mimic (模拟) his magazine’s style. Such systems use a digital network of billions of artificial “neurons” (神经元) with virtual “synapses” — the connections between neurons — that strengthen as the network “learns”, in this case from 40 gigabytes（千兆字节）— worth of online writing. The version Mr. Seabrook tested was polished with back-issues of the New Yorker.
The metaphor of the brain is attractive, but “neurons” and “synapses” deserve those scare-quotes ( 双引号). The system is merely making some—admittedly very complex—statistical guesses about which words follow which in a New Yorker-style sentence.
What escapes computers is creativity. They cannot create a topic or goal on their own, much less plan how to get there with logic and style. At various points in the online version of his article, readers can see how GPT-2 would have carried on writing Mr. Seabrook’s piece for him. The writing gives the impression of being human. But on closer inspection it is empty, even incoherent.
Meaningless writing is the preserve of artificial intelligence. But to truly write, you must first have something to say. Computers do not. They await instructions. To compose meaningful essays, the likes of GPT-2 will first have to be integrated with databases of real-world knowledge.
1.Why does the author mention Gmail in the first paragraph?
A.To prepare for the introduction of the topic. B.To advertise the powerful Gmail.
C.To describe the feature of Gmail. D.To prove the strength of the Gmail.
2.In what way is GPT-2 more powerful than Gmail?
A.It is creative. B.It has neurons with synapses.
C.It can offer quick answers. D.It can follow a certain writing style.
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.GPT-2 is powerful because it is integrated to real-world knowledge.
B.GPT-2 has already been able to write meaningful essays.
C.GPT-2 still has a long way to write like humans.
D.GPT-2 can help Mr. Seabrook with writing very well.
4.Where is the passage taken from?
A.A brochure. B.An advertisement.
C.A magazine. D.An essay.
Almost everyone agrees on the hot dog basics: a long bread roll with a hot sausage inside it. And that’s what has led to a big question — is a hot dog a sandwich, or is it in a special category of its own?
“People have really strong opinions on both sides,” says Eric Mittenthal, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC). In November, the council published an official announcement ruling that the hot dog is not a sandwich. It argues that the hot dog is too significant to be considered “just a sandwich.” The council admits that the hot dog was once the “Frankfurter sandwich,” but says that people no longer use that name. Today, no one would call a hot dog eating contest a sandwich eating contest.
But others disagree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes a sausage inside a bread roll in its sandwich category. But it also calls the food a “sandwich type product”. In May, dictionary publisher Merriam Webster said that the hot dog is a sandwich. The Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, defines a sandwich as “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between” or “one slice of bread covered with food”. The announcement fueled a heated debate among hot dog fans. If hot dogs are sandwiches, where do you draw the line? Are burritos (玉米馅饼) sandwiches too?
This debate won’t stop Americans from eating piles of hot dogs this summer. During peak hot dog season — from Memorial Day to Labor Day — Americans will eat about 7 billion of them. That’s 818 hot dogs consumed every second. People love hot dogs so much that in 2015, a hot dog emoji was released so people can easily tweet or text an image of the famous food. This may come in handy soon, since July is National Hot Dog Month.
1.Who thinks that the hot dog is special enough to be in a category of its own?
A.USDA. B.NHDSC.
C.The author. D.Merriam-Webster.
2.What do some hot dog fans think of the definition of a sandwich in the mentioned dictionary?
A.It seems too wide. B.It is quite satisfactory.
C.It is obviously too narrow. D.It is difficult to understand.
3.What does the underlined word “emoji” probably mean?
A.A small image used in electronic communications that symbolizes something.
B.A poster used to advertise hot dogs.
C.A toy given by a hot dog seller.
D.A facial expression posted on a letter as a stamp.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.The history of hot dogs. B.Different kinds of sandwiches.
C.Do Americans really love hot dogs? D.Is a hot dog a sandwich?
She Walked Through Fire
On Thanksgiving weekend, the Heffelmire family gathered for a meal at their home. After dinner, the family went down to the finished basement to relax except Charlotte’s father, Eric, who was in the garage to fix his truck．
Around 8 p.m., Charlotte decided to check on her dad. She walked through the kitchen. When she opened the side door to the garage, black smoke rose up into the kitchen. She could barely make out her father lying on his back, trapped under the truck. He’d removed the front passenger-side tyre and raised the truck on a jack（千斤顶）. The truck had slipped off the jack, and now the whole weight of the wheel was on his chest and shoulders．
Charlotte ran to the front of the truck and struggled to lift it. Eric was still conscious, and he yelled, “You got it! One more try!” She tried again and was able to tip the truck backward just enough for her to pull her dad by the shirt with both hands from under the truck．
She dragged him across the garage and 20 feet down the driveway. Then she ran back to the garage, which had burst into flames. “I was afraid the car was going to explode,” says Charlotte, so she climbed into the truck, which faced forward, turned the key, and pressed the gas pedal（油门）. The car slowly rolled out, the metal wheel scratching loudly against the concrete．
Safely on the driveway, Charlotte stopped the truck and ran back to the basement. “There’s a fire! Everybody get out!” she yelled as she picked up her three-month-old niece and ran out. Outside, she handed the baby to her mom, and then ran around to the burning garage. She picked up a garden hose（水管）and sprayed the fire while calling 911．
A few minutes later, firefighters and an ambulance arrived. Charlotte was treated for second-degree burns on both her feet and face. Her dad had injuries on his chest and shoulders, as well as minor burns on his face. The garage and the house were damaged but the family survived．
The Heffelmires are staying in an apartment while their house is rebuilt. “Charlotte is a remarkable kid,” says her dad. Charlotte, however, simply says, “ I was saving my family and my house. I wasn’t going to let my dad die.”
1.Eric got trapped because_________
A.the truck slipped off the jack.
B.the wheel fell off the truck.
C.the front tyre was removed.
D.the kitchen was on fire.
2.Which of the following is the correct order of the events？
a. Charlotte called the firefighters．
b. Charlotte saved Eric from under the truck．
c. Charlotte drove the truck out of the garage．
d. Charlotte warned the family to leave the house．
A.b, c, a, d B.a, b, d, c
C.b, c, d, a D.a, c, b, d
3.As a result of the fire，________
A.the house was not fit to live in.
B.the truck exploded.
C.the three-month-old baby was injured.
D.Charlotte was burned on her chest and shoulders.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that Charlotte is__________
A.proud and clear-headed.
B.calm and quick-minded.
C.modest and easy-going.
D.independent and self-centered.
Design your own adventure spent at IZE's Blue Creek Field Station by choosing activities per day from the list below.
Short Cave Hike: 2-hour activity where you will be exposed to the ultimate tropical rainforest experience. At every turn along the trail,a novel experience awaits. Perhaps it's a trail of leaf cutter ants (切叶蚁) or a delicate tree snake. You will follow your Maya Guides up a steep incline(斜坡) to the entrance of one of the most wonderful limestone caves in Belize.
Ethnobotany Walk: 3-hour activity where you will explore the medical and cookery uses of the local herbs,plants and trees. The Mayans were masters in using the jungle's natural resources for their medical needs. You will learn about the vines(藤蔓) that store drinking water and other remarkable remedies that nature offers. You will get a first-hand look at the crops the Maya harvest such as cocoa,mango , rice, beans, etc.
Hokeb Ha Cave Hike:Spend time in one of the most spectacular limestone caves in Belize. The name of this cave means "where the water enters the earth". Stalactites(钟乳石) hang from the ceiling, and colonies of bats live in the darkest gaps. You can also search for Mayan artificial crafts over l,000 years old.
Lizard Hike: 2-4 hour activity where you will swim and hike along the clear blue river as you look for lizards in the tall trees. Can you identify which species? Is it the spectacular dinosaur that looks like green lizards? Belize is home to many of the 3,800 species of lizards in the worldi
1.During the Short Cave Hike, you _____.
A.will be lost in the tropical forest
B.may enjoy unexpected views on the way
C.can be bitten by the tree snakes occasionally
D.need to follow the track of ants in the forests
2.What will you choose to improve the skills of living in the wild?
A.Ethnobotany Walk. B.Short Cave Hike.
C.Lizard Hike. D.Hokeb Ha Cave Hike
3.We can infer that Hokeb Ha Cave might be______.
A.the source of the water on the earth
B.the habitat of bats in Belize
C.the entrance to the earth
D.the home to ancient Mayans
假设你是红星中学高二(1)班的学生李华，请根据以下四幅图的先后顺序，用英语写一篇日记，记述你周日在小区里扫雪的过程。词数不少于60。
Sunday, January 12 Snowy
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请根据所给的首字母和中文提示完成句子，每空一词。
1.It never o_____ to me that you could succeed in persuading him to change his mind.
2.In many ways, time is the most p________ thing that we have. Yet most of us treat it as though it has hardly any value at all.
3.At the moment when he gets the first prize on the stage, I can’t help a_______ for his excellent performance.
4.Take good care of trees and bushes. We should live in h________ with nature.
5.Taking photos is strictly f_______ in the museum.
6.The north of China, ________(不像)the south, is windy in spring.
7.I’d like everyone to ________(聚集) round so I can demonstrate how the system works.
8.If we persist in practicing, ________(逐渐地)we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English.
9.The earthquake ________(见证)the kindness of strangers in an emergency.
10.With each attempt, he looked so confident and natural. There aren’t any signs of fear or being ________.(泄气)
11.If you are free on Friday, we ________ (推荐) visiting the national museum.
12.We are having pizza ________ (递送) for dinner tonight.
13.He commented that this novel was a ________(杰作)of American literature.
