To what degree can a computer achieve intelligence(智力)? The answer to this question may lie in a newly-developed US computer program called Smarter Child and the Internet.
If you ran into Smarter Child online, you would be surprised at this kid’s huge memory. It can recite many facts. For example, Smarter Child knows every baseball player in every team this season.
He knows every word in the dictionary and the weather in every major city areas across the US. However, if you ask Smarter Child other questions, you get stranger answers. A question about Smarter Child’s age returns, “One year, 11 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds!” Asking where he lives gets, “In a clean room in a high-tech building in California.”
Smarter Child uses the vast information on the World Wide Web as his memory bank. To answer questions about spelling, for instance, Smarter Child goes to American Heritage Dictionary online. For the weather, he visits www. intellicast. com.
Some scientists believe that by joining the many systems of the Internet, an artificial being with the combined knowledge of, say, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon and Britney Spears could be born. However if Smarter Child wants to think and learn on his own like the boy-computer David in the movie A. I., Artificial Intelligence, he must overcome two problems.
The first is that computers find it difficult to read web pages because the files are labeled in different ways. That’s why programmers need to tell Smarter Child where to look for the weather. It would be a much more difficult task to let him find it himself.
Another problem is that while Smarter Child can process(处理) information more exactly and faster than any human, he lacks common sense—a basic grounding of knowledge that is obvious to any young child.
1.From the text we can infer that www. Intellicast. com is a website .
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A．which is specially designed to help Smarter Child |
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B．where we people can find Smarter Child |
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C．where weather forecasts are made |
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D．which is about artificial intelligence |
2. It is probably most difficult for Smarter Child to .
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A．tell us how to spell a difficult word |
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B．tell us how the American government is run |
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C．provide us with a famous poem by Shakespeare |
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D．learn how to tell right behaviors from wrong ones. |
3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. Smart Child has his own memory bank big enough for all kinds of information.
B. A. I. Artificial Intelligence is probably the name of a film about a boy-computer.
C. Smart Child can recognize different files and find information needed on his own.
D. We have similar product now which has the knowledge of Einstein, Nixon and Spears.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
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A．A New Web Child |
B．Smarter Child |
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C．The Future of Internet |
D．Intelligence Development |
In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger is better than her male friends and is considered the brightest pupil in her grade. Isn’t it often the same in schools of our real world?
“It’s surprising but true that most of the top students have been girls since primary school. Girls are class leaders, club presidents and the top ones in exams,” said Wang Feixuan, 15, who studies at a Chengdu school. By any measure, Wang herself is a high-achiever. She is a top student, a team leader in her school’s sports club and a winner in national English and IT competitions.
But why do so many girls outperform their male peers?
In Sun Yunxiao’s latest book Save Our Boys, he points out that the education system is “more suited to girls, who are good at memorizing and like to sit quietly and read.” Yet he also says that girls have to do so much more when they compete with males for honors, top universities and later good jobs. They can feel great pressure nearly every day.
This seems to be the same in most countries in the world. Young women in the United States are also reported to feel the same pressure to be perfect.
“Let’s look at what we ask of our teenage girls,” says Professor Stephen Hinshaw in an interview. He thinks that it’s no longer enough that a girl does well in school and is a caring friend. On the TV, on the Internet and everywhere, girls see images of impossible perfection.
Today’s young women must be good learners, good athletes, and fill their after-school lives with other activities. But they are also asked to have the styles and looks of popular stars. “Be pretty, sweet and nice. Be athletic, competitive and get straight. Be impossibly perfect.” Stephen Hinshaw sums up.
1.The passage suggests that .
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A．our society asks far too much of teenage girls |
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B．teenage girls shouldn’t be so perfect at school |
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C．boys are always lazy ones rather than girls |
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D．American girls have less pressure than Chinese girls |
2. According to the passage, it is true that .
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A．boys are less smart than girls throughout school life |
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B．boys usually don’t have so much pressure as girls do |
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C．girls are all fond of the Chinese education system |
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D．girls are better at school because boys don’t work hard |
3.The underlined word “outperform” means .
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A．hate |
B．misunderstand |
C．like |
D．defeat |
4.What is the best title for the passage?
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A．Impossibly Perfect Is Possible． |
B．Why Are Girls So Perfect? |
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C．Perfect? Pressure Every Day! |
D．Perfect: Boys or Girls? |
United States President George W. Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next few weeks. It will give the US Air Force a green light for the development of space weapons, US media reported last week.
This would potentially start a new global arms race, some experts have warned.
To keep that from happening, last Wednesday the White House explained that it was not considering putting weapons in space. It said it was making a shift in US space policy to allow for protection of satellites.
But some defense analysts and arms control advocates argue that the policy will pave the way for the US to put both defensive and offensive weapons in space.
“No one should be fooled,” said Theresa Hitchens, an American weapons expert.
The US is now restricted by a 1996 directive signed by President Bill Clinton. Plans for space weapons were vetoed by the Clinton cabinet. The directive emphasized the peaceful use of space , in agreement with almost unanimous global opinion.
The US military has placed importance on space and has sent up numberous satellites for troop communications and to provide intelligence and data to guide bombs to their targets.
The US Air Force wants to develop space- based weapons that could strike targets anywhere in the world within 90 minutes of receiving the order to open fire.
These new weapons under development cover a wide range. They include hunter- killer satellites and orbiting weapons. And they use lasers, radio waves, or even dense metal tubes, known as “ Rods from God”, dropped from space to do the damage.
There are many barriers to the setting up of this kind of program, experts say.
First is the coast. It is estimated that the budget may be US $220 billion to US $ 1 trillion .
The technical difficulties of developing reliable space weapons are also a problem.
And, the program will draw strong criticism from around the world. Experts worry about starting a space arms race.
1.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
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A．US Military Plans |
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B．The Global Arms Race |
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C．A Comparison between Two Presidents |
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D．President George W. Bush and the World Peace |
2.According to this passage, which of the following is NOT true?
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A．President George W. Bush supports space weapon development. |
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B．The space weapon program will threaten world peace |
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C．Clinton government was poorer than Bush government. |
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D．The US space weapon project is very expensive. |
3.After reading this passage, it can be inferred that “___________ “.
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A．George W. Bush’s directive to be issued will be against global opinions |
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B．The White House is right in explaining that US new space policy aims to protect satellites |
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C．US government has little difficulty in developing new space weapons |
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D．President George W. Bush and Bill Clinton share a lot in common |
4.The author’s attitude towards the coming space weapon development is _______.
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A．optimistic |
B．critical |
C．excited |
D．indifferent |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things. The pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine, the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend(or hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
1.The phrase“sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means__________.
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A．have a good taste with social life |
B．make others unhappy |
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C．tend to scold others openly |
D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
2.We can conclude from the passage that__________.
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A．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
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B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
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C．we should pity all such unhappy people |
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D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons |
3.If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ______.
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A．prevent any communication with them |
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B．show no respect and politeness to them |
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C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects |
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D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes |
4.In this passage, the writer mainly________.
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A．describes two types of people |
B．laughs at the unhappy people |
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C．suggests ways to help them unhappy |
D．tells people how to be happy in life |
The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian architecture (建筑). It is at Agra in northern India. It lies beside the River Jumna in the middle of gardens with quiet pools.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul emperor (皇帝) Shah Jehan, who ruled India in the seventeenth century. It is in memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, was designed by a local Muslim architect (建筑师), Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The whole building, with gardens and gateway structures, was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden tomb with marble (大理石) path. The room is softly lighted by the light that passes through double screens of carved marble set high in the walls. The building now is kept in good condition.
The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build. Shah Jehan planned a similar building, but in black instead of white, to lie on the other side of the river. But before it could be built, Shah Jehan was imprisoned (监禁) by his son and buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.
1.The Taj Mahal was built for____ .
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A．Mumtaz |
B．Shah |
C．Either Mumtaz or Shah |
D．Both Mumtaz and Shah |
2. Why do you think Shah Jehan was buried next to his wife?
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A．His own tomb hadn't been built. |
B．He hoped to be buried there. |
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C．King and Queen should be buried together |
D．He liked Mumtaz all his life. |
3.The passage mainly tells us____ .
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A．why the Taj Mahal was built |
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B．the love story between Shah and Mumtaz |
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C．some information about the Taj Mahal |
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D．the Taj Mahal—the pride of Indians |
4.Form the passage we can learn that____ .
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A．the Taj Mahal looks more beautiful than before . |
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B．the Taj Mahal doesn't exist now. |
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C．the Taj Mahal has completely changed. |
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D．the Taj Mahal has become a place of interest. |
完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store. A nicely dressed little girl was 36 the teddy bears(泰迪熊) beside her father 37 she saw a little boy walk in and stop in front of the Pokémon toys. His jacket was obviously too small. He had money in his hand. 38 , it looked no more than five dollars at most. He was with his father as well, and 39 picking up the Pokémon video games. Each time he showed one to his father, his father 40 his head, “No”.
Rather 41 , the boy gave up the video games and chose a book of stickers 42 . After they walked away, the little girl ran over to the Pokémon video games. She excitedly picked up one 43 on top of the others, and raced down toward the check-out. I picked up my purchases and 44 the girl and her father.
Then, much to the little girl’s 45 , the little boy and his father got in line 46 her and me. After the video was paid for and bagged, the little girl 47 it back to the cashier(收银员) and 48 something to her. The cashier smiled and put the 49 under the counter(柜台). I was putting things in my bag when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier said, “ 50 , you’re my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!” and she handed the boy the Pokémon game. The boy could only 51 in disbelief. It was, he said, 52 what he had wanted! The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway, and I saw the biggest and 53 smile on that little girl I have ever seen in my life.
I suddenly understood that the world is not 54 into the strong who care and the 55 who are cared for. We must each in turn care and be cared.
1.A．looking through B．getting through C dressing up D．tidying up
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