Just last month，AI-generated art arrived on the auction (拍卖) stage of Christie’s, proving that artificial intelligence can not only be creative but also produce world-class works of art — another significant AI milestone blurring the line between human and machine.
Naturally, the news sparked off debates about whether the work produced by Paris-based art collective Obvious could really be called art at all. Popular opinion among creatives is that art is a process by which human beings express some ideas or emotions, filter them through personal experience and set them against a broader cultural context. The story raised additional questions about ownership. In this circumstance，who can really be named as the author? The algorithm (算法) itself or the team behind it?
At GumGum, an AI company that focuses on computer vision, we wanted to explore the intersection of AI and art by devising a Turing Test of our own in association with Rutgers University’s Art and Artificial Intelligence Lab and Cloudpainter, an artificially intelligent painting robot. We were keen to see whether AI can，in fact, replicate (复制) the intent and imagination of traditional artists, and we wanted to explore the potential impact of AI on the creative sector.
To do this，we enlisted a broad collection of diverse artists from traditional pain-on-canvas artists to 3-D rendering and modeling artists alongside Pindar Van Arman — a classically trained artist who has been coding art robots for 15 years. Van Arman was tasked with using his Cloudpainter machine to create pieces of art based on the same data set as the more traditional artists. This data set was a collection of art by 20th century American Abstract Expressionists. Then, we asked them to document the process, showing us their preferred tools and telling us how they came to their final work.
Amazingly, while at face value the AI artwork was indistinguishable from that of the more traditional artists, the test revealed that the creative spark and ultimate agency behind creating a work of art is still very much human. Even though the Cloudpainter machine has evolved over time to become a highly intelligent system capable of making creative decisions of its own, the final piece of work could only be described as a collaboration (合作) between human and machine. Van Arman served as more of an “art director for the painting”.
As AI becomes an unstoppable force, it raises some difficult questions about the future role of humans in an increasingly automated world. Instead of worrying about AI’s threat to human creative supremacy, the future will be about accepting new technologies and the possibilities it brings for speeding up the process. It’s better to think of AI as your next creative assistant; beautiful pieces of work can be produced in collaboration with it.
1.According to popular opinion, the AI-generated work_______.
A.should have been based on personal experience
B.was set against a broader cultural context
C.couldn’t be considered art at all
D.expresses no idea or emotion
2.What did the experiment at GumGum show?
A.AI artworks could be easily identified
B.AI artworks could show human emotions.
C.AI had trouble making sensible decisions.
D.AI couldn’t complete a work independently.
3.Which of the following statements would the author agree with?
A.Beautiful pieces cannot be works of AI.
B.AI could be an advanced tool for artists.
C.AI could challenge the supremacy of humans.
D.New technologies can pose a danger to humans.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Can AI Create True Art? B.Can AI Threaten Humans?
C.Will Human Art Disappear? D.Are AI Artworks Distinguishable?
When you don’t have a car and need to get around, are you more likely to call for an Uber or Lyft, or a cab? Last Friday, Lyft — the ride-sharing company, went public as its stocks (股票) started trading on the market. Lyft has become the first big initial public offering of the “gig economy” age. While the company is not making profits yet, it is changing the meaning of work. What is gig economy and what makes it so appealing?
Gig works are independent contracts (合同) or part-time jobs such as Uber. In the gig economy, companies hire independent contractors instead of full-time employees. This is different from traditional companies where full-time workers hold a lifetime career. In the past, only small companies hired contractors, while today, employers like Amazon and Google rely on temporary workforce. These companies save costs as they are not legally required to provide healthcare benefits, retirement savings or paid time off to gig workers.
Gig work appeals to different people for different reasons. For some, it affords flexible timings and for otliers who are looking for full-time jobs, it provides a source of income to support themselves. Some people work a full-time job and supplement (补充) their salary with gig jobs such as driving for Uber or Lyft.
Joining the gig economy may be simple, but maintaining a steady career is easier said than done. Gig work comes with unsteady pay and workloads. You're your own boss. It sounds fun, but when you have no self-control and an unsteady job, you might splurge all your money the first week and live on bread pieces for the rest of the month! Besides a strong sense of responsibility, gig workers have to stay up to date to get companies to hire them.
Despite the challenges gig workers face, nearly 60 million Americans are part of this workforce. As this number grows, we have to see how society and companies adapt to this new world of work!
1.What can be learnt about Lyft from the passage?
A.It has built up a large fortune.
B.It marks the arrival of gig economy age.
C.It employs a fixed number of full-time workers.
D.It appeals to people as a means of public transport.
2.Who are most likely to become gig workers?
A.People seeking for a steady income.
B.Those desperate to get paid vacations.
C.People in need of flexible working hours.
D.Those concerned about retirement accounts.
3.What does the underlined word “splurge” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.Spend money freely. B.Deposit money automatically.
C.Earn money quickly. D.Allocate money randomly.
4.What is the message mainly conveyed in the passage?
A.Gig workers have to face some potential challenges.
B.Gig workers have to possess some much-needed qualities.
C.The appearance of gig companies will solve the job problems.
D.People should adjust to new work trends with the rise of gig companies.
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.
“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie”
There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends — her, Celia, and Marie.
But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill (寒意) down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What can be inferred about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Marie would not help row the boat.
B.Lina was left alone on the island.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel a chill?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrops of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.Who pulled Lina out of the water?
A.Marie’s father.
B.Lina herself.
C.Marie.
D.CeliA.
To ensure an excellent experience during your tour of the Mark Twain House, here are some guidelines and general information:
The House is Shown Only by Guided Tour.
To ensure an optimum (最佳) experience, house tours are limited to 14 people, first-come, first-served. If your group has more than 10 people, call (860) 280-3130 to reserve a discounted group tour in advance of your visit. If you have a party of fewer than 10 people feel free to purchase tickets online: We will hold them at Will Call. The tour schedule is usually online about a month in advance.
Our site is made up of three buildings
The Webster Bank Museum Center at the Mark Twain House & Museum is always your first and last stop as it houses our ticket counter, museum store, film, exhibits and cafe. All tours gather in the museum center before heading over to Mark Twain’s historic 1874 home. Mark Twain’s historic carriage house is the third building on our property, but is generally not open to the public. The hayloft (干草棚) has been repurposed into offices and the main floor of the barn is a space available for rent for parties and meetings.
Coupons & Discounts
The Mark Twain House offers only a few coupons and discounts. The price you pay for admission helps us maintain the beauty of this icon of American architecture. If you are lucky enough to find one of those special offers online or at your local library, keep in mind they are good only for the general Mark Twain House Tours. No passes or discounts may be applied to our specialty tours.
1.What kind of tour booked beforehand enjoys a discount?
A.Specialty tour.
B.Guided tour
C.Group tour with 9 people.
D.Group tour with 13 people.
2.Which place is not available to tourists?
A.The Webster Bank Museum Center.
B.Mark Twain’s historic carriage house.
C.The hayloft.
D.Mark Twain’s historic 1874 home.
3.What is the purpose of charging admission fees?
A.To earn more money.
B.To well preserve the house.
C.To support Mark Twain’s family.
D.To offer parties and meetings.
假定你是李华，寒假想到一家英语杂志社做兼职英语编辑助理(English assistant editor) 请你给该杂志社写一封申请信，内容包括:
1. 自我介绍；2. 参加意图；3. 希望获准。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Sir/Madam,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有 10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Recently, China has faced the COVID-19 challenge with great strengths. Foreigners are amazing at the extraordinary response of the Chinese government but the Chinese people.
Indeed, we have great confident that China will get past this difficulty. In fact, they are positive signs such as the International Monetary Fund expressing its support to China's efforts and believe that China's economy remains steady.
The challenge is unquestionably great but China's approach to dealing this situation is admirable. For an example, the two huge field hospitals have been built quick in Wuhan with 2,600 beds. One of them, Huoshenshan Hospital, were completed in just 10 days.
