Elon Musk has expressed his company – Neuralink is close to announcing the first brain-machine interface (接口) to connect humans and computers. Musk told followers in Twitter the technology would be “coming soon” – though he failed to provide details.
Neuralink was set up in 2016 with the ambitious goal of developing hardware to strengthen the human brain. However, little about how this will work has been made public. Neuralink describes the interface as an extremely high-speed connection between the human brain and computers.
Musk has frequently claimed the rapid rise of artificial intelligence poses an existential risk to humanity. Such an interface, he says, is essential if humans are to compete with such technology in the future. At a technology conference in 2016, Mr Musk said humans risked being treated like house pets by AI machines if a brain-computer interface was not built. Last year on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Musk said Neuralink’s technology would allow humans to “effectively combine with AI”.
A paper published in Nature Nanotechnology in 2015 described a concept for this connection, explaining how a flexible circuit (回路) could be injected into a living brain. “We’re trying to lessen the distinction between electronic circuits and neural circuits,” said Harvard researcher Charles Lieber, who co-authored the study. Despite the technology’s potential to increase the human brain, experts have warned that brain-computer interfaces risk being controlled by vicious (恶意的) artificial intelligence.
Such an action could lead to AI controlling the thoughts, decisions and emotions of a person using a brain-computer link. “Technological developments mean that we are on a path to a world in which it will be possible to discover people’s mental processes and directly operate the brain mechanisms underlying their intentions, emotions and decision,” stated a Nature comment piece written by 27 scientists and machine intelligence engineers. “The possible medical and social benefits in it are vast. But we must guide their development in a way that respects, protects and enables what is best in humanity.”
1.What message did Musk convey about his Neuralink?
A.It sells brain-machine interfaces.
B.It offers rich data about interfaces.
C.It has followers to connect humans and computers.
D.Its new technology will be accessible to the public soon .
2.What can we know from Paragraph Two?
A.Neuralink aims to know the human brain better.
B.How the hardware functions is already known.
C.The brain-machine interface was invented in 2016.
D.The interface is expected to link the human brain and computers rapidly.
3.According to Musk, why are brain-machine interfaces important?
A.Because they may treat human like house pets.
B.Because they may make AI serve human better.
C.Because they build neural circuits in human brains.
D.Because they rapidly develop artificial intelligence.
4.What is the attitude of Nature to brain-machine interfaces?
A.Objective B.Favorable
C.Opposed D.Indifferent
The coronavirus outbreak has sparked panic buying of toilet paper and cleaning products in countries across the world, but one UK businessman is determined to spread some happiness among the anxiety and confusion.
Rob Braddick, 48, who owns Braddick’s Holiday Park in Westward Ho, Devon, in the southwest of England, has filled the toy grabber machines in his amusement park with two of the country’s most sought-after cleaning products.
Customers could previously try their hand at grabbing “Frozen 2” or “Peter Rabbit” toys from the machines, but no more. “They got removed this morning,” Braddick said of the toys, replacing them with toilet roll and hand sanitizer (洗手液). Visitors can now pay 50p for three goes on the toilet roll grabber, or a go for Carex, which Braddick described as the “Rolls- Royce of hand sanitizers.”
Braddick said that his decision was born of a desire to make people feel less stressed in uncertain times. “It’s a bit of light relief with everything that’s going on,” he said. “Hopefully it will raise a smile, which I think everybody needs.”
Around the world, travel plans have been severely affected, and tens of millions of people remain at home as part of global efforts to fight against coronavirus. Supermarkets have seen shortages of toilet paper and hand sanitizer as anxious consumers stockpile the products.
Braddick said the family business, which has been running since 1932, has received more than a dozen calls from potential customers who say they don’t want to travel abroad for their holidays and would rather stay in the UK. As for his own measures against coronavirus, Braddick said staff have been told to wash their hands every half hour, which is particularly important for those handling money.
1.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.New practice of the game. B.Prizes of the game.
C.Price for a try. D.People’s love for grabbing toys.
2.What’s the purpose of Braddick’s new idea?
A.To make higher profits. B.To attract more people to play the game.
C.To support his family business. D.To ease people’s anxiety.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Cleaning products will be in shortage for a long time.
B.Braddick’s business is experiencing a hard time.
C.Tourism may fall into a decline.
D.Everyone in the park is told to wash their hands every half hour.
I'm now living in the south of France with my husband Keith and three small children, and I feel like a fish out of water everywhere but one place-the Saturday street market.It's been operating in our small town of Sommieres since the 13th century,but we've only lived here for three months.
From Monday to Friday,life is all about the kids.I'm busy helping my children deal with life in a French school.It's not easy,and their stress is the whole family's stress,as Keith and I are occupied with the daily school runs,piles of homework and school notes in French.
But on Saturday,the market is for me.I feel so peaceful as I walk along the quiet street toward the busy town square.The knife-sharpening man is there, operating a machine that looks like it dates from the Industrial Revolution.There' re street musicians with guitars and microphones,and the sound of beautiful songs fills the air.And the food,of course,is delicious.The cheese man doesn't speak-he just points and cuts,offering a piece from his knife.Lines come out of the door for fresh bread at the bakery.Organic vegetables,herbs and desserts are a feast for the eyes,before being put into the bag to be enjoyed later for lunch.The noises and smells of the market are unfamiliar and thrilling,but their procedures are clear to me.This is part of why I love the place so much:Unlike during the week,when I'm constantly faced with my own difficulties,I know how this place works.My terrible French isn't the barrier to communication that it is in other circumstances.
At school and in the village,I can't joke or join a conversation,and although the other parents at the school are kind,I'm an outsider.But at the market,I'm just another customer with a basket.Surrounded by day trippers,I feel like a local- greeting people I know and petting dogs.
My Saturday experiences allow me to hope that in the near future I'll feel equally confident in my everyday life.Until then,Saturdays prepare me for the coming week of school runs.
1.What does the author mean by saying “I feel like a fish out of water”?
A.She feels uncomfortable in new surroundings.
B.She feels free out of her daily housework.
C.She feels lonely without her children.
D.She feels unable to make a living in another country.
2.What can be learned about the author's life during weekdays?
A.She learns French together with her children.
B.She devotes herself to her children in a French school.
C.She runs to school every day to help her children.
D.She tries to balance her job and the housework.
3.Why does the author like going to the Saturday market?
A.She wants to get away from her family's stress.
B.She can talk with other customers freely there.
C.She feels relaxed and comfortable there.
D.She tries to gain confidence in the busy atmosphere.
假如你是李华，半个月前你给澳大利亚好友Jack邮寄了一些口罩以帮助他和家人防范新冠肺 炎。请给他写一封电子邮件询问他是否收到口罩并告知他一些防范经验，内容包括：
1 .表达关心；
2．询问口罩是否收到；
3.介绍防范经验。
注意：1.词数：100左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：新冠肺炎COVID - 19 口罩surgical mask
Dear Jack,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
根据首字母提示或所给意思，写出单词的正确形式。
1.Every time I feel down, he always pats me g _______(温柔地) on the back,
2.When the boss is a _______ from the meeting, the secretary will be in charge of it.
3.With the final exam a _______, students are becoming more and more stressful.
4.Just as the professor often says, the _______ (区别) between art and science are easy to find.
5.I can help you with your study. _______ (与此同时), you'd better ask your teachers for help.
6.If you come across new words while reading, you can c _______ a dictionary.
7.Jogging for 40 minutes after supper every day is b _______ to those who want to get into shape.
8.The government is _______ (呼吁) to everyone to wear masks when they are in public.
9.He was d _______ to make contributions to the society, so he volunteered to work as a teacher in the countryside.
10.Our evidence shows that spending time _______ (在户外) is good for kids' eyes.
阅读下面两段材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
This afternoon a poorly - dressed man came into my restaurant. After he finished his order, a million pound banknote 1.（take） out of an envelope. I asked Mr. Clements whether it was true. Mr. Clements said yes. The reason was 2.two of this amount had been issued by the Bank of England this year.
He thought 3.the gentleman showed us couldn't be a fake （赝品）.Till now, 1 have no idea 4. a gentleman with a million pound banknote dressed himself poorly and ate in our small restaurant. What happened today made me 5.（ excite）).
