Hollywood’s theory that machines with evil(邪惡) minds will drive armies of killer robots is just silly. The real problem relates to the possibility that artificial intelligence(AI) may become extremely good at achieving something other than what we really want. In 1960 a well-known mathematician Norbert Wiener, who founded the field of cybernetics（控制論）, put it this way: “If we use, to achieve our purposes, a mechanical agency with whose operation we cannot effectively interfere(干預), we had better be quite sure that the purpose put into the machine is the purpose which we really desire.”

A machine with a specific purpose has another quality, one that we usually associate with living things: a wish to preserve its own existence. For the machine, this quality is not in-born, nor is it something introduced by humans; it is a logical consequence of the simple fact that the machine cannot achieve its original purpose if it is dead. So if we send out a robot with the single instruction of fetching coffee, it will have a strong desire to secure success by disabling its own off switch or even killing anyone who might interfere with its task. If we are not careful, then, we could face a kind of global chess match against very determined, super intelligent machines whose objectives conflict with our own, with the real world as the chessboard.

The possibility of entering into and losing such a match should concentrate the minds of computer scientists. Some researchers argue that we can seal the machines inside a kind of firewall, using them to answer difficult questions but never allowing them to affect the real world. Unfortunately, that plan seems unlikely to work: we have yet to invent a firewall that is secure against ordinary humans, let alone super intelligent machines.

Solving the safety problem well enough to move forward in AI seems to be possible but not easy. There are probably decades in which to plan for the arrival of super intelligent machines. But the problem should not be dismissed out of hand, as it has been by some AI researchers. Some argue that humans and machines can coexist as long as they work in teams—yet that is not possible unless machines share the goals of humans. Others say we can just “switch them off” as if super intelligent machines are too stupid to think of that possibility. Still others think that super intelligent AI will never happen. On September 11, 1933, famous physicist Ernest Rutherford stated, with confidence, “Anyone who expects a source of power in the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” However, on September 12, 1933, physicist Leo Szilard invented the neutron-induced(中子誘導) nuclear chain reaction.

1.Paragraph 1 mainly tells us that artificial intelligence may ________.

A. run out of human control

B. satisfy human’s real desires

C. command armies of killer robots

D. work faster than a mathematician

2.Machines with specific purposes are associated with living things partly because they might be able to ________.

A. prevent themselves from being destroyed

B achieve their original goals independently

C. do anything successfully with given orders

D. beat humans in international chess matches

3.According to some researchers, we can use firewalls to ________.

A. help super intelligent machines work better

B. be secure against evil human beings

C. keep machines from being harmed

D. avoid robots’ affecting the world

4.What does the author think of the safety problem of super intelligent machines?

A. It will disappear with the development of AI.

B. It will get worse with human interference.

C. It will be solved but with difficulty.

D. It will stay for a decade.

根據短文內容，從短文后的七個選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。

Every animal sleeps, but the reason for this has remained foggy. When lab rats are not allowed to sleep, they die within a month. 1

One idea is that sleep helps us strengthen new memories. 2 We know that, while awake, fresh memories are recorded by reinforcing (加強) connections between brain cells, but the memory processes that take place while we sleep have been unclear.

Support is growing for a theory that sleep evolved so that connections between neurons(神經元) in the brain can be weakened overnight, making room for fresh memories to form the next day. 3

Now we have the most direct evidence yet that he is right. 4 The synapses in the mice taken at the end of a period of sleep were 18 per cent smaller than those taken before sleep, showing that the connections between neurons weaken while sleeping.

If Tononi’s theory is right, it would explain why, when we miss a night`s, we find it harder the next day to concentrate and learn new information — our brains may have smaller room for new experiences.

Their research also suggests how we may build lasting memories over time even though the synapses become thinner. The team discovered that some synapses seem to be protected and stayed the same size. 5 “You keep what matters,” Tononi says.

A. We should also try to sleep well the night before.

B. It’s as if the brain is preserving its most important memories.

C. Similarly, when people go for a few days without sleeping, they get sick.

D. The processes take place to stop our brains becoming loaded with memories.

E. That’s why students do better in tests if they get a chance to sleep after learning.

F. “Sleep is the price we pay for learning,” says Giulio Tononi, who developed the idea.

G. Tononi’s team measured the size of these connections, or synapses, in the brains of 12 mice.

第一節(jié) （15分）

你的英國朋友Jim所在的學校要組織學生來中國旅行，有兩條線路可以選擇：“長江之行”或者“泰山之旅”。Jim來信希望你能給些建議。請你給他回信，內容包括：

1.你建議的線路；

2.你的理由；

3.你的祝愿。

注意：1.詞數不少于50；

2.開頭和結尾已給出，不計入總詞數。

Dear Jim,

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

第二節(jié) （20 分）

假設你是紅星中學高三學生李華，請根據以下四幅圖的先后順序，寫一篇英文周記，記錄畢業(yè)前夕你們制作以“感恩母�！睘橹黝}的畢業(yè)紀念視頻的全過程。注意：詞數不少于60。提示詞：視頻video

Centre,Inc.

JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Food Service Assistant

Hours Per Week: 20-24

Wage: $15.77

Job Type: Off-Campus Job

Work Type: Non work-study job

Position Description:

Centre,Inc.is hiring Food Service Assistant.

Details:

Gain experience that combines well with a Culinary Degree.Working hours include weekdays 3-7 pm and every other weekend 11 am-7 pm.Must be willing to work every other weekend and during some holidays.20-24 hours per week.$ 11-75 per hour+$ 4.02 per hour (see benefits),Total$15.77 per hour.

Duties:

Prepare and serve food to people of a community correctional facility（社區(qū)管教所）.Work under the direction of the Dietary Manager.

Requirements:

Must be flexible,reliable,and energetic.Must pass a criminal background check,drug test,and physical test.

Apply:

Stop by and fill out an application at 123 15th Street N.Fargo,ND 58102 or e-mail your resume to alannawa@centreinc.org

Benefits:

Additional $ 4.02 per hour health and welfare benefit,paid vacation,pro-rated holiday pay,employee assistance programs and wellness program.

Centre,Inc.is an EEO/AAP employer and will recruit（招募）,hire,train,and promote,into all job levels,the most qualified persons without regard to race,color,religion,gender identity,or national origin.

EMPLOYER DETAILS

Address: 123 15th St N

City/State: Fargo,ND

Phone: 701-373-8354

Email: alannawa@centreinc.org

Date Posted: 10-20-16 3:18:49 pm

Job Number: 20622

1.What field does this position belong to?

A. Food service. B. Education.

C. Medical care. D. Mass media.

2.How much will be paid if you work for 20 hours per week?

A. $ 282 B. $ 235

C. $ 315.4 D. $ 378.48

3.What will the company NOT do before employing a person?

A. Check criminal background B. Confirm family background

C. Examine physical health D. Hold a drug test

4.If you want to apply for this position,you can .

A. post your resume to the company B. send information via fax

C. call them at 701-373-8354 D. go to apply for it in person

Born on August 9,1963,New Jersey,Whitney Houston almost seemed bound to become a singer.Her mother Cissy Houston was the choir（唱詩班）minister at New Hope Baptist Church,and it was there that a young Whitney got her start.

When she was 19,Whitney Houston was discovered in a nightclub by the famous Clive Davis of Arista Records. In 1983,Houston made her debut（首演）on national television.In 1985,she released her debut album Whitney Houston and almost immediately became a sensation.Over the next year,her hit singles Saving All My Love for You and How Will I Know helped the album reach the top of the charts,where it staved for fourteen weeks in a row. Houston won a Grammy in 1986 for Saving All My Love for You.

By 1992,Whitney Houston was on top of the world,but her life was about to get very complicated very quickly. That year she married the R&B singer Bobby Brown.At first the marriage was passionate and loving,but things turned sour as the decade progressed and both Brown and Houston battled drug abuse.

In spite of these growing personal troubles,Whitney Houston continued to progress in her career,crossing over successfully into acting in 1992 by starring in The Bodyguard.Her single from the movie,I will Always Love You, proved to be Houston's biggest hit ever,spending a record-breaking fourteen weeks on top of the US charts.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s,Whitney Houston's increasingly rocky marriage,struggles with drug and health problems threatened her career.Over the next few years,Houston attempted to break her drug habit and divorced Bobby Brown in 2007.

After almost a decade of struggling with her personal life,Houston seemed to be pulling herself together.She released a new album,I Look to You,in 2009.The recording received a warm welcome from music fans.

In early 2012,Houston worked on a new musical film Sparkle with Jordin Spark.Unfortunately,Houston didn't live long enough to see it.

Whitney Houston died on February 11,2012,in Los Angeles.With her passing,the music world has lost one of its most outstanding stars.

1.From the first paragraph,we know that .

A. Whitney Houston grew up in a nearby church.

B. Whitney Houston came from a single-parent family.

C. Whitney Houston had to support her family by singing when she was a child.

D. Whitney Houston grew up in a musical background.

2.Which shows the right order of the following events?

a.Whitney Houston divorced the R&B singer Bobby Brown.

b.Whitney Houston began to sing at New Hope Baptist Church.

c.Whitney Houston starred in the film The Bodyguard.

d.Whitney Houston worked on a new musical film Sparkle.

A. bcad B. badc

C. abdc D. cadb

3.What's the author's attitude towards Houston's death?

A. Ashamed B. Regretful

C. Hopeless D. Delightful

4.Which can be the best title of the passage'?

A. Whitney Houston's music talent B. Whitney Houston's achievement

C. Whitney Houston's lite story D. Whitney Houston's sudden death

The most exciting storms are the ones with flashes of lightning.Unfortunately,those are scarce,unless you are near the Catatumbo River in Northwestern Venezuela.Here,nature's grandest sound and light show is often seen, because it happens about 160 nights a year.And it lasts for as long as 10 hours at a time.And unlike other lightning storms that cause just one or two flashes,this one is with as many as 280 per hour.It is the highest in the world. Besides,each one of them is so powerful that each can power every light bulb in South America.Not surprisingly,they can be seen for almost 250 miles.Fishermen and sailors often use them to guide them across the waters during dark nights.

What's even more surprising is that the lightning has been happening above the same spot where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo for thousands of years.The best part is that the show is different every night.That's because the color of the lightning changes,depending on the amount of water in the atmosphere.On dry nights,the lightning appears white.When the air is not dry,it helps split up the bright light into red,orange and even purple.

Strangely enough,though this has been going on for centuries,scientists have still not been able to figure out the cause of this phenomenon.Some say that the storms are the result of the interaction of the area's unusual topography（地貌）,wind and heat.Others,however,believe that the storms are caused by a kind of gas in the area.The locals simply think that it is the "spirit of Catatumbo" that lights up the night sky.

1.According to Paragraph 1,if we say something is scarce,we probably mean .

A. it is far away B. it is very terrible

C. it can be hardly seen D. it can be very dangerous

2.We know that in Northwestern Venezuela, .

A. people daren't go out at night

B. it rains heavily almost every day

C. lightning is used to power light bulbs

D. storms with flashes of lightning are common

3.What has the greatest influence on the colors of the lightning?

A. The spot of the lightning

B. The air of the lightning spot

C. The color of the environment

D. The level of water in the Catatumbo River

4.From the last paragraph,we learn that .

A. scientists will no longer study the lightning storms there

B. locals know about the lightning storms better than scientists

C. heat in Northwestern Venezuela is different from any other place

D. the reason why such lightning storms happen there is still unknown

The percentage of women working in technology has decreased since the 1990s.Women make up only a quarter of all jobs in computer and math professions.I think all girls should learn how to code（編碼）.Here is why.

If we want to be part of one of the fastest growing job markets out there,we need to jump on board!Over the last ten years the growth in STEM jobs has been three times faster than that in non-STEM fields.Women will never be able to keep up with men in the professional workplace if we don't join the fastest growing fields.

Just like hundreds of years ago,people who could read and write controlled the future,and now those who are at home with technology will shape the world we live in.You can use coding in every aspect of your life,even if you don't enter a field that involves coding.You cant use coding to create your own website or to program games.You can animate your YouTube videos,or make graphic designs.Programming is now being used in every profession, including medicine and airplane design.

You can have fun creating your own website,programming a robot to get the remote for you when you're lying on the couch,photoshop pictures to change the color scheme to something better than the Instagram filters,and so much more.Coding allows you to realize your wildest dream,and create anything you can imagine.Coding allows you to rule the world.

It's not very hard to learn to code.You could learn to code on YouTube,in the Girls Who Code club;you could take a free course online on Code Academy;you could even just Google how to code.

You learned to read,you learned to drive-now learn to code.

1.It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that .

A. technology isn't suitable for women

B. it's harder for women to find work now

C. more women should work in technology

D. there are no math professions for women

2.In the author's opinion,nowadays coding .

A. is mainly used for work

B. is widely used in our life

C. is an ability of just some people

D. means better reading and writing ability

3.Coding can help you achieve many EXCEPT .

A. getting a promotion

B. creating anything you imagine

C. making program games

D. setting up your own website

Recent studies have shown that there is a link between anxiety and intelligence and it is a positive one.Fear allows you to react to a potential threat in good time.Being too happy all the time means that you don't think about potential problems.1.But the response means that their imagination is highly active.An active imagination keeps you safe from threats.

The general belief about anxiety is that it's a negative thing.Because suffering from anxiety is not pleasant,most of the people who deal with it hope they don't have to.2.Science is showing that a little bit of anxiety is a good thing.

In 2002,Israeli psychologists ran a test on 80 students.The students were under the impression mat they were there to appreciate artwork on a piece of software.However,the researchers rigged（在…上做手腳）the program. 3.So they were men encouraged to contact IT.

Finding IT brought new challenges.As the students left the room,they met various problems.4.someone also stopped them to ask them to complete a survey.The test found that the participants who really wanted to reach IT to fix the virus had the highest amount of anxiety.The students who had less anxiety couldn't focus.They stopped to complete the survey,pick up the papers,etc.

Obviously,the anxious students had a greater sense of the threat.5.Therefore,anxiety can actually give us higher chance to succeed!

A.So when does worry become a bad thing?

B.Thus,they tried their best to achieve their goal.

C.But this does not necessarily need to be the case.

D.Some students came across dropped papers as they walked by.

E.Instead of viewing artwork,the students found a computer virus.

F.Often kids and adults with anxiety have a very negative view of themselves.

G.People with anxiety are sometimes responding to a threat that doesn't exist.

It sounds crazy to start your first business at 24,straight out of college,alone in a foreign country.But it's_______what the successful entrepreneur（企業(yè)家）Irina Alionte did.As the_______of several successful businesses,she speaks from experience.

While still at university in the UK,she made a(n)_______: Girls on campus didn't try their best in_______at gym.She compared this with a nightclub: "_______is it that in the nightclub they can be themselves and_______calories（卡路里）at a whole different level,but at the actual class where they are_______to get their body moving,they don't?”_______,she thought,why not combine the two?She_______it Club Cardio.

"I thought of having an encouraging instructor on the stage,________the crowd with a microphone.People can just let go,express themselves and burn calories in the dance floor." But it wasn't easy.Before Irina started,she________plenty of opposition.Her friends thought it was________.

Irina made a(n)________On campus and got 50 girls to test the concept.What was the________?People loved the idea. Afterwards,she moved to London to________Club Cardio.She got in touch with Ketan Makwana of the Rockstar Mentoring Group.She told her partners,"I am no longer________.I have you now." She finally had the concept tested ________professional mentorship（指導）.

Club Cardio did work and became________-media exposure,expansion to other universities,nightclubs in London and so on.We all know Irina had a huge________-an understanding of her ideal customers.She spent a ton of effort ________ her customers.And in Club Cardio,she and her partners applied this everywhere.

1.A. exactly B. especially C. absolutely D. surely

2.A. manager B. engineer C. customer D. founder

3.A. decision B. observation C. appointment D. promise

4.A. families B. nightclubs C. classes D. cities

5.A. Why B. How C. Where D. When

6.A. burn B. increase C. count D. contain

7.A. agreed B. supposed C. shown D. permitted

8.A. Otherwise B. However C. Therefore D. Additionally

9.A. wished B. called C. desired D. planned

10.A. melting B. blessing C. following D. attracting

11.A. voiced B. faced C. overcame D. expressed

12.A. unpleasant B. unnecessary C. troublesome D. impossible

13.A. sport B. choice C. survey D. decision

14.A. idea B. content C. function D. result

15.A. develop B. enter C. leave D. refuse

16.A. upset B. alone C. proud D. sorry

17.A. in place of B. in opposition to C. in favor of D. id hand with

18.A. urgent B. curious C. amazing D. comfortable

19.A. advantage B. respect C. inspiration D. opportunity

20.A. caring tor B. learning from C. figuring out D. picking up