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The human brain contains lo thousand million cells and each of these mav have a thousand connections. Such enormous numbers used tO discourage US and cause us to dismiss the possibility of making a machine with human―like ability，but now that we have grown used to moving forward at such a pace we can be less sure. Quite soon. In only lo or 20 years perhaps，we will be able to assemble a machine as compiex as the human brain, and if we can we will. It may then take us a long time to render it intelli-gent by loading in the right software(软件)or by altering the architecture but that too will happen.
I think it certain that in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon(硅)will arise first to rival and then exceed their human ancestors. Once they exceed us they will be capable of their own design. In a real sense they will be able to reproduce themselves. Silicon will have ended carbon's long control. And we will no longer be able to claim ourselves to be the finest intelligence in the known universe.
As the intelligence of robots increases to match that of humans and as their cost declines through economies of scale we may use them to expand our frontiers, first on earth through their ability to withstand environments, harmful to ourselves. Thus, deserts may bloom and the ocean beds be mined. Further ahead, by a combination of the great wealth this new age will bring and the technology it will provide, the con- struction of a vast, man-created world in space, home to thousands or millions of peo-ple, will he within our power.
It can be inferred from the passage that
A. after the installation of a great number of ceils and connections, robots will be capable of self-reproduction
B. with the rapid development of technology, people have come to realize the possibility of making a machine with human-like ability
C. once we make a machine as complex as the human brain, it will possess intelligence
D. robots will have control of the vast, man-made world in space
正确答案为B。文章第一段开始时叙述由于人脑极其复杂，以致我们排除了制造智能机器人的可能性，但从第二旬后半部分开始说明存在这种可能性;第二段首句进一步肯定这种可能性：I think it certain that in decades，not centuries，machines of silicon(硅)will arise first to rival and then exceed their human ancestors.第三段以智能机器人在未来的利用肯定其出现的可能性，由此可以推出B项为正确答案：随着科技的迅速发展，有可能制造出智能机器人。
You look down at the floor, at the indicator lights, anywhere but into another passenger’s eyes.Should you break the rule against staring at a stranger on an eleva-tor，you will make the other person exceedingly uncomfortable，and you are likely to feel a bit strange yourself.
例5
Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blue prints(蓝图)for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a build- ing off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its founda- tion to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake's vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the op- posite direction.
The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, that would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing the damage caused by earth- quakes attention should be focused on
A. the increasing use of rubber and steel in capital construction
B. the development of flexible building materials
C. the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations
D. early forecasts of earthquakes
有关抗震方法集中在第二段，其中第二句指出：Later，people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. 由此可知，减少地震破坏的方法是减少地面震动所造成的冲击，C项符合题意，为正确答案。D项为无关答案，而A项与B项只是抗震材料的种类，其目的仍然是为了减少地面震动造成的冲击;事实上，只要能抗震，其他材料也行，所以应排除它们。
例6
People tend to be more impressed by evidence that seems to confirm some rela- tionship. Thus many are convinced their dreams are prophetic(预言的)because a few have come true; they neglect or fail to notice the many that have not.Consider also the belief that "the phone always rings when I'm in the shower". If it does ring while you are in the shower, the even will stand out and be remembered. If it doesn't ring, that nonevent probably won't even register(留下印象).
People want to see order, pattern and meaning in the world. Consider, for exam-ple, the common belief that things like personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths "happen in threes". Such beliefs stem from the tendency of people to allow the third event to define the time period. If three plane crashes occur in a month, then the period of time that counts as their "happening together" is one month; if three crashes occur in a year, the period of time is stretched. Flexible end points reinforce such be-liefs.
We also tend to believe what we want to believe. A majority of people think they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an auto-mobile than the average person. Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage. As economist Thomas Schelling ex-plains, "Everybody ranks himself high in qualities he values., careful drivers give weight to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are polite give weight to courtesy," This way everyone ranks high on his own scale.
Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious(谨慎的)in drawing conclusions. The "evidence" of everyday life is sometimes misleading.
It can be concluded from the passage that
A. there is some truth even in the wildest dreams
B. one should take notice of other people's merits
C. there is no order or pattern in world events
D. we should not base our conclusions on accidental evidence
这道题为这篇文章的最后一道题，所以要求推出的结论可能在最后一段：Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious(谨慎的)in drawing conclusions.The“evidence”of everyday life is sometimes misleading.由此可以推出：不应该以随机证据为基础得出结论(因为它们有误导性)。因此D为正确答案。
