专题13 阅读理解议论文：五年（2019-2023）高考英语真题分项汇编（原卷版）

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五年（2019-2023）年高考英语真题分项汇编
专题13 阅读理解议论文 （原卷版）
〖2023年高考真题题组〗
【2023▪全国乙卷】
If you want to tell the history of the whole world, a history that does not privilege one part of humanity, you cannot do it through texts alone, because only some of the world has ever had texts, while most of the world, for most of the time, has not. Writing is one of humanity’s later achievements, and until fairly recently even many literate (有文字的) societies recorded their concerns not only in writing but in things.
Ideally a history would bring together texts and objects, and some chapters of this book are able to do just that, but in many cases we simply can’t. The clearest example of this between literate and non-literate history is perhaps the first conflict, at Botany Bay, between Captain Cook’s voyage and the Australian Aboriginals. From the English side, we have scientific reports and the captain’s record of that terrible day. From the Australian side, we have only a wooden shield (盾) dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot. If we want to reconstruct what was actually going on that day, the shield must be questioned and interpreted as deeply and strictly as the written reports.
In addition to the problem of miscomprehension from both sides, there are victories accidentally or deliberately twisted, especially when only the victors know how to write. Those who are on the losing side often have only their things to tell their stories. The Caribbean Taino, the Australian Aboriginals, the African people of Benin and the Incas, all of whom appear in this book, can speak to us now of their past achievements most powerfully through the objects they made: a history told through things gives them back a voice. When we consider contact (联系) between literate and non-literate societies such as these, all our first-hand accounts are necessarily twisted, only one half of a dialogue. If we are to find the other half of that conversation, we have to read not just the texts, but the objects.
32. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. How past events should be presented. B. What humanity is concerned about.
C. Whether facts speak louder than words. D. Why written language is reliable.
33. What does the author indicate by mentioning Captain Cook in paragraph 2?
A. His report was scientific. B. He represented the local people.
C. He ruled over Botany Bay. D. His record was one-sided.
34. What does the underlined word “conversation” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Problem. B. History. C. Voice. D. Society.
35. Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from?
A. How Maps Tell Stories of the World B. A Short History of Australia
C. A History of the World in 100 Objects D. How Art Works Tell Stories
〖2022年高考真题题组〗
【2022▪北京卷】
Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.
For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”
As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.
After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.
The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”
Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.
31. Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels ________.
A. sympathetic B. unconcerned C. doubtful D. excited
32. What leads to Taylor’s optimism about quantum computing?
A. His dominance in physics.
B. The competition in the field.
C. His confidence in PyQuantum.
D. The investment of tech companies.
33. What does the underlined word “prone” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
A. Open. B. Cool. C. Useful. D. Resistant.
34. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor?
B. Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology?
C. Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being?
D. Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype?
【2022▪天津卷】
Ralph Emerson once said that the purpose of life is not to be happy, but to be useful, to be loving, to make some difference in the world. While we appreciate such words of wisdom, we rarely try to follow them in our lives.
Most people prefer to live a good life themselves, ignoring their responsibilities for the world. This narrow perception of a good life may provide short-term benefits, but is sure to lead to long-term harm and suffering. A good life based on comfort and luxury may eventually lead to more pain be-cause we spoil our health and even our character, principles, ideals, and relationships.
What then, is the secret of a good life? A good life is a process, not a state of being : a direction, not a destination. We have to earn a good life by first serving others without any expectation in return because their happiness is the very source of our own happiness. More importantly, we must know ourselves inside out. Only when we examine ourselves deeply can we discover our abilities and recognize our limitations, and then work accordingly to create a better world.
The first requirement for a good life is having a loving heart. When we do certain right things merely as a duty, we find our job so tiresome that we’ll soon burn out. However, when we do that same job out of love, we not only enjoy what we do, but also do it with an effortless feeling.
However, love alone is insufficient to lead a good life. Love sometimes blinds us to the reality. Consequently, our good intentions may not lead to good results. To achieve desired outcome, those who want to do good to others also need to equip themselves with accurate world knowledge. False knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. If love is the engine of a car knowledge is the steering wheel(方向盘). If the engine lacks power, th car can’t move; if the driver loses control of the steering, a road accident probably occurs. Only with love in heart and the right knowledge in mind can we lead a good life.
With love and knowledge, we go all out to create a better world by doing good to others. When we see the impact of our good work on the world we give meaning to our life and earn lasting joy and happiness.
51. What effect does the narrow perception of a good life have on us?
A. Making us simple-minded
B. Making us short-signted.
C. Leading us onto a busy road.
D. Keeping us from comfort and luxury.
52. According to the author, how can one gain true happiness?
A. Through maintaining good health.
B. By going through pain and suffering.
C. By recognizing one’s abilities and limitations.
D. Through offering help much needed by others.
53. According to Paragraph 4, doing certain right things with a loving heart makes one________.
A. less selfish
B. less annoying
C. more motivated
D. more responsible
54. In what case may good intentions fail to lead to desired results?
A. When we have wrong knowledge of the world.
B. When our love for the world is insufficient.
C. When we are insensitive to dangers in life.
D. When we stay blind to the reality.
55. According to Paragraph 5, life can be made truly good when ________.
A. inspired by love and guided by knowledge
B. directed by love and pushed by knowledge
C. purified by love and enriched by knowledge
D. promoted by love and defined by knowledge
〖2021年高考真题题组〗
【2021▪新高考I卷】
Popularization has in some cases changed the original meaning of emotional (情感的) intelligence. Many people now misunderstand emotional intelligence as almost everything desirable in a person’s makeup that cannot be measured by an IQ test, such as character, motivation, confidence, mental stability, optimism and “people skills.” Research has shown that emotional skills may contribute to some of these qualities, but most of them move far beyond skill-based emotional intelligence.
We prefer to describe emotional intelligence as a specific set of skills that can be used for either good or bad purposes. The ability to accurately understand how others are feeling may be used by a doctor to find how best to help her patients, while a cheater might use it to control potential victims. Being emotionally intelligent does not necessarily make one a moral person.
Although popular beliefs regarding emotional intelligence run far ahead of what research can reasonably support, the overall effects of the publicity have been more beneficial than harmful. The most positive aspect of this popularization is a new and much needed emphasis (重视) on emotion by employers, educators and others interested in promoting social well-being. The popularization of emotional intelligence has helped both the public and researchers re-evaluate the functionality of emotions and how they serve people adaptively in everyday life.
Although the continuing popular appeal of emotional intelligence is desirable, we hope that such attention will excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study of emotion. It is our hope that in coming decades, advances in science will offer new perspectives (视角) from which to study how people manage their lives. Emotional intelligence, with its focus on both head and heart, may serve to point us in the right direction.
32. What is a common misunderstanding of emotional intelligence?
A. It can be measured by an IQ test.
B. It helps to exercise a person's mind.
C. It includes a set of emotional skills.
D. It refers to a person’s positive qualities.
33. Why does the author mention “doctor” and “cheater” in paragraph 2?
A. To explain a rule.
B. To clarify a concept.
C. To present a fact.
D. To make a prediction.
34. What is the author's attitude to the popularization of emotional intelligence?
A. Favorable. B. Intolerant. C. Doubtful. D. Unclear.
35. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about concerning emotional intelligence?
A. Its appeal to the public.
B. Expectations for future studies.
C. Its practical application.
D. Scientists with new perspectives.
【2021▪全国甲卷】
Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender (性别) are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors(因素)like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance (毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
12. What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?
A. They're unfair.
B. They're conservative.
C. They're objective.
D. They're strict.
13. What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?
A. They think themselves smart.
B. They look up to great thinkers.
C. They see gender differences earlier than boys.
D. They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs
14. Why are more geniuses known to the public?
A. Improved global communication.
B. Less discrimination against women.
C. Acceptance of victors' concepts.
D. Changes in people's social positions.
15. What is the best title for the text?
A. Geniuses Think Alike
B. Genius Takes Many Forms
C. Genius and Intelligence
D. Genius and Luck
【2021▪天津卷】
There is something to be said for being a generalist, even if you are a specialist. Knowing a little about a lot of things that interest you can add to the richness of a whole, well-lived life.
Society pushes us to specialize, to become experts. This requires commitment to a particular occupation, branch of study or research. The drawback to being specialists is we often come to know more and more about less and less. There is a great deal of pressure to master one's field. You may pursue training, degrees, or increasing levels of responsibility at work. Then you discover the pressure of having to keep up.
Some people seem willing to work around the clock in their narrow specialty. But such commitment can also weaken a sense of freedom. These specialists could work at the office until ten each night, then look back and realize they would have loved to have gone home and enjoyed the sweetness of their family and friends, or traveled to exciting places, meeting interesting people. Mastering one thing to the exclusion （排 除）of others can hold back your true spirit.
Generalists, on the other hand, know a lot about a wide range of subjects and view the whole with all its connections. They are people of ability, talent, and enthusiasm who can bring their broad perspective （视角）into specific fields of expertise （专长）.The doctor who is also a poet and philosopher is a superior doctor, one who can give so much more to his patients than just good medical skills.
Things are connected. Let your expertise in one field fuel your passions in all related areas. Some of your interests may not appear to be connected but, once you explore their depths, you discover that they are. My editor Toni, who is also a writer, has edited several history books. She has decided to study Chinese history. Fascinated by the structural beauty of the Forbidden City as a painter, she is equally interested to learn more about Chinese philosophy. "I don't know where it will lead, but I'm excited I'm on this pursuit."
These expansions into new worlds help us by giving us new perspectives. We begin to see the interconnectedness of one thing to another in all aspects of our life, of ourselves and the universe. Develop broad, general knowledge and experience. The universe is all yours to explore and enjoy.
51. To become a specialist, one may have to_____.
A. narrow his range of knowledge
B. avoid responsibilities at work
C. know more about the society
D. broaden his perspective on life
52. The specialists mentioned in Paragraph 3 tend to______.
A. treasure their freedom
B. travel around the world
C. spend most time working
D. enjoy meeting funny people
53. According to the author, a superior doctor is one who_____.
A. is fully aware of his talent and ability
B. is a pure specialist in medicine
C. should love poetry and philosophy
D. brings knowledge of other fields to work
54. What does the author intend to show with the example of Toni?
A. Passion alone does not ensure a person's success.
B. In-depth exploration makes discoveries possible.
C. Everyone has a chance to succeed in their pursuit.
D. Seemingly unrelated interests are in a way connected.
55. What could be the best title for the passage?
A. Be More a Generalist Than a Specialist
B. Specialist or Generalist: Hard to Decide
C. Turn a Generalist into a Specialist
D. Ways to Become a Generalist
〖2020年高考真题题组〗
【2020▪北京卷】
Certain forms of AI are indeed becoming ubiquitous. For example, algorithms(算法)carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets, self-driving cars are appearing on city streets, and our smartphones are translating from one language into another. These systems are sometimes faster and more perceptive than we humans are. But so far that is only true for the specific tasks for which the systems have been designed. That is something that some AI developers are now eager to change.
Some of today's AI pioneers want to move on from today's world of “weak” or “narrow” AI, to create “strong” or “full” AI, or what is often called artificial general intelligence(AGI). In some respects, today's powerful computing machines already make our brains look weak. AGI could, its advocates say, work for us around the clock, and drawing on all available data, could suggest solutions to many problems. DM, a company focused on the development of AGI, has an ambition to “solve intelligence”. “If we're successful,” their mission statement reads, “we believe this will be one of the most important and widely beneficial scientific advances ever made.”
Since the early days of AI, imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965, an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an "ultra- intelligent machine…that can far surpass all the intellectual (智力的) activities of any man, however clever." Good went on to suggest that “the first ultra -intelligent machine "could be “the last invention that man need ever make."
Fears about the appearance of bad, powerful, man-made intelligent machines have been reinforced (强化) by many works of fiction—Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Terminator film series, for example. But if AI does eventually prove to be our downfall, it is unlikely to be at the hands of human-shaped forms like these, with recognisably human motivations such as aggression (敌对行为). Instead, I agree with Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom, who believes that the heaviest risks from A GI do not come from a decision to turn against mankind but rather from a dogged pursuit of set objectives at the expense of everything else.
The promise and danger of true A GI are great. But all of today's excited discussion about these possibilities presupposes the fact that we will be able to build these systems. And, having spoken to many of the world's foremost AI researchers, I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see A GI any time soon, if ever:
42. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in Paragraph I probably mean?
A. Enormous in quantity. B. Changeable daily.
C. Stable in quality. D. Present everywhere.
43. What could A GI do for us, according to its supporters?
A. Help to tackle problems.
B. Make brains more active.
C. Benefit ambitious people.
D. Set up powerful databases.
44. As for Irving Good's opinion on ultra-intelligent machines, the author is ____________.
A. supportive B. disapproving
C. fearful D. uncertain
45. What can be inferred about A GI from the passage?
A. It may be only a dream.
B. It will come into being soon.
C. It will be controlled by humans.
D. It may be more dangerous than ever.
〖2019年高考真题题组〗
【2019▪全国III卷】
For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
"It's no secret that China has always been a source(来源)of inspiration for designers," says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚)shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学)on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
"China is impossible to overlook," says Hill. "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement. "Of course, only are today's top Western designers being influenced by China; some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese." Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galiano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs-and beating them hands down in design and sales," adds Hil.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. "The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers," she says. "China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China-its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways."
24. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?
A. It promoted the sales of artworks.
B. It attracted a large number of visitors.
C. It showed ancient Chinese clothes.
D. It aimed to introduce Chinese models.
25. What does Hill say about Chinese women?
A. They are setting the fashion.
B. They start many fashion campaigns.
C. They admire super models.
D. They do business all over the world.
26. What do the underlined words "taking on" in paragraph 4 mean?
A. learning from
B. looking down on
C. working with
D. competing against
27. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Young Models Selling Dreams to the World
B. A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York
C. Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics
D. Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends
【2019▪天津卷】
Would you BET on the future of this man? He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning, and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives, he determines to write a book.
The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes, and the book was Don Quixote（《堂吉诃德》）. And the story poses an interesting question: why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days, while others go to seed long before?
We’ve all known people who run out of steam before they reach life’s halfway mark. I’m not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can’t all get there. I’m talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.
Most of us, in fact, progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But, if we are willing to learn, the opportunities are everywhere.
The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can’t change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please, some people are never going to love us—an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.
With high motivation and enthusiasm, we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However, we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos(自我), whether to loved ones, to fellow humans, to work, or to some moral concept.
Many of us equate(视……等同于) “commitment” with such “caring” occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence—whether they are driving a truck, or running a store—make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They’ve learned life’s most valuable lesson.
51. The passage starts with the story of Cervantes to show that ________.
A. loss of freedom stimulates one’s creativity
B. age is not a barrier to achieving one’s goal
C. misery inspires a man to fight against his fate
D. disability cannot stop a man’s pursuit of success
52. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. End one’s struggle for liberty.
B. Waste one’s energy taking risks.
C. Miss the opportunity to succeed.
D. Lose the interest to continue learning.
53. What could be inferred from Paragraph 4？
A. Those who dare to try often get themselves trapped.
B. Those who tend to think back can hardly go ahead.
C. Opportunity favors those with a curious mind.
D. Opportunity awaits those with a cautious mind.
54. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 5？
A. A tough man can tolerate suffering.
B. A wise man can live without self-pity.
C. A man should try to satisfy people around him.
D. A man should learn suitable ways to deal with life.
55. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage？
A. To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.
B. To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.
C. To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.
D. To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.
【2018▪北京卷】
Preparing Cities for Robot Cars
The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.
A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
47. According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.
A. help deal with transportation-related problems
B. provide better services to customers
C. cause damage to our environment
D. make some people lose jobs
48. As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?
A. Safety. B. Side effects.
C. Affordability. D. Management.
49. What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Employed. B. Replaced.
C. Shared. D. Reduced.
50. What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
A. Doubtful. B. Positive.
C. Disapproving. D. Sympathetic.
【2017▪天津卷】
I read somewhere that we spend a full third of our lives waiting. But where are we doing all of this waiting, and what does it mean to an impatient society like ours? To understand the issue, let’s take a look at three types of “waits”.
The very purest form of waiting is the Watched-Pot Wait. It is without doubt the most annoying of all. Take filling up the kitchen sink(洗碗池) as an example. There is absolutely nothing you can do while this is going on but keep both eyes fixed on the sink until it’s full. During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks. This kind of wait makes the waiter helpless and mindless.
A cousin to the Watched-Pot Wait is the Forced Wait. This one requires a bit of discipline. Properly preparing packaged noodle soup requires a Forced Wait. Directions are very specific. “Bring three cups of water to boil, add mix, simmer three minutes, remove from heat, let stand five minutes.” I have my doubts that anyone has actually followed the procedures strictly. After all, Forced Waiting requires patience.
Perhaps the most powerful type of waiting is the Lucky-Break Wait. This type of wait is unusual in that it is for the most part voluntary. Unlike the Forced Wait, which is also voluntary, waiting for your lucky break does not necessarily mean that it will happen.
Turning one’s life into a waiting game requires faith and hope, and is strictly for the optimists among us. On the surface it seems as ridiculous as following the directions on soup mixes, but the Lucky-Break Wait well serves those who are willing to do it. As long as one doesn’t come to rely on it, wishing for a few good things to happen never hurts anybody.
We certainly do spend a good deal of our time waiting. The next time you’re standing at the sink waiting for it to fill while cooking noodle soup that you’ll have to eat until a large bag of cash falls out of the sky, don’t be desperate. You’re probably just as busy as the next guy.
51. While doing a Watched-Pot Wait, we tend to ___________.
A. keep ourselves busy
B. get absent-minded
C. grow anxious
D. stay focused
52. What is the difference between the Forced Wait and the Watched-Pot Wait?
A. The Forced Wait requires some self-control.
B. The Forced Wait makes people passive.
C. The Watched-Pot Wait needs directions.
D. The Watched-Pot Wait engages body and brain.
53. What can we learn about the Lucky-Break Wait?
A. It is less voluntary than the Forced Wait.
B. It doesn’t always bring the desired result.
C. It is more fruitful than the Forced Wait.
D. It doesn’t give people faith and hope.
54. What does the author advise us to do the next time we are waiting?
A. Take it seriously.
B. Don’t rely on others.
C. Do something else.
D. Don’t lose heart.
55. The author supports his view by ____________.
A. exploring various causes of “waits”
B. describing detailed processes of “waits”
C. analyzing different categories of “waits”
D. revealing frustrating consequences of “waits”
【2017▪北京卷】
Hollywood’s theory that machines with evil(邪恶) 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（控制论）, put it this way: ＂If we use, to achieve our purposes, a mechanical agency with whose operation we cannot effectively interfere(干预), 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(中子诱导) nuclear chain reaction.
67. 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
68. 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
69. 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
70. 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.