题型:任务型阅读 题类:模拟题 难易度:普通
天津市和平区2017届高三英语第四次质量调查(四模)试卷
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种) known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rushing into business. Firms of all types are using AI to forecast demand, hire workers and deal with customers. The McKinsey Global Institute, a think-tank within a consultancy, forecasts that just applying AI to marketing, sales and supply chains could create economic value of $2.7trn over the next 20 years.
Such grand forecasts fuel anxiety as well as hope. Less familiar, but just as important, is how AI will transform the workplace.
Start with the benefits.AI ought to improve productivity. Humanyze, a people analytics software provider, combines data from its badges(工牌)with employees' calendars and e-mails to work out, say, whether office layouts favour teamwork .Slack, a workplace messaging app, helps managers assess how quickly employees accomplish tasks. Companies will see when workers are not just dozing off but also misbehaving.
Employees will gain, too. Thanks to advance in computer vision, AI can check that workers are wearing safety equipment and that no one has been harmed on the factory floor. Some will appreciate more feedback on their work and welcome a sense of how to do better.
Machines can help ensure that pay rises and promotions go to those who deserve them. That starts with hiring. People often have biases but algorithms(算法), if designed correctly, can be more unprejudiced. Software can flag patterns that people might miss.
Yet AI's benefits will come with many potential drawbacks. Algorithms may not be free of the biases of their programmers, which can have unintended consequences. The length of a travel may predict whether an employee will quit a job, but this focus may harm poorer applicants. Older staff might work more slowly than younger ones and could risk losing their positions if all AI looks for is productivity. And surveillance(监控)may feel Orwellian—a sensitive matter now that people have begun to question how much Facebook and other tech giants know about their private lives.
As regulators and employers weigh the pros and cons of AI in the workplace, three principles ought to guide its spread. First, data should be anonymized where possible. Microsoft, for example, has a product that shows individuals how they manage their time in the office, but gives managers information only in aggregated(整合)form. Second, the use of AI ought to be transparent. Employees should be told what technologies are being used in their workplaces and which data are being gathered. As a matter of routine, algorithms used by firms to hire, fire and promote should be tested for bias and unintended consequences. Last, countries should let individuals request their own data, whether they are ex-workers wishing to contest a dismissal or jobseekers hoping to demonstrate their ability to prospective employers.
The march of Al into the workplace calls for trade-offs between privacy and performance. A fairer, more productive workforce is a prize worth having, but not if it chains employees. Striking a balance will require thought, a willingness for both employers and employees to adapt and a strong dose of humanity.
AI Spy | |
Passage outline | Supporting details |
Introduction | While its future in business is full of {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, AI affects the workplace negatively. |
Advantages of AI | ·AI makes business more productive by analyzing the office layout, assessing the employees' working efficiency and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} their behavior. ·AI can {#blank#}3{#/blank#} employees' safety and provide feedback for them to better themselves. ·AI helps businesses hire more suitable employees and develop a better {#blank#}4{#/blank#} of promotion and pay rise. |
Potential drawbacks of AI | ·Undesirable results may arise due to the biases of the programmers. ·Poorer applicants and older staff are at a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} ·Employees' privacy is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} in the age of AI. |
Principles{#blank#}7{#/blank#} AI's spread | ·Keep the data anonymous when they are gathered and used. {#blank#}8{#/blank#} employees of technologies used in the workplace and test the algorithms to avoid undesirable results. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} employees to access data for their own sake. |
Summary | Only when employees and employers are {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to adapt and respect each other, can AI make workplace fairer and more productive. |
Guilt, a positive use for a negative emotion
Guilt is one the most painful emotions that humans experience but also one of the most common. Nobody enjoys feeling guilty, but this emotion serves an important purpose: it alerts a person when he or she has done something wrong. This makes it possible for the person to make amends and it can also motivate people to avoid making similar mistakes later.
Nevertheless, guilt can be destructive if not dealt with in the right way. It can cause people to avoid others because they are too embarrassed to apologize for their actions or inaction. Some try to avoid the pain of guilt by turning to other worse habits. Others try to cover up their guilt by blaming others or becoming angry.
What makes it more complicated is that sometimes people feel guilty about things that they can't control. One example of this is survivors' guilt, when people who survived a disaster feel guilty because they escaped death while others didn't. Other people experience false guilt because of too high expectations for themselves.
The proper response to guilt depends on what kind of guilt you're dealing with. For false guilt, it's important to recognize that guilt does not reflect an actual ethical failure. For example, some false guilt focuses on failing to meet expectations you had for yourself. In this case, it's important to remind yourself that you have limits. No one is perfect, and no one can do everything, so admitting your limits is actually a sign of humility.
It's also important to acknowledge what you are feeling. Even when you don't need to feel guilty, these feelings are real and normal. Try to balance them with positive thoughts, but realize that it often takes time for feelings to change.
It's possible that you feel guilty because you actually did something wrong—or didn't do something you should have .If so, don't try to hide it. Apologize and ask for forgiveness, working to heal relationships that were damaged by your actions, which will make your guilty feelings fade.
Guilt is painful, but it can serve a good purpose if you use it well.
Guilt, a positive use for a negative emotion | |
One purpose it serves | To warn people of their mistakes, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} them to mend their mistakes and motivating them to avoid {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the same action again. |
Causes of guilt | ● A person did something wrong. ● A person didn't do something he or she should have done. ● Something happened {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a person's control. ● A person {#blank#}4{#/blank#} too much of himself or herself. |
Destructive results | If it is not {#blank#}5{#/blank#} correctly, people may: ● {#blank#}6{#/blank#} from others because of embarrassment; ● turn to other worse habits to avoid the pain of guilt; ● cover their guilt by {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the blame or being angry. |
Proper response | ● Recognize guilt is not a reflection of ethical failure. Admit your limits when you {#blank#}8{#/blank#} to meet your expectation. ● Acknowledge your feelings. Balance them with positive thoughts and be{#blank#}9{#/blank#}. ● Don't hide your guilt. Apologize and ask for forgiveness and work to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} up with the people you hurt. |
Conclusion | If made good use of, guilt can be useful though it is painful. |
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