英語六級閱讀Passage One答案及解析

　　新東方在線

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage

Professor Stephen Hawking has warned that the creation of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) will be “either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity”, and praised the creation of an academic institute dedicated to researching the future of intelligence as “crucial to the future of our civilization and our species.”

Hawking was speaking at the opening of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) at Cambridge University, a multi-disciplinary institute that will attempt to tackle some of the open-ended questions raised by the rapid pace of development in AI research. “We spend a great deal of time studying history,” Hawking said, “which, let’s face it, is mostly the history of stupidity. So it’s a welcome change that people are studying instead the future of intelligence.”

While the world-renowned physicist has often been cautious about AI, raising concerns that humanity could be the architect of its own destruction if it creates a super-intelligence with a will of its own, he was also quick to highlight the positives that AI research can bring. “The potential benefits of creating intelligence are huge,” he said. “We cannot predict what we might achieve when our own minds are amplified by AI. Perhaps with the tools of this new technological revolution, we will be able to undo some of the damage done to the natural world by the last one – industrialization. And surely we will aim to finally eradicate disease and poverty. And every aspect of our lives will be transformed. In short, success in creating AI could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization.”

Huw Price, the centre’s academic director and the Bertrand Russell professor of philosophy at Cambridge University, where Hawking is also an academic, said that the centre came about partially as a result of the university’s Centre for Existential Risk. That institute examined a wider range of potential problems or humanity, while the LCFI has a narrow focus.

AI pioneer Margaret Boden, professor of cognitive science at the University of Sussex, praised the progress of such discussions. As recently as 2009, she said, the topic wasn’t taken seriously, even among AI researchers. “AI is hugely exciting,” she said, “but it has limitations, which present grace dangers given uncritical use.”

The academic community is not alone in warning about the potential dangers of AI as well as the potential benefits. A number of pioneers from the technology industry, most famously the entrepreneur Elon Musk, have also expressed their concerns about the damage that a super-intelligent AI could do to humanity.

46. What did Stephen Hawking think of artificial intelligence?

A) It would be vital to the progress of human civilization.

B) It might be a blessing or a disaster in the making.

C) It might present challenges as well as opportunities.

D) It would be a significant expansion of human intelligence.

46. B. It might be a blessing or a disaster in the making.

【定位】根據題干Stephen Hawking think of artificial intelligence定位到第一段第一句

【解析】“either the best, or the worst thing…”，要么是最好的，要么是最壞的，與選項B對應。選項A不是本文主旨所在。選項C偷換邏輯，文中是說人工智能可能有益也可能有害，不是在說機遇與挑戰并存。選項D在原文并未直接提及，也與主旨無關。

47. What did Hawking say about the creation of the LCFI?

A) It would accelerate the process of AI research.

B) It would mark a step forward in the AI industry.

C) It was extremely important to the destiny of humankind.

D) It was an achievement of multi-disciplinary collaboration.

47. C. It was extremely important to the destiny of humankind.

【定位】根據關鍵詞the creation of the LCFI定位到第一段第二句

【解析】“crucial to the future of our civilization and our species” 對我們文明和我們物種的未來至關重要，與選項C對應。本題較為簡單，選項A、選項B與選項D均沒有在原文中提及，而且文章是在說LEFI的重要性。

48. What did Hawking say was a welcome change in AI research?

A) The shift of research focus from the past to the future.

B) The shift of research from theory to implementation.

C) The greater emphasis on the negative impact of AI.

D) The increasing awareness of mankind’s past stupidity.

48. A. The shift of research focus from the past to the future.

【定位】根據關鍵詞a welcome change定位到第二段末尾句

【解析】it’s a welcome change that people are studying instead the future of intelligence. 人們研究的是智慧的未來，這是一個令人歡迎的變化。根據前文的We spend a great deal of time studying history…is mostly the history of stupidity可知，我們花了很多時間研究愚蠢的歷史，可以選出選項A。選項B與選項C在原文沒有提及。選項D偏離了重點，題干是在問令人歡迎的變化是什么，對應原文“從研究歷史到研究未來的轉換”。

49. What concerns did Hawking raise about AI?

A) It may exceed human intelligence sooner or later.

B) It may ultimately over-amplify the human mind.

C) Super-intelligence may cause its own destruction.

D) Super—intelligence may eventually ruin mankind.

49. D. Super—intelligence may eventually ruin mankind.

【定位】根據題干concerns和Hawking raise about AI定位到原文第三段第一句

【解析】…raising concerns that humanity could be the architect of its own destruction if it creates a super-intelligence…：如果人類有自己的意愿創造出一種超級智能，那么人類可能是自身毀滅的建筑師。對應選項D。選項A與選項B沒有在原文提及。選項D與選項C的差異在于，選項D是說人工智能毀滅人類，選項C是說人工智能毀滅人工智能自身。這是題目陷阱——原文中的its own destruction，its指代前文的humanity人類。

50. What do we learn about some entrepreneurs from the technology industry?

A) They are much influenced by the academic community.

B) They are most likely to benefit from AI development.

C) They share the same concerns about AI as academic.

D) They believe they can keep AI under human control.

50. C. They share the same concerns about AI as academic.

【定位】根據關鍵詞some entrepreneurs定位到原文最后一段第二句

【解析】most famously the entrepreneur Elon Musk, have also expressed their concerns about the damage that a super-intelligent AI could do to humanity. 最著名的企業家埃隆·馬斯克，也表達了他們對超級智能人工智能可能對人類造成的損害的擔憂。這種擔憂正是前文的學術界表達的。所以選項C為正確答案。選項A、選項B與選項D均沒有在原文中提及。