In the 1950s, the pioneers of artificial intelligence (AI) predicted that, by the end of this century, computers would be conversing with us at work and robots would be performing our housework. But as useful as computers are, they're nowhere close to achieving anything remotely resembling these early aspirations for humanlike behavior. Never mind something as complex as conversation: the most powerful computers struggle to reliably recognize the shape of an object, the most elementary of tasks for a ten-month-old kid.
A growing group of AI researchers think they know where the field went wrong. The problem, the scientists say, is that AI has been trying to separate the highest, most abstract levels of thought, like language and mathematics, and to duplicate them with logical, step-by-step programs. A new movement in AI, on the other hand, takes a closer look at the more roundabout way in which nature came up with intelligence. Many of these researchers study evolution and natural adaptation instead of formal logic and conventional computer programs. Rather than digital computers and transistors, some want to work with brain cells and proteins. The results of these early efforts are as promising as they are peculiar, and the new nature-based AI movement is slowly but surely moving to the forefront of the field.
Imitating the brain's neural（神經(jīng)的）network is a huge step in the fight direction, says computer scientist and biophysicist Michael Conrad, but it still misses an important aspect of natural intelligence."People tend to treat the brain as if it were made up of color-coded transistors," he explains. "But it's not simply a clever network of switches. There are lots of important things going on inside the brain cells themselves." Specifically, Conrad believes that many of the brain's capabilities stem from the pattern-recognition proficiency of the individual molecules that make up each brain cell. The best way to build an artificially intelligent device, he claims, would be to build it around the same sort of molecular skills.
Right now, the notion that conventional computers and software are fundamentally incapable of matching the processes that take place in the brain remains controversial. But if it proves true, then the efforts of Conrad and his fellow AI rebels could turn out to be the only game in town.
1.The author says that the powerful computers of today______.
A.are capable of reliably recognizing the shape of an object
B.are close to exhibiting humanlike behavior
C.are not very different in their performance from those of the 1950's
D.still cannot communicate with people in a human language
2.The new trend in artificial intelligence research stems from______.
A.the shift of the focus of study on to the recognition of the shapes of objects
B.the belief that human intelligence cannot be duplicated with logical, step-by-step programs
C.the aspirations of scientists to duplicate the intelligence of a ten-month-old child
D.the efforts made by scientists in the study of the similarities between transistors and brain cells
3.Conrad and his group of AI researchers have been making enormous efforts to______.
A.find a roundabout way to design powerful computers
B.build a computer using a clever network of switches
C.find out how intelligence developed in nature
D.separate the highest and most abstract levels of thought
4.What's the author's opinion about the new AI movement?
A.It has created a sensation among artificial intelligence researchers but will soon die out.
B.It's a breakthrough in duplicating human thought processes.
C.It's more like a peculiar game rather than a real scientific effort.
D.It may prove to be in the right direction though nobody is sure of its future prospects.
5.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the phrase "the only game in town" (Line 3, Para. 4)?
A.The only approach to building an artificially intelligent computer.
B.The only way for them to win a prize in artificial intelligence research.
C.The only area worth studying in computer science.
D.The only game they would like to play in town.
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1.【答案】D。
【解析】事實辨認題。問作者說今天最先進的計算機能夠做什么。文章第一段談到目前計算機的能力水平。第二句指出，盡管計算機功能已經(jīng)很強大，但它們?nèi)匀徊荒芡瓿上裨缙陬A(yù)言者預(yù)言的那樣進行像人類一樣的行為，更不用說能像人類一樣溝通這樣復(fù)雜的事情。最先進的計算機想辨認一件物體的形狀都很困難，而這對一個十個月大的孩子來說不過是基本的能力。故選D。注意選項A中“are capable of reliably recognizing...”與短文中“struggle to reliably recognize...”（努力，竭力，試圖）是不一致的，故不能選；更多的考生可能會誤選C，但是：① 在效能（performance）上，當今電腦與20世紀50年代的電腦相距是非常大的；② 本文探討的是人工智能，而非電腦的一般效能，故選擇時要緊扣短文主題。
2.【答案】B。
【解析】推斷題。問在人工智能研究中的新方向起源于什么。文章第二段談到這個問題：“越來越多的AI研究者認為，在AI研究中所犯的錯誤在于：一直試圖努力分開最高最抽象的思維水平，如語言和數(shù)學，并想用邏輯的一步一步的程序來復(fù)制它。新的研究方向?qū)ψ匀慌c人工智能之間的迂回曲折的關(guān)系予以更多的關(guān)注。”故選B。
3.【答案】C。
【解析】推斷題。問Conrad和他的人工智能研究人員正在努力做什么。文章第三段談到這個問題。Conrad認為，模擬人腦的神經(jīng)網(wǎng)是向正確方向的一大進步，但是它仍然忽視了人腦智能的一個重要方面。他解釋說，人們傾向于把大腦看成是由色彩代碼的處理器組成的，但是，它并不僅僅是一個更聰明的處理器。大腦細胞本身存在許多重要的東西。Conrad尤其認為，大腦的許多功能起源于構(gòu)成單個大腦細胞的獨立分子的模式確認能力。建立人工智能的最好方式是建立相似類型的分子的功能。故選C。
4.【答案】D。
【解析】推斷題。問的是作者對于人工智能的研究動向的觀點是什么。本題主要應(yīng)從文章最后一段去理解。文章最后一段說，對于普通計算機和軟件根本上不能代替人腦的觀念是有爭議的。但是，如果這一觀念被證實是正確的話，那么Conrad和他的同伴的努力將變成這一領(lǐng)域中唯一的方向。正確回答本題的關(guān)鍵在于理解turn out to be the only game in town的比喻含義。
5.【答案】A。
【解析】短語辨析題。問與the only game in town意義最相近的選項是哪一個。聯(lián)系文章前一部分的內(nèi)容，可知文章最后一句話的意思是說：“如果這一觀念（傳統(tǒng)的計算機和軟件的運行不能與人腦思維相比）被證明是對的，那么，Conrad和他的同伴的努力將成為這一領(lǐng)域中唯一的方向?！?/p>
