The human brain contains 10 thousand million cells and each of these may 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 10 or 20 years perhaps, we will be able to assemble a machine as complex as the human brain, and if we can we will. It may then take us a long time to equip it with intelligence by loading in the right software or by altering the architecture but that too will happen.

I think it certain that in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon 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 each 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 construction of a vast, man-created world in space, home to thousands or millions of people, will be within our power.

1. In what way can we make a machine intelligent?

A. By making it work in such environments as deserts, oceans or space.

B. By working hard for 10 or 20 years.

C. By either properly programming it or changing its structure.

D. By reproducing it.

2. What does the writer think about machines with human-like ability?

A. He believes they will be useful to human beings.

B. He believes that they will control us in the future.

C. He is not quite sure in what way they may influence us.

D. He doesn’t consider the construction of such machines possible.

3. The word "carbon" (Para. 2) stands for          .

A. intelligent robots                C. an organic substance

B. A chemical element              D. human beings

4. A robot can be used to expand our frontiers when           .

A. its intelligence and cost are beyond question

B. it is able to bear the rough environment

C. it is made as complex as the human brain

D. its architecture is different from that of the present ones

5. It can be inferred from the passage that           .

A. after the installation of a great number of cells 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 machines as complex as the human brain, it will possess intelligence

D. robots will have control of the vast, man-made world in space

参考答案 24. C A D A B

人类的大脑中包含1000亿个细胞，每个细胞都可能有1000个连接点。如此庞大的数字一度使我们灰心丧气，打消了我们有可能制造具类似人类大脑活动的念头。但是，由于我们已经对科学技术的迅猛发展司空见惯，这使得我们对我们原先的看法又不那么肯定了。很快，也许只要经过10到20年，我们将能装配出一种和人脑一样复杂的机器了。如果我们有这样的能力，我们会这么做。到那时，给机器安装合适的软件或是改变机器的结构便能使之具有智能，这也许会花费我们很长时间，但这一切将会发生。
我认为，再过几十年而不是几百年，由硅制成的机器肯定会出现，他们会先与人类竞争，然后超过人类。一旦他们超越了人类，他们便可以自我设计。实际上他们也将能够自我繁殖。这样硅将结束碳的长期统治。我们也将不能宣称自己是已知的宇宙中最优等的智慧生物。
当机器人只能达到能与人类只能相当，并且其制造成本由于规模经济得以下降时，我们也许可以利用他们去开拓人类活动的极限，利用他们对给人类有害的环境的忍耐力让他们去开拓世界上的便于地区。这样的话，沙漠里就可以开花，海底也可以开矿。再进一步，将这个新时代所带来的巨额财富和新时代提供的技术加以结合，我们就能够在宇宙中建造一个广阔的人造世界，使之成为千百万人的家园。