同济大学博士生英语综合考试阅读理解复习题

1Drunken-drivingsometimescalledAmerica'ssociallyacceptedformofmurder--hasbecomeanationalepidemic.EveryhourofeverydayaboutthreeAmericansonaveragearekilledbydrunkendrivers,addinguptoanincredible250,000overthepastdecade.Adrunkendriverisusuallydefinedasonewitha0.10bloodalcoholcontentorroughlythreebeers,glassesofwineorshotsofwhiskydrunkwithintwohours.HeavydrinkingusedtobeanacceptablepartoftheAmericanmachoimageandjudgeswerelenientinmostcourts,butthedrunkenslaughterhasrecentlycausedsomanywell-publicizedtragedies,especiallyinvolvingyoungchildren,thatpublicopinionisnolongersotolerant.Twentystateshaveraisedthelegaldrinkingageto21,reversingatrendinthe1960storeduceitto18.AfterNewJerseylowereditto18,thenumberofpeoplekilledby18-20-year-olddriversmorethandoubled,sothestaterecentlyuppeditbackto21.Reformers,however,fearraisingthedrinkingagewillhavelittleeffectunlessaccompaniedbyeducationalprogrammestohelpyoungpeopletodevelopresponsibleattitudesaboutdrinkingandteachthemtoresistpeerpressuretodrink.Toughnewlawshaveledtoincreasedarrestsandtestsandinmanyareasalready,toamarkeddeclineinfatalities.Somestatesarealsopenalizingbarsforservingcustomerstoomanydrinks.AtaverninMassachusettswasfinedforservingsixormoredoublebrandiestoacustomerwhowasobviouslyintoxicatedandlaterdroveofftheroad,killinganine-year-oldboy.Asthefatalitiescontinuetooccurdailyineverystate,someAmericansareevenbeginningtospeakwellofthe13yearsnationalprohibitionofalcoholthatbeganin1919,whichPresidentHoovercalledthenobleexperiment.Theyforgetthatlegalprohibitiondidn'tstopdrinking,butencouragedpoliticalcorruptionandorganizedcrime.Aswiththeboomingdrugtradegenerally,thereisnoeasysolution.1.DrunkendrivinghasbecomeamajorprobleminAmericabecause_____.A)mostAmericansareheavydrinkersB)AmericansarenowlessshockedbyroadaccidentsC)accidentsattractsomuchpublicityD)drinkingisasociallyacceptedhabitinAmerica2.Whyhaspublicopinionregardingdrunkendrivingchanged?A)Detailedstatisticsarenowavailable.B)Thenewsmediahavehighlightedtheproblem.C)Judgesaregivingmoreseveresentences.D)Driversaremoreconsciousoftheirimage.3.StatisticsissuedinNewJerseysuggestedthat_____.A)manydriverswerenotoflegalageB)youngdriverswereoftenbaddriversC)thelevelofdrinkingincreasedinthe1960sD)thelegaldrinkingageshouldberaised4.Lawsrecentlyintroducedinsomestateshave_____.A)reducedthenumberofconvictionsB)resultedinfewerseriousaccidentsC)preventedbarsfromservingdrunkencustomersD)specifiedtheamountdriverscandrink5.Whyistheproblemofdrinkinganddrivingdifficulttosolve?A)Alcoholiseasilyobtained.B)Drinkingislinkedtoorganizedcrime.C)Legalprohibitionhasalreadyfailed.D)Legislationaloneisnotsufficient.DBDBD2LosAngeles-BillJoyisnotaLuddite.Heisnotafraidofnewtechnology.AsfounderandchiefscientistoftheSiliconValleyCompany,hehasbeenonthevanguardofthehightechrevolutionfor20years.ButrecentlyJoytookaglimpseintothefutureanditscaredhimtodeath.Whathesawwasaworldinwhichhumanshavebeeneffectivelysupplantedbymachines;aworldinwhichsuperpowerfulcomputerswithatleastsomeattributesofhumanintelligencemanagetoreplicatethemselvesanddeveloptheirownautonomyandpeoplebecomesuperfluousandriskbecomingextinct.Itmightbearguedthatthehumanracewouldneverbefoolishenoughtohandoverallthepowertothemachines.Butwhatwedosuggestisthatthehumanracemighteasilypermititselftodriftintoapositionofsuchdependenceonthemachinesthatitwouldhavenopracticalchoicebutacceptallofthemachines'decisions.Associetyandtheproblemsthatfaceitbecomemoreandmorecomplexandmachinesbecomemoreandmoreintelligent,peoplewillletmachinesmakemoreoftheirdecisionsforthem.Eventuallyastagemaybereachedatwhichthedecisionsnecessarytokeepthesystemrunningwillbesocomplexthathumanwillbeincapableofmakingthemintelligently.Atthatstagethemachineswillbeineffectivecontrol.Peoplewon'tbeabletojustturnthemachinesoff,becausetheywillbesodependentonthemthatturningthemwouldamounttosuicide.Previously,Joyhaddismissedsuchscenariosassci-fifantasy,butthenhelistenedtofriendswhowereexpertsinroboticsandrealizedthatthisbravenewworldwasmuchcloserthananyofusmightimagine--ascloseas30yearsaway.ThefurtherthatJoydugintothecuttingedgeofresearchinthenewtechnologies--robotics,geneticengineeringandNantechnology--themorehorrifiedhebecame.Notonlydidheseescenariosinwhichrobotswouldliketotakeonalifeoftheirownandexterminatethehumanrace,butalsohebegantoseewaysinwhichotherstaplesofsci-fihorrormightcometopass.Specifically,robots,engineeredorganism,andNanbotsshareadangerousamplifyingfactor:theycanself-replicate.Abombisblownonlyonce--butonerobotcanbecomemany,andquicklygetoutofcontrol.Ithinkitisnoexaggerationtosayweareonthecuspofthefurtherperfectionofextremeevil,anevilwhosepossibilityspreadswellbeyondthatwhichweaponsofmassdestructionbequeathedtothenation-states,ontoasurprisingandterribleempowermentofextremeindividuals.Wearebeingpropelledintothisnewcenturywithnoplan,nocontrol,nobrakes.Joyconcludes.Havewealreadygonetoofardownthepathtoaltercourse?Idon'tbelieveso,butwearen'ttryingyet,andthelastchancetoassertcontrol--thefail-safepoint--israpidlyapproaching.1.Accordingtothepass