A
(选自外研版选择性必修第二册Unit 3)
A New Chapter
The day I heard that the Rainbow Bookstore was closing after 50 years of business，I was heartbroken.The bookstore，which was a legendary fixture in the neighborhood，was a place where anyone could drop in and connect through their love of books.
When I hurried to the store，I saw that the books were already being packed into boxes.I had a long chat with Casey，the store’s elderly owner.Sighing deeply，he told me how it was becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore.Most young people preferred reading e-books on tablets.More and more customers were being attracted by chain stores and online discounts.I tried to think of some words of sympathy，but I had to admit that the Rainbow Bookstore couldn’t stay in business much longer.
Childhood memories came back to me so clearly，as if the events had happened only yesterday.A bunch of us kids would frequently drop by the store after school.We’d look at the new books，or just chat with Old Casey.He knew every book in the store and would always pick the perfect one for us from a dusty shelf.We spent hours reading，seated on the store’s old but comfortable furniture.Casey encouraged us to share our ideas and comments on the books，by writing them on a large board in one corner of the store.
When I left the bookstore，it was becoming cold and dark outside.I turned to wave goodbye to Casey，but both he and his bookstore were already hidden in a thick mist.It made me realize that the bookstore and all that Old Casey had given to the community could soon disappear for good.
A few months later，I was back in the neighborhood during my spring break and was surprised to see that the Rainbow Bookstore was still there and open for business.Its old brick exterior hadn’t changed，but inside it was like a different world.In one area，a book reading was being delivered.Nearby，customers were poring over shelves selling stationery，posters and other best-seller-themed gifts.The large board in the corner had been replaced by a big screen，where customers’ comments on the month’s best-seller were being displayed.Clearly，the Rainbow Bookstore was in good，creative hands.
I was told that the community had decided to work together on a campaign to save the Rainbow Bookstore.The campaign had been led by Jennifer Oakley，a saleswoman who had grown up in the neighborhood and who had now taken over the bookstore from Casey.
Under Jennifer’s leadership，the bookstore was being turned into a place for literature-loving members of the community to get together.It had a café selling organic food，and there were now more community events such as book readings，poetry recitals and even jazz concerts and movie nights，where people could gather to share an experience that couldn’t be downloaded.
I joined Casey，who was looking up at the screen on which readers’ comments kept popping up.“Well，as you can see，corporate knowledge combined with creativity has brought my humble bookstore into the 21st century! I’m so pleased to see that everything I wanted it to offer to the community is still here.”
词汇积累 1．legendary adj.大名鼎鼎的，传奇式的 2．fixture n．固定存在物 3．for good永远，永久 4．exterior n．外部，外观 5．pore over 仔细打量；审视 6．stationery n．文具 7．in good hands 在可靠(或内行)的人手里，受到很好的照料(或关注) 8．pop up突然出现，冒出来 9．corporate adj.全体的；共同的 |
1．What was the author’s reaction to the news that the Rainbow Bookstore would be closed?
A．He felt it was something normal.
B．He was sad on hearing the news.
C．He took it as something impossible.
D．He had no idea what his feeling was inside.
2．Why did Casey decide to close the 50-year-old bookstore?
A．He was too old to work on.
B．The location would be used for other purposes.
C．It had fallen behind the development of times.
D．He had started a more profitable business.
3．What can we conclude about Jennifer Oakley?
A．She is a capable and creative woman.
B．She knows what people’s hobbies are.
C．She shows great sympathy for competitors.
D．She is always doing her part in her work.
4．What has made the old bookstore regain its popularity?
A．The past memories in people’s hearts.
B．The modern atmosphere and rich events.
C．The organic food provided by the store.
D．The discounts given to the customers.
B
(选自译林版选择性必修第二册Unit 4)
Artificial intelligence：friendly or frightening?
Imagine waking up one morning with the option of staying in bed and pressing a button to send a robot to do all the work for you.How cool that would be！It may seem like building castles in the air，but given the rate at which artificial intelligence，or AI，is being developed，in the future such dreams may actually come true.
At the basic level，artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that aims to create intelligent machines.One of the essential aims of AI is to develop computer intelligence capable of learning from experience，adjusting to new inputs and performing tasks like humans.To achieve this aim，many approaches to creating true AI have been put forward，including “deep learning”，which enables a machine to improve its own performance by learning from the results of its previous actions.Deep-learning AI has the capacity to analyse massive amounts of data through multiple layers，imitating the complex networks of the human brain.
The dream of AI has been around for centuries，and the development of computers since the 1940s has finally made it a reality.Years before the term “artificial intelligence” was coined in the mid-1950s，the theory had been explored by Alan Turing，one of the pioneers in the field of computer science.However，for a long time，AI technology developed very slowly.A major breakthrough in AI came in 1997，when Deep Blue，a chess-playing computer，beat the world chess champion Garry Kasparov.Then in 2017，a computer program named AlphaGo defeated Ke Jie，arguably the best human Go player，which demonstrated a significant advance in deep-learning AI systems.
Nowadays，AI is already being applied in many fields: finance，health care，machine translation and art，to name but a few.From autonomous vehicles to domestic robots，from recommendation systems to computers writing novels，AI has an unlimited number of applications.Ordinary people are now using AI to get instant translations of text in foreign languages，and machines can recognize fingerprints and even faces.
In short，this technology is transforming the way we live.It is clear that we are at a turning point in history.With machines like AlphaGo now capable of thinking and learning from their mistakes，we are getting closer to the dividing line between humans and machines.The question is，where will all this lead? While AI enthusiasts promise us a bright future where intelligent robots will be working to our advantage，these undoubted benefits also bring concerns and fears.Could machines really develop human-like intelligence? And what would happen if they did? Would thinking machines work alongside humans or threaten the existence of humans? How would they be punished if they committed crimes or even murdered humans? As we become more and more dependent on computers，some scientists are urging us to think about the dangers posed by the advances in AI.Stephen Hawking，for example，warned，“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
Apparently，such warnings demand our attention.We need to make sure that we will not fall victim to AI.We may still think it would be fantastic to relax all day and allow autonomous machines to do all the work for us—but perhaps we should not be too greedy and rather be careful what we wish for!
词汇积累 1．given prep.考虑到；鉴于 2．capacity n．领悟(或理解、办事)能力；容量，容积；职位，职责；生产量 3．coin vt.创造(新词语) 4．in the field of在……方面，在……领域 5．to one’s advantage 对某人有利 6．spell vt.意味着，招致(常常是不愉快的结果) 7．fall victim to 受伤，受损，被害 |
1．What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.To inspire readers to imagine their future life.
B．To stress the importance of artificial intelligence.
C．To arouse readers’ interest in artificial intelligence.
D．To show the fast development of artificial intelligence.
2．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to paragraph 3?
A．AI technology has developed very fast since it was created.
B．Alan Turing put forward the term “artificial intelligence” in the mid-1950s.
C．The competition between Deep Blue and Ke Jie was a major breakthrough in AI.
D．The development of computers finally made people’s dream of AI come true.
3．What did Stephen Hawking mean by saying “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”？
A．People should be forbidden from using AI.
B．People should be aware of the possible dangers of AI.
C．AI will kill all human beings in the future.
D．AI will bring a bright future to human beings.
4．What is the passage mainly about?
A．The advantages of artificial intelligence.
B．The disadvantages of artificial intelligence.
C．The application of artificial intelligence in the future.
D．The development，application of artificial intelligence and people’s concern about it.
5．What is the author’s attitude to the future of artificial intelligence?
A．Objective.B．Positive.C．Negative.D．Critical.
C
In my memory，winters always used to be really unpleasant.You had to wear more clothes just to keep warm when you went outside.You were often cold，wet and never more than a sodden misstep away from a patch of black ice.If you didn’t have an awful slide，you’d arrive home to an ice-cold house.And that would mean turning on the heating and waiting.It’s a miracle you didn’t get chilled to the bone.
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