间隔年出国工作者选保险需留意细则及事项

With worries about student debt and the graduate jobs market, young people are choosing to increase their savings and improve their CVs (简历)by working abroad on gap years.
However, experts warn that students, as well as older “grey gappers”, who are hoping to earn money during an extended overseas holiday, should check their travel insurance small print or face being denied a payout if they fall ill or have an accident during a work placement.
Travel insurers do not clearly define the type of work they cover for those taking gap years, according to research by Fletchers Solicitors, which specialises in serious personal injury. The insurer says that it handles several cases a year of workers and their families facing an uncertain future because of insufficient protection.
The Fletchers researchers studied the small print relating to work in gap-year insurance products from ten student insurers. They found that it was difficult to determine the types of work that were covered, with the majority failing to distinguish between manual and light labour. For example, Real Gap insurance states that it covers manual work and occasional light manual work, but it does not define what Tight” or “heavy” manual work is, nor what is meant by “occasional”.
There are two main insurance options for those taking an extended trip abroad: specialist gap-year insurance products and long-stay travel insurance. The first usually caters for younger travellers, with some policies having a maximum age of only 35, and most will include cover for working or volunteering abroad in some capacity. Long-stay insurance, meanwhile, tends to protect those who have straightforward long trips — people who spend their summers in France, for example.
There are exclusions to check in both policy types — trip duration, for example, which can vary from 31 days to two years.
If you are taking a fancy camera, smartphone or your MacBook, make sure you’re covered if they are lost or stolen — some policies offer a seemingly high baggage limit, but offer only very low upper limits for single items. Also, be sure you are covered for activities undertaken in your leisure time that may be considered risky, such as cycling or bungee jumping.
由于对学业贷款和毕业生就业市场的担忧，年轻人选择通过在间隔年出国工作来增加储蓄和提升简历。
然而，专家警告说，学生以及希望在延长的海外假期中赚钱的老年“灰间隔年”人士，应该检查他们的旅行保险细则，否则如果他们在工作安排期间生病或发生意外，可能会被拒绝赔偿。
根据专门处理严重人身伤害的Fletchers律师事务所的研究，旅行保险公司并没有明确定义他们为那些进行间隔年的人所涵盖的工作类型。保险公司表示，每年都会处理几起工人及其家庭因保护不足而面临不确定未来的案例。
Fletchers的研究人员研究了来自十家学生保险公司的间隔年保险产品中与工作相关的细则。他们发现，很难确定被涵盖的工作类型，大多数都没有区分体力劳动和轻微劳动。例如，Real Gap保险声称它涵盖了体力劳动和偶尔的轻微体力劳动，但它并没有定义什么是“轻微”或“繁重”的体力劳动，也没有说明“偶尔”是什么意思。
对于计划出国长途旅行的人来说，有两种主要的保险选择：专门的间隔年保险产品和长期旅行保险。前者通常针对年轻旅行者，一些政策的年龄上限仅为35岁，大多数都会包括在某种程度上涵盖在国外工作或志愿工作。与此同时，长期保险则倾向于保护那些进行简单长途旅行的人——比如那些在法国度过夏天的人。
这两种政策类型都有需要检查的排除条款——例如，行程时长可以从31天到两年不等。
如果你携带了昂贵的相机、智能手机或你的MacBook，请确保如果它们丢失或被盗，你能得到保险——一些政策提供了看似很高的行李限额，但对单项物品的上限却非常低。此外，确保你在休闲时间进行的被认为是高风险的活动，如骑自行车或蹦极跳，也得到了保险覆盖。

• What can be learned about taking a working holiday from this passage?从这段文章中可以了解到关于工作假期的哪些信息？
  • A)It is not suitable for young people already in debt.
  • B)It helps to save up more money than regular travel.
  • C)It has possible hidden risks and traps for travelers.它对旅行者来说可能存在隐藏的风险和陷阱。
  • D)It requires preparations with money and paperwork.
• What warning do experts give to working holiday makers?专家们对工作假期制造者有什么警告？
  • A)Working holiday makers must make sure that they will be paid.
  • B)Working holiday makers must keep themselves in good health.
  • C)Working holiday makers must seek safe working environments.
  • D)Working holiday makers must read insurance policies carefully.工作假期制造者必须仔细阅读保险政策。
• What “insufficient protection” did researchers from Fletchers Solicitors find?Fletchers Solicitors的研究人员发现了哪些“保护不足”？
  • A)Travelers do not clearly know the differences between various jobs.旅行者不清楚各种工作之间的区别。
  • B)Travelers do not take into consideration their personal injuries.
  • C)Travelers do not pay enough for their insurance to guarantee a job.
  • D)Travelers do not get specialized help to avoid certain dangerous jobs.
• What do travelers need to check in any type of their insurance policies?旅行者需要检查他们的保险政策中的哪些内容？
  • A)How long their visa is good for.他们的签证有效期有多长。
  • B)What is the age limit as a young traveler.
  • C)What they are and are not covered for.
  • D)How they can get their money back.
• What are smartphone owners advised to do, according to the passage?根据文章，智能手机用户被建议做什么？
  • A)To travel with their phone in the baggage.
  • B)To put their phone away for risky activities.
  • C)To know their phone use may be limited.
  • D)To make sure their phone is insured.确保他们的手机有保险。

日本赴澳打工度假者归来就业遇困及原因

In Australia, working holiday makers (WHMs) form the largest group of Japanese who live there temporarily. For many young Japanese WHMs, one common motivation for going on a working holiday was related to their desire to seek new experiences and learn English, the native language of the imagined West. Indeed, the desire fbr English competency is part of a longstanding trend in Japan. It involved the combination of two major factors. One was an association with the imagined West, believed to enable one to become more cosmopolitan and thus improve one’s sense of self. The other was a quest to acquire new skills that would increase one’s marketability in Japan. Commonly, seeking access to cosmopolitan jobs is one way of trying to attain “something better”. But this proves more difficult than expected. English language proficiency is one barrier.
However, returned WHMs feel a sense of frustration when they wish to earn a living using their English skills and cosmopolitan experience. Typically, WHMs have an elementary to intermediate level of English when they arrive in Australia, and their subsequent experience is often insufficient to dramatically improve their language skills. In fact, the overwhelming
majority worked for local Japanese businesses, mainly in the hospitality and tourism industry. Furthermore, employers who offer cosmopolitan white-collar jobs view language ability as a tool for accomplishing the required tasks, rather than a qualification in itself. This attitude is expressed clearly by a recruitment officer for a major international company: I often receive inquiries from people who say ‘I’m looking for a job that I can use English for’ My usual answer is ‘English is used in all sections of the company, so it is a simple requirement. By the way, what else can you do?”’
For most WHMs, the question “what else can you do?” proves a difficult one to answer, because of their focus on conversational skills in everyday English and lack of plans about what to do with them. The opportunity of a working holiday is attractive for many young people, because it seems to offer open-ended possibilities. A hope for something new and unknown is part of the deal. From the business world’s point of view, however, a returned WHM may not demonstrate desirable employee qualities.
在澳大利亚，工作假期制造者（WHMs）构成了临时居住在那里的日本人中最大的群体。对于许多年轻的日本WHMs来说，去度工作假期的一个常见动机与他们寻求新体验和学习英语——西方想象中的母语——的愿望有关。事实上，对英语能力的需求是日本的一个长期趋势。它涉及两个主要因素的结合。一个是与想象中的西方联系在一起，认为这可以使人变得更加国际化，从而提高自我感觉。另一个是寻求获取新技能，以增加在日本的市场竞争力。通常，寻求进入国际化的工作是试图获得“更好东西”的一种方式。但这比预期的要困难。英语语言能力是一个障碍。
然而，当返回的WHMs希望利用他们的英语技能和国际化经验谋生时，他们会感到挫败。通常情况下，WHMs到达澳大利亚时的英语水平从初级到中级不等，他们随后的经历通常不足以显著提高他们的语言技能。实际上，绝大多数人在当地的日本企业工作，主要是在酒店和旅游业。此外，提供国际化白领工作的雇主将语言能力视为完成所需任务的工具，而不是资格本身。一家大型国际公司的招聘官清楚地表达了这种态度：“我经常收到人们的询问，他们说‘我在寻找一个可以使用英语的工作’。我通常的回答是‘公司的所有部门都使用英语，所以这是一个简单的要求。顺便问一下，你还能做什么？’”
对于大多数WHMs来说，“你还能做什么？”这个问题很难回答，因为他们专注于日常英语的会话技能，并且没有计划如何利用这些技能。工作假期的机会对许多年轻人来说很有吸引力，因为它似乎提供了无限的可能性。对新鲜和未知事物的希望是交易的一部分。然而，从商业世界的角度来看，返回的WHMs可能无法展现出理想的员工素质。

• Many young Japanese’s main purpose of taking a working holiday is to .许多年轻的日本人选择工作假期的主要目的是什么？
  • A)settle down in their imagined West
  • B)seek employment in Australian companies
  • C)improve their English and discover themselves
  • D)have a better chance of finding better jobs in Japan在日本找到更好工作的机会更大
• Why is it difficult to find cosmopolitan jobs in Japan, according to the passage?根据文章，为什么在日本很难找到国际化的工作？
  • A)The Japanese culture doesn’t support the Western sense of self.
  • B)The job market is too small to have more jobs than it can offer.
  • C)The requirement for excellent English skills is not easy to meet.要求出色的英语技能并不容易达到。
  • D)The number of people seeking these jobs is increasing rapidly.
• Why do returned working holiday makers feel frustrated when looking for jobs?为什么返回的工作假期者在寻找工作时感到沮丧？
  • A)Most jobs available don’t really need English.
  • B)They are still not qualified for their desired jobs.他们仍然不符合他们期望的工作资格。
  • C)Most of them can only work in local businesses.
  • D)They need more experience working in Japan.
• What do employers think of returned working holiday makers?雇主对返回的工作假期者有什么看法？
  • A)They have more qualifications than companies require
  • B)They have no work-related skills for jobs in business他们没有与商业工作相关的技能。
  • C)They don’t know their English still needs improving.
  • D)They focus their job search too narrowly on companies.
• The major problem with most returned working holiday makers is .大多数返回的工作假期者的主要问题是什么？
  • A)there’s a mismatch between their hope and employers’ needs他们的希望和雇主的需求之间存在不匹配。
  • B)they really don’t know what they can offer to companies
  • C)their English skills still have not reached an advanced level
  • D)they can’t predict the job market’s open-ended possibilities

中国消费主义受多社会文化因素影响及启示

We know that China is the largest and fastest-growing consumer market in the world. What is less well understood are the forces that shape consumerism in the world’s most populous country. Much of the research has focused on, for example, how Chinese consumers relate to foreign versus domestic brands, or the macro role of the Chinese economy as a driver. But in my view there are larger social and cultural factors at play that drive consumer spending:
1.Consumerism as freedom. To have a choice means to have consumer choice. You are what you consume. Consumption is an expression of self. It allows you to explore the
world through its products, to experiment with lifestyle choices, and to do so safely and anonymously (匿名地).You might never get to France, but you can try French wine. California might be intimidating, but you can go to Shanghai Disneyland. Remember, China is only one generation out of poverty. Indeed, the enthusiasm for choice is reflected in the enthusiasm Chinese consumers have for online shopping.
2.Consumerism is a statement of success. American economist Thorstein Veblen popularized the concept of “conspicuous consumption55. When consumption is no longer driven solely by need, it becomes a way of making a statement that you have disposable income and you can 一 at least in certain respects 一 enjoy life on your terms. Simple pleasures — a pair of Nikes, a smartphone, designer clothing — become statements of personal identity.
3.The triumph of me-ism. Me-ism is not the same as selfishness, it is self-directed activity. The one-child policy means most Chinese do not have siblings, or aunts, uncles, or cousins. It must be ok to buy for yourself. No one is buying for you. Nowhere is this factor more evident than in the evolution of China’s Singles5 Day holiday into an explosion of consumerism.
4.Collective experience. We like participating in group events. FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out, goes beyond cultures. But I suspect this trend is stronger in China than in the West because Confucian culture does not celebrate outliers (离群的局外人)as does the West. Social media reinforces (强化)this collective pattern so that shopping and dining are shared experiences. Opinions are crowd-sourced. And the merchants reinforce this pattern by supporting holiday sales, group buying, and other promotions.
Successful brands in China are able to tackle most or all of the above considerations. The consumer must not only be delighted with your product. The journey of the consumer must also respect these socio-cultural factors.
中国是全球最大且增长最快的消费市场。然而，塑造这个人口最多的国家消费主义的力量却鲜为人知。许多研究集中在例如中国消费者如何对待外国品牌与国内品牌，或者中国经济作为驱动力的宏观角色。但在我看来，还有一些更大的社会和文化因素在推动消费支出：
1.消费主义作为自由的象征。拥有选择意味着拥有消费选择。你消费什么，你就是什么。消费是自我表达的一种方式。它让你能够通过产品探索世界，尝试生活方式的选择，并且可以安全且匿名地这样做。你可能永远去不了法国，但你可以品尝法国葡萄酒。加州可能令人生畏，但你可以去上海迪士尼乐园。记住，中国仅在一代人的时间里摆脱了贫困。实际上，对选择的热情反映在中国消费者对网上购物的热情上。
2.消费主义是成功的标志。美国经济学家索尔斯坦·凡勃伦推广了“显性消费”的概念。当消费不再仅仅由需求驱动时，它就变成了一种声明，表明你有可支配收入，并且至少在某些方面，你可以按照自己的方式享受生活。简单的快乐——一双耐克鞋、一部智能手机、设计师服装——成为个人身份的声明。
3.我主义的胜利。我主义与自私不同，它是自我导向的活动。独生子女政策意味着大多数中国人没有兄弟姐妹，或者没有叔叔、阿姨或堂兄弟姐妹。为自己购买东西是可以接受的。没有人会为你购买。这一因素在中国的光棍节演变成消费主义的爆发中表现得最为明显。
4.集体体验。我们喜欢参与群体活动。FOMO（错过恐惧症）超越了文化。但我怀疑这种趋势在中国比在西方更强，因为儒家文化不像西方那样庆祝离群的局外人。社交媒体强化了这种集体模式，使得购物和用餐成为共享体验。意见是群体来源的。商家通过支持假日销售、团购和其他促销活动来强化这种模式。
在中国成功的品牌能够应对上述大部分或全部考虑因素。消费者不仅要对你的产品感到满意。消费者的旅程还必须尊重这些社会文化因素。

• What does the author focus on to explain China’s consumerism?作者关注什么来解释中国的消费者主义？
  • A)China’s fast-growing market economy.
  • B)China’s wealthier population.
  • C)Chinese consumers’ priority for quality.
  • D)Chinese socio-cultural values.中国的社会文化价值观。
• What freedom do Chinese consumers have, according to the passage?根据文章，中国消费者拥有什么自由？
  • A)lb shop online as a new experience.
  • B)To travel the world and shop around.
  • C)To enjoy choices with more money.用更多的钱享受选择。
  • D)To spend money on foreign products.
• How is conspicuous consumption related to Chinese consumers, according to the passage?根据文章，炫耀性消费与中国消费者的关系是什么？
  • A)They tend to look down on the poor.
  • B)They view financial freedom as success.他们将财务自由视为成功。
  • C)They’ve become greedier with more needs.
  • D)They enjoy life by keeping up with others.
• What do we learn about me-ism from the passage?我们从文章中学到了什么关于“自我主义”？
  • A)It is simple relations in each Chinese family.
  • B)It is the expectation of others to buy for me.
  • C)It is all about me as the only child of the family.
  • D)It is about consumption for one’s own sake.它是关于为了自己的消费。
• The author thinks the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is stronger in China because作者认为在中国，“错过恐惧症”（FOMO）更强是因为
  • A)the culture values doing things in groups文化重视集体行动。
  • B)people had no contact with the outside before
  • C)social media play a bigger role in their lives
  • D)following the trend is what people like most

别因外界影响乱花钱，成人应按自身需求行事

When you’re a teenager with little life experience, it’s easy to build your entire life around what other people think. It can feel normal to let your friend’s ideas of what’s cool dictate the clothes you wear, how you behave yourself, and even the music you like.
While this pressure is sometimes internal, teenagers are known for making each other feel ashamed if they don’t conform to social norms. And as we all know, young adults can be absolutely brutal in how they treat each other — not only those who are different, but even those who try really hard to fit in.
Sadly, adulthood isn’t always a whole lot better in this respect. Not only will you experience pressure to look your best, but you’ll be forced to either keep up with 一 or ignore 一 the Joneses all throughout adulthood.
That’s right, even adulthood has its groups of cool kids, rich kids, outsiders, and rebels. And sometimes, the way someone else spends their money can make you feel like you should be doing the same thing, too. After all, most people still want to fit in; it doesn’t matter whether they’re 15 or 50.
But, should you give in to peer pressure and waste your hard-earned dollars? If you truly want to get ahead financially — and build a successful, impressive life — the answer should be a resounding “no”.
The opportunities to spend money as an adult are nearly limitless, but they will drain your bank account if you give in every time. And at the end of the day, keeping up with your friends as an adult is just as pointless as it was in high school.
Adulthood is a journey, not a race. Those who collect the most material possessions don’t earn a prize — no ribbon, no trophy, nothing. So, why does it feel like we need to compete?
I’ll tell you why: Because every commercial on television, online, and on the radio is aimed at getting us to spend our money. Every ad campaign on Earth was created to convince us that what we have is not enough, and that we need this item or that service 一 and that we’re depriving (使丧失)ourselves and our families if we don’t buy it.
Don’t believe the hype (大肆宣传).You have nothing to prove, and you’ll be a lot better off if you ignore the commercials, your friends, and the hype, and do what is best for you.
当你是一个几乎没有生活经验的青少年时，很容易将你的整个生活围绕别人的看法来构建。让你的朋友对什么是酷的看法来决定你穿什么衣服、你如何表现自己，甚至你喜欢的音乐，这可能感觉很正常。
虽然这种压力有时是内在的，但众所周知，青少年会因为别人不遵循社会规范而让他们感到羞愧。正如我们都知道的，年轻人在对待彼此时可以非常残忍——不仅是对那些不同的人，甚至是对那些努力融入的人。
遗憾的是，成年在这方面并不总是好很多。你不仅会感受到要看起来最好的压力，而且你将被迫在整个成年期要么跟上要么忽视“琼斯一家”的步伐。
没错，即使是成年也有它的酷孩子、富孩子、局外人和叛逆者群体。有时，别人花钱的方式会让你感觉你也应该做同样的事情。毕竟，大多数人仍然想要融入；不管他们是15岁还是50岁。
但是，你应该屈服于同伴压力，浪费你辛苦赚来的钱吗？如果你真的想要在财务上取得进步——并且建立一个成功、令人印象深刻的生活——答案应该是一个响亮的“不”。
作为一个成年人花钱的机会几乎是无限的，但如果你每次都屈服，它们会耗尽你的银行账户。而在一天结束时，作为一个成年人跟上你的朋友就像在高中时一样毫无意义。
成年是一段旅程，而不是一场赛跑。那些收集最多物质财富的人不会赢得奖品——没有丝带，没有奖杯，什么都没有。那么，为什么我们感觉需要竞争呢？
我来告诉你为什么：因为电视上、网络上和收音机上的每一个商业广告都是为了让我们花钱。地球上的每一个广告活动都是为了说服我们，我们拥有的不够，我们需要这个商品或那个服务——如果我们不买，我们就在剥夺自己和我们的家人。
不要相信炒作。你没有什么需要证明的，如果你忽视广告、你的朋友和炒作，做对你最好的事情，你会过得更好。

• What does the author say about teenagers’ inclination in their personal lives?作者对青少年在个人生活中倾向的看法是什么？
  • A)To try to look cool.
  • B) To be strongly influenced by their peers.强烈受到同龄人的影响。
  • C) To live their own way.
  • D) To show others that they’re growing up.
• How may young adults treat each other, according to the passage?根据文章，年轻人可能如何对待彼此？
  • A)They may support each other in the face of challenges.
  • B)They may ignore those who don‘t join their groups.
  • C)They may fight with each other for opportunities.
  • D)They may put pressure on others to make them fit in.他们可能会对他人施加压力，使他们适应。
• What does the author discuss about adulthood experiences?作者讨论了成年期经历的哪些方面？
  • A)Different stages of adults’ development.
  • B)Most adults’ need for acceptance by groups.大多数成年人需要被团体接受。
  • C)A variety of interests to pursue with others.
  • D)Most adults, constant fear of competition.
• Why does the author think it is pointless to keep up with one’s friends?作者为什么认为与朋友保持同步是没有意义的？
  • A)An adult should no longer think like a high school kid.
  • B)An adult should know his own unlimited opportunities.
  • C)It’s an endless competition until one uses up his money.这是一个无尽的竞争，直到一个人耗尽他的钱财。
  • D)It’s not your bank account that says about your success.
• What reason does the author give for adults’ competition for material possessions?作者给出成年人竞争物质财产的原因是什么？
  • A)Spending money brings us pleasure.
  • B)We hope for more and better things.
  • C)Commercials encourage our consumption. 商业广告鼓励我们的消费。
  • D)Competition brings out what’s the best in us.

美教授与外国学生因礼节观念差异关系复杂

“My adviser wants me to call him by his first name,” many foreign graduate students in the U.S. have said. UI just can’t do it! It doesn’t seem right. I have to show my respect.”
On the other hand, professors have said of foreign students, “They keep bowing and saying ‘yes, sir, yes, sir? I can hardly stand it! I wish they’d stop being so polite and just say what they have on their minds.”
Differing ideas about formality (礼节)and respect frequently complicate relationships between American professors and students from abroad, especially Asian students (and most especially female Asian students). The professors generally prefer informal relationships (sometimes, but not always, including use of first names rather than of titles and family names) and minimal acknowledgment of status differences. Many foreign students are accustomed to more formal relationships and sometimes have difficulty bringing themselves to speak to their teachers at all, let alone address them by their given names.
The characteristics of student-teacher relationships on American campuses vary somewhat, depending on whether the students involved are undergraduate or graduate students, and depending on the size and nature of the school. Graduate students typically have closer relationships with their professors than undergraduates do; at smaller schools student-teacher relationships are typically even less formal than they are at larger schools.
To say that student-teacher relationships are informal is not to say that there are no recognized status differences between the two groups. There are. But students may show their respect only in subtle ways, mainly in the vocabulary and tone of voice they use when speaking to teachers. Much of their behavior around teachers may seem to foreign students to be disrespectful. American students will eat in class, read newspapers, and assume quite informal postures (姿势).Teachers might not enjoy such behavior, but they put up with it. Students, after all, are individuals who have the right to decide for themselves how they are going to act.
American teachers generally expect students to ask them questions or even challenge what they say. Teachers do not generally assume they know all there is to know about a subject. Nor do they assume that they always explain things clearly. Students who want clarification (澄清)or additional information are expected to ask for it during the class, just after class ends, or in the teacher’s office at the times the teacher has announced as “office hours”. Students who do not ask questions may be considered uninterested.
我的导师希望我称呼他的名字，许多在美国的外国研究生都这么说。我实在做不到！这看起来不对劲。我必须表现出我的尊重。
另一方面，教授们对外国学生说，“他们不停地鞠躬，说‘是的，先生，是的，先生？我几乎受不了了！我希望他们不要这么客气，直接说出他们的想法。”
关于正式（礼节）和尊重的不同观念经常使美国教授和外国学生之间的关系变得复杂，尤其是亚洲学生（尤其是女性亚洲学生）。教授们通常更喜欢非正式的关系（有时，但并非总是，包括使用名字而不是头衔和姓氏），并尽量减少地位差异的认可。许多外国学生习惯于更正式的关系，有时甚至难以让自己与老师交谈，更不用说用他们的名字来称呼他们了。
美国校园中师生关系的特点因涉及的学生是本科生还是研究生，以及学校的规模和性质而有所不同。研究生通常与教授的关系比本科生更密切；在较小的学校，师生关系通常比在较大的学校更不正式。
说师生关系是非正式的，并不是说这两组人之间没有公认的地位差异。有的。但是学生们可能只在微妙的方式中表现出他们的尊重，主要是在他们与老师交谈时使用的词汇和语调上。他们围绕老师的行为可能对外国学生来说似乎是不尊重的。美国学生在课堂上吃饭、读报纸，并采取相当非正式的姿势。老师可能不喜欢这样的行为，但他们容忍它。毕竟，学生是个体，有权决定自己的行为方式。
美国老师通常期望学生向他们提问，甚至挑战他们所说的。老师通常不认为自己对某个主题了解一切。他们也从不认为自己总是能清楚地解释事情。想要澄清或额外信息的学生预计会在课堂上、课后或在老师宣布的“办公时间”在老师的办公室里提出要求。不提问的学生可能被认为是不感兴趣的。

• What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?作者在这篇文章中主要讨论了什么？
  • A)How students interact with American professors.学生如何与美国教授互动。
  • B)How foreign students behave in American classrooms.
  • C)How American universities encourage diversity.
  • D)How schools help international students to survive.
• Why do many foreign students have difficulty speaking to their teachers, according to the
  passage?根据文章，为什么许多外国学生在与老师交谈时感到困难？
  • A)Professors are busy with their research.
  • B)Professors want to keep the status difference.
  • C)They don’t know how to speak politely.
  • D)They don’t feel comfortable being informal.他们不习惯非正式的交流。
• What do we learn from the passage about students at smaller American colleges?我们从文章中学到了什么关于小型美国学院的学生？
  • A)They are more actively involved in campus activities.
  • B)They have less formal relations with their professors.他们与教授的关系不那么正式。
  • C)They don’t depend much on their teachers for learning.
  • D)They have their own characteristic academic programs.
• What is American professors’ attitude toward students who eat in class?美国教授对学生在课堂上吃东西的态度是什么？
  • A)They consider 辻 quite disrespectful.
  • B)They care more about what they learn.
  • C)They think it unpleasant but acceptable.他们认为这不愉快但可以接受。
  • D)They feel students should mind their behavior.
• What can students do during “office hours”？在“办公时间”学生可以做什么？
  • A)Discuss personal problems with the professor.
  • B)Ask questions and request more explanation.提问并请求更多的解释。
  • C)Turn in their homework individually.
  • D)Chat informally with the professor.

移民美国的作者谈适应美式寒暄的经历与感悟

“How’s it going?” I ask the barista (咖啡师).
“Ah, not too busy. What are you up to?”
“Not much. Just reading.
This, I have learned, is one of the key rituals of American life. It has taken me a decade to master.
I immigrated to the United States in 2001, for college. I brought my Indian experience in dealing with shopkeepers and tea sellers. In Delhi, business is done quickly. You don’t ask each other how your day has been. You might not even smile. The customer doesn’t tremble before complaining about how cold his food is. Each side believes the other will cheat him. Tips are not required.
“God, Mahajan, you’re so rude to waiters!” Tom, an American friend, said after he watched me ordering food at a restaurant years ago. Considering myself a friendly person, I was surprised. Tom always asked servers how they were doing or said nice words about their shirts. At the time, this seemed intellectually dishonest to me. Did he really care what they were wearing?
American life is based on a reassurance that we like one another but won’t invade one another’s privacies. This makes it a land of small talk. Two people greet each other with friendliness, but might know each other for years before venturing basic questions about each other’s backgrounds. The opposite is true of Indians. At least three people I’ve sat next to on planes to and from India have asked me, within minutes, how much I earn as a writer.
So, for years in America, I would shake when reporting to the front lines to order coffee. It felt like a performance. I had a thick accent and people didn’t understand me and I was ashamed. Sometimes baristas wouldn’t try to talk to me, and then an insecure voice in my head would cry, “He’s racist!
During these years, I also wondered why Americans valued friendliness with commerce so much. Was handing over cash the sacred (神圣的)ritual of American capitalism — and of American life? On a day that I don’t spend money in America, I feel depressed. It’s my main form of social interaction — as it is for millions of Americans who live alone or away from their families.
Everything is subject to analysis until it becomes second nature to you. Living in Brooklyn and then in Austin, Texas, I frequently went to coffee shops. Meeting the same baristas day after day, I got practice. I was beginning to assimilate (同化).It felt good.
“最近怎么样？”我问咖啡师。
“啊，不太忙。你呢？”
“没什么。就是看看书。
我了解到，这是美国生活的关键仪式之一。我花了十年时间才掌握。
2001年，我为了上大学移民到美国。我带来了在德里与店主和茶贩打交道的印度经验。在德里，生意是快速完成的。你们不会互相询问对方过得怎么样。甚至可能连微笑都没有。顾客在抱怨食物有多冷时不会颤抖。双方都认为对方会欺骗他。小费不是必需的。
“天哪，Mahajan，你对服务员太粗鲁了！”多年前，我在美国朋友Tom目睹我在餐厅点餐后说。自认为是个友好的人，我很惊讶。Tom总是询问服务员他们过得怎么样，或者对他们的衣服说些好话。当时，这对我来说似乎是一种智力上的不诚实。他真的在乎他们穿什么吗？
美国生活基于一种保证，我们彼此喜欢，但不会侵犯彼此的隐私。这使得它成为一个闲聊的国度。两个人以友好的方式打招呼，但可能认识多年后才敢问对方基本的背景问题。印度人则恰恰相反。至少有三个人，我在飞往和离开印度的飞机上坐在他们旁边，几分钟内就问我作为作家的收入是多少。
所以，在美国的这些年里，我在前线报告点咖啡时会发抖。感觉就像一场表演。我有浓重的口音，人们听不懂我，我感到羞愧。有时咖啡师不会和我说话，然后我脑海中就会有一个不安全的声音哭泣，“他是种族主义者！
在这些年里，我也想知道为什么美国人如此重视商业中的友好。交出现金是美国资本主义——以及美国生活——的神圣仪式吗？在我在美国不花钱的那一天，我感到沮丧。这是我的主要社交互动形式——对于数百万独自生活或远离家人的美国人来说也是如此。
一切都可以分析，直到它成为你的第二天性。住在布鲁克林，然后在德克萨斯州的奥斯汀，我经常去咖啡店。日复一日地见到同样的咖啡师，我得到了练习。我开始同化了。感觉很好。

• What is the key ritual of American life the author discusses in this passage?作者在这篇文章中讨论了哪个美国生活的关键仪式？
  • A)Making friendly small talk.进行友好的闲聊。
  • B) Tipping a service worker.
  • C) Reading over a cup of coffee.
  • D) Saying nice words about the service.
• Why did the author think his American friend was intellectually dishonest?为什么作者认为他的美国朋友在智力上不诚实？
  • A)His friend considered him rude while he thought he was friendly.
  • B)He thought his friend wasn’t really interested in what he praised.他认为他的朋友对他所称赞的事情并不真正感兴趣。
  • C)He was surprised that his friend had always talked behind his back.
  • D)He discovered that his friend lied about what brand of shirt he wore.
• For years when it was his turn in line to order coffee, the author felt .多年来，当轮到作者排队点咖啡时，他感到。
  • A)excited
  • B) tired
  • C) guilty
  • D) awkward尴尬
• Why does the author feel depressed on a day that he doesn’t spend money?为什么作者在不花钱的日子里感到沮丧？
  • A)He lives in a country with much to buy.
  • B)He hopes to keep up with the Joneses.
  • C)He has no opportunity to talk to people.他没有机会与人交谈。
  • D)He needs to go to buy coffee for energy.
• What does the author mean, in the first sentence of the last paragraph, by saying “it becomes second nature to you”？在最后一段的第一句中，作者说“它成为你的第二天性”是什么意思？
  • A)It becomes easy and obvious to you.它对你来说变得容易且显而易见。
  • B)It becomes much less natural to you.
  • C)It becomes foreign and strange to you.
  • D)It becomes no longer interesting to you.

儿子遇学业问题后回家，努力终获好工作

In the middle of his junior year we pulled our youngest son out of a very expensive out-of- state university and brought him back home. This was a year and a half ago.
His grades were below our agreed-upon minimum. In addition to grades, there was the unpleasant matter of him being dragged in front of the dean on an alcohol violation (违规). After logging on to his student account (he gave us the password) to pay tuition one month, we saw a $350 “get out of jail” payment. Then there were the 20 or so parking violations around campus because he was too lazy to walk to class, or perhaps couldn’t get out of bed in time to walk to class.
At the end of his fall semester junior year, having not fulfilled his obligations to make grades and behave responsibly, he came back home to live with us in the basement. We gave him enough warning in advance to allow the reality to sink in.
We allowed him to enroll at the nearby state university for the spring semester. His grades and test scores were good enough for him to get accepted into the university’s business school. Long story short: Two weeks ago he graduated with a BS in accounting.
Despite a few bumps in the road, he managed to graduate in four years. He loaded up with classes last summer to make up for the credits he lost in the transfer. We told him he had to keep a part-time job, which he did. This spring he was working at a start-up, doing everything from basic accounting to helping load their product into boxes to ship out — actual physical labor. He had an interview trip this week in Texas. Yesterday he texted me (doesn’t call anymore) to let me know he’d been offered a job on the spot. A real job with a decent salary and real benefits.
He’s moving out of the house and driving to Texas on Thursday. We are proud of that young man and glad we didn’t baby him. Pulling him out of that private school was the best thing we could have ever done. Living in the basement gave him a large mouthful of reality. Having your kid living in the basement isn’t always bad. As long as they eventually move out!
在小儿子大三学年的中途，我们把他从一所非常昂贵的外州大学拉回来，让他回家。这是一年半前的事了。
他的成绩低于我们约定的最低标准。除了成绩，还有一件不愉快的事情，他因为违反酒精规定被带到院长面前。有一次，我们登录他的学生账户（他给了我们密码）去支付学费，发现有一笔350美元的“保释金”支付。然后还有大约20起校园内的停车违规，因为他懒得走路去上课，或者可能因为起不来床而赶不及走路去上课。
在他大三秋季学期结束时，由于没有履行取得好成绩和负责任地行事的义务，他回到了家，和我们住在一起，住在地下室。我们提前给了他足够的警告，让他有时间消化这个现实。
我们允许他在附近的州立大学注册春季学期。他的成绩和考试成绩足够好，被大学商学院录取。长话短说：两周前，他以会计学学士学位毕业了。
尽管路途坎坷，他还是设法在四年内毕业了。他去年夏天选了很多课程，以弥补他在转学过程中失去的学分。我们告诉他必须保持兼职工作，他也确实做到了。今年春天，他在一家初创公司工作，从基础会计工作到帮助将他们的产品装箱发货——实际的体力劳动。他这周去了德克萨斯州面试。昨天他给我发了短信（不再打电话了），告诉我他当场得到了工作机会。一份真正的工作，有不错的薪水和真正的福利。
他即将搬出家，周四开车去德克萨斯州。我们为那个年轻人感到骄傲，很高兴我们没有溺爱他。把他从那所私立学校拉出来是我们能做的最好的事情。住在地下室让他深刻体会到了现实。让孩子住在地下室并不总是坏事。只要他们最终能搬出去！

• What happened to the author’s son in the middle of his junior year?作者的儿子在他的初中三年级时发生了什么事？
  • A)He was kicked out of school for having to go to jail.
  • B)He broke the parking rules and had conflict with police.
  • C)He was taken out of school by his parents and went home.他的父母将他从学校带走，回家了。
  • D)He couldn’t afford to pay tuition and continue his education.
• What does the author say about their arrangement for their son after he came home?作者关于他们儿子回家后的安排说了什么？
  • A)Going to find a full-time job.
  • B)Transferring to a nearby school.转学到附近的学校。
  • C)Walking to school every morning.
  • D)Doing housework in the basement.
• What did the author’s son do to finish his college education?作者的儿子是如何完成他的大学教育的？
  • A)He spent another four years in a different college.
  • B)He found a job and had money to make it through.
  • C)He took some business courses at the same time.
  • D)He worked hard and finally got a business degree.他努力学习，最终获得了商业学位。
• Why is the author proud and glad?作者为什么感到骄傲和高兴？
  • A)They didn’t overprotect their son.他们没有过度保护他们的儿子。
  • B)Their son is starting his own family.
  • C)The private school provided good education .
  • D)The job interview for their son went successfully.
• By saying “Living in the basement gave him a large mouthful of reality” (Line 3, Para. 6), the author means that .作者说“住在地下室给了他一大口现实”（第6段，第3行），这意味着什么？
  • A)tough living conditions were just part of their family life
  • B)he was made to face enormous challenges in the real world.他被迫面对现实世界的巨大挑战。
  • C)every job he could find in reality started at the lowest level
  • D)he started to talk to his parents about what reality means to him.

谈年轻一代依赖家庭、心态及与父辈差异情况

After lunch at a friend’s house, I told her she must be proud of her daughter, who not only has a rather brilliant academic brain but is also very beautiful.
“Yes, I’m very proud of her,” sighed (叹气)my friend. “But I still have to remind her to do the dishes, and she still has the cheek to complain if we forget to buy her make-up remover when we do the weekly shop.”
Far from being a teenager, my friend’s daughter is 28. She’s moved back home while she continues her graduate studies.
This is not to say that her parents aren’t happy to have her back — they love her and want to do their best for her. But they’re starting to worry whether she’ll ever grow up.
Nor is she in any way unusual. Eight out of ten 18 to 24-year-olds still live at home today, as do a third of 25 to 34-year-olds — so perhaps it’s no wonder that they see themselves as adolescents far past their teenage years.
Of course, each generation complains about the next. But it’s our right to wonder whether today’s younger generation is over-indulged ——just as it was our parents, right to complain that we had it easy compared with them. I fear they were right. By 28, my father was married, with a mortgage, a career and a baby. At the same age I had neither husband nor baby, but I did have a career and a pretty strong work ethic. My generation was obsessed with work: we wanted to earn money, to have good careers, to make something of our lives. And we were
prepared to start at the bottom to do so.
Our children, by contrast, have a sense of entitlement (应得权益)coupled with a fear of failure. It starts with the pressure we put them under to succeed academically: in consequence, many of them strive to get into good universities. But having achieved the academic success, they are puzzled not to be offered the world on a plate. While their fathers had no choice but to find the best job they could and get on with it, too many young people today decide instead to continue studying, drift into travelling, are reluctant to make an emotional commitment and often take the attitude that they work to live, not the other way around.
在朋友家吃完午饭后，我告诉她，她一定为女儿感到骄傲，因为她的女儿不仅学术头脑非常出色，而且长得非常漂亮。
“是的，我为她感到非常骄傲，”我的朋友叹了口气说。“但我仍然得提醒她去洗碗，如果我们在每周购物时忘记买她的卸妆液，她还有脸抱怨。”
朋友的女儿远非青少年，她已经28岁了。她回到家中继续她的研究生学习。
这并不是说父母不高兴她回来——他们爱她，愿意为她做最好的事。但他们开始担心她是否会长大成人。
她并不是个例。如今，十分之八的18到24岁年轻人仍然住在家里，25到34岁的年轻人中有三分之一也是如此——所以也许他们将自己视为远远超过青少年时期的青少年也就不足为奇了。
当然，每一代人都会抱怨下一代。但我们有权怀疑，今天的年轻一代是否被过度纵容——就像我们的父母抱怨我们比他们过得轻松一样。我怕他们是对的。在我28岁的时候，我的父亲已经结婚，有抵押贷款，有事业，还有一个孩子。在同样的年龄，我既没有丈夫也没有孩子，但我有事业，并且有相当强的工作道德。我们这一代人对工作着迷：我们想要赚钱，想要有好的事业，想要让我们的生活有所成就。我们准备从底层开始做起。
相比之下，我们的孩子有一种应得权益感，伴随着对失败的恐惧。这始于我们对他们施加的学术成功的压力：因此，他们中的许多人努力进入好大学。但在取得了学术成功之后，他们对于没有被提供世界感到困惑。而他们的父亲别无选择，只能找到最好的工作并继续前进，今天太多的年轻人却选择继续学习，漫无目的地旅行，不愿意做出情感承诺，并且常常采取他们工作是为了生活，而不是反过来的态度。

• What can we learn about the daughter of the author’s friend from the passage?从文章中我们可以了解到作者朋友的女儿是怎样的？
  • A)She is a smart but emotionally challenged teenager.
  • B)She has not lived an independent life even at age 28.即使在28岁时，她也没有过上独立的生活。
  • C)She has moved back home because she can’t find a job.
  • D)She is an unusual woman who still lives with her parents.
• The author describes herself as .作者如何描述自己？
  • A)an adolescent far past her teenage years
  • B)an over-indulged adult fearful of failure
  • C)a diligent person who works her way up一个勤奋的人，通过自己的努力上升。
  • D)a married woman with a successful career
• What is the complaint of the author’s parents about her generation?作者的父母对她这一代人的抱怨是什么？
  • A)They don’t appreciate what’s valued by older people.
  • B)They put too much emphasis on academic success.
  • C)They live without a purpose and a strong commitment.
  • D)They don’t work hard enough to make a good living.他们不够努力工作以过上好生活。
• What are young adults puzzled about after achieving their academic success?年轻成年人在取得学术成就后对什么感到困惑？
  • A)They must go to find a job and get on with it.
  • B)They cannot live their life in the way they like.
  • C)They are not enjoying a good life they deserve.他们没有享受到他们应得的美好生活。
  • D)They have to be retrained for the real-world jobs.
• What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?作者在文章中主要讨论了什么？
  • A)Delayed adulthood of today’s young people.今天年轻人的成年延迟。
  • B)Parents, view of a different younger generation.
  • C)Society’s concern about young people growing up late.
  • D)Young people’s failure to meet their parents‘ expectations.

以AlphaGo战胜人类谈AI研究及潜在影响

Imagine a flying saucer (外星人驾驶的飞行器)lands in Time Square and an alien steps out carrying the game of Go. He walks up the nearest person and says, “Take me to your best player.55 Now, let’s assume that the alien spent years studying how humans play Go, watching replays of every major match.
If that was the situation, it would seem humanity was being set up for an unfair challenge.
After all, the alien had the opportunity to thoroughly prepare for playing humans, while the humans had no opportunity to prepare for playing aliens. The humans would likely lose. And that’s exactly what happened when an “alien intelligence” named AlphaGo played the human Go master, Lee Sedol. The human lost in 4 out of 5 games. But, if we look at the big picture, it wasn’t a fair match.
Still the media went wild, calling the victory a historic milestone in A.I. research, an unexpected leap that took the scientific community by surprise. I agree completely, but not because it demonstrated that A.I. is good at playing the game of Go.
No, this victory demonstrated that A.I. is good at playing the game of humans.
After all, AlphaGo didn’t learn to play by studying the rules and thinking up a clever strategy. It learned by studying how people play, processing thousands upon thousands of matches to understand how masters make moves 一 how they react to moves — what mistakes they’re likely to make — what moves they’re likely to miss. The system trained by reviewing 30 million moves by expert players. Thus, AlphaGo is a system that makes beating humans as effective as possible by studying us inside and out, learning to predict what actions we’ll take, what reactions we’ll have, and what errors we’ll make.
This suggests a future where we humans are easily controlled by intelligent systems that can predict our tendencies, our preferences, our actions and reactions, all while finding our weaknesses and exploiting them. That is what this AlphaGo milestone really means. And we should all be very concerned.
According to published research, the AlphaGo system was able to correctly predict what move a human will make 57% of the time. Imagine if you could correctly predict what a person would do 57% percent of the time — maybe while negotiating a business deal or selling a product.
想象一下，一个飞碟（外星人驾驶的飞行器）降落在时代广场，一个外星人走了出来，手里拿着围棋。他走向最近的一个人说：“带我去见你们最好的棋手。”现在，假设这个外星人花了好几年时间研究人类如何下围棋，观看了每一场重大比赛的重播。
如果这种情况发生，看起来人类将面临一个不公平的挑战。毕竟，外星人有机会为与人类对弈做充分的准备，而人类却没有机会为与外星人对弈做准备。人类很可能会输。这正是当一个名为AlphaGo的“外星智能”与人类围棋大师李世石对弈时发生的事情。人类在五局比赛中输掉了四局。但是，如果我们从大局来看，这并不是一场公平的比赛。
尽管如此，媒体还是疯狂了，称这场胜利是人工智能研究历史上的一个里程碑，是一个让科学界惊讶的意外飞跃。我完全同意，但不是因为它证明了人工智能擅长玩围棋。
不，这场胜利证明了人工智能擅长玩人类的游戏。
毕竟，AlphaGo并不是通过学习规则和想出一个巧妙的策略来学习下棋的。它是通过研究人类如何下棋来学习的，处理了成千上万的比赛，以了解大师们如何走棋——他们如何应对走棋——他们可能犯什么错误——他们可能错过什么走棋。该系统通过回顾专家玩家的3000万步棋进行训练。因此，AlphaGo是一个系统，通过研究我们内外，学习预测我们将采取什么行动，我们将有什么反应，我们将犯什么错误，尽可能有效地击败人类。
这暗示了一个未来，人类很容易被能够预测我们倾向、偏好、行动和反应的智能系统所控制，同时发现我们的弱点并加以利用。这正是AlphaGo里程碑的真正含义。我们都应该非常关注。
根据发表的研究，AlphaGo系统能够正确预测人类将走哪一步棋的准确率为57%。想象一下，如果你能正确预测一个人57%的时间会做什么——也许是在谈判商业交易或销售产品时。

• Why, in the author’s story, would it be unfair to humans if they had to play aliens?在作者的故事中，如果人类必须与外星人比赛，为什么对他们来说是不公平的？
  • A)Aliens had higher intelligence.
  • B)Aliens knew human moves well.外星人对人类的行动了如指掌。
  • C)Aliens might think of a big picture.
  • D)Aliens could pick a human player.
• What does the author say about AlphaGo’s victory?作者对AlphaGo的胜利有何看法？
  • A)It is a victory of no real historical importance.
  • B)Designers are the key to great A.L programs.
  • C)A.L is thoroughly familiar with human thinking.人工智能对人类思维非常熟悉。
  • D)Humans may not be as good as A.L at certain tasks.
• How can AlphaGo think up a clever strategy?AlphaGo如何想出一个巧妙的策略？
  • A)By studying the rules of the complicated game.
  • B)By using its knowledge of masters’ moves.通过使用它对大师走法的知识。
  • C)By avoiding errors humans may make.
  • D)By trying out unexpected moves.
• What does the author say we should be concerned about?作者说我们应该担心什么？
  • A)A.I. systems may turn out to control humans.人工智能系统可能会最终控制人类。
  • B)A.L research is moving faster than we expect.
  • C)A.L may be used for unpredictable purposes.
  • D)A.L programs, weaknesses may cause harm.
• What does published research show AlphaGo can do, according to the passage?根据文章，发表的研究表明AlphaGo能够做什么？
  • A)Play a move using half of the time a human may need.
  • B)Notice a wrong move more quickly than a human player.
  • C)Tell with high probability what the next human move is.以高概率预测下一个人类走法。
  • D)Predict well what can come out of a business negotiation.

马斯克谈AI威胁捐款，或为投资及声誉考量

Over the past year big names in technology and science like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have warned that the threat of artificial intelligence gone bad might be more than just science fiction.
In tweets and multiple public appearances, Musk has compared the dark potential of unregulated artificial intelligence to spelling the end of mankind. On Thursday, the SpaceX and Tesla Motors head donated $10 million to the Future of Life Institute for the creation of a grant program that will look into how to keep Al friendly towards humans.
Like most things Musk says and does, there’s an aspect of salesmanship to be found when reading between the lines. Musk has invested in two major Al firms, Vicarious and DeepMind Technologies, the latter of which was acquired by Google. Look who else is quoted in the news report announcing Musk’s donation:
“Dramatic advances in artificial intelligence are opening up a range of exciting new applications”，said Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman, co-founders of DeepMind Technologies. “With these newfound powers comes increased responsibility.
Elon’s large donation will support researchers as they investigate the safe and ethical use of artificial intelligence, laying foundations that will have far-reaching societal impacts as these technologies continue to progress.”
Musk is a person who has futuristic visions and makes big gambles on creating whole new sectors that have the potential to move humanity forward, arguably, but he’s also a capitalist who knows that the potential rewards are in line with the magnitude of the risk.
For all his talk about the dangers of Al, which is supported by others like Hawking and Nick Bostrom in his recent book on the topic, Superintelligence, Musk seems to have decided to be outspoken on the issue and to make this “donation” as a pre-emptive (先发制人的)strike against negative public opinion, a potential obstacle for Al on its journey towards maturity (成 熟)and profitability. In other words, for Musk, it5s about protecting an investment as much as it is about protecting humanity from mean-spirited machines.
After all, Musk has said that Tesla will be the first to market with self-driving vehicles. That’s a low-level of artificial intelligence compared with superintelligence, but Musk still has to ensure that we’ll be comfortable riding around in “smart” cars as Al develops further.
过去一年中，像埃隆·马斯克和斯蒂芬·霍金这样的科技和科学界的大人物警告说，人工智能失控的威胁可能不仅仅是科幻小说的情节。
在推特和多次公开露面中，马斯克将不受监管的人工智能的黑暗潜力比作人类终结的预兆。周四，SpaceX和特斯拉汽车的负责人向未来生命研究所捐赠了1000万美元，用于创建一个研究如何让人工智能对人类友好的资助项目。
像马斯克说的和做的大多数事情一样，在字里行间可以发现推销员的一面。马斯克投资了两家主要的人工智能公司，Vicarious和DeepMind Technologies，后者被谷歌收购。看看在宣布马斯克捐赠的新闻报道中还有谁被引用：
“人工智能的戏剧性进步正在开启一系列激动人心的新应用，”DeepMind Technologies的联合创始人德米斯·哈萨比斯、谢恩·莱格和穆斯塔法·苏莱曼说。“随着这些新发现的力量，也带来了更大的责任。
埃隆的大额捐赠将支持研究人员调查人工智能的安全和道德使用，为这些技术继续发展时将产生深远社会影响的基础奠定。”
马斯克是一个具有未来视野的人，他大胆投资于创造全新领域，这些领域有潜力推动人类向前发展，但同时他也是一个资本家，知道潜在的回报与风险的大小是成正比的。
尽管他谈到了人工智能的危险，这得到了霍金和尼克·博斯特罗姆等人的支持，后者在他的新书《超级智能》中讨论了这个话题，但马斯克似乎决定在这个问题上发表意见，并将这笔“捐赠”作为一种先发制人的行动，以对抗负面的公众舆论，这是人工智能在成熟和盈利之路上的潜在障碍。换句话说，对马斯克来说，这既是保护投资，也是保护人类免受恶意机器的伤害。
毕竟，马斯克曾说过，特斯拉将是第一个推出自动驾驶汽车的公司。与超级智能相比，这是一种低级别的人工智能，但马斯克仍需确保随着人工智能的进一步发展，我们会乐于乘坐“智能”汽车。

• What can we learn about Elon Musk from the passage?从文章中我们可以了解到关于埃隆·马斯克的什么？
  • A)He has got funded for his research in artificial intelligence.
  • B)He acquired DeepMind Technologies from Google.
  • C)He believes in the unlimited potential of artificial intelligence.
  • D)He supports research to keep artificial intelligence friendly.他支持研究以保持人工智能的友好性。
• What is the warning from Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking?埃隆·马斯克和斯蒂芬·霍金的警告是什么？
  • A)Artificial intelligence might go as bad as we see in science fiction.
  • B)The negative impact of artificial intelligence might be exaggerated.
  • C)The dangerous misuse of artificial intelligence might become a reality.人工智能的危险误用可能成为现实。
  • D)Artificial intelligence is incorrectly represented in science fiction.
• By “there’s an aspect of salesmanship to be found when reading between the lines” (Lines 1-2, Para. 3), the author means .“在阅读字里行间时可以发现有一种推销术”（第3段，第1-2行），作者的意思是：
  • A)Elon Musk is actually a businessman with a product to sell.埃隆·马斯克实际上是一个有产品要卖的商人。
  • B)Elon Musk uses a humble way of discussing his business
  • C)Elon Musk is recalling his past experience as a salesman
  • D)Elon Musk tries not to talk much about his two companies
• What do the co-founders of DeepMind Technologies say about their responsibility?DeepMind Technologies的联合创始人对他们的责任怎么说？
  • A)They should find more applications in artificial intelligence.
  • B)They should develop more powerful artificial intelligence.
  • C)They should use artificial intelligence to solve societal issues.
  • D)They should ensure the safe use of artificial intelligence.他们应该确保人工智能的安全使用。
• Why has Elon Musk decided to be outspoken on the issue, according to the passage?根据文章，为什么埃隆·马斯克决定在这个问题上发表意见？
  • A)The development of artificial intelligence has helped him make huge profits.
  • B)The current state of artificial intelligence cannot compare with superintelligence.
  • C)The interests of both his business and human beings need to be well protected.他的商业和人类的利益都需要得到很好的保护。
  • D)The public debate on artificial intelligence is attracting other well-known people.