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The topic of thought is one area of psychology, and many observers have considered this aspect in connection with robots and computers: some of the old worries about Al (artificial intelligence) were closely linked to the question of whether" computers could think. The first massive electronic computers, capable of rapid (if often unreliable) computation and little or no creative activity, were soon named "electronic brains". A reaction to this terminology quickly followed. To put them in their place, computers were called "high-speed idiots", an effort to protect human vanity. But not everyone realized the implications of the expression: "high-speed idiot". It has not been pointed out often enough that even the human idiot is one of the most intelligent life forms on the earth. If the early computers were even that intelligent, it was already a remarkable state of affairs. One consequence from studying the possibility of computer thought was that we were forced to examine with new care the idea of thought in general. It soon became clear that we were not sure what we meant by such terms as thought and thinking. We tend to assume that human beings think, some more than others, though we often call people thoughtless or unthinking. Dreams cause a problem, partly because they usually happen outside our control. They are obviously some types of mental experience, but are they a type of thinking And the question of nonhuman life forms adds further problems. Many of us would maintain that some of the higher animals—dogs, cats, apes, and so on—are capable of at least basic thought, but what about fish and insects It is certainly true that the higher mammals show complex brain activity when tested with the appropriate equipment. If thinking is demonstrated by evident electrical activity in the brain, then many animal species are capable of thought. Once we have formulated clear ideas on what thought is in biological creatures, it will be easier to discuss the question of thought in artificial machines. One of the great benefits of AI research is that we are being forced to examine more closely the working of the human mind. It is already clear that machines have superior mental abilities to many life forms. No tree can play chess as well as even the simplest computer; nor can frogs repair car bodies as well as robots. It seems that, viewed in terms of intellect, the computer should be set well above plants and most animals. Only the higher" animals can compete with computers with regard to intellect. The word "idiot" (Para. 1) probably means______
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A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It is all translated to a fundamental change in the way we work. Already we"ve partly been there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth of the economic transformation can"t be measured by numbers alone, because it is also giving rise to a radical new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held notions about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers—all these are being changed. We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which d single invention, the chip(芯片), would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow"s achievements in biotechnology, artificial Intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more vital, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant. It will be the way you do your job. The future will probably belong to those who ______
The topic of thought is one area of psychology, and many observers have considered this aspect in connection with robots and computers: some of the old worries about Al (artificial intelligence) were closely linked to the question of whether" computers could think. The first massive electronic computers, capable of rapid (if often unreliable) computation and little or no creative activity, were soon named "electronic brains". A reaction to this terminology quickly followed. To put them in their place, computers were called "high-speed idiots", an effort to protect human vanity. But not everyone realized the implications of the expression: "high-speed idiot". It has not been pointed out often enough that even the human idiot is one of the most intelligent life forms on the earth. If the early computers were even that intelligent, it was already a remarkable state of affairs. One consequence from studying the possibility of computer thought was that we were forced to examine with new care the idea of thought in general. It soon became clear that we were not sure what we meant by such terms as thought and thinking. We tend to assume that human beings think, some more than others, though we often call people thoughtless or unthinking. Dreams cause a problem, partly because they usually happen outside our control. They are obviously some types of mental experience, but are they a type of thinking And the question of nonhuman life forms adds further problems. Many of us would maintain that some of the higher animals—dogs, cats, apes, and so on—are capable of at least basic thought, but what about fish and insects It is certainly true that the higher mammals show complex brain activity when tested with the appropriate equipment. If thinking is demonstrated by evident electrical activity in the brain, then many animal species are capable of thought. Once we have formulated clear ideas on what thought is in biological creatures, it will be easier to discuss the question of thought in artificial machines. One of the great benefits of AI research is that we are being forced to examine more closely the working of the human mind. It is already clear that machines have superior mental abilities to many life forms. No tree can play chess as well as even the simplest computer; nor can frogs repair car bodies as well as robots. It seems that, viewed in terms of intellect, the computer should be set well above plants and most animals. Only the higher" animals can compete with computers with regard to intellect. It seems that mental activities are characteristic of______
Nowadays, more people are living closer together, and they use machines to produce leisure. As a result, they find that their leisure, and even their working hours, become (1)_____ by a byproduct of their machines, (2)_____ noise. Noise is in the news; it has acquired political (3)_____, and public opinion is demanding, more and more (4)_____, that something (5)_____ about it. To control noise is to demand much (6)_____(Annoyance arises often from, (7)_____ of common courtesy), a sense of proportion (There is usually a (8)_____ of interest if a noise is to be stopped), the (9)_____ of money (and it is far more economical to do this early (10)_____ than late), and, finally, technical knowledge. Though the (11)_____ care for noise is to stop it at its source, this may in many (12)_____ be impossible. The next (13)_____ is to absorb it on its way to the ear. Domestic noises may be controlled by forethought and (14)_____, and industrial noises by good planning and technical (15)_____ But if we are going to (16)_____ fast motor-cycles and heavy (17)_____ lorries to pass continuously through residential and business (18)_____, the community must decide (19)_____ the control it needs to (20)_____ for in the long run it has got to pay for it.
There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents. More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11,000 miles each year. Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.1 percent or higher. For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels. One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels. Although less than 1 percent of drives with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashed, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood. There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role. Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of the country"s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both. While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach. To make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers. In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be basis for arrest. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest. At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving. In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of he Road Safety Act in 1967. As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act. Whether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drink will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear. One thing is clear, however, unless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die. It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain______
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