The human brain contains 10 thousand million cells and
each of these may have a thousand connections. So enormous ___1___
numbers used to discourage us and causing us to dismiss the ___2___
possibility of making a machine with human-like ability, but now
that we have grown used to move forward at such a pace we can ___3___
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 render
it intelligently by loading in the right software or by altering the ___4___
architecture but that too will happen. I think it certain that in
decades, no centuries, machines of silicon will arise first to rival ___5___
and then exceed their human ancestors. Once they exceed us
they will be capable of their own design. In real sense they will ___6___
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 fine intelligence in the known universe. As ___7___
the intelligence of robots increase to match that of humans and ___8___
as their cost declines through economics of scale that we may use ___9___
them to expand our frontiers, first on earth through their ability
to withstand environments, beneficial to ourselves. Thus, deserts ___10___
may bloom and the ocean beds are minded. 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.
答案及解析:
1. So -> Such
名詞前有形容詞時，so和such都可以被用來修飾，但要注意不定冠詞a / an的位置，如so big a city / such a big city；如果修飾的對象是復數(shù)或不可數(shù)名詞時，則只能用such修飾。
2. causing -> cause
本行中used to do意為“過去常做某事”，后接動詞原形；discourage和causing由and連接成并列結構，動詞形式應保持一致，都應為動詞原形。
3. move -> moving
此處have grown used to ….相當于have been used to….，意為“習慣于做某事”，其后接名詞或動名詞，故將move改為moving。
4. intelligently -> intelligent
render后常接符合賓語，用形容詞作賓語補足語，意為“使…..變得….”。
5. no -> not
此處no centuries 為插入語，centuries前省略了in；此處強調(diào)in decades，而不是centuries。no通常意為“沒有”，一般修飾可數(shù)單數(shù)名詞或不可數(shù)名詞（如no friend / money等），而不修飾復數(shù)名詞；not則強調(diào)“不是”。
6. real前加a
in a (very) real sense 為習慣用法，意為“確實地，毫無疑問地”。
7. fine -> finest
根據(jù)in the known universe及前面的the可判斷，此處應該使用形容詞形式的級。
8. increase -> increases
此處the intelligence在as引導的原因狀語從句中作主語，of robots為其定語，作修飾成分，increase在從句中作謂語，應在數(shù)上與the intelligence保持一致，應使用第三人稱單數(shù)。
9. that -> /
分析整個句子可知，本句為含有并列原因狀語從句“As…and as…”的復合句。從句為As…and as..scale，主句為we may use ….frontiers，主句不應該由引導詞that來引導；如果保留that，就會形成that引導的從句，從而造成主句的缺失，故將that去掉。
10. beneficial -> harmful
environment意為“環(huán)境，周圍情況”時，既可以為單數(shù)，也可以為復數(shù)；此處beneficial to ourselves前省略了which are 的非限制性定語從句，修飾environments。根據(jù)文意，人類之所以利用機器人向更廣闊的疆域挺進，是因為它們能適應某些環(huán)境的特性，而這些環(huán)境應該是對人類有害的。故將beneficial改為harmful。
each of these may have a thousand connections. So enormous ___1___
numbers used to discourage us and causing us to dismiss the ___2___
possibility of making a machine with human-like ability, but now
that we have grown used to move forward at such a pace we can ___3___
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 render
it intelligently by loading in the right software or by altering the ___4___
architecture but that too will happen. I think it certain that in
decades, no centuries, machines of silicon will arise first to rival ___5___
and then exceed their human ancestors. Once they exceed us
they will be capable of their own design. In real sense they will ___6___
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 fine intelligence in the known universe. As ___7___
the intelligence of robots increase to match that of humans and ___8___
as their cost declines through economics of scale that we may use ___9___
them to expand our frontiers, first on earth through their ability
to withstand environments, beneficial to ourselves. Thus, deserts ___10___
may bloom and the ocean beds are minded. 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.
答案及解析:
1. So -> Such
名詞前有形容詞時，so和such都可以被用來修飾，但要注意不定冠詞a / an的位置，如so big a city / such a big city；如果修飾的對象是復數(shù)或不可數(shù)名詞時，則只能用such修飾。
2. causing -> cause
本行中used to do意為“過去常做某事”，后接動詞原形；discourage和causing由and連接成并列結構，動詞形式應保持一致，都應為動詞原形。
3. move -> moving
此處have grown used to ….相當于have been used to….，意為“習慣于做某事”，其后接名詞或動名詞，故將move改為moving。
4. intelligently -> intelligent
render后常接符合賓語，用形容詞作賓語補足語，意為“使…..變得….”。
5. no -> not
此處no centuries 為插入語，centuries前省略了in；此處強調(diào)in decades，而不是centuries。no通常意為“沒有”，一般修飾可數(shù)單數(shù)名詞或不可數(shù)名詞（如no friend / money等），而不修飾復數(shù)名詞；not則強調(diào)“不是”。
6. real前加a
in a (very) real sense 為習慣用法，意為“確實地，毫無疑問地”。
7. fine -> finest
根據(jù)in the known universe及前面的the可判斷，此處應該使用形容詞形式的級。
8. increase -> increases
此處the intelligence在as引導的原因狀語從句中作主語，of robots為其定語，作修飾成分，increase在從句中作謂語，應在數(shù)上與the intelligence保持一致，應使用第三人稱單數(shù)。
9. that -> /
分析整個句子可知，本句為含有并列原因狀語從句“As…and as…”的復合句。從句為As…and as..scale，主句為we may use ….frontiers，主句不應該由引導詞that來引導；如果保留that，就會形成that引導的從句，從而造成主句的缺失，故將that去掉。
10. beneficial -> harmful
environment意為“環(huán)境，周圍情況”時，既可以為單數(shù)，也可以為復數(shù)；此處beneficial to ourselves前省略了which are 的非限制性定語從句，修飾environments。根據(jù)文意，人類之所以利用機器人向更廣闊的疆域挺進，是因為它們能適應某些環(huán)境的特性，而這些環(huán)境應該是對人類有害的。故將beneficial改為harmful。