New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the ra
题型：不详难度：来源：
New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation(缓刑) or parole(假释) are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
“When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised(监督) by an officer. The question is ‘what level of supervision is appropriate?’” said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
“This research replaces those seat-of-the –pants calculations,” he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk’s software examines roughly two dozen variables(可变因素), from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” said Berk. “ What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”
“Berk’s scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future,” said Bushway. “It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors.”
小题1:The underlined words(in Para.3) probably mean___. | A．calculations based on subjective opinions | | B．calculations based on widespread voting | | C．calculations made by advanced technology | | D．calculations based on serious considering |
小题2:For 650 people with crime records, how many potential murderers would the software find?小题3:From Para 7, we can infer that______.| A．the technology developed by Richard Berk will soon be widely used in the US | | B．the technology would not be widely accepted in the short term | | C．whether a person murders or not largely decided by his upbringing while young | | D．if a person murdered when he was fifty, he is sure to murder again while on probation |
小题4:Bushway’s attitude to the technology put forward by Richard Berk is ____.| A．positive | B．negative | C．objective | D．indifferent |
小题5:Which would be the best title for the passage?| A．Closely Supervise Potential Murders | | B．Measures Taken to Prevent Criminal Behavior | | C．Technology Revolutionizes Judges’ Way of Working | | D．Software is Developed to Predict Criminal Behavior |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:C
小题5:D |
解析
试题分析：文章全篇介绍了预测犯罪行为软件的开发是把双刃剑，虽然可以提高对高危人群发生犯罪行为预测的精准度，预防犯罪行为发生，但也会给那些不会再发生犯罪行为的人带来不必要的实时监控，使他们的权益受到损害。
小题1:推理题：划线部分“seat-of-the –pants calculations”可用上一段中“It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions”解释，指的是过去假释官根据一个人的犯罪记录和自己的判断来做决定，可知假释官的主观因素很大。A项符合原句意。故选A。
小题2:细节题：根据文章第四段中“They could identify eight future murderers out of 100”他们将来可以确定100个人中有8个***人犯，因此650个人中会有52个罪犯。故选C。
小题3:推理题： 根据第七段最后一句“ But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”但我们现在还做不到，可知这项技术短时间内还不能被广泛接受。故选B。
小题4:推理题：根据最后一段内容可知对高危人群的监控虽然会让潜在的受害者高兴，但也会对那些将来不会在犯罪的人是一种不必要的惩罚。由此可知他的观点比较客观。故选C。
小题5:主旨题：阅读全文可知是在讨论预测犯罪行为软件的开发。故选D |
举一反三
Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. ,科Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle(脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版税）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
小题1:Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____________. | A．people did not know how to put out the fire | | B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention | | C．the sewing machines was couldn’t work finally | | D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire |
小题2:Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage? | A．Singer is an American inventor and manufacturer. | | B．The Singer sewing company became more practical. | | C．The foot treadle helped to make the sewer’s hands free. | | D．Singer made improvements to the design of sewing machines. |
小题3:Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elisa Howe a lifetime of royalties?| A．Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude. | | B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer. | | C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it. | | D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine. |
小题4:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?| A．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine | | B．The Case between Howe and Singer | | C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine | | D．The Early History of the Sewing Machine |
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The purpose of a letter of application(求职信)is to help you to“sell”yourself. It should state the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and what you have . It should be simple, human, personal and brief without out any necessary facts.
In writing a letter of application, keep in that the things a possible employer is most to want to know about are your qualifications(条件), your achievements and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part. the first few sentences fail to the reader’s attention, the rest of the letter may not be at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer not your own need or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “I saw your in today’s newspaper”, you might say“I have made a careful of your advertising during the past six months”or“I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives your product and why they like it. ”
Try to generalities(概述). Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now . College graduates looking for their first positions often ask“What can I in a letter? Employers want experience—which, naturally, no has. ”The answer is that everything you have ever done is .
It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter. a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent is to enclose(内附)a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it for a possible employer to get in touch with you.
| 小题1: | | A．easily | B．carefully | | C．obviously | D．clearly |
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| 小题2: | | A．done | B．found | | C．known | D．heard |
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| 小题3: | | A．sending | B．leaving | | C．taking | D．picking |
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| 小题4: | | A．brain | B．sight | | C．mind | D．order |
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| 小题5: | | A．probable | B．possible | | C．able | D．likely |
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| 小题6: | | A．While | B．Although | | C．If | D．As |
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| 小题8: | | A．kept | B．read | | C．written | D．continued |
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| 小题10: | | A．article | B．report | | C．advertisement | D．introduction |
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| 小题11: | | A．watch | B．study | | C．search | D．discussion |
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| 小题12: | | A．use | B．make | | C．sell | D．change |
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| 小题13: | | A．gain | B．remember | C．protect | D．avoid |
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| 小题14: | | A．applying | B．losing | | C．preparing | D．fitting |
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| 小题15: | | A．offer | B．supply | | C．provide | D．mean |
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| 小题16: | | A．worker | B．manager | | C．owner | D．beginner |
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| 小题17: | | A．success | B．experience | | C．practice | D．development |
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| 小题19: | | A．result | B．idea | | C．promise | D．decision |
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| 小题20: | | A．easier | B．happier | | C．cheaper | D．safer |
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Beware of those who use the truth to deceive(欺骗). When someone tells you something that is , but leaves out important information that should be , he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy is a winner, ? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred , and only one was a winner. He’s really a big !
He didn’t say anything that was , but he deliberately left out some important . That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically , but they are just as not .
Untrustworthy candidates in campaigns often use this tactic(手段). Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, the state lost one million jobs and three million jobs. Then she another term. One of her opponents runs an ad , “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!”That’s true. , an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of million jobs. ”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the . An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples. ”It to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
| 小题1: | | A．false | B．true | | C．interesting | D．boring |
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| 小题2: | | A．included | B．contained | | C．ignored | D．referred |
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| 小题3: | | A．lost | B．found | | C．donated | D．won |
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| 小题4: | | A．changed | B．took | | C．turned | D．made |
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| 小题5: | | A．right | B．well | C．really | D．though |
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| 小题6: | | A．books | B．papers | | C．tickets | D．balls |
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| 小题7: | | A．winner | B．loser | | C．fighter | D．thinker |
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| 小题8: | | A．true | B．real | | C．doubtful | D．false |
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| 小题9: | | A．details | B．information | | C．mistakes | D．errors |
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| 小题10: | | A．stories | B．truth | | C．messages | D．lies |
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| 小题11: | | A．pleasant | B．exciting | | C．honest | D．clever |
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| 小题12: | | A．political | B．commercial | | C．personal | D．public |
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| 小题13: | | A．stopped | B．found | | C．avoided | D．gained |
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| 小题14: | | A．seeks | B．gets | | C．achieves | D．searches |
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| 小题15: | | A．writing | B．telling | | C．saying | D．speaking |
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| 小题16: | | A．Otherwise | B．However | | C．Meanwhile | D．Because |
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| 小题19: | | A．words | B．facts | | C．data | D．truth |
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| 小题20: | | A．fails | B．tries | | C．manages | D．plans |
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What makes humans smarter than other animals? We’ve got a bigger brain, of course. But when it comes to brains, is bigger always better?
Traditionally, scientists have thought that humans’ superior intelligence derived(源于)mostly from the fact that our brains are three times bigger than those of our nearest living relatives, chimpanzees. People even used to believe that because men have slightly larger brains than women that men are smarter.
This, however, is not the truth. Scientists at University College London in the UK have found that brain organization, and not brain size, is the key to the superiority of human intelligence, reported Live Science.
Through millions of years of evolution, our ancestors were constantly pushed to get smarter so that they could meet the demands of new environments. However, holding this growing intelligence in increasingly large brains was not the best choice because bigger brains require more energy to power. “This is when reorganization may come into play, ”said Christophe Soligo, a member of the London research team.
In the study, scientists looked at the brains of 17 species of primates(灵长目动物), including monkeys, apes and humans. They found that in the process of evolution, brains didn’t keep growing as a whole. Certain regions of the brain grew prior to others in response to species’ needs, and in this way they could make the best use of their limited brain space.
For example, when early humans were struggling to survive, the brain region in charge of using tools and finding food grew in size more than other regions. But in modern times, the prefrontal cortex(前额皮质)—the region in charge of social cognition(认知), moral judgments and goal-directed planning—grew more than the rest of the brain.
Think of the brain as a room. If a big room is poorly organized, it doesn’t necessarily store more stuff than a smaller one.
Paul Manger, professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, explains this principle using the example of whales. He told Scientific American: “Whales have big brains, absolutely. But if you look at the actual structure of the brain, it’s not very complex. Brain size only matters if the rest of the brain is organized properly. ”
小题1:It has recently been found that humans are smarter than the other animals mainly because .| A．they are a species of primates | | B．they have much larger brains | | C．their brain structure is more complex | | D．they were constantly pushed to get smarter |
小题2:According to the article, in recent human evolution, .| A．the brain kept growing in size to adapt to new environments | | B．most regions of the brain didn’t change | | C．the prefrontal cortex grew more than the rest of the brain | | D．humans’ brains became increasingly simple so that humans could survive |
小题3:What can we conclude from the article?| A．Gender makes a difference in intelligence. | | B．The size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence. | | C．Species whose brain is organized properly tend to be smarter. | | D．Larger brains are usually organized better than smaller ones. |
小题4:The method the writer uses to develop the last paragraph is .| A．by presenting research data | | B．by giving examples | | C．by making a comparison | | D．by analyzing cause and effect |
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Move Earth—It’s Not Science Fiction
LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.
This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.
The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.
“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun, ”Laughlin said.
Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.
In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so“seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)—by cooking us.
That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.
The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(误算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.
There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is“most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.
小题1:What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?| A．A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth. | | B．Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon. | | C．Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive. | | D．The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth. |
小题2:If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of years.| A．12 billion | B．6 billion | | C．18 billion | D．24 billion |
小题3:What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?| A．The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon. | | B．Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death. | | C．The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth. | | D．Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened. |
小题4:What does the underlined word“compromise”mean?| A．Provide. | B．Benefit. | | C．Share. | D．Endanger. |
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