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一、阅读理解
科技不仅服务于人类的日常生活，也深度支撑着人类对未知世界的探索。如今，人工智能技术已成为科学家寻找外星生命的新方法。
Is there alien life? It's a question that many people have tried to answer. Now scientists have adopted a new method for finding alien life forms—artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a type of program that allows a computer to learn from experience and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. AI works by taking in much information, and then making predictions according to it.
The research team used their AI method to study different materials and decide whether they were biotic (of or related to living things) or abiotic. The AI was also able to tell whether a biotic sample was currently living or a fossil (化石). To train the AI program, the researchers gave it information on 134 biotic and abiotic materials. The program then used the knowledge to tell whether things like human hair, bones, teeth, leaves, coal, and chemicals were ▲. The team said the AI was 90% correct.
The scientists also think the AI tool could discover alien life forms, even though conditions for life may be different on other planets. “We may be able to find a life form from another planet… even if it is very different from the life we know on Earth,” said Robert Hazen. “If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins.”
For now, though, the team pays attention to ancient rock samples from Earth to learn more about life on our own planet and where it came from. For example, the tool could be used to deal with the disagreement among scientists about 3.5 billion-year-old rocks from Western Australia. Some experts believe they include Earth’s oldest fossil samples of microbes(微生物), but others think the rocks just have unusual patterns and have nothing to do with ancient life.
AI could also be used to examine samples from Mars collected by the Perseverance rover. NASA put this wheeled robot on the red planet to search for evidence that Mars has the right conditions to support life. Perseverance is collecting rock samples that will be brought back to Earth in the 2030s.
1. Which of the following can be put in “ ▲ ” in Paragraph 2?
A. fresh or not B. alive or not
C. heavy or not D. expensive or not
2. What does Robert Hazen agree?
A. We can't find living things on other planets.
B. There must be living things on other planets.
C. Finding signs of life on other planets is important.
D. It's impossible to find signs of life on other planets by AI.
3. Which of the following are scientists' opinions about 3.5 billion-year-old rocks?
①There are signs of life in the rocks.
②There are just special patterns on the rocks.
③There is nothing meaningful in the rocks.
④There are Earth's oldest fossil samples of microbes in the rocks.
A. ②④ B. ①③ C. ①② D. ③④
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The origin of life on Earth
B. True facts of life on Earth
C. Searching for alien life with AI
D. Invention of artificial intelligence
科技不仅服务于人类的日常生活，也深度支撑着人类对未知世界的探索。如今，人工智能技术已成为科学家寻找外星生命的新方法。
Is there alien life? It's a question that many people have tried to answer. Now scientists have adopted a new method for finding alien life forms—artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a type of program that allows a computer to learn from experience and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. AI works by taking in much information, and then making predictions according to it.
The research team used their AI method to study different materials and decide whether they were biotic (of or related to living things) or abiotic. The AI was also able to tell whether a biotic sample was currently living or a fossil (化石). To train the AI program, the researchers gave it information on 134 biotic and abiotic materials. The program then used the knowledge to tell whether things like human hair, bones, teeth, leaves, coal, and chemicals were ▲. The team said the AI was 90% correct.
The scientists also think the AI tool could discover alien life forms, even though conditions for life may be different on other planets. “We may be able to find a life form from another planet… even if it is very different from the life we know on Earth,” said Robert Hazen. “If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins.”
For now, though, the team pays attention to ancient rock samples from Earth to learn more about life on our own planet and where it came from. For example, the tool could be used to deal with the disagreement among scientists about 3.5 billion-year-old rocks from Western Australia. Some experts believe they include Earth’s oldest fossil samples of microbes(微生物), but others think the rocks just have unusual patterns and have nothing to do with ancient life.
AI could also be used to examine samples from Mars collected by the Perseverance rover. NASA put this wheeled robot on the red planet to search for evidence that Mars has the right conditions to support life. Perseverance is collecting rock samples that will be brought back to Earth in the 2030s.
1. Which of the following can be put in “ ▲ ” in Paragraph 2?
A. fresh or not B. alive or not
C. heavy or not D. expensive or not
2. What does Robert Hazen agree?
A. We can't find living things on other planets.
B. There must be living things on other planets.
C. Finding signs of life on other planets is important.
D. It's impossible to find signs of life on other planets by AI.
3. Which of the following are scientists' opinions about 3.5 billion-year-old rocks?
①There are signs of life in the rocks.
②There are just special patterns on the rocks.
③There is nothing meaningful in the rocks.
④There are Earth's oldest fossil samples of microbes in the rocks.
A. ②④ B. ①③ C. ①② D. ③④
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The origin of life on Earth
B. True facts of life on Earth
C. Searching for alien life with AI
D. Invention of artificial intelligence
答案
1. B 【解析】根据上文研究人员给了它134种生物和非生物材料的信息可知，此处对应表示：该程序利用这些知识来判断人类的头发、骨骼、牙齿、树叶、煤和化学品等事物是否有生命。
2. C 【解析】根据第三段中“If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins”可知，他认为在其他行星上发现生命迹象是很重要的。
3. A 【解析】根据第四段中“Some experts believe they include Earth's oldest fossil samples of microbes, but others think the rocks just have unusual patterns...”可知，有人认为岩石上只有一些特殊的图案，也有人相信在岩石中有地球上最古老的微生物化石标本。
4. C 【解析】本文主要介绍了科学家们利用人工智能检测来自地球的古代岩石标本以及未来将检测“毅力号”火星车从火星上收集的标本，以此来寻找外星生命形式，故最合适的标题为“Searching for alien life with AI”。
2. C 【解析】根据第三段中“If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins”可知，他认为在其他行星上发现生命迹象是很重要的。
3. A 【解析】根据第四段中“Some experts believe they include Earth's oldest fossil samples of microbes, but others think the rocks just have unusual patterns...”可知，有人认为岩石上只有一些特殊的图案，也有人相信在岩石中有地球上最古老的微生物化石标本。
4. C 【解析】本文主要介绍了科学家们利用人工智能检测来自地球的古代岩石标本以及未来将检测“毅力号”火星车从火星上收集的标本，以此来寻找外星生命形式，故最合适的标题为“Searching for alien life with AI”。
解析
【分析】本题为英语阅读理解题，共4道选择题，分别考查细节理解、推理判断和主旨大意。解题思路：先通读全文把握文章核心内容（利用AI技术寻找外星生命），再针对每道题的题干关键词定位原文对应段落，分析选项与原文的匹配度，排除不符合原文的错误选项，最终选出正确答案。
【解析】1. 细节理解题：根据第二段及第三段内容，研究人员给AI提供了134种生物和非生物材料的信息，AI的作用是判断事物是否与生命相关，对应选项B（alive or not，是否有生命），A（新鲜与否）、C（轻重）、D（贵贱）均不符合语境，故选B。
2. 推理判断题：根据第三段中Robert Hazen的话“If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins”，可知他认为在其他行星发现生命迹象很重要，对应选项C；A、D与原文观点相反，B（一定有生命）原文未提及，故选C。
3. 细节理解题：根据第四段内容，关于35亿年前的岩石，部分专家认为包含地球最古老的微生物化石（对应④），另一些专家认为岩石只有特殊图案（对应②），故②④正确，选A。
4. 主旨大意题：全文围绕科学家利用AI技术寻找外星生命展开，对应选项C；A（地球生命起源）、B（地球生命事实）、D（AI发明）均偏离核心，故选C。
【答案】1.B 2.C 3.A 4.C
【知识点】英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】本题结合科技话题考查英语阅读能力，需学生具备快速定位原文、分析细节及归纳主旨的能力，题型常规，难度适中。
【难度系数】0.6
【解析】1. 细节理解题：根据第二段及第三段内容，研究人员给AI提供了134种生物和非生物材料的信息，AI的作用是判断事物是否与生命相关，对应选项B（alive or not，是否有生命），A（新鲜与否）、C（轻重）、D（贵贱）均不符合语境，故选B。
2. 推理判断题：根据第三段中Robert Hazen的话“If we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin or different origins”，可知他认为在其他行星发现生命迹象很重要，对应选项C；A、D与原文观点相反，B（一定有生命）原文未提及，故选C。
3. 细节理解题：根据第四段内容，关于35亿年前的岩石，部分专家认为包含地球最古老的微生物化石（对应④），另一些专家认为岩石只有特殊图案（对应②），故②④正确，选A。
4. 主旨大意题：全文围绕科学家利用AI技术寻找外星生命展开，对应选项C；A（地球生命起源）、B（地球生命事实）、D（AI发明）均偏离核心，故选C。
【答案】1.B 2.C 3.A 4.C
【知识点】英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】本题结合科技话题考查英语阅读能力，需学生具备快速定位原文、分析细节及归纳主旨的能力，题型常规，难度适中。
【难度系数】0.6
