Reading - trang 15 Unit 7 Sách Bài Tập (SBT) Tiếng anh 12 mới

1. Read the following text and choose the best answer to each question. (Đọc phần văn bản sau đây và chọn câu trả lời đúng nhất cho mỗi câu hỏi.)

According to futurist Ray Kurzweil human civilisation will be unavoidably transformed in the year 2045 by an event that he call The Singularity. He suggests that exponential technological development will lead to the inevitable rise of artificial intelligence (A.I.). Such advanced technology may make humanity insignificant.

Kurzweil says that technologies are double-edged swords and envisions the possibility that an artificial intelligence might decde to put an end to humanity simply because it surpasses human intelligence. Kurzweil does have faith in mankind, however. He suggests that people are wise to accept that technological progress is unavoidable and that such acceptance will make the process of transition easier.

Kurzweil has personal reasons to hope for the coming of The Singularity, because he wants his life to be extended by it. Kurzweil envisions that future medical advances could invent tiny computerised machines, or nanobots, which operate inside the body to enhance the immune system. In addition ne believes that future technology might be able to resurrect his deceased father.

Looking at the state of current technological advances in many fields such as medicine, navigation and communication, Kurzweil's visions may not be unbelievable.The critical issue, however, is whether genuine artificial intelligence can ever be truly realised. Kurzweil suggests that critics of his theories, who believe that the human brain is too complex to duplicate, are underestimating what the exponential growth in technology can eventually accomplish.

2. Find the words in the text which mean the following: (Tìm những từ trong bài mà có nghĩa như sau:)

1. rapidly becoming greater in size 
nhanh chóng trở nên lớn hơn về kích thước

2. impossible to avoid or prevent from happening
không thể tránh hoặc ngăn chặn xảy ra

3. the ability to see in advance
khả năng nhìn thấy trước

4. go beyond what was expected or hoped for, usually by being bigger, better, or greater
vượt xa hơn những gì đã được dự kiến hoặc hy vọng, thường bằng việc lớn hơn, tốt hơn, hoặc cao hơn

5. no longer living
khôgn còn sống nữa

6. true; honest; having the qualities or value claimed
thật; thật thà; có chất lượng hoặc giá trị được khẳng định

Đáp án:

 1. exponential      2. inevitable                     3. envision

4. surpass(es)     5. deceased                       6. genuine

3.  Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions. (Làm việc theo cặp. Thảo luận các câu hỏi sau đây.)

1.  What does ‘double-edged swords’ mean? 'thanh gươm hai lưỡi' có nghĩa là gì?

2. a. Why does Kurzweil consider technologies to be “double-edged swords’? Tại sao Kurzweil xem công nghệ là "thanh gươm hai lưỡi"?

b. Do you agree with him? Bạn có đồng ý với ông không?

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