The human brain contains 10 thousand million cells and each of these may have a thou sand connections . Such enormous numbers used to discourage us and cause us to dismiss the possibility of making a machine with humanlike ability , but now that we have grown used to moving forward at such a pace we can 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 intelligent by loading in the right software (軟件)or by altering the architecture but that too will happen .

　　I think it certain that in decades , not centuries , machines of Silicon (硅)will arise first to rival and then exceed their human ancestors . Once they exceed us they will be capable of their own design . In a real sense they will 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 finest intelligence in the known universe .

　　As the intelligence of robots increases to match that of humans and as their cost declines through economies of scale we may use them to expand our frontiers , first on earth through their ability to withstand environments , harmful to ourselves . Thus , deserts may bloom and the ocean beds be mined . 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 , mancreated world in space , home to thousands or millions of people, will be within our power.

　　1 . In what way can we make a machine intelligent ?

　　A . By making it work in such environments as deserts , oceans or space .

　　B . By working hard for 10 or 20 years

　　C . By either properly programming it or changing its structure .

　　D . By reproducing it .

　　2 . What does the writer think about machines with human-like ability ?

　　A . He believes they will be useful to human beings .

　　B . He believes that they will control us in the future .

　　C . He is not quite sure in what way they may influence us .

　　D . He doesn 't consider the construction of such machines possible .

　　3 . The word “carbon ” ( Line4 , Para . 2 ) stands for “_____”

　　A . intelligent robots B . a chemical element

　　C . an organic substance D . human beings

　　4. A robot can be used to expand our frontiers when _____ .

　　A . its intelligence and cost are beyond question

　　B . it is able to bear the rough environment

　　C . it is made as complex as the human brain

　　D . its architecture is different from that of the present ones

　　5. It can be inferred from the passage that ______ .

　　A . after the installation of a great number of cells and connections , robots will be capable of self-reproduction

　　B . with the rapid development of technology , people have come to realize the possibility of making a machine with human-like ability

　　C . once we make a machine as complex as the human brain , it will possess intelligence

　　D . robots will have control of the vast , man-made world in space