VOA慢速：讨论人工智能
Discussing Artificial Intelligence
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the subject of many news reports this year. It has also been part of many everyday discussions. It will likely continue to be a popular subject of discussion in the coming years, too. So, how might one talk about artificial intelligence? What kinds of terms and structures should you use? In this week’s Everyday Grammar, we will explore a point of connection between grammar and technology. You will learn how to ask questions about artificial intelligence. You will also learn some ways to express your own opinions about AI.
Let’s start with questions. Questions generally come in two forms — yes or no questions and open-ended questions. Yes or no questions ask for a yes or a no answer. Open-ended questions are seeking more information than a simple yes or no answer. Open-ended questions are the secret to good discussions. By asking open-ended questions, you can learn much more about the thoughts and opinions of others. We often use question words to ask open-ended questions. When we discuss artificial intelligence, a few question words will be especially useful. These are what, why, and how.
Consider these three questions:
l What do you think of artificial intelligence?
l Why are people concerned about artificial intelligence?
l How will artificial intelligence affect our lives?
Note that there is a general structure to all of these questions. They begin with the question word. Then, they involve some kind of helping verb: do, be, or will. Then we have the subject of the sentence, the main verb, and the rest of the sentence. If we reduced these ideas into a kind of math formula, you might say the following:
Open-ended question = A question word + a helping verb + a subject + a main verb + the rest of the sentence
We can ask open-ended questions in different tenses. For example, we could ask about the past, as in: How did you first hear about artificial intelligence? In this case, we changed the helping verb do into its past form, did. We can also ask about the future, as in: How will artificial intelligence change our lives over the next 20 years?
We have explored questions. But how can we answer such questions?
One way to think of your answer is in terms of good, bad, and mixed. You might use terms such as positive, negative, optimistic or pessimistic.
Consider this question:
l What do you think of artificial intelligence?
You might have a positive opinion and say something like this: I am optimistic about artificial intelligence.
You might have a negative opinion and say something like this: I am pessimistic about artificial intelligence.
If your views go both ways, you might say: I have mixed opinions about artificial intelligence.
Of course, after all of these answers, you should be prepared to give more details. We often use the word “because” followed by a clause — a subject and predicate group.
So, you might say “I am optimistic about artificial intelligence because people will be more productive with it.”
Or “I am pessimistic about artificial intelligence because I think it will hurt the labor force in a powerful way.”
In today’s lesson, we explored a few ways to ask questions and give answers about artificial intelligence. Such discussions could take place in an everyday discussion or as part of an English test.
Let’s end today with a homework assignment. Write an answer to the question you heard earlier in the report:
l How will artificial intelligence change our lives over the next 20 years?
Before writing your answer, be sure to consider what views you have. Ask yourself if you see the future in a positive way, a negative way, or in a mixed way. Send us your answers at learningenglish@voanews.com.
I’m John Russell.
VOCABULARY
1. formula n. 公式，规则
2. open-ended adj. 开放性的，不受限制的
3. predicate n. 谓语
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What type of questions are good for discussions according to the text?
A. Yes or no questions.
B. Open-ended questions.
C. Both A and B.
D. None of the above.
2. What is the formula for an open-ended question as per the passage?
A. A subject + a helping verb + a question word + a main verb + the rest of the sentence.
B. A question word + a helping verb + a subject + a main verb + the rest of the sentence.
C. A question word + a main verb + a subject + a helping verb + the rest of the sentence.
D. A subject + a main verb + a question word + a helping verb + the rest of the sentence.
3. Which of the following statements about expressing opinions on AI is NOT supported by the passage?
A. You should always express positive opinions.
B. Your views on AI can be mixed.
C. It’s acceptable to express negative opinions.
D. After you state your opinion, it’s beneficial to provide more details.
4. What might be a way to consider your answers according to the text?
A. In terms of good, bad, and mixed.
B. Based on whether it’s about the past or future.
C. Only in terms of positive and negative.
D. Based on personal experiences only.
5. What type of clause is often used after stating one’s opinion on AI?
A. A clause starting with “because”.
B. A clause starting with “however”.
C. A clause starting with “although”.
D. A clause starting with “unless”.
KEY
1. What type of questions are good for discussions according to the text?
A. Yes or no questions.
B. Open-ended questions.
C. Both A and B.
D. None of the above.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章中提到：Open-ended questions are the secret to good discussions.，这句话的意思是开放式问题是进行好的讨论的秘诀，因此选择B。
2. What is the formula for an open-ended question as per the passage?
A. A subject + a helping verb + a question word + a main verb + the rest of the sentence.
B. A question word + a helping verb + a subject + a main verb + the rest of the sentence.
C. A question word + a main verb + a subject + a helping verb + the rest of the sentence.
D. A subject + a main verb + a question word + a helping verb + the rest of the sentence.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。文章中给出了开放式问题的公式：Open-ended question = A question word + a helping verb + a subject + a main verb + the rest of the sentence，所以正确答案是B。
3. Which of the following statements about expressing opinions on AI is NOT supported by the passage?
A. You should always express positive opinions.
B. Your views on AI can be mixed.
C. It’s acceptable to express negative opinions.
D. After you state your opinion, it’s beneficial to provide more details.
【答案】A
【解析】推理题。文章中没有明确表达应该总是积极表达对AI的看法。文章中提到，你可能会有正面观点、负面观点，或者多元观点，并且你在陈述自己的意见后应提供更多的细节。因此，选项A与文章内容不符。
4. What might be a way to consider your answers according to the text?
A. In terms of good, bad, and mixed.
B. Based on whether it’s about the past or future.
C. Only in terms of positive and negative.
D. Based on personal experiences only.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题。文章明确表示，你可以从好、坏和多元的角度来考虑你的答案。因此，正确答案是A。
5. What type of clause is often used after stating one’s opinion on AI?
A. A clause starting with “because”.
B. A clause starting with “however”.
C. A clause starting with “although”.
D. A clause starting with “unless”.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题。文章中指出，在表达关于AI的观点之后，我们通常使用以because开头的从句，因此答案是A。
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