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Hi-Tech Disaster Threatens Police Computer System

2. Read articles A and B . Complete the articles by putting the verbs in brackets in the passive. Make sure you choose the correct tense

A. A remote village in the center of Sweden__________ (transform) into the world’s most computerized community. The village of Are – population of 800 – has for the past year been acting as a living laboratory for information technology as researchers are examining what happens when an entire community ________(give) computers, software and training.

Computer keyboards __________--(tap) in the back rooms of the village bakery, T-shirt manufacturer, taxi firm, clothes shops, hotels, grocery stores, ski rental shops, restaurants and even on the local hamburger stand. Ninety businesses now have complete computer systems and most (also hook up) to an electronic mail system

B. Many police forces in Britain are facing catastrophic computer breakdowns. And several other public sector systems are on the brink of collapse, __________(it/fear). The breakdowns threaten a repeal of disasters like the recent failure of London's ambulance network 999 service which____ (blame) for up to 20 deaths. This breakdown was the latest example of a growing catalogue of spectacular 'hi-tech' disasters. Disquiet about the use of computers in the public sector _____________ (steadily/spread). £4 billion___________ (spend) in Britain every year on public-sector computing in a bid to improve police, hospital and government operations. But much of this cash _________(waste) because of poor management and over-reliance on software firms to supply expertise.

C. It is often said that computers have no emotions, but mine has become unbearably smug. I am no chess master but I am a fairly good amateur.

1. The machine appears to delight in the fact, diligently recording every mistake.

2. Today's super-programs are virtually unbeatable. It's a frightening statistic, 99.9 per cent of people cannot beat them. Even those who can, the grand-masters, are finding the challenge increasingly difficult.

3. Last year in Munich, Fritz 3 analyzed Kasparov's moves and played the counter attack so unpredictably that Kasparov was thrown, missed a move and was, as he put it, 'slain by the silicon monster'. So where are we in the race for artificial intelligence? Are we close to an artificial mind? In short, no. We have reached the limits of silicon-based technology.

4. There are two main hopes. The first is parallel processing which allows the computer to perform several different things at once, arriving at the end solution quicker. From this, it is hoped, neural nets will be developed – programs that learn and incorporate that learning into their behaviour.

5. The second potential technology is organic or bio-computing. Artificial neurons already exist and have been 'wired' into primitive clusters designed to replicate the pathways of the human brain. However, we still do not know enough about the brain to synthesize an organic equivalent. In many ways, of course, the computer is already our superior. It excels at storing memories of what humans have already achieved, referring to them and basing its own strategies around them .


Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1049


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