Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.

For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”

As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.

After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.

The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”

Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.

31 ． Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels ________.

A ． sympathetic B ． unconcerned C ． doubtful D ． excited

32 ． What leads to Taylor’s optimism about quantum computing?

A ． His dominance in physics. B ． The competition in the field.

C ． His confidence in PyQuantum. D ． The investment of tech companies.

33 ． What does the underlined word “prone” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A ． Open. B ． Cool. C ． Useful. D ． Resistant.

34 ． Which would be the best title for the passage?

A ． Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor?

B ． Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology?

C ． Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being?

D ． Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype?

答案

C    29 ． A    30 ． B

【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了解决全球挑战的重要方法 —— 系统思维。

28 ．推理判断题。由文章第一段 ““What would the world be if there were no hunger?” It’s a question that Professor Crystal would ask her students. They found it hard to answer, she wrote later, because imagining something that isn’t part of real life—and learning how to make it real—is a rare skill. It is taught to artists and engineers, but much less often to scientists. Crystal set out to change that, and helped to create a global movement. The result—an approach known as systems thinking—is now seen as essential in meeting global challenges. (“ 如果没有饥饿，世界会是什么样子？ ” 这是 Crystal 教授会问学生的问题。她后来写道，他们发现很难回答这个问题，因为想象一些不属于现实生活的东西，并学习如何将其变成现实是一项罕见的技能。它被教授给艺术家和工程师，但很少教授给科学家。 Crystal 着手改变这种状况，并帮助创建了一个全球运动。结果，一种被称为系统思维的方法现在被视为应对全球挑战的关键。 )” 可知，文章开头提出问题是为了引出话题 - 系统思维的方法被视为应对全球挑战的关键。故选 C 项。

29 ．细节理解题。由文章第三段 “This shows that we have some way to travel before achieving the first objective of systems t hinking - which,in this example, is to identify more constituent parts of the nutrition system.( 这表明，在实现系统思考的第一个目标之前，我们还有一段路要走 —— 在本例中，这是为了确定营养系统的更多组成部分。 )” 可知，实现系统思维的第一个目标还有一段路需要走，现尚未实现。故选 A 项。

30 ．推理判断题。由文章第一段 “Crystal set out to change that, and helped to create a global movement. The result—an approach known as systems thinking—is now seen as essential in meeting global challenges.(Crystal 着手改变这种状况，并帮助创建了一个全球运动。结果，一种被称为系统思维的方法现在被视为应对全球挑战的关键。 )” 可知，作者认为该系统能应用于解决挑战。故选 B 项。