D The idea that computers have some amount of “intelligence” is not new, says Ralph Haupter, the president of Microsoft Asia, pointing as far back as 1950 when computer pioneer Alan Turing asked whether machines can think. “So it has taken nearly 70 years for the right combination of factors to come together to move AI from concept to reality,” says Haupter. It is predicted that the development of artificial intelligence will be the story of the coming generations, not just the coming year, but as 2019 gets underway, you’ll find AI will begin to touch your life in many ways according to some researchers. “Personal assistant AIs will keep getting smarter. As our personal assistants learn more about our daily routines, I can imagine the day I need not to worry about preparing dinner. My AI knows what I like to eat, which days of the week I like to cook at home, and makes sure that when I get back from work all my groceries are waiting at my doorstep, ready for me to prepare that delicious meal I had been longing for.” ---Alecjandro Troccoli, senior research scientist, NVIDIA. “Thanks to AI, the face will be the new credit card, the new driver’s license and the new barcode (条形码). Facial recognition is already completely transforming security with biometric capabilities being adopted, and seeing how technology and business are connected, like Amazon is with Whole Foods, I can see a near future where people will no longer need to stand in line at the store.” ---Georges Nahon, president, Orange Institute, a global research laboratory. “2019 will be the year AI becomes real for medicine. By the end of the year we’re seeing solutions for population health, hospital operations and a broad set of clinical specialties quickly follow behind.” ---Mark Michalski, executive director, Massachusetts General Hospital. 12. What can we know about AI from the first two paragraphs? A. People didn't expect AI to develop so rapidly. B. The idea of AI just came up recently. C. The concept of AI was put forward by Ralph Haupter. D. It took more than 70 years to turn the concept into reality. 13. Who sees the future of AI doing housework instead of human being? A. Alan Turing. B. Georges Nahon. C. Mark Michalski. D. Alejandro Troccoli. 14. What is Georges Nahon’s job? A. Executive director of a hospital. B. President of a research laboratory. C. Chairman of an energy corporation. D. Chief operating officer of a newspaper. 15. How is the passage developed? A. By explaining cause and effect. B. By presenting research results. C. By listing some predictions. D. By describing personal experiences.