SE

Extract A
Title: The Thinking Machine: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the Modern World

\(\textbf{Annabel’s Amazing Story}\)

\({\bf Annabel’s Amazing Story}\)

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, once confined to the realm of science fiction, has become an integral part of our everyday lives. From virtual assistants and recommendation systems to self-driving cars and medical diagnostics, AI now influences how we work, learn, and communicate. What began as an academic curiosity has evolved into a technological revolution, reshaping industries and raising profound questions about what it means to be intelligent.

AI refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that typically require human reasoning — recognising speech, interpreting images, solving problems, and even making decisions. The concept originated in the 1950s when pioneers such as Alan Turing and John McCarthy explored whether machines could “think.” Early computers were limited by processing power and data, but rapid advances in hardware and algorithms have led to extraordinary breakthroughs.

At the heart of modern AI is machine learning — a branch of computer science that allows systems to “learn” from data rather than follow explicit instructions. When trained on vast datasets, AI models can identify patterns and make predictions with remarkable accuracy. This is how online platforms recommend music or movies tailored to personal tastes, and how banks detect fraudulent transactions within seconds.

In healthcare, AI is already revolutionising diagnostics. Algorithms can analyse medical images to detect early signs of diseases such as cancer or diabetes, often with greater precision than human specialists. In agriculture, AI-powered drones monitor crop health and optimise irrigation. These innovations demonstrate the versatility of AI — its capacity to adapt across disciplines and improve efficiency on a global scale.

However, the rise of AI is not without challenges. As machines become more capable, ethical concerns grow. The automation of jobs raises fears about unemployment, while bias in AI systems can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes. A facial recognition model trained on unbalanced data, for instance, might misidentify people of certain ethnicities more often than others. Such examples highlight the need for transparency and human oversight in AI development.

Another concern is the potential misuse of AI. Deepfake technology can create realistic but fabricated videos, blurring the line between truth and deception. Governments and technology companies now face the task of regulating AI without hindering innovation — a delicate balance between progress and protection.

Despite these dilemmas, AI’s promise remains immense. It has the potential to accelerate scientific discovery, reduce energy waste, and assist in addressing complex problems such as climate change. The challenge lies not in halting its growth, but in ensuring that its evolution aligns with human values and ethical principles.

Artificial Intelligence may not “think” as humans do, but it mirrors our creativity and ambition. It stands as a reflection of humanity’s greatest strength — the desire to build, understand, and improve. As we enter an era defined by intelligent machines, the true question is not whether AI will change the world, but how wisely we choose to shape that change.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Extract B
Title: Beyond Algorithms: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has become the defining technology of the twenty-first century. Once dismissed as speculative, AI now drives everything from smartphone assistants to financial markets. It promises astonishing advances in productivity and knowledge — yet also provokes unease about control, ethics, and the future of humanity. As machines grow more capable of performing tasks once thought uniquely human, society stands at a crossroads between opportunity and uncertainty.

AI’s power lies in its capacity to process and interpret vast amounts of information at speeds unimaginable to the human mind. Through techniques like deep learning and neural networks, computers can recognise images, translate languages, and even generate creative works such as music and art. This simulation of intelligence has blurred the boundary between human and machine creativity. In some fields, AI is already outperforming humans — composing melodies, designing products, and diagnosing medical conditions with extraordinary precision.

The implications are profound. Economically, AI could add trillions of dollars to global output by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing decision-making. Yet it could also disrupt entire sectors, rendering certain jobs obsolete while creating new ones that demand specialised technical skills. This transformation has prompted governments and educators to rethink how societies prepare for an AI-driven economy.

Ethically, AI forces us to confront difficult questions. Should a self-driving car prioritise the safety of its passengers or pedestrians in a collision? Who is accountable when an algorithm makes a harmful decision? As AI systems become more autonomous, ensuring fairness, accountability, and transparency becomes increasingly complex. Without careful regulation, the same tools that improve lives could be exploited for surveillance, misinformation, or manipulation.

Beyond economics and ethics, AI challenges the philosophical boundaries of what it means to be conscious or creative. Can a machine truly “understand,” or is it merely processing symbols without awareness? Some thinkers argue that human intelligence is defined not just by logic, but by emotion and moral reasoning — qualities machines may never replicate. Others believe AI could eventually develop forms of synthetic consciousness, raising possibilities once reserved for speculative fiction.

Still, optimism prevails among many researchers. When responsibly managed, AI could accelerate scientific breakthroughs, from modelling climate systems to discovering new medicines. It could also democratise access to education, health, and opportunity. The key lies in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure technology serves humanity, not the reverse.

Artificial Intelligence is not a distant threat or a passing trend — it is a catalyst shaping the evolution of civilisation. Like electricity or the internet, it will redefine how humans live and interact. Whether it becomes a tool of empowerment or division depends on the wisdom with which we govern it. The age of AI is already here, and our collective choices will determine whether it heralds progress or peril.

Question: What is the main idea shared by both extracts about Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

\(\textbf{Instruction: Read the four extracts below then choose the option (A, B, C or D) which you think best answers the question}\)

\(\textbf{Extract A}\)
The Silk Road was not a single road, but a wide web of trade routes that connected East Asia to the Mediterranean. Stretching across deserts, mountains, grasslands, and river valleys, it linked many cultures that had never previously interacted. Though silk was one of the most sought-after products, the Silk Road carried far more than fabric. Spices, medicines, glassware, precious stones, and metalwork all travelled in both directions, carried by merchants who undertook the long journey in stages.

The beginnings of these routes can be traced to the Han Dynasty in China, when rulers sought alliances with Central Asian kingdoms. Caravans of merchants often banded together for safety, since the journey was filled with hazards. Harsh weather, lack of water, dangerous mountain passes, and bandits all threatened travellers. Yet the rewards were great. Distant markets valued foreign goods highly, often paying prices far beyond what local traders could achieve.

The Silk Road was not governed by a single empire. Instead, it depended on cooperation and negotiation between diverse peoples. Cities like Samarkand and Kashgar flourished as trading hubs where multiple languages, religions, and customs mixed. Diplomatic and cultural exchange often developed naturally alongside trade.

Ideas travelled just as much as goods. Buddhism spread from India to China and beyond. Paper-making technology moved west and eventually helped reshape literacy in Europe. Mathematical knowledge, artistic styles, and scientific observations travelled along the same paths. In this sense, the Silk Road acted not only as a trade network but also as a channel for cultural transformation that would influence the world for centuries.

\(\textbf{Extract B}\)
The image of the Silk Road as a place of dazzling treasures often hides the difficult reality of travel. For many merchants, the journey was exhausting, uncomfortable, and frequently dangerous. The deserts of Central Asia, for example, presented extreme heat during the day and freezing cold at night. Sandstorms could erase tracks and disorient travellers, while rocky mountain trails posed constant risks of injury.

Caravans travelled slowly and cautiously. Camels were the preferred pack animals, since they could carry heavy loads over long distances with minimal water. Even so, the journey required careful planning. Merchants had to know where the next oasis was located, how long food supplies would last, and whether political conditions along the route were stable. A misunderstanding or misjudgement could result in significant loss of goods or even lives.

Bandits were a persistent threat. Some groups made their livelihoods by raiding caravans, forcing merchants either to travel in large protected groups or to hire armed guards. Disease also travelled along the Silk Road. When caravans moved, illnesses could spread across entire regions. At times, outbreaks followed the same network of trade routes that carried silk and spices.

While traders could profit enormously, most understood that the Silk Road was not a route of leisure. It demanded resilience, resourcefulness, and cooperation. The daily experience of merchants was shaped more by hardship than romance, making the continued use of the Silk Road an impressive testament to determination and economic opportunity.

\(\textbf{Extract C}\)
The Silk Road served as a pathway not only for goods, but for knowledge, beliefs, and cultural practices. Travellers exchanged more than merchandise; they exchanged ways of seeing the world. Scholars, religious envoys, and artists often accompanied caravans, bringing new philosophies and artistic styles from one region to another.

One of the most influential cultural exchanges was the spread of Buddhism. Monks from India journeyed through Central Asia and into China, where monasteries began to appear near major trade routes. These monasteries became centres of learning and translation, preserving texts and facilitating discussions between people from different regions. Ideas moved gradually, often adapting to local customs rather than replacing them completely.

Art and music also travelled. Statues, paintings, and decorative motifs along the Silk Road show blended influences, combining features from Persian, Chinese, and Greek traditions. Musical instruments and rhythms moved between cultures, enriching performances in distant courts and marketplaces.

Scientific knowledge circulated as well. Methods of producing paper, steel, dyes, and navigation tools travelled from one civilisation to another. Mathematical and astronomical observations were shared, allowing scholars in different regions to build on each other’s work. These exchanges contributed to the slow but steady development of knowledge across continents.

The Silk Road was therefore not just a passage of commerce. It was a network through which societies learned from one another, absorbing foreign ideas and reshaping them into new cultural expressions.

\(\textbf{Extract D}\)
The Silk Road’s influence gradually declined as global trade routes changed. When maritime navigation improved, sea travel became more efficient and cost-effective than long overland caravans. Ships could carry larger quantities of goods more quickly, reducing the need for traders to cross deserts and mountain ranges.

Political changes also affected the Silk Road. Empires that once protected sections of the route weakened or collapsed, making travel more dangerous. Border conflicts disrupted established trading paths, and taxes imposed by regional rulers made commerce more expensive. Some cities that once thrived on caravan trade lost their importance, while new coastal centres rose to prominence.

Although the Silk Road’s activity decreased, its legacy did not disappear. The cultural and technological exchanges that took place along its routes left lasting marks on language, art, religion, and science. The spread of ideas that began on the Silk Road continued to influence societies long after caravans stopped passing through.

In recent years, some nations have shown renewed interest in creating large-scale trade infrastructure linking Asia, Europe, and Africa. These modern projects draw inspiration from the ancient Silk Road, suggesting that the idea of connecting civilisations through exchange remains powerful.

Rather than viewing the Silk Road solely as history, it can be understood as a symbol of cultural interaction and cooperation. The patterns of exchange established long ago continue to shape how nations communicate, trade, and collaborate in the present.

\(\textbf{Question: In which extract is it mentioned that sea routes eventually replaced the overland Silk Road?}\)

\(\textbf{Question: What is the main idea of the extract?}\)

THE FIRST FLIGHT

(Extract from Heroes & Monsters Legends by James Reeves)

Minos kept Daedalus in Crete, making him construct marvels of ingenuity – baths and fountains, temples and statues, paved floors and splendid flights of stairs.

Then at last Daedalus grew tired of the service of King Minos and longed to return to Athens. He had brought with him to Crete his young son Icarus, and the boy too, now grown to manhood, wished to see his native land. But the craftsman could at first think of no way to escape. Crete was an island far distant from Athens, and Daedalus and his son could not build a ship in secrecy and man it for the voyage home. But his cunning brain was hard at work. At last he hit on the most daring invention of his life. Many an hour he had spent looking thoughtfully at the seabirds as they wheeled and circled about the rocky coast. “Ah,” said he, “if only I could fly like them! But why not? The gods have not given men wings, but they have given them a brain and hands to fashion wings for themselves.”

So in a secret place, hidden from idle curiosity, he collected together all the feathers of birds he could find, great and small. He sent his son Icarus around the island to bring back as many as he could. Then he laid them out on the ground in order — first the big feathers, then the small. When he decided he had enough, he fastened them together with wax, curving the wings like those of a bird. Icarus watched his father intently. At last the wings were finished, and Daedalus strapped them to his shoulders and went up to a piece of rising ground. Turning into the wind, he ran forward and was delighted to find himself airborne. Day after day he practised on higher and higher slopes until he reckoned the time had come to make the flight to Greece. He constructed a second pair of wings for Icarus, and together the young man and his father mastered the art of flying.

At last the day of departure came. The sun was high in the unclouded heavens, and the wind was favourable. Daedalus and Icarus carried their wings to a lofty cliff looking towards Greece and prepared for flight. When the wings were strapped firmly on their backs, Daedalus said to his son:

“Follow me. Do as I do. Don’t fly too low or your wings will be weighed down with spray from the sea. Don’t fly too near the sun either, or its heat will melt the wax that holds the feathers in place. Either way you will be destroyed. Do as I say, and may the gods go with you. Now let us be off.”

So saying, he ran towards the edge of the cliff and launched himself into the air. Borne up by the wind, he journeyed straight towards his native shore.

Icarus did just as his father had done. But he was so happy to find himself aloft in the pure blue sky that he soon forgot the good advice he had been given. He wheeled and dipped like a great seabird, and then he soared upwards till the land and even the sea were almost out of sight. How brilliant the blazing sun appeared! Icarus was fascinated by it and could not withstand the temptation to see how high he could fly. Hotter and hotter it blazed down upon him. Too late he felt the wax on his wings begin to melt. He could not descend fast enough for the wax to cool. The wings that had borne him aloft now began to break up, and soon the ill-fated young man plunged helplessly into the sea like a falling star. Icarus was drowned.

Daedalus had crossed the Aegean Sea and was almost home to Athens before he turned to catch sight of his son. Icarus was not to be seen. In alarm, Daedalus turned and flew back to the south. It was not long before he saw, as he swooped down towards the blue waves, a pair of damaged wings floating uselessly on the sea. In sorrow, Daedalus returned to Athens alone. The sea where his son had met his death was named the Icarian Sea.
\(\textbf{Question: What is the main idea of the extract?}\)