1 . Your options for an ego - friendly home may seem somewhat limited now—solar panels, rain barrels, and maybe a small garden—but as the world of green technology advanced, there is a rise in the number of smart, ego-friendly home improvements. Some of them are available now.     1     Read on to see how you can improve your home now.

A home thermos tat (恒温器) can automatically adjust the temperature for you, making sure your house is warm when you get home and reducing energy waste during the day. For example, a thermos tat called Nest Learning Thermos tat learns your heating and cooling preference and automatically adjusts itself.     2     , without ever having to remember to adjust the I temperature.

Years ago, recycling paper and plastic was the most you could do to save resource.     3     recycling everything from Christmas lights to wine corks (瓶塞). And where do the post-recycling-process materials end up? Back in your home, in the form of recycled-paper counter tops (台面) and recycled plastic carpets, to name a few.

    4     . But if you're ready to take your heating, cooling and electricity system into the future, then you'll want to start with alternative new energy source, like solar panels or wind power. Solar panels are additions you can make to your own house, but if you don't have the time or money, you can also choose alternative energy sources through your regular supplier.

In 2009, The Wall Street Journal asked four architectural firms to imagine the future of green homes.     5     They designed what they call the “Incredible Edible House”, covered in green in the form of plants and gardens that provide food for the home owners, absorb heat to keep the interior cool, and are watered from a rooftop that catches rain.

A．There are quite a lot of benefits of green homes.

B．Others, like walls made of gardens, are a bit more futuristic

C．Traditional energy sources are still the norm in most houses

D．Nest users have saved 29 million in energy in less than two years

E．It will depend on the type of heating and cooling system in your home

F．Now, recycling factories have gone way beyond the traditional materials

G．And one of the groups, Rios Clementi Hale Studios, undertook the project

2 . 最近，你班即将举行以“Life in the future”为主题的英语讨论。请根据医学，能源，旅行，日常生活等几个方面，谈谈你心目中未来的生活。
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3 . For years, planet-hunters have been searching for a planet other than Earth that can support life. They may have found one.

The planet is the sixth found orbiting a star called Gliese 581. Steven Vogt, one of the scientists involved, expects the new planet to have water. On Earth, when we find water, we find life.     1    

A planet that can support life has to be just the right size for its system and just the right distance from its star. Some planets orbit so close to their stars that they’re much too hot for liquid water—or for life as we know it.     2    

But a right-sized planet that's neither too close nor too far might be just right for water. Gliese 581 is probably just right. It is about three times as huge as Earth.     3     Because it’s so close, one side of it always faces its star, and the other side is always dark.

The new planet is 20 light years away, which is as far as 250 million trips to the Moon and back.     4     Only light can go that fast. So even at the fastest speed we could manage, it would take a spaceship from Earth more than 200 years to go that far.     5     But that doesn’t mean we can’t study it. Thanks to powerful new telescopes and new techniques for searching the skies, scientists can learn a lot about distant planets without even leaving Earth.

Gliese 581 is an exciting discovery—and astronomers are likely to find more soon, thanks to new, powerful telescopes specifically designed to look for planets.

A．We can’t travel at the speed of light.

B．It’s pretty hard to imagine that water wouldn't be there.

C．Human beings won’t be visiting this planet any time soon.

D．So scientists looking for life on other planets look for water first.

E．It orbits its star so closely that it goes all the way around in only 37 days.

F．Astronomers will probably find more potential life-supporting planets soon.

G．Other planets keep their distance from the stars—where they’re too cold to have water or life.

4 . Luggage-free travel, boarding queues and self-flying planes will be common for travelers in 20 years' time. You'll even be able to go on a holiday without leaving your sofa. The bold predictions have been made by futurologist and author Ray Hammond, who is based in the UK.

According to Hammond’s predictions published in the Future Travel Report by Allianz Insurance, it's likely that tourists will be flying to and from the moon regularly by 2040. What's more, passports could disappear, as airports move more and more into the land of facial pattern recognition systems at check-in gates. Computer systems that can scan your face and check you into your flight will be standard in 20 years, the report notes.

When you board your flight, after checking in with your smiling dial, don’t expect to be greeted by the pilot. Hammond bets that planes will be flying themselves in 2040. No pilots and no supervision. It'll play well for the special routes of plane travel-extra-long flights, which have raised concerns about the aircraft staffs tiredness. Are you nervous at the thought of a plane under its own control? You'll be calmer by the time you step aboard Hammond says. Well already be used to self-driving cars.

When you do arrive at your destination and check into your hotel, there won’t be a porter carrying your heavy suitcase to your room. By 2040, we'll have the ability to send our clothing measurements to our hotel ahead of our arrival, where they'll have a 3D printer ready to print out our clothing. And when we check out, our clothes will be shipping off for recycling.

Virtual reality will be so advanced within 20 years that it'll allow us to experience other countries and destinations without stepping foot outside our door. The report says, “Multi-sensory virtual reality technology will allow armchair travel planners to ‘step into’ virtual hotel rooms, explore museums or walk into restaurants.” However, it won’t kill the real-life tourism industry-instead, it's expected to give it an even bigger improvement.

1. What did Ray Hammond say about traveling by self-flying plane?

A．It is boring.

B．It is challenging.

C．It is relaxing.

D．It is frightening.

2. How will the advanced 3D technology affect tourism?

A．Make it easier for tourists to book tickets.	B．Make clothes easily available to tourists.
C．Make recycling more common in tourism.	D．Make it possible to travel without passports.

3. What is possible by 2040 according to Ray Hammond?

A．Flying to the moon and back regularly.	B．Having no need to book trips.
C．Enjoying virtual reality only in museums.	D．Traveling with anyone as you please.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Predictions on Travel by 2040	B．Possible Changes About Life in 2040
C．Changes of the Means of traveling	D．The Bright Future of the Tour Industry

5 . In May this year, as part of our 150th anniversary, we asked readers aged between 18 and 25 to enter an essay competition. The task was to tell us, in no more than 1,000 words, what scientific advance they would most like to see in their lifetimes, and why it mattered to them.

The response was phenomenal: we received 661 entries. Some entrants hoped that science would make their lifetimes much longer than they can currently expect. Many looked forward to work that will end climate change. Others wanted to see advances in our understanding of human history, crop growth, space exploration, and medical technologies. The ideas were inspiring.

The winner is a compelling essay by Yasmin Ali, a PhD student at the University of Nottingham, UK. Ali submitted a piece on Beethoven, her brother’s hearing loss and the science which she hoped would one day cure it. It stood out to the judges as a reminder of why many scientists do research: to make the world better tomorrow than it is today.

All essays were judged by a group of Nature editors. The top ten submissions were then ranked by three members of a separate judging group: Magdalena Skipper, editor-in-chief of Nature; Faith Osier, a researcher; and Jess Wade, a physicist. All submissions were kept anonymous throughout the process.

We also selected two runners-up(非冠军的获奖者).Physicist Robert Schittko at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, proposes that nuclear fusion(核聚变) could offer a solution to the climate crisis, in a piece that effortlessly mixes grand ambition with gentle humour. And chemist Matthew Zajac at the University of Chicago in Illinois wrote a powerful personal account of why he wants to see advances in the field of same-sex reproduction.

The results show that today’s young scientists have a wealth of ideas, talent and conviction that research can transform their world. We look forward to seeing what they do next.

1. What’s the essay competition about?

A．The scientific expectation.

B．The fantastic scientific ideas.

C．The dreams of future life.

D．The celebration of anniversary.

2. Why Yasmin Ali was chosen the winner?

A．She showed great talent in music.

B．She found the cure for the loss of hearing.

C．She appealed for people to care about hearing loss problem.

D．She reminded people to remember the meaning of science development.

3. What can we learn about the result of the essay competition?

A．Robert Schittko won the second place.

B．There were two winners in the essay competition.

C．Matthew Zajac presented his view of same-sex reproduction.

D．The two runners-up were selected for the same field they chose.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the competitors’ ideas about science expectations?

A．Doubtful.

B．Favorable.

C．Impossible.

D．Ignorant.

6 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Are all changes good?

It is a commonly held belief that as people get older, they become resistant to change. Their complaints that things used to be better in the past or     1     some new development is no good can be dismissed as the unavoidable thoughts of people who    2     (simple) don't like change and are therefore     3     (able) to see the benefits of progress.

But is this automatically true? Are the views of an older person on a new development always to be disregarded? This would suggest that every new development must be a good     4     and surely that cannot logically be    5     case.

Take    6     (architect) for example. In the 1950s and 1960s, many older British people were highly critical of the new concrete housing blocks that suddenly sprang up in cities,     7     (say) that they were ugly and depressing places to live in. They were     8     (tell) that they were simply being old-fashioned and that they were incapable of appreciating the advantages of these new buildings, which had replaced the streets of small houses that they were familiar with.     9     decades later, these very same blocks were being pulled    10    , as new generations decided they were both ugly and bad for society.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Once regarded as a geographical disadvantage, Shantang village in Zhejiang province has now become an     1     (attract) tourism destination. It     2     (locate)in the northeastern tip of Guangchen town. It was off the beaten track when the road was not in good condition. However, with transportation improved, the village is connected to Shanghai by a stone bridge     3     a river.

Tourists can enjoy     4     (they) by walking among trees and grasslands, taking in the view of the lake and getting a look at the past through old items such as     5     (sew) machines, radios and photos which are preserved in a museum converted (改造) from an old house. Buses connecting the village to neighboring provinces are up and running in     6     endless stream. Over the past few years, dragon boat competitions and local festivals have been     7     (regular) held to enrich visitor experience. Local authorities have also restored a street     8     dates back to the Qing Dynasty to promote rural tourism in the village.

Shantang now offers sightseeing, leisure and shopping     9     (activity). Favorable policies have been introduced to encourage locals     10     (set) up shops on the streets. Last year, the historical street had 400,000 tourist visits, earning more than 20 million yuan in tourism income.

8 . One billion people in the world are short of water. How can this problem be solved. Some suggestions have been to desalinate ocean water or to build enormous water pipelines from areas where water is abundant. (Suggestions such as these prove extremely expensive when they are actually used.) One possibility that scientists are considering is pulling icebergs from either the North Pole or the South Pole to parts of the world with a water shortage. Although many questions must be answered before such a project could be tried, moving icebergs seems a reasonable possibility in the future.

Engineers, mathematicians, and glaciologists from a dozen countries have been considering the iceberg as a future source of water. Saudi Arabia is particularly interested in this project because it has a great water shortage. Scientists estimate that it would take 128 days to transport a large iceberg (about 1/2 square mile) to Saudi Arabia. Yet the iceberg would be completely melted by the 104th day. Therefore, insulation would be essential, but how to insulate the iceberg remains an unsolved problem.

The problems in transporting an iceberg are numerous. The first problem is choosing the iceberg to pull. The icebergs that form in the North Pole are quite difficult to handle because of their shape. Only a small portion extends above the water — most of the iceberg is below the surface, which would make it difficult to pull. South Pole icebergs, on the other hand, are flat and float like table tops. Thus they would be much easier to move.

How can a 200-million-ton iceberg be moved. No ship is strong enough to pull such enormous weight through the water. Perhaps several ships could be used. Attaching ropes to an iceberg this size is also an enormous problem. Engineers think that large nails or long metal rods could be driven into the ice. What would happen if the iceberg splits into several pieces during the pulling. Even if an iceberg with very few cracks were chosen, how could it be pulled through stormy waters. Furthermore, once the iceberg reached its destination, very few ports would be deep enough to store it.

All of these problems must be solved before icebergs can become a reasonable source of water. Yet scientists estimate that it will be possible to transport them in the near future. Each year, enough icebergs form to supply the whole world with fresh water for a full year. In addition, icebergs are free and nonpolluting. As a solution to the world’s water problems, icebergs may be a workable possibility.

1. What is a problem in transporting iceberg?

A．The size of the iceberg.

B．The colour of the iceberg.

C．The salt in the iceberg.

D．The movement of air and water.

2. What is the author’ attitude towards transporting iceberg?

A．Pessimistic.	B．Objective.
C．Optimistic.	D．Unconcerned.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．It is hard to use iceberg.	B．Iceberg are a good choice.
C．There are problems with iceberg.	D．Man finds no other ways to solve water shortage.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Shortage of water.	B．Icebergs for water.
C．Scientists and icebergs.	D．Iceberg—scientists headache.

9 . 我们未来的生活将会是什么样的？对于这个问题，每个人都有自己的设想。假设你对未来生活的设想包含以下几个方面，请据此写一篇100词左右的短文，介绍你想象中的未来生活。
1.家中有能处理一切家务、参与各种活动的人形机器人(android)；
2.无人驾驶的环保型汽车成为主要的交通工具；
3.月球成为我们度假的一个好去处。
注意：可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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10 . When almost everyone has a mobile phone, why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline (座机)?

These days you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15 who doesn’t own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere, anytime.

Still, 55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter (29%) rely only on their smartphones according to a survey (调查). Of those Australians who still have a landline, a third concede that it’s not really necessary and they’re keeping it as a security blanket — 19 percent say they never use it while a further 13 percent keep it in case of emergencies. I think my home falls into that category.

More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone. Age is naturally a factor (因素)— only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlines now and then, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers who’ve perhaps had the same home number for 50 years. Age isn’t the only factor; I’d say it’s also to do with the makeup of your household.

Generation Xers with young families, like my wife and I, can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents, to the point where we play a game and guess who is calling before we pick up the phone (using Caller ID would take the fun out of it).

How attached are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about mobile phones?

A．Their target users.	B．Their wide popularity.
C．Their major functions.	D．Their complex design.

2. What does the underlined word “concede” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Admit.	B．Argue.
C．Remember.	D．Remark.

3. What can we say about Baby Boomers?

A．They like smartphone games.	B．They enjoy guessing callers’ identity.
C．They keep using landline phones.	D．They are attached to their family.

4. What can be inferred about the landline from the last paragraph?

A．It remains a family necessity.

B．It will fall out of use some day.

C．It may increase daily expenses.

D．It is as important as the gas light.