1 . We don’t know how different our life will be in the future. We can only try to imagine it.
At first we think about human relationship. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will make new friends through the Internet—even our husbands or wives will be met in this way. It will be much faster and easier for us. On the other hand, our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today—we will feel a little lonely.
Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the housework for us.
Spending holidays will also be completely different. Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will use solar-powered cars, which will be much cleaner.
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true. We will pay more attention to protecting the environment. And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as health will be in better condition.
Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future;we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather hope about our future. We should be happy and believe good things will happen.
1. Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?A.Because the number of people will become much smaller. |
B.Because there will be less face-to-face communication. |
C.Because people won’t like making friends with each other. |
D.Because people won’t communicate with each other much often. |
A.computers will do all the things for human beings |
B.how people will use computers to communicate with each other |
C.machines like computers and robots will help people a lot |
D.how people will use robots to do the housework |
A.How people will communicate in the year 2050. |
B.What our life will be like in the year 2050. |
C.How people will travel and spend their holidays in the year 2050. |
D.What high technology will appear in the year 2050. |
A.The relationship between people will be more important than that of today. |
B.The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today. |
C.It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets. |
D.Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars. |
2 . What the future school will look like is difficult to make clear, but most experts agree that the school will be electronic in the future.
“Present-day schools will no longer exist in the next century,” says a report in The Age. “At that time, schools will become community-style centers, which run seven days a week, and 24 hours a day.” At the same time, computers will surely become a central part of the school in the future.
According to The Age, the distance learning will be popular and students will listen to teachers on computers. Going into classrooms on their computers, students will study at any time, which is very easy for them. However, it is necessary for students to go to the actual school in order to develop some social skills.
Seashore Primary School is an imaginary school in the future created by the Education Department of Australia. At this school, all the teachers and students have laptop computers. Teachers check messages and call students back with a special telephone system and students use telephones to search for information or speak to their teachers who give their lessons. Besides, all the lessons are related to all sorts of subjects and all the students have their own learning plans created by teachers.
As one headmaster says, a laptop computer is a student’s library, data storage(数据存储) device as well as the bridge to a wider world. Technology has changed the emphasis of future learning. Thus, we’ll pay more attention to the learning of kids rather than the teaching.
1. According to the report in The Age, students in future schools will ________.A.mainly study online | B.study at set times |
C.have no teachers | D.never go to actual schools |
A.telephones are important in Australia |
B.how future schools will work |
C.every student needs a learning plan |
D.students enjoy getting in touch with teachers |
A.Lesson. | B.Score. | C.Attitude. | D.Focus. |
A.The Schools in the Future | B.Great Changes in Technology |
C.Seashore Primary School | D.Actual Schools to Be Replaced |
3 . The future home is something that people have talked about for decades. Because the future home idea inspires our imagination, scientists and engineers have been working hard to develop different systems to make houses “smarter”.
The video camera at the entrance recognize visitors using facial recognition. The facial recognition software of the future home will not only recognize friends, but strangers as well. And the software in the future home will run the strangers faces against a database of criminals.
The future home will also have smart application appliances (家电) as well. There will be a vast networking system connecting them. Ovens, microwaves and refrigerators will be controlled automatically, so remote cooking will be a possibility and meals are prepared for your arrival.
There will also be a green systems in place such as saving and reusing washing water and bathwater. Plants and people may receive pure or mineralized (含矿的) drinking water.
If you think this future home idea is pie in the sky or science fiction, then think again. Most of the systems described here are either in development or already out in the market. Future homes may not be standard yet for the middle class but this is not as far ahead as many people would think.
1. What can the facial recognition software be used for in the future houses?A.Greeting friends. | B.Collecting criminals information. |
C.Recognizing visitors. | D.Following dangerous criminals. |
A.Facial recognition software. | B.Remote cooking. |
C.Smart refrigerators. | D.Saving and reusing water. |
A.Attractive. | B.Common. | C.Special. | D.Excellent. |
A.Smart future home |
B.A smart networking system |
C.Software in future home |
D.Various household appliances |
4 . Once upon a time, there was a man who believed he could see the future through the stars. He called himself an astrologer and got used to
One evening he was
He was
As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said, “You
“What use is it,” said another, “to read the stars, when you can’t see what’s right here on the earth?”
We all want our future to be
A.laughing | B.shouting | C.aiming | D.staring |
A.disaster | B.future | C.fortune | D.others |
A.relatives | B.teenagers | C.villagers | D.scientists |
A.driving | B.cycling | C.walking | D.running |
A.back | B.around | C.down | D.up |
A.stones | B.fish | C.waste | D.mud |
A.struggling | B.swimming | C.flowing | D.bathing |
A.madly | B.patiently | C.surprisingly | D.confidently |
A.family | B.life | C.career | D.money |
A.death | B.injury | C.cries | D.climb |
A.like | B.have | C.pretend | D.offer |
A.happen | B.fail | C.wait | D.refuse |
A.bright | B.rich | C.different | D.safe |
A.predict | B.share | C.improve | D.prepare |
A.happy | B.present | C.unknown | D.past |
5 . You are just waking up in the spring of 2030. Your Internet of Things bedroom opens solar-powered e-windows and plays gentle music while your smart lighting displays a montage(蒙太奇) of beachfront sunrises from your recent vacation.
Your shower uses very little water or soap. It recycles your grey water and puts the extra heat back into your home's integrated operating system. While you dress, your artificial intelligence (Al) assistant shares your schedule for the day and plays your favourite tunes.
You still start your day with caffeine but it comes from your loT refrigerator which is capable of providing a coffeehouse experience in your home. A hot breakfast tailored to your specific nutritional needs (based on chemical analysis from your trips to the "smart toilet") is waiting for you in the kitchen.
When it's time to leave, an on-demand transport system has three cars waiting for you, your spouse and your kids. On the road, driverless cars and trucks move with mathematical precision, without traffic jams. Accident rates are near zero.
En route, you call your R&.D team, who are wrapping up a day's work in Shanghai. Your life-sized image will be projected,which makes your colleagues see you as if you were sitting with them. It's a bit surreal(超现实的)for them to see you in the morning light given that it's dark on the Bund, Shanghai's waterfront, though the novelty fades after a few uses.
You review the day's cloud-based data from your Shenzhen manufacturing centre, your pilot project in San Diego, and your QA team in Melbourne. The massive datasets are collected in realtime from every piece of equipment and have been beautifully summarized by your company's AI. All these facilities are closely maintained and operated via a skilled predictive analytics platform. Pleased with the team's progress, you end the call and ease into a good book. This is the future and it will be here sooner than you think.
1. What will happen when you dress yourself according to the text?A.Your schedule is sent to your boss. |
B.Bedroom opens quickly. |
C.Your favourite tunes are played. |
D.Your coffee is ordered and served. |
A.Made specially. |
B.Mixed similarly. |
C.Produced in advance. |
D.Invented traditionally. |
A.Because the team makes progress. |
B.Because your images are wrapped up. |
C.Because you did it ahead of time. |
D.Because your life-sized picture is projected. |
A.Why we need AI assistants. |
B.What life will be like in 2030. |
C.How we find meaningful work in the future. |
D.How AI helps you lead an important life. |
6 . These are some ideas that some people came up with about what the life will be like in the year 2500.
We will have established a base on the moon. School kids can take field trips to the moon weekly. We will have found cures (疗法) for AIDS and cancer. The war will have ended and peace flows freely through the land. Kids will learn more and be smarter than ever before! History will be the main subject at school. Cafeteria (自助餐厅) food will be delicious! You just walk up to a machine, stick out your tongue, and it will scan your taste buds (味蕾) to see what you want to eat.
— Kristen
Here I am in the wonderful year of 2500 and life is so easy. I work in a pet store and it is so hard! I have to wake up at midnight every day and fly my car to the store. It takes so long to get there. It takes me 20 seconds to get to the store in Mississippi from my home in Florida! At work, I have to push 5 buttons and then I go home. It takes 2 seconds and that is like forever.
— Morgan
In the year 2500, I think we will have invented cars that run on things we don’t need like garbage. Tail gas will smell like whatever you like such as chocolate. I also predict that buildings will be able to go into a different dimension(维度) so your car won't hit them. The cars in 2500 don’t fly, for we haven’t got that technology yet, but they can hover (盘旋) up to seven feet. These cars are made for speed!
— Carly
Instead of cars, we may have hovering devices that float around. We could also have electric cars instead of gas powered cars. Food might be more healthy. What I believe is that the environment will change most. The environmental changes will also determine many other changes. If more people try to help the environment, then perhaps in 2500 we will have more forests and wildlife. If people won’t help the environment, then we will have no forests and little wildlife left.
— Roberta
1. What does the underlined word “scan” in the 2nd paragraph most probably mean?A.change | B.treat |
C.examine | D.improve |
A.English will be the main subject at school. |
B.Students can go to the moon every week. |
C.Cafeteria will replace other restaurants. |
D.AIDS and cancer will disappear. |
A.difficult | B.meaningless | C.important | D.easy |
A.Kristen. | B.Morgan. | C.Carly. | D.Roberta. |
A.the environment will have changed a lot |
B.there will be more wildlife and forests |
C.the environment will be seriously damaged |
D.cars will run on solar power and electricity |
7 . Life on Mars: Is it really possible?
Now that Curiosity is beaming back Earth-like pictures of Martian landscape, the old question raises its head: Could man and woman ever go there? The answer is very definitely yes. There are a number of practical challenges to overcome first, however. There are differences between Earth and Mars, but also a number of similarities.
Phobos and Deimos
Unlike Earth, Mars does not have a polar magnetic field. Scientists believe that the two Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, are little planets.
For the annual IGEM or International Genetically Engineered Machines competition, students around the world attempt to make living cells perform new tasks. In preparation for the human colonization of Mars, seeds and organic matter would have to be transported from Earth to begin growing plants and establishing a food supply.
Super-sized Bees
Plants need pollinators as well as water, and the best pollinator on Earth is the humble bee-and entire hives would be transported to Mars.
Overcoming Challenges-Opening Possibilities
There will be other challenges to overcome, for example, the effect on the human body of living in a field with low gravity.
A.IGEM |
B.The next question is: Could man colonize Mars? |
C.Once there, the insects would be let loose among the plants. |
D.However, all kinds of other interesting things will be happening. |
E.But these are already issues for astronauts living on the International Space Station. |
F.They do not have the stabilizing effect on the spin of the planet like the moon has upon Earth. |
G.Mars has Earth-like seasons and the planet surface is abundant in minerals essential for plant growth. |
8 . All the efforts you put into studying at university may not have been enough—because robots could be coming for your job. A new study finds that as many as 800 million workers could be replaced by robots by 2030.
The study from the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be replaced by automation(自动化) or robots and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world. It estimates that 30 percent of the hours people spend on working globally could have been automated by that time.
Those most affected will be people who work in predictable environments doing tasks such as operating machines and preparing fast food. Those who make a living by collecting and processing data also face a high risk of being replaced by robots. But people who work in less predictable environments such as gardeners, plumbers, and childcare staff face a smaller risk, because their roles are technically difficult to be automated and often command relatively lower wages, which makes automation a less attractive business proposition(商业提议).
However, it’s not all doom for the future of employment. The Study notes that automation sometimes allows workers to remain employed in a different position. “Even when some tasks are automated, the employment rate in those occupations may not decline because workers may perform new tasks,” McKinsey &Company wrote in a release on its website.
It noted that China has the largest number of employees who would need to switch occupations, up to 100 million if automation was adopted rapidly, or 12 percent of the 2030 workforce. The numbers are higher in more advanced economies, with up to one-third of the 2030 workforce in America and Germany needing to switch occupations, along with nearly half of the 2030 workforce in Japan. Countries which fail to prepare workers for transition to new jobs will feel the impact of a rise in unemployment and depressed wages, according to the study.
1. Why will lots of people need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world?A.They don’t put efforts into their study at university. |
B.The world’s working population is on the steady rise. |
C.They will be paid less with the development of technology. |
D.Robots or automation will take the place of their positions. |
A.Machine operation. | B.Fast food cooking. |
C.Childcare in kindergarten. | D.Data collection. |
A.Estimated figures. | B.Public opinions. |
C.Financial reports. | D.Website contents. |
A.Education. | B.Business. | C.Lifestyle. | D.Technology. |
注意:1.词数100左右;2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Life in the Future
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10 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.A.they have got some ideas about living forever |
B.they believe that there is no limit of living |
C.they are able to make people live past the present life span |
D.they are sure to find the truth about long living |
A.the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
B.it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
C.it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
D.people can live from 120 to 180 |
A.a great effort |
B.the conservative estimate |
C.the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
D.the idea of living beyond the present life span |
A.No Limit for Human Life |
B.Living Longer or not |
C.Science,Technology and Long Living |
D.Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |