1 . 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。

No one can foretell the future of technology exactly, because no one can see the future. However, there are reasonable     1     (argue) based on the advances and trends in technology in the past. For example, it’s reasonable to predict that computers will continue to become more powerful, numerous and cheaper. Areas with huge potential,     2     are just beginning to be made use of today, like biotechnology, will continue to produce fruit.

Technology in general will probably continue to improve,     3     (create) both promises and risks. In     4     area of computers, someone might interact with hundreds of embedded microchips (嵌入式微芯片) throughout the home and the office. In the future, it will be many thousands.     5     some have called “ubiquitous computing” —— computers everywhere helping us with everything —— will be caused by increasing bandwidth and decreasing costs. Some viewers, especially Bill Gates, believe the next few decades     6     (characterize) by long-awaited revolutions in robotic technology. Other futurists see trends in automation technology leading to desktop factories that enable users     7     (make) objects from a host of simple     8     (origin) parts.

Apart from above areas, there are dozens if not hundreds of areas that will continue to advance technologically. One thing is     9     sure: the future will have better technology than the past did. But will we put     10     to better use? Only time and effort will tell.

2 . What will the future be like? Good or bad? A lot of science fiction writing imagines a dark and _______ world. Planet of the Apes shows a miserable future for humankind.

There's a word to _______ the kind of future world which often appears in science fiction: dystopia (非理想化的地方), a(n) _______ unpleasant or bad place. The _______ is utopia. But does tomorrow's world have to be so disappointing?

No. A new project wants to use the power of science fiction to _______ a better future. The _______ of Project Hieroglyph is to bring together writers, scientists, engineers and artists to create optimistic stories about a _______ society in the next 50 years,

It's _______ to create a dystopia than write a feel - good story. There's more conflict in a world full of problems, and stories are interesting when there are a lot of problems to solve. No _______, no story! But the project produced a book with some ________ plots. One of them is about environmentalists who fight to ________ people from building the first hotel in the polar areas.

But will these stories actually change anything or merely keep us entertained? A good science fiction story can be ________. It is plain to see that stories can inspire hundreds thousands millions of people to ________ something that they want to do. The influence of science fiction has already been well ________ in modern research.

Time will tell how far we can go. Let's dream big and think ________ the box.

1.

A．elegant

B．splendid

C．dynamic

D．frightening

2.

A．improve

B．describe

C．comprise

D．develop

3.

A．pictured

B．argued

C．realized

D．recognized

4.

A．original

B．opposite

C．alternative

D．acceptable

5.

A．extend

B．unfold

C．sustain

D．occupy

6.

A．advantage

B．result

C．motive

D．maintenance

7.

A．harmonious

B．permanent

C．messy

D．conventional

8.

A．funnier

B．harder

C．newer

D．easier

9.

A．challenge

B．mission

C．welfare

D．surprise

10.

A．disgusting

B．terrifying

C．demanding

D．promising

11.

A．risk

B．delay

C．prevent

D．bother

12.

A．abnormal

B．artificial

C．constant

D．mighty

13.

A．cast new light on

B．make their way to

C．gather around

D．beat down

14.

A．neglected

B．denied

C．exposed

D．seen

15.

A．inside

B．beside

C．outside

D．beneath

3 . 一家英语报社向中学生征文，主题是“十年后的我”，请根据下列要点和你的畅想完成短文。
1.家庭：
2．工作：
3.业余生活。
注意：1.词数100左右：
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯：
3.开头语已为你写好。
I often imagine what my life will be like in the future._______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

4 . The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is mostly a desert. However, this has not stopped the country from creating great building projects. On September 26, UAE officials announced another ambitious project — Mars Science City. Expansive deserts and miles of coastline provide plenty of options for safe rocket launches (发射). And its position on the Earth makes it especially appealing as the spin of the Earth provides an extra push, meaning less fuel is needed to get payloads into orbit. All these seem to make it possible.

The Mars City Project, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG, will provide a realistic model to simulate (模仿) living on the surface of Mars, the red planet. It is part of the UAE’s Mars 2117 Project to lead the global race to land humans on Mars and be the first to build a settlement there. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, says, “The UAE seeks international support to develop technologies that benefit humans, and lay the foundation of a better future for more generations to come.”

Built outside Dubai, the 1.9 million square feet city is expected to cost $135 million. It will consist of several dome-shaped laboratories, similar to the ones imagined for the first Mars settlers. Scientists from around the word will be invited to conduct research to come up with methods to create food, water and energy, using techniques which can be copied onto the red planet. The living spaces, where the researchers can live for up to a year, will simulate the planet’s conditions as much as possible.

The research city will also include a museum featuring famous space achievements to help educate and inspire children to undertake space exploration and discovery. To discover whether the construction method works on Mars, the museum’s walls will be 3D printed using the sand from the nearby desert. Now, if they would only add some living quarters for the general public to experience life on Mars without leaving Earth, life would be perfect.

1. What can we conclude about the United Arab Emirates?

A．It is short of fine weather.

B．It is a nice place for launching.

C．It can provide adequate fuel supply.

D．It has the greatest architects in the world.

2. What will scientists do in the laboratories?

A．Educate visitors on trips to Mars.

B．Develop the Mars settlers’ imagination.

C．Find ways to produce food, water and energy on Mars.

D．Create a climate-controlled environment for future use.

3. Why will the museum’s walls be 3D printed?

A．To show famous space techniques.

B．To make full use of the nearby desert.

C．To inspire children to love exploration.

D．To test building skills used by Mars settlers.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．UAE to Build Mars Science City

B．UAE’s Great Exploration of Mars

C．UAE to Build First Mars Settlement

D．UAE’s Scientistific Contribution to Humans

5 . Preparing Cities for Robot Cars

The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.

Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.

A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.

Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.

1. According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.

A．help deal with transportation-related problems

B．provide better services to customers

C．cause damage to our environment

D．make some people lose jobs

2. As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?

A．Safety.	B．Side effects.
C．Affordability.	D．Management.

3. What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Employed.	B．Replaced.
C．Shared.	D．Reduced.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?

A．Doubtful.	B．Positive.
C．Disapproving.	D．Sympathetic.

6 . Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? What about traveling into the future? There’s an easy way to do it.

One way you can make a time travel journey is by writing a letter to your future self to be opened in the future. To your future self, the letter will be a visit from the past. What can be gained by writing a letter to yourself? It depends on how good your letter is. You have the chance to say something to your future self. What would you want to communicate? You’ll be able to talk to yourself 5, 10, 15 years down the road. There may be instructions for your future self, or you may have goals that you will want to check up on.

There are a lot of things you could include in your letter or letters to yourself. The more you include, the better the letter will be to you. Here are some ideas of things to include in your letter:

Your thoughts and feelings about life, religion, politics, society, etc.

Your feelings for your family.

Your likes and dislikes.

Your dreams.

The type of person you want yourself to become.

…

Be creative with what you put in your letter. Include a picture of yourself or family to show the period from which the letter came.

You can store your letter in many different ways. You can give your letter to a friend or family member to keep and mail to you. If you can get others to take part, have them write letters to themselves as well and ask someone to be the letter holder until it’s time to send the letters. You can also use a service online to store your letter and e-mail it to you.

Make the most of your letter writing, and you will help your future self make the most of the present.

1. How can you travel into the future?

A．By traveling back in time.

B．By writing a letter to your future self.

C．By opening a letter from the past.

D．By paying a visit to the future.

2. If you want to gain more in the future, you should ________.

A．have the chance to say something to your future self

B．talk to yourself 5, 10, 15 years down the road

C．write more about instructions for your future self

D．include as many things as possible in your letter

3. Why do you put a picture in your letter?

A．To check up on your goals.

B．To share your feelings with your family.

C．To show the time when the letter was written.

D．To find out your thoughts and feelings now.

4. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

B．What to Communicate with Your Future Self

C．What to Include in a Letter to Your Future Self

D．How to Make the Most of Your Letter