3 . With the rapid development of science and technology, we don’t know how different our life will be in the future.     1    .

At first we think about human relationships. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will be making new friends through the Internet — even our husbands or wives will be met in this way.     2    . On the other hand, our relationship 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.

    3     . Traveling to other planets or to the moon will also be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly.

We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true.     4    . And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as health will be in a 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 confident about our future.     5    .

7 . Have you ever forgotten to lock the door of your house? Or, have you ever forgotten to switch off the TV or computer?     1    , and can sometimes lead to problems. However, in the not-too-distant future, we will be living in smart homes that will help solve those problems.

Intelligent controls

Today, we have to use switches for your lights, and remote controls for our TVs and air conditioners. In the future, we will be using advanced technology every day for automatic control of just about everything in our home. You will no longer have to think about turning switches on and off yourself.     2    , so everything will be ready for you.

Regular Health Checks

In addition, your smart home will be monitoring your health for you every day. Your bed, for example, will record how well you sleep every night.     3    . If you start to have sleep or weight problems, it will send a warning to your phone. It will also give you suggestions on a healthier diet and how to sleep better.

No more disasters

    4    . For example, if a water pipe starts leaking, or if there is a short in the electrical wiring, your smart home will detect it and provide you with the relevant information. This way, you will be able to fix the problem before your home becomes flooded or catches fire.

This smart technology is not a fantasy.     5     and being used in some homes. In this sense, the home of tomorrow is already the home of today. Nevertheless, it will take some years, before most new homes begin to use this new technology.

8 . The days of having to remember your ID could soon be a thing of the past. The famous tourist town of Wuzhen, China, is now using facial recognition technology to act as its entry pass through the gates of the attraction. The system uses cameras to notice people as they approach the entry, and checks these against a database of registered visitors within a few seconds. The technology is thought to be up to 99.77 percent accurate and able to distinguish people better than a human.

Wuzhen is a popular tourist town with visitors going there in large numbers to see its stunning river system and museums. Baidu, a web firm often referred to as “ Chinese Google”, created the system. When people now check in to their accommodation, they will have their photo taken and uploaded to a central database upon leaving and re-entering the town, the system will re-check that they are still a guest at a hotel, before allowing them back in.

The technology is being used to track the 5 ,000 visitors that stay in the town's hotels every day. Yuan Qing lin, director of the Institute of deep Learning at Baidu, told The Verge, “With our technology, you don't need to give your ID. When you are approaching a gate, it will take a photo of you and compare that photo to the database.” Wuzhen used to monitor its visitors using a ticket-entry system, but this could easily be abused. It was discovered that some people were sharing their tickets to avoid paying.

Baidu's system is based on neural networks, which can process huge amounts of data－more than one billion faces. As well as recognizing faces, the system can discover facial movements, so it can't be fooled by holding a mask. Baidu is also using the software for employee entry at its Beijing headquarters.