People gathered at the US National Zoo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first pandas from China. “Pandaversary” was the main event of a six-month series of events arranged by the zoo.
Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing arrived 50 years ago,
Pandas are the symbol
2 . 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. |
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 . 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. |
6 . Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world—Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey—rats will soon be the new best friends of humans.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal. This is sent to a small radio on its back and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history people will be happy to see a rat in a building.
1. In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become man’s best friends because________．| A．they can fully take the place of man’s rescue jobs to save more people |
| B．they can find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings |
| C．they can serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings |
| D．they can get into small spaces that the dogs may fail to get into |
| A．they left the room at an agreed signal |
| B．the policeman raised his hand to signal the driver to stop |
| C．he seemed to signal important changes in the US government policy |
| D．a signal failure resulted in the car accident |
| A．they are more fantastic than other animals |
| B．they are less expensive to train than dogs |
| C．they don’t need electricity |
| D．they are small and can get into small spaces |
| A．rats have already taken the place of dogs in searching for people |
| B．the “rat project” has already been completed |
| C．people are very happy to see a rat in a building |
| D．people now still use dogs and robots in performing rescues |
7 . Japan's biggest airline is betting that the future of travel isn't traveling at all. For the last month, a married couple has been interacting with a robot—called an Avatar—that's controlled by their daughter hundreds of miles away. Made by ANA Holdings Inc., it looks like a vacuum cleaner with an iPad attached. But the screen displays the daughter's face as they chat, and its wheels let her move about the house as though she's really there.
“Virtual travel” is nothing new,of course.Storytellers, travel writers and artists have been stimulating the senses of armchair tourists for centuries. It's only in recent decades that frequent, safe travel has become available to the non- wealthy.
Yet even as the world's middle classes climb out of the armchair and into economy-class seat, there are signs of a post-travel society emerging. Concerns about environmental sustainability cause loss to airlines which release much carbon. And the aging of abundant societies is both restricting physical travel and creating demand for alternative ways to experience the world. For the travel industry, virtual reality offers an attractive response to these trends.
Of course, new technologies encourage far-out claims. ANA doesn't plan to start selling Avatars until next year. Profits, too, will probably be difficult to make: By one estimate, the global market for this kind of technology will be worth only about $300 million by 2023. By contrast, ANA's traditional travel business brought in more than $19 billion last year.
But if the business value for virtual vacations is still weak, the market for technologies that bridge physical distances between families and coworkers seems likely to only expand. ANA's robots may not replace its airplanes any time soon, but they ll almost certainly be a part of travel's high-tech future.
1. Why does the author use the example of a couple interacting with a robot?| A．To show the Japanese are crazy about travel. |
| B．To indicate virtual travel begins to enter people's real life. |
| C．To show the couple are very enthusiastic over robots. |
| D．To express the close relationship between the couple and their daughter. |
| A．Storytellers, travel writers and artists have been using it for centuries. |
| B．Frequent and safe travel has become available to the ordinary people. |
| C．People are worried about the air pollution caused by airlines. |
| D．More and more people lose interest in travel. |
| A．They will be put on the market soon. |
| B．They will bring ANA a lot of money, |
| C．They will replace ANA's airplanes soon. |
| D．They are almost unavoidable in travel's future. |
| A．Your Next Travel May Be Virtual |
| B．Easy Travel in the Future |
| C．Virtual Travel Benefits |
| D．Air Travel Disappearing |
8 . Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile (机动车) is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned (放弃) and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future.
The car will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types.
Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic jams. One proposed solution to this problem is the automated (自动化的) highway system. When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸缩的) arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically.
Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car’s movements.
The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination (目的地) into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated (估计) that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.
1. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be _______.| A．its power source | B．its driving system |
| C．its monitoring system | D．its seating space |
| A．How to make automobiles pollution-free. |
| B．How to make smaller and safer automobiles. |
| C．How to solve the problem of traffic jams. |
| D．How to develop an automated subway system. |
| A．A rail. | B．An engine. |
| C．A retractable arm. | D．A computer controller. |
| A．keep in the right route |
| B．wait to arrive at his destination |
| C．inform the system of his destination by phone |
| D．keep in constant touch with the computer center |
9 . Looking out across the city and on top of the tall buildings before you are cows. Yes, you read that right. Farm animals are eating grass on high-rise urban farms on top of high buildings in London. Elsewhere, off the coast of mainland England, against the background of extremely beautiful White Cliffs of Dover, a wonderful pod (吊舱) structure forms part of floating city. This is how we will live 100 years from now — if a group of UK experts to be believed.
Temporary housing pods, underwater cities and 3D-printed houses will also help reduce the burden of overpopulation and inner city living-space shortages. Building with their own microclimates and cities built in the skies are also among the amazing achievements of future engineering predicted by experts.
But not only today’s architects continue to advance towards the clouds, building higher and higher, as engineering advances allow, but we’ll also be headed deep below ground. Meanwhile, the future will feature city-spanning (跨城市) bridges. Want to travel to Mars quickly? No problem — the experts are predicting spaceports (宇航基地) will become common places, so future generations will be able to head over to their local station and hitch (搭顺风车) the next ride.
The predictions were heavily focused on water - based architecture and present problems such as overpopulation, global warming and rising sea levels. Using the future tech predictions, 2,000 people were then surveyed to see which of the suggestions they thought — and hoped — would become a reality by 2115. Topping the survey was super-deep basement buildings complete with hotels, restaurants, green space, swimming pools and gyms. The survey also found that one in three respondents (调查对象) considered floating sea cities — which could use solar and tidal (潮汐的) energy — as a choice for future development.
1. The first paragraph is meant to ______.| A．present the topic | B．make a comment |
| C．give an example | D．draw a conclusion |
| A．different kinds of building structures. |
| B．recent development of building structures. |
| C．means to control the increase of population. |
| D．future building structures helping to solve the lack of living space. |
| A．air station | B．traveling agency |
| C．spaceport | D．traveling destination |
| A．City-spanning bridges | B．Deep underground buildings |
| C．Floating sea cities | D．slightly-deep basements |
10 . Someone has put forward a dream home which is so advanced that its kitchen can suggest what to make with certain things. Also, a Microsoft home doesn’t just warn you when you’re out of milk—it can send you a fresh gallon.
But are these innovations just magic, or are they really coming soon to a neighborhood near you? To find out, US News asked some experts to get their opinions about the home of the not-so-distant future. Here’s a look at the innovations.
The housing boom was marked by mass-produced buildings filled with units which look the same. The coming years, however, will give way to a personalized approach to home construction, with houses as more of an instrument of self-expression. “The successful builders will be the ones that figure out how to change their production model enough to make the buyers feel like they are really getting something that is designed for them, not just a model,” says Kermit Baker, the chief economist at the American Institute of Architects.
Future homes will probably shrink. “We will be building smaller but smarter houses,” says Ed McMahon, a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute. “Instead of having a room for just one use, consumers will demand homes that make better use of space,” says Susanka, whose best-selling book, The Not So Big House, has become increasingly influential in home design. Seldom-used quarters, such as dining and living rooms, will be replaced with space that can serve both functions. “The goal of his ‘right-size’ home is to fit its owners like a specially cut suit rather than a jacket you buy in a store,” says Susanka.
1. Why does the writer mention a dream home and a Microsoft home?| A．To lead to the topic of the passage. |
| B．To tell us what kind of house to buy. |
| C．To tell us that technology develops fast. |
| D．To tell us something about future homes. |
| A．be mass-produced |
| B．have a lot of things in common |
| C．express the owners’ personalities |
| D．be designed by the owners themselves |
| A．become cleaner |
| B．become brighter |
| C．become smaller |
| D．become more comfortable |
| A．have a room for every use |
| B．can make better use of space |
| C．have very advanced furniture |
| D．can warn you when you’re out of milk |
