1 . A baby born today will be thirty-something in 2050.If all goes well, that baby will still be around in 2100, and might even be an active citizen of the 22ⁿᵈ century. What should we teach that baby to help them survive and flourish in the world of 2050 and beyond? What kind of skills will they need in order to get a job, understand what is happening around them, and navigate their tough life?
At present, too many schools across the world focus on providing pupils with a set of predetermined skills, such as writing computer code in C++ and conversing in Chinese. Yet since we have no idea how the world and the job market will look in 2050, we don’t really know what particular skills people will need. We might invest a lot of effort in teaching kids how to write in C++ or to speak Chinese, only to discover sooner or later that AI will have been able to code software far better than humans, and that a new translation app will have enabled you to conduct a conversation in almost flawless Mandarin, Cantonese or Hakka, even though you only know how to say ni hao.
So what should we be teaching? Many experts argue that schools should downplay technical skills and emphasize general-purpose life skills: the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations. In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will above all need to reinvent yourself again and again.
To succeed in such a demanding task, you will need to work very hard on getting to know your operating system better-to know what you are and what you want from life. This is, of course, the oldest advice in the book: know thyself. This advice was never more urgent than in the mid-21st century, because unlike in the days of Laozi or Socrates, now you have serious competition. Coca-Cola, Amazon and Facebook are all racing to hack you.
Right now, the algorithms are watching where you go, what you buy, and who you meet. Soon they will monitor all your steps, breaths and heartbeats. They are relying on big data and machine learning to get to know you better and better. And once these algorithms know you better than you know yourself, they could control and manipulate you. In the end, authority will shift to them.
Of course, you might be perfectly happy giving up all authority to the algorithms and trusting them to make decisions for you and for the rest of the world. If, however, you want to maintain some control over your personal existence and over the future of life in general, you have to run faster than the algorithms. To run fast, don’t take much luggage with you. Leave all your illusions behind. They are very heavy.
1. According to the article, ______ plays a vital role in children’s bright future.A.imagination | B.adaptability |
C.self-discipline | D.a good sense of balance |
A.algorithms will hack all our devices if we do not know it. |
B.it is an essential skill for us to succeed in the world of 2050. |
C.we need to learn how algorithms work and make full use of them. |
D.we need to outrun algorithms to keep some control over our life. |
A.the importance of knowing yourself | B.the threats and dangers of technology |
C.what skills we might need in the future | D.benefits of algorithms to humankind |
1. What is the biggest difference between weak AI and strong AI?
A.Cost. | B.Service time. | C.Human involvement. |
A.Apple’s Siri. | B.A self-driving car. | C.AlphaGo. |
A.Supportive. | B.Uncertain. | C.Depressed. |
A.The problem to deal with. | B.An example of weak AI. | C.The benefit of it. |
3 . When it came to imaging the future, Arthur C. Clarke stubbornly refused to take credit for any predictions. The Internet, 3-D printers, email: he may have described them all long before they existed. As a science fiction writer, he came up with the idea of a “personal transceiver” that is small enough to be carried about, able to contact with anyone in the world and perform global positioning, making getting lost a thing of the past. Elsewhere, he predicted everything from online banking to reusable spacecraft. His best remembered fictional work of all is 2001: A Space Odyssey. It also happened to forecast the iPad, computer software that is able to read lips, and space stations.
Interestingly, his vision of the future has barely aged. For example, life in Sri Lanka inspired his 1979 novel, featuring a “space elevator”, a planet-to-space transportation system that would do away with the need for rocket travel. Those human settlements on Mars or Venus are decidedly behind schedule(we humans were expected to have set foot on both by 1980), and we’re still looking for the key that should have fully unlocked the languages of whales and dolphins by 1970.
It’s a way of thinking that was likely fuelled by his inability to be anything other than utterly absorbed in all that interested him. At the very start of his career, he shared a flat on London’s Gray’s Inn Road with fellow science fiction writers who nicknamed him “Ego” because of his talent for turning out (关掉) distraction. Once he’d become a big enough name to be interviewed, he’d send journalists home loaded with research papers.
He once said, “Trying to predict the future is a discouraging and risky occupation.” If a prediction sounds at all reasonable, technological progress is sure to leave it seeming “ridiculously conservative”. But if, by a miracle, a person were to be able to describe the future exactly as it will unfold, “His predictions will sound so absurd and far-fetched that everybody would laugh him to scorn (轻蔑).”
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A.Clarke is an imaginative science fiction writer. | B.Clarke is crazy about the future devices. |
C.Clarke is expert at telling one’s fortune. | D.Clarke is a rarely talented inventor. |
A.there is no need for rocket travel in future |
B.unlocking the languages of animals is ahead of time |
C.humans were expecting to settle on Mars by 1980 |
D.Clarke’s predictions still seem impossibly distant |
A.He could focus all his mind on something. | B.He cared more about himself than others. |
C.He was absorbed in what interested him. | D.He was proud of being a big name. |
A.The rapid progress of technology. | B.The absurdness of some predictions. |
C.The difficulty of predicting the future. | D.The miracle of dependable predictions. |
4 . Who has no regrets about things done in the past? Wouldn’t it be nice if, somehow, we could go back to change a couple of bad decisions? This sounds like science fiction.
The laws of physics prohibit traveling back in time for many reasons. If we did travel back in time and changed the course of events, we would be altering the course of history. An example often cited is the grandfather’s paradox (悖论): If your grandfather died when he was still a high school student, he wouldn’t have met your grandmother and your father and you wouldn’t exist.
Putting humans or consciousness traveling back in time aside for the moment, is there anything in science even similar? Surprisingly, yes. At the level of quantum particles (量子粒子), there is something called Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiments that show that actions in the present can influence the past. The experiments use something called the wave-particle duality (波粒二象性) of light and of matter. The fact that the physical nature of quantum objects is undetermined until it is measured. In other words, this means that a particle of light or of matter can behave either as a wave (spreading out in space) or as a particle (staying together) depending on the measuring devices. Long and ongoing discussions about the nature of quantum physics are still trying to work out what this actually means. Do our minds determine the nature of physical reality?
Should we offer food for thought for the future or the past? Unfortunately, these experiments say very little about how we could interfere with the past in events relevant to the human scale. Better to think carefully about decisions than to try to fix them backwards.
1. What’s the purpose of mentioning the paradox?A.To show it is interesting. |
B.To explain Wheeler’s tests. |
C.To demonstrate time is different from what we have known. |
D.To show it’s impossible to travel back in time. |
A.Consciousness traveling back in time was tried in the experiments. |
B.Different measuring devices have the same result. |
C.More research is needed in the future. |
D.These experiments can determine the nature of matter. |
A.We should focus on the present. |
B.The future food is more nutritious. |
C.We can change the past from the experiments. |
D.It is never too late to make up for mistakes. |
A.Is changing the past wise? |
B.Can we change the past? |
C.Do our minds determine the future? |
D.Do the laws of physics ban traveling back? |
5 . Not long after my daughter was born in early 2013, I had a serious thought about the life that lay ahead for her. With health and luck, she will live long enough to see the dawn of the 22nd century.
As a journalist, I often encounter the date 2100. It’s a milestone year frequently mentioned in climate change news reports, stories about future technologies and science fiction. But it’s so far ahead that the route we will take to get there is difficult to see. I rarely consider that, like my daughter, millions of people alive today will be there as 2100 arrives, inheriting the century my generation will leave behind.
For many of us, how often can we truly say we are thinking about the well-being of these future generations? How often do we think about the impact of our decisions on the decades and centuries ahead?
Part of the problem is that the “‘now’commands so much more attention,” the sociologist Elise Boulding once said. “If one is mentally out of breath all the time from dealing with the present, there is no energy left for imagining the future.” No wonder problems like climate change or inequality feel so hard to handle right now.
That’s why researchers are coming to the same conclusion that short-termism (短期主义) may be the greatest threat our species is facing this century. Despite our natural ability to look and plan ahead, we have a weakness in our thinking called “present bias.” For example, people are more likely to accept an offer of£10 today, rather than a guarantee of £12 in a week. They also tend to spend on pleasures, not save for rainy days.
I understand the dangers of short-termism. I can both justify the argument and feel the need to care more about future generations. But I admit I still struggle with how to translate that into clear action as an individual. To realize that we are just one in a chain of generations, we owe an obligation (义务) to our future generations to leave a better world than the one we inherited ourselves.
1. What is Paragraph2 mainly about?A.People’s expectation of the year 2100. |
B.The author’s thoughts on the year 2100. |
C.The author’s plan for his daughter’s future. |
D.People’s attitude to the importance of the year 2100. |
A.Owing to our ignorance of the future. |
B.Because of people’s inability to plan for the future. |
C.Because of our difficulty in handling future problems. |
D.Due to the lack of our mental energy to consider the future. |
A.Preference. | B.Disorder. | C.Balance. | D.Freedom. |
A.To criticize those who favor short-term rewards. |
B.To express his dissatisfaction with the young generations. |
C.To inspire people to think more about the future generations. |
D.To show his determination to speak for his daughter’s future. |
6 . What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? What do you hope about the future?
Futurologists(未来学家) predict that life will probably be very different in 2050 in all the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. Demand for water will increase ten times between now and 2050 and there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists predict that water could be the cause of war if we don’t act now.
In transport, cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won’t be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination.
In the domain(领域)of technology,robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots-they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere-in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
Last but not least, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To arouse the interest of the reader. |
B.To tell the background of the passage. |
C.To show the author’s doubts about the future. |
D.To describe the pictures of the future. |
A.Computer will finally take the place of the media nowadays. |
B.Robots will completely have replaced people in factories. |
C.Not all diseases will be conquered by scientists. |
D.The clones of animals have a long way to go. |
A.Excited but pessimistic. |
B.Optimistic but worried. |
C.Eager but afraid. |
D.Enthusiastic but cautious. |
A.Travel. |
B.Sports. |
C.Education. |
D.Life. |
城市博物馆即将举行“数字时间胶囊”(digital time capsule) 的拍摄活动,该活动旨在让100年后的人们了解当代人的生活,现在向全市征集物品或者生活场景作为拍摄内容。你会提供什么物品或生活场景?写一篇物品或场景的介绍,内容需包括:
1.对物品或生活场景的简要描述;
2.你选择该物品或生活场景的原因。
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SMART HOMES TO MAKE LIFE EASIER
Have you ever forgotten to lock the door of your house? Or, have you ever forgotten to switch off the TV or computer? These kinds of things happen to us all the time, waste resources, and can sometimes lead to problems. However, in the nottoodistant future, we will be living in smart homes that will lock the door for us when we are away and remember to switch off the TV when we forget. These smart homes will keep us secure, save us energy, and provide a more comfortable environment to live in.
Intelligent Controls
Today, we have to use switches for our lights, knobs for our appliances, 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. The future home will use integrated sensors to tell when you leave home each morning, and then go into an energyefficient mode all by itself. You will no longer have to think about turning switches on and off yourself. Your home will also learn your daily routine and preferences, so everything will be ready for you when you get home each evening. Your lights will come on the instant you enter the door along with your favourite music or TV programmes, and you will find your dinner already prepared for you. All controls will respond to voice commands, so if you want to change your routine, you just say aloud what you want and the home system will obey.
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. It will also be checking your body weight. 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. Smart toilets will be keeping constant track of your health as well. They can warn you early on if there is something abnormal or if you have a critical illness, such as cancer, and potentially save your life.
No More Disasters
Smart homes will be able to prevent serious damage from accidents. 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. Many of these new innovations are already available 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.
1. Match the main idea with each paragraph.A.Smart homes will check people’s health regularly. B.Smart homes will prevent serious damage from accidents. C.Intelligent controls in the home system. D.Smart technology will be used widely in the future. E.Smart homes will bring us safe, energysaving and comfortable life in the future. |
2. What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Smart homes will focus on people’s health issues. |
B.Smart homes are a new but controversial technology. |
C.Smart homes will make our life easier in many ways. |
D.Smart homes will make human beings lazy. |
A.Sleeping too fast. |
B.Waking all the night. |
C.Worrying about nothing. |
D.Stopping being stolen. |
A.Some of the new technology has been used. |
B.Smart homes have been spread widely now. |
C.No one likes to have a smart home today. |
D.Smart homes will be built in China soon. |
A.To sell integrated sensors. |
B.To change the old houses. |
C.To decorate home with smart technology. |
D.To give us an insight into smart homes. |
A.Adults. | B.Scientists. |
C.Predictors. | D.Home owners. |
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
In 1818 Mary Shelley published Frankenstein, the story of a scientist who tries to create a superior, being and instead creates a monster. In the last two centuries, this story
The Frankenstein myth confronts. Homo sapiens (智人) with the fact that the last days are fast approaching.
We seek comfort in the fantasy that Dr. Frankenstein can create only terrible monsters, whom we would have to destroy in order to save the world. We like to tell the story that way because it implies that we are
We would have a hard time
10 . “May 17, 2157
Dear diary,
Today, Tommy found a real book!...”
“What’s it about?” Margie asked.
“School.” replied Tommy, turning the yellow pages.
“Why would anyone write about school? I hope they can take my geography teacher away.”
“It’s not our school. This is the old sort that they had centuries ago.”
“Anyway, they had a teacher.” Margie said, reading the book over his shoulder.
“Sure, they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”
“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them assignments and asked them questions.”
“A man isn’t smart enough.”
“Sure, he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.”
Margie wasn’t prepared to argue about that. She said, “I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”
Tommy laughed. “The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”
“And all the kids learned the same thing?”
“Sure, if they were the same age.”
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly.
They weren’t even half-finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!”
“Not yet, Mamma.”
“Now!” said Mrs. Jones.
Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”
“Maybe,” Tommy said.
Margie went into the schoolroom, right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on waiting for her.
The screen was lit up, and it said, “Please insert yesterday’s assignments in the proper slot.”
Margie was still thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the assignments and discussed them.
And the teachers were people…
1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A.Margie doesn’t like her school. |
B.It’s common to read paper books in 2157. |
C.Online learning is what Margie wants. |
D.Tommy feels his father is smarter than his teacher. |
A.There are only female teachers at school. |
B.Teachers give no assignments to students. |
C.A special building is constructed for teachers. |
D.Students learn different things at their own pace. |
A.Envelope. | B.Opening. |
C.Screen. | D.Schoolroom. |
A.Longing. | B.Objection. |
C.Suspicion. | D.Tolerance. |