1 . There’s a classic short story in which a young man travels years ahead and meets his future self. Narratives like this have always been related to science fiction. But what if you could meet your future self?

I’m a psychologist and professor. My research over the past 15 years isn’t far from this theme. I’ve largely focused on how people think about and relate to their future selves, and explored the reasons why we have such a hard time making long-term decisions. In my research, I’ve learnt that we often imagine our future selves like strangers, which can impede us in making long-term choices. One way to bridge the emotional gap is to think of future selves in more concrete and vivid ways, like writing letters to and from one’s future self, which can strengthen the connection between current and future selves.

Admittedly, having people engage in an imagined conversation is a far cry from actually meeting one’s future self. But it’s believed that far richer interactions may happen in the near future through artificial intelligence (AI). It wouldn’t be predicting exactly what choices you’d make. It’d be more about showing your potential, based on the lives of people similar to you: not just one possible life for you, but rather, the most possible life path for you. Such interactions could offer valuable insights into our potential future selves.

So, to return to my original question: if you could time-travel to meet your future self, what aspects of your life would you want to know more about? I realized, through thorough reflections, that the most powerful questions would be ones that helped me make better choices today —questions exploring personal growth, regrets and unfulfilled actions.

Actually, you don’t need to wait for time travel or advanced AI for answers that you can act on. Through my research, I’ve learnt that simply taking a bit of time to picture this meeting can help you make better choices now. All you need is a little imagination, and the willingness to put yourself in the shoes of a person you currently treat as a stranger.

We     1     (persuade) that in the not-too-distant future smart homes will     2     (great) change our life. For example, household appliances can be switched     3     and off automatically. If you have a preference     4     jazz, your home     5     (play) jazz the instant you get home. Besides, if you command your smart home to change     6     (it) daily routine, the home system will obey as well. There is no denying that smart homes combine technology and health firmly,     7     can give appropriate suggestions on your health in time. However, when it     8     (come) to smart homes, is there anyone opposed to the coming of smart home era? We advocate that we should embrace new     9     (technology). After all, only by accepting science and technology instead of     10     (resist) it can we promote social progress.

5 . Computers vs. Books

Mia Murphy was tired when she got home from school last Friday. It had been a long week. She was working on a computer project and has stayed late at school to finish her work. After stepping off the bus and trudging home, she settled herself onto the chair in the kitchen.

“What’s up, Mia?” Mr. Murphy asked, He was making Mia her favorite after-school cheese sandwich.

“This project is taking me forever!” Mia replied. “I have to design a website page for my computer class.”

“Wow, fancy!” Mrs Murphy shouted from the living room. “When we were in middle school, we didn’t even know how to use computers.” She walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Mia. She asked her daughter if she had anyone to help her with her project.

“We have partners—mine is named Ali,” she explained. “Today we learned how to insert pictures into our page.”

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy looked at each other and smiled. Mia noticed their little exchange.

“What?” She asked, wondering what they were thinking.

“Well, we first met when we were working on a project on American Indian history together in high school.” Mr. Murphy explained.

Mrs. Murphy chimed in. “But we didn’t have computers back then, so we have to go to the library every day to do research!” She explained that they didn’t have online search engines; they could only rely on books. They didn’t have cell phones to text each other when they needed help. They have to work together at each other’s houses.

“But that sounds so tough!” Mia said. “I can’t imagine completing a project without the help of a computer.”

Mr. Murphy chuckled. “I know. But I have that project to thank for meeting your mom! All those countless hours in the library. We have to spend much time together,” he said.

Now Mia was curious. She wondered what else was different when her parents were growing up. So she asked.

Mrs. Murphy stared to list off things she didn’t have as a child, like MP3 player and a flat-screen television. “Also, since I have many brothers and sisters, we have to pitch in more. I helped my mom cook dinner, and we repaired our torn clothes,” she said, tapping Mia on the nose. “How about you help me cook dinner tonight then?” Mrs. Murphy suggested, laughing.

“Sure!” Mia exclaimed. “How about something that you used to make as a child?”

“Chicken noodle soup it is,” Mrs. Murphy said with a smile.

10 . When people talk about the future, we like to think that we will be able to drive out of our garages and take to the ________ in our own personal flying car. The advantages are obvious. Some people ________ this technology will allow complete three-dimensional freedom of movement. We could fly at 489 kilometres per hour, ________ traffic lights, busy roads and speeding tickets. However, some people point to the disadvantages of flying cars. They claim that there are certain to be problems with traffic ________. Another big problem is mechanical ________. What will happen if they break down? ________, if they become popular, there is likely to be another big problem: air traffic congestion. So it looks like flying cars face more than a few problems if they are to get off the ground!

Most of us have printed out an electronic document on paper, but think about the ________ of printing out a three-dimensional object in plastic. 3D printers build an object using layers line-by-line like a(n) ________ printer until the object is complete. Vehicle companies like BMW and Volkswagen already use 3D printers to make life-size models of car parts. At the moment the process is slow and quality is ________, but before long it might be possible to see a product on a website and then ________ it to your printer at home. In the future we could make our own furniture, jewellery, cups, plates, shoes and toys from designs on our computers, and reduce the amount of ________ we have to do.

Imagine having your own Ironman suit. There are several companies trying to build a practical robot ‘exoskeleton’. This is a suit of robot arms and legs which follows your ________. It will allow the wearer to lift heavy objects, walk long distances and even punch through walls! There are ________ military advantages for this technology and might help people to walk again after disease or injury. However, besides cost and battery life, another problem is that a badly ________ robot suit could injure the wearer because you wouldn’t want your robot leg or arm bending the ________ way.