2 . New Scientist magazine’s chief reporter Adam recently published “Net-zero living: how your day will look in a carbon-neutral (碳中和) world”. Here, he imagines what a typical day would be like in the future — through the eyes of Isla, a child in 2050.

Isla lives in the south of the United Kingdom and her life looks pretty much like life does today: she has a house, a car, a job, and a cup of tea in the morning. There are great forests, and giant machines sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. It all sounds like a green and pleasant land, but it didn’t sound like the future to me.

It’s an interesting exercise, imagining what it will be like in about 30 years. I thought I would give it a try: here is some speculative fiction about Edie, living in Toronto, Canada in 2050.

Edie lives in the garage in an old house that is her apartment and workshop. She considers herself to be very lucky to have this garage in what was her grandparents’ house. The only people who live in houses these days either get the houses from their parents or are multi-millionaires from all over the world, desperate to move to Canada with its cooler climate and plentiful water and are able to afford the million-dollar immigrant visa fee.

Edie is lucky to be working. There are no office or industrial jobs anymore: Artificial Intelligence and robots took care of that. The few jobs left are in service, culture, craft, health care, or real estate (房地产). In fact, selling real estate has become the nation’s biggest industry.

There may be lots of electricity from wind and solar farms, but even running tiny heat pumps for cooling is really expensive at peak times. The streets are unpleasantly hot, so many people sleep through the midday.

Now Edie is checking the balance in her Personal Carbon Allowance (PCA) account to see if she has enough to buy another imported battery for her e-bike. If she doesn’t have enough then, she will have to buy carbon credits, and they are expensive. She sets her alarm for 6:00 p.m. when the streets of Toronto will come alive again on this hot November day.

1. What does the author think of Isla’s life?

A．Desirable.	B．Unappealing.
C．Unachievable.	D．Exciting.

2. What will Toronto be like in 2050?

A．Many people will immigrate abroad.	B．Its climate will get colder and colder.
C．Electricity will be very cheap to use.	D．The house prices will be extremely high.

3. What might be Edie’s large concern?

A．The house problem.	B．Being out of work.
C．The balance of her bank account.	D．The energy consumption.

4. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To point out Adam’s unreasonable thinking.

B．To compare the present life and the future life.

C．To imagine the life after reducing carbon emissions.

D．To raise people’s awareness of environmental protection.

4 . 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。

In the near future, life is filled with amazing wonders.     1     the sun rises, cars soar through the sky applying anti-gravity technology, creating a breathtaking sight against the morning hues. People wear special glasses that combine virtual and real worlds, immersing themselves in a world of endless     2     (possibility).

Mornings are a delight as the delicious breakfast takes center stage. Helpful robots with advanced AI offer assistance gracefully. Transportation has become super fast with hyper loop trains that travel through tunnels     3     incredible speeds, sending passengers to their destinations in mere minutes.

As twilight sets in, streets come alive with holographic(全息的) displays     4     (show) art and ads. Homes     5     (equip) with voice controlled devices for lighting and temperature. Entertainment is immersive with virtual reality games     6     players can fight or explore other worlds, offering thrilling experiences. Deep underground, hidden laboratories are making     7     (consistent) scientific breakthroughs, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and unraveling the mysteries of the universe.

Yet among these technological wonders, the core of humanity     8     (remain) unchanged. Families gather around tables, sharing laughter and stories, cherishing the bonds that connect them.

As the day draws to     9     close, the city transforms into a breathtaking symphony(交响乐) of neon lights. Tomorrow holds infinite potentials as humanity tends     10     (push) the boundaries of scientific achievement, keeping on new frontiers of discovery with strong curiosity that knows no bounds.

5 . What will our world really be like 20 years from now? What does the future hold for the food we eat, the technology we use and the homes we live in? It would be beyond imagination--food pills, flying cars and bases on the moon--but the reality will probably be less exciting. The world in 2040 will probably be much like it is today, but smarter.

The future of food

The next major food change will be vertical farming (垂直农业) in which we grow food in AI-controlled vertical buildings rather than horizontal land. We could be eating insects in 2040. Insects are rich in proteins, low in fat and a good source of calcium.

The future of love

The Internet has forever changed the way people meet and fall in love. Online dating and location-based services have opened up possibilities that allow people to look beyond their friends, friends of friends, and co-workers.

The future of technology

We’re heading into a future where improved battery technology will make better electric cars, personal flying machines, and private space tourism possible.

The future of work

Rather than humans working with machines, robots are likely to reduce some jobs. Taxi drivers will be replaced by self-driving cars, for example. Clearly, there will also be new jobs created: the computer engineer, mechanics who fix the self-driving taxis, programmers, space tour guides and vertical farmers. Technology will continue to disturb businesses and get rid of some jobs, creating new professions we can’t yet imagine.

The future of health

Hospitals are the costliest part in the health system, Prevention will become the center of attention as we gain greater control of our health information.

1. What is the food in 2040 like?

A．People will not eat pork or beef then.

B．Insects will become the main food then.

C．The food will mainly exist in the form of pills.

D．Part of the food will come from vertical farming.

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 5?

A．New professions will appear.	B．Boring jobs will be abandoned.
C．Most jobs will be done by robots.	D．Humans will work with machines.

3. What will be the focus of health in the future?

A．Hospital treatment.	B．Health systems.
C．Prevention.	D．Health information.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the program say about the life in the future?

A．People’s way of consumption will change.

B．More supermarkets will come into existence.

C．More free time will be available for people.

2. What is the speakers’ attitude to the program’s opinion on shopping in the future?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Dismissive.

10 . 假如一家英语报社在征集有关科技给未来生活带来变化的文章，现请你以“What Will Our Life Be in the Future?”为标题用英语写一篇短文。
内容包括：生活：足不出户就可购物、读书、就医等；
旅游：去月球、火星(Mars)等观光；
环境：利用太阳能，一个整洁的世界；
健康:……
注意：(1)标题已为你写好(不计入总词数)；
(2)为使文章连贯，可适当增减内容。

What Will Our Life Be in the Future?

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