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 makes learning at the School of the Future special?
| A．Students and teachers do not have to meet. |
| B．The latest technology will be applied in the classroom. |
| C．Students use special glasses to prevent getting near-sighted. |
| A．By just giving lectures. | B．By providing guidance. | C．By giving students special tests. |
| A．Students get to solve real problems. |
| B．The tests are all done on our computers. |
| C．The tests will focus on extra-curricular knowledge. |
| A．Prepare them for future challenges. |
| B．Make the learning process enjoyable. |
| C．Help them memorize facts for exams. |
3 . Morning tea is a family tradition. It is nothing less than an art form, with the
Each morning started with a cup of tea boiled in a kettle. Her favorite was a(n)
Accompanying the tea was milk,
Adding a spoonful of
| A．attitude | B．rule | C．identity | D．policy |
| A．belief | B．impression | C．character | D．taste |
| A．growing up | B．passing down | C．hanging out | D．getting along |
| A．traveled | B．returned | C．moved | D．escaped |
| A．imaginations | B．memories | C．expectations | D．relatives |
| A．mix | B．experiment | C．show | D．sight |
| A．boiled | B．drunk | C．added | D．washed |
| A．incomplete | B．colorless | C．informal | D．endless |
| A．sold | B．weighed | C．tested | D．heated |
| A．fresh | B．hot | C．wet | D．clean |
| A．make | B．preserve | C．buy | D．enjoy |
| A．regular | B．cheap | C．expensive | D．rare |
| A．secretly | B．gradually | C．generally | D．possibly |
| A．biscuit | B．milk | C．container | D．weather |
| A．common | B．interesting | C．different | D．important |
1. What would the man like to know about the future?
| A．How the environment will be. |
| B．How fast the technology will develop. |
| C．How rich he will be. |
| A．A scientist. | B．A teacher. | C．A doctor. |
注意：1．词数80左右；2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
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6 . Life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have vanished by 2050. Instead, people will choose a programme from a “menu” and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. By 2050, music, films, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us in the similar way.
In many places, agriculture is developing quickly and people are growing fruit and vegetables for export. This uses a lot of water. Therefore, there could be serious shortages of water. Some scientist predict that water could be the cause of wars if we don’t act now.
In the future, cars will run on new, clean fuels (燃料) and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Also, by 2050, space planes will fly people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.
Some big companies now prefer to use robots that do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and work 24 hours a day. They are also easy to control. And they never argue with people. They can be easily used in a variety of places — factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
Scientists will have discovered how to control genes (基因). Scientists have already produced clones (克隆) of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look and how they behave. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?
1. Which of the following best explains “vanished” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Settled. | B．Spread. | C．Disappeared. | D．Decreased. |
| A．Robots can work in different places. |
| B．Robots have much to be improved. |
| C．Robots work for humans for free. |
| D．Robots have many advantages. |
| A．He probably disagrees with the idea of human cloning. |
| B．He is looking forward to using of cloning technology. |
| C．The scientists have already discovered how to control genes. |
| D．The scientists will face many difficulties of controlling genes. |
| A．High-tech Cars | B．Life in the Future |
| C．Is Cloning Really Good? | D．Are You Ready for the Future? |
7 . “We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds... Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I’m convinced that humans need to leave the earth.” These are the words of the famous scientist Stephen Hawking, spoken at a science festival in Norway in 2017, a year before his death.
Hawking was not alone in this view. Many experts feel that the only way for humanity to last far into the future is to colonise (移民于) other planets. That way, if a terrible disease, nuclear war or some other disasters strike the earth, civilisation as we know it would still have a chance. Mars is one of the most attractive destinations. NASA, the United Arab Emirates, the private company SpaceX, and the organisation Mars One all have plans to send humans there. “Either we spread the earth to other planets, or we risk going extinct,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk said at a conference in 2013.
But not everyone agrees that colonising Mars or any other planet is such a great plan. The most common argument against going is that it’s just too expensive or dangerous. It will take huge amounts of money and other resources just to get people there,let alone set up a place for them to live. It’s not even clear if humans could survive on Mars. One of the biggest dangers is its deadly radiation that ruins the planet.
Maybe all the time and money people would pour into a Mars mission would be better spent on more urgent projects here on Earth, like dealing with poverty or climate change. Some experts argue that handling a problem like an asteroid (小行星) strike or a disease outbreak while staying here on Earth would be much easier and less expensive than surviving on a new planet.
In addition, moving to a new planet could harm or destroy anything that already lives there. Mars seems uninhabitable, but micro-organisms could exist on Mars. Human visitors may destroy these lives or permanently change or damage the Martian environment. Some feel that’s too much of a risk to take.
1. Why did the author mention NASA, the United Arab Emirates, SpaceX and Mars One?| A．To stress the risk of dying out on Earth. |
| B．To provide evidence for Hawking’s theory. |
| C．To show growing intention of moving to Mars. |
| D．To explain the advanced technology in astronomy. |
| A．It is costly and risky to colonise Mars. |
| B．Civilisation is difficult to maintain on Earth. |
| C．Poverty is the most urgent problem to handle. |
| D．All the time and money should be spent on Earth. |
| A．Not steady to keep. |
| B．Not fit to live on. |
| C．Not easy to approach. |
| D．Not safe to set foot on. |
| A．Mars, Our Future Planet |
| B．Moving to a New Planet |
| C．Should We Colonise Mars? |
| D．Stay Home or Outer Space? |
8 . When was the last time you used a telephone box? I mean to make an actual phone call — not to shelter from the rain. Ages ago, right? The last time I used a phone box for its intended purpose was…2006. I was conducting auditions (试演) for my play in my tiny old shared house in London. Hoping to impress some talented actors to come and work for me for nothing, I spread some throws over the sofas and lit candles to make it seem a bit more ”young professional”.
As I rushed outdoors to empty the wastepaper baskets, the door swung shut behind me. Suddenly I was locked outside. My mobile phone was inside, but luckily there was a telephone box across the street. So, I called Directory Assistance, got put through to our landlady’s managing agent, and had a spare key sent to me with just enough time to get back in before the actors arrived.
As it has been many years since I last used one, I should hardly be surprised that then are no longer any public telephones near my house. The last one standing has just been turn into a “mini community library”: any passer-by can “borrow” a book from its shelves return it later, or replace it with another title from their own collection.
For a few months after the “library” opened, I didn’t bother taking a look, as I had assumed that it would be stuffed full of cheese love stories. Then I noticed fork conducting spring cleans dropping boxes of voluminous books on various subjects there. And these books were free. This unbeatable price-point encouraged me to experiment with dozens of titles that I would never normally consider buying. And I’ve discovered some great books!
If I ever get trapped outside my house again, my local telephone box will, sadly no longer be able to connect me with my keys. But it can certainly keep me entertained while I wait for my wife to rescue me.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refer to?| A．The play. | B．The shared house. |
| C．The sofa. | D．The telephone box. |
| A．To place an urgent call. | B．To put up a notice. |
| C．To shelter from the rain. | D．To hold an audition. |
| A．It provides phone service for free. | B．Anyone can contribute to its collection. |
| C．It is popular among young readers. | D．Books must be returned within a month. |
| A．He wanted to borrow some love stories. |
| B．He was encouraged by a close neighbour. |
| C．He found there were excellent free books. |
| D．He thought it was an ideal place for reading. |
9 . You are just waking up in the spring of 2030. Your Internet of Things (IoT) bedroom opens solar-powered e-windows and plays gentle music while your smart lighting displays a montage (蒙太奇) of beachfront sunrises from your recent vacation.
Your shower uses very little water or soap. It recycles your grey water and puts the extra heat back into your home’s integrated operating system. While you dress, your artificial intelligence (AI) assistant shares your schedule for the day and plays your favourite tunes.
You still start your day with caffeine but it comes from your IoT refrigerator which is capable of providing a coffeehouse experience in your home. A hot breakfast tailored to your specific nutritional needs (based on chemical analysis from your trips to the “smart toilet”) is waiting for you in the kitchen.
When it’s time to leave, an on-demand transport system has three cars waiting for you, your spouse and your kids. On the road, driverless cars and trucks move with mathematical precision, without traffic jams. Accident rates are near zero.
On route, you call your R&D team, who are wrapping up a day’s work in Shanghai. Your life-sized image will be projected, making your colleagues see you as if you were sitting with them. It’s a bit surreal (超现实的) for them to see you in the morning light given that it’s dark on the Bund, Shanghai’s water-front, though the novelty fades after a few uses.
You review the day’s cloud-based data from your Shenzhen manufacturing centre your pilot project in San Diego, and your QA team in Melbourme. The massive datasets are collected in realtime from every piece of equipment and have been beautifully summarized by your company’s AI. All these facilities are closely maintained and operated via a skilled predictive analytics platform. Pleased with the team’s progress, you end the call and ease into a good book.
This is the future and it will be here sooner than you think.
1. What will happen when you dress yourself according to the text?| A．Your breakfast is ordered and served. | B．E-windows open quickly. |
| C．Your favourite songs are played. | D．Your schedule is sent to your boss. |
| A．Produced specially. | B．Made in advance. |
| C．Mixed similarly. | D．Changed randomly. |
| A．Because you did it beforehand. | B．Because you were on the scene. |
| C．Because your images are wrapped up. | D．Because your life-sized picture is projected. |
| A．Why We Need AI Assistants | B．How Life Will Be in the Future |
| C．How AI Helps Us Succeed | D．How AI Does Meaningful Work |
Do You Think You Will Have Your Own Robot?
When we watch movies about the future, we sometimes see robots. They are usually like human servants. They help with the housework and do jobs like working in dirty or dangerous places.
Today there are already robots working in factories. Some can help to build cars, and they do simple jobs over and over again.
Scientists are now trying to make robots look like humans and do the same things as we do. Some robots in Japan can walk and dance. They are fun to watch. However, some scientists believe that although we can make robots move like people,
Some scientists believe that there will be more robots in the future.
