1 . Don’t you want to talk less and smile more? That seems to be Amazon’s vision for the future of the smart home. According to the company, talking to their devices is just a temporary stage. Next, their gadgets (小玩意) will just know what we want and do it for us without a single command. To plot this route, the consumer tech giant showed off a series of new gadgets at its annual hardware event in September, 2020.
This vision of a smart home has been the road map for home automation for decades. A true smart home doesn’t just react to commands, it can foresee what will happen and take action accordingly. This could include lights switching on when you arrive home, heating turning off when the house is empty, or security drones (无人机) activating when somebody breaks in. Amazon says it’s ready for this domestic revolution, even if it’s still a few decades off.
Connectivity is the guarantee of a true smart home. The updated Echo smart speaker line that was recently displayed doesn’t just have a showy new look, it comes with a suite of tech to keep everything connected. This extended network, which will be launched in the US in later 2021, is designed to support expanding the smart home out to the smart garden and the smart driveway and beyond to the smart neighbourhood.
At the event, Amazon also showed off an actual robot. The Ring Always Home Cam ($ 250, coming in 2021) was perhaps the most fancy offering from the event, and certainly raised a fair number of eyebrows. At roughly 13cm high, the Always Home Cam is a drone with a camera. It rises up from its docking station and flies on pre-set paths. If a security event is detected, it will send warnings to your phone.
Ultimately, a true smart home won’t just rely on voice commands or drones. The less aggressive tech such as sensors, computer vision, and AI will work together to respond to our needs without violating our privacy. But, as Limp says, the true smart home “is a long-term vision, and there’s still lots to be done to make that a reality”.
1. According to Amazon’s vision, a true smart home ______.| A．is already available to the consumers last September |
| B．will be active and predictive |
| C．will be limited to indoor activities |
| D．can only act at its owner’s request |
| A．it only connects things in one’s own home | B．it is necessity for a true smart home |
| C．it has an attractive new look | D．it enjoys great popularity |
| A．Call the police. | B．Detect invaders. | C．Send messages | D．Take photos. |
| A．Introducing the company of Amazon. |
| B．Advertising the benefits of the smart home. |
| C．Talking about how Echo smart speaker line works. |
| D．What the true smart home is like and some related gadgets. |
2 . We don’t know how different our future 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 be making 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 the same 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 possible for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly(环保).
Some of us may think 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. Then, our surroundings as well as health will be in better condition.
Although we can’t predict（预测）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 hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather sanguine 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．that computers will do all the things for human beings |
| B．how people will use computers to communicate with each other |
| C．that machines like computers and robots will help people a lot |
| D．how people will use robots to do the housework |
| A．The relationship between people will be more important than 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. |
| A．disappointed | B．surprised |
| C．sad | D．optimistic |
3 . Today’s grandparents are joining grandchildren on social media, but the different generation’s online habits couldn’t be more different. The over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site’s second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.
Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It’s a much better way to see what they’re doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. I think I’m lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”
However, Sheila’s grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 are leaving the site—only 2.2 million users are under 17---but they’re not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, age 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It’s my alarm clock so I have to,” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”
Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. He says, “How could I tell my kids to get off their phones is I was always in front of a screen myself?” So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. “I’m not completely separated from the world if emergent, but the important thing is that I’m setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.”
Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend (趋势) for a less digital life?
1. How does Sheila feel about social media?| A．Useful. | B．Disappointed. | C．Useless. | D．Addicted. |
| A．To make calls to his boss. |
| B．To stop his work. |
| C．To set a good example to his kids. |
| D．To catch up with the new trend. |
| A．different | B．figured out | C．cut off | D．protected |
| A．Children under 17 don’t use smartphone at all. |
| B．Chloe is one of the early adopters of the smartphone. |
| C．Today’s grandparents enjoy a life without social media. |
| D．People may enjoy a less digital life in the near future. |
4 . What if we had the power to control time, instead of moving from the past to the present to the future? What if we could jump, loop and travel through time in a machine? What if we could go wherever and whenever we pleased?
This ability would allow us to witness historic wonders, change decisions and see people from the past. We could right wrongs and stop wars from starting.
The mysterious puzzle of time has kept people debating its nature for hundreds of years. Science fiction writers have turned it into imaginative stories. Some scientists have even attempted to explain it using math. This math tries to make the dream of time travel come true.
The scientist Albert Einstein said that time and space are one thing. He called it “spacetime.” Einstein said that there are three dimensions in space: height, width and depth. A scientist named Hermann Minkowski added time as a fourth dimension.
Einstein introduced two ideas that have led to theories about the possibility of time travel. The first is relativity. The idea of relativity is that the force of gravity causes space to bend, which causes time to twist. The second idea focuses on special relativity. The idea is that a traveler moving super-fast through flat spacetime will enter the future. Einstein considered time “relative” because it is measured based on where we are on Earth or in space.
Stephen Hawking is a famous scientist. He believes that a time machine will never be built. If it were possible, he thinks we would already know. If a time machine could be built, how come no one from the future has invaded us?
The first science fiction story with this theme is The Clock That Went Backward by Edward P. Mitchell, which was published in 1881. Since then, thousands of books, films and television shows have explored the idea of time travel, in which some tools such as phones, watches, photographs and old books take travelers backward and forward.
Will time travel ever happen? Who knows? Most important is to keep your eyes open and have a sense of wonder.
1. What is the author’s purpose of writing the first paragraph?| A．To show time and space are connected. |
| B．To show people’s interest in time travel. |
| C．To draw readers’ attention to time travel. |
| D．To make people believe time travel is possible. |
| A．Time travel is possible in the future. |
| B．People can’t move faster than light. |
| C．Time travel is against scientific rules. |
| D．Spacetime is not a real thing in theory. |
| A．The first science fiction story. |
| B．Some tools used in time travel. |
| C．Edward P. Mitchell, the pioneer. |
| D．Different works about time travel. |
| A．cautious. | B．pessimistic |
| C．sceptical | D．optimistic. |
5 . I read with interest a recent article on Galactocorp’s planned Shuttlejet flight later this year. I cannot imagine more stupid thing than this, so-called space tourism, and can’t help wondering what on earth humanity is coming to if this can be successful business.
Many may think that space travel is the highest human achievement, which may be the condition when scientific endeavor (努力) is the aim. However, when it comes to space tourism, think we may have found the top of human stupidity. Consider the high cost of getting into space, the billions of dollars wasted on building the Shuttlejet, and the many thousands spent by the passengers—and for what? So that forty fat cats can have a first-class meal along with six minutes of weightlessness, before returning to earth? Never before has so much money been spent for so little benefit (利益). I invite all space tourists to come around to my house. I can treat them to a big dinner and they can have jump on the trampoline (蹦床), and they’ll only need to pay me half the price of Galactocorp.
Further, the money can be used in a smarter way. Think of the many worthy causes that would benefit from the money that has been thrown away on this project already. There are many medical programs in those poor countries. A few hundred thousand dollars could make a big difference to the lives of thousands of people. The benefits would last far longer than six minutes.
Not only is the Shuttlejet a terrible waste of money, it’s also a terrible waste of resources (资源). Think about the materials required to build and the things required to drive the Shuttlejet. Do we really want to pollute the environment for such a pointless exercise and waste so much money for such a pointless exercise?
In a word, we all need to come back down to earth and forget this stupid dream of space tourism.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this text?| A．To ask for advice. | B．To stop project. |
| C．To share his idea. | D．To express his interest. |
| A．Helping the fat cats lose weight. |
| B．Asking people to have fun in his house. |
| C．Providing a trampoline for space tourists. |
| D．Preparing first-class-meal for the forty cats. |
| A．It costs space tourists a lot of money. |
| B．It is just a scientific aim. |
| C．It is bad for the environment. |
| D．It causes a lot of waste in money and resources. |
| A．The project is unrealistic. | B．The project is unscientific. |
| C．The money should be spent on earth. | D．Space is nothing compared with earth. |
6 . Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people at your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging(抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells(细胞) in your body. The particles can be programmed to change your clothes’ color or pattern(样式).
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says,“ You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk , and it knows the milk is old . In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist
Andrew Zolli ,“it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example—what will be the next?
1. We can learn from the text that in the future__________.| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
| A．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
| B．More drinks will be given for sale. |
| C．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
| D．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| A．Cars will be able to drive automatically(自动地). |
| B．Fridges will know what people need. |
| C．Jacket sleeves can be used as a guide. |
| D．Nothing can replace the Internet. |
| A．Food and clothing in 2035 |
| B．The reason for the success of new technology. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．Future technology in everyday life. |
7 . Who is smarter? A human being or artificial intelligence(人工智能)?
The question swept the world when a Google－developed program called AlphaGo defeated the world top player，South Korean Lee Se－del，4－1.
So，what comes next?
Some people have been arguing that artificial intelligence，or AI in short，will be a bad thing for humans. In an interview with the BBC in 2014，UK scientist Stephen Hawking warned that “the development of full artificial intelligence could mean the end of the human race.”
So are we really about to live in the world shown in the Terminator movies?
“Not quite，” answered The Economist. After all，it's not hard to get a computer program to remember and produce facts. What is hard is getting computers to use their knowledge in everyday situations.
“We think that，for the human being，things like sight and balance(视觉平衡)，are natural and ordinary in our life.” Thomas Edison，founder of Motion Figures，a company that is bringing AI to boys，told the newspaper. “But for a robot，to walk up and down just like human beings requires various decisions to be made every second，and it's really difficult to do.”
As The Economist put it，“We have a long way to go before AI can truly begin to be similar to the human brain，even though the technology can be great.”
Meanwhile，John Markoff of The New York Times said that researchers should build artificial intelligence to make people more effective.
“Our_fate_is_in_our_own_hands，” he wrote.“Since technology depends on the values of its creators，we can make human choices that use technology to improve the world.”
1. What was the result of the match?| A．Lee Se－del won AlphaGo 4－1. | B．Lee Se－del was defeated. |
| C．Google program beat AlphaGo. | D．Neither side won the match. |
| A．It's very hard for AI to beat the human brain. |
| B．AI would take the place of human beings. |
| C．AI can make various decisions quickly. |
| D．AI does better than humans in sight and balance. |
| A．Stephen Hawking. | B．John Markoff. |
| C．The New York Times. | D．The Economist. |
| A．AI will improve the world completely. |
| B．AI is in the control of human beings. |
| C．AI may bring disasters to human beings. |
| D．AI will make our future out of control. |
8 . People have always wanted to know what the future will look like. Then, how can we?
But why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons: First, we need to start to think about what kind of future we would like for ourselves and to pass on to the next generation.
How about the virtual worlds? It might be in the future to experience the sand between your toes, and hear the waves, just lying in your bed at home.
| A．So what will the future look like then? |
| B．Will this change in the next 150 years? |
| C．Predicting the future can help us in many ways. |
| D．However, you’ll never get the feeling of being there. |
| E．Well, to understand the future, you must know the past. |
| F．However, no matter how real the experience will feel, it doesn’t happen for real. |
| G．Then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future. |
9 . "If popular culture has taught us anything, it is that someday mankind must face and destroy the growing harm caused by robots." Author Daniel Wilson's description of How to Survive a Robot Uprising seems like it is straight out of a robot disaster movie. "The problem with cleverly-designed robots is that we become dependent on them," says Wilson.
The classic movie Westworld describes an amusement park where, after a safety error, the robots spend a killing period of time. Yet in reality, statistics show that as technology improves there is a trend towards increased safety. Similarly, public transport systems using computers and machines are believed to be more reliable than those in human control, and a robot-assisted operation is more precise and results in fewer medical problems.
But where does the idea of robots being cruel and harmful come from? "Robots were pop culture figures before they existed," says Wilson. "They were frightening creatures in novels. When robots really started existing, they already had this image(形象) set up not based on reality. That's exactly what happened—a movie monster became real."
Recent reports talked of a robot "attack" on a worker in Sweden. Even if these references to an attack rather than an error are meant in joke, this only makes the problem worse. "We're so interested in the robot-attack storyline that it can influence the way real robot-safety problems are discussed," says one journalist. But with robots becoming increasingly advanced, is it going to come a time when an error could become an unkind and cruel attack?
"Robots are just a bunch of metal," says one engineer. "If you are scared, then you are scared of the people building them." So what do engineers think we should be afraid of? Nanotechnology is the science which involves developing and making extremely small but very powerful machines. Some engineers suggest that with these new developments come "severe dangers" if they are used inappropriately. Its theory goes that "the small size and rapid potential of nano-built weaponry（武器）will make it difficult to control and hard to keep out of the hands of terrorists. "And this is a view shared by some artificial intelligence experts. "With robots...if it makes an error, you can unplug it and shut it down. But if you have lots of nano-built weapons, which are extremely small, there is no way you can do the same thing."
1. In the first paragraph, Daniel Wilson ________.| A．confirms the existence of robots |
| B．introduces the development of robots |
| C．states that robots are potentially dangerous |
| D．suggests that we should be dependent on robots |
| A．designers of the first robots spread this idea |
| B．reality shows they are the same as in the movies |
| C．movie audience continue to give this impression |
| D．they were originally described this way in novels |
| A．is intended as a joke |
| B．serves as a serious warning |
| C．presents the technical problem |
| D．expresses sympathy for the worker |
| A．Robots could use it inappropriately. |
| B．It could make robots harder to control. |
| C．It could be more dangerous than robots. |
| D．There'll be more terrorist attacks because of it. |
This idea may sound like something from a science fiction (科幻小说), but it is actually being taken seriously by many researchers. This suggests the future for the "red planet" will be the main topic for discussion at an international conference hosted by NASA (美国宇航局) this week. Leading researchers as well as science fiction writers will attend the event.
Turning Mars into a little earth has long been a topic in science fiction,” said Dr Michael Meyer, NASA's senior scientist for astrobiology (太空生物学)．“Now, with scientists exploring the reality, we can ask what are the real possibilities of changing Mars.”
Most scientists agree that Mars could be turned into a little earth, although much time and money would be needed to achieve this goal.
But many experts are shocked by the idea. "We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable speed and now we are talking about ruining another planet," said Paul Murdin from the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK.
Over the past months, scientists have become increasingly confident .They will find Martian life forms. Europe and America's robot explorers have found proof that water, mixed with soil, exists in large amounts on the planet.
1. The passage is about________.
| A．Mars supporting life |
| B．finding water in the Mars |
| C．a plan turning Mars into a little earth |
| D．the necessity of changing Mars |
| A．are short of confidence |
| B．will gain the support of NASA |
| C．are asking for advice on how to carry it out |
| D．realize that it’s not easy to achieve their goal |
| A．He is for the idea. |
| B．He is active in the idea. |
| C．He is against the idea. |
| D．He doesn’t care about it. |
| A．They have no idea about the plan. |
| B．They will find Martian lives very soon. |
| C．They may achieve their goals some day. |
| D．They have found much proof of Martian lives. |
