1 . What life will be in 2050?
It’s hard to say definitively what life will be like in 2050. However, we can make some educated guesses based on the trends that are happening now. For instance, it’s likely that technology will play an even greater role in our lives than it does now. We might have flying cars, or robots to do our household chores.
The world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, so resources may be strained. People may live in smaller homes or even underground to conserve space and energy. We may also see drastic changes in the way we get our food. With advances in technology, it’s possible that we’ll be able to create artificial meat or grow food in laboratories.
In 2050, many aspects of our life will be very different from what they are now. People’s lives, the environment, transportation, and education all change at a new level.
There will be a lot of new jobs born to serve the development of society. And if you are good at using social media, you can be an online celebrity and make a lot of money. You can also choose to be a full-time housewife and take care of your family if you want.
Rockefeller University mathematical biologist Joel Cohen predicts that by 2050, the world will be majority urban dwellers with a high average age. In contrast, U.S. cities theorist Richard Florida believes that urbanization trends will result in a work-from-home economy and do away with divisions between home and work life. Other experts interviewed by Popular Mechanics envision a future in which solar energy is ubiquitous, 3-D printing has replaced traditional manufacturing and everyone has a personal assistant in the form of an AI.
However, there are also some reasons to be pessimistic about the future. The world will be a more dangerous place in 2050. Global warming will cause rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions that will make life difficult for people around the world.
| A．As technology continues to develop, so does the concern for environment. |
| B．By 2050, everyone will be able to afford higher education. |
| C．In addition, there will be new diseases that we have not yet seen. |
| D．In general, life in 2050 is more convenient, more comfortable and more fun. |
| E．There are some grounds for optimism in this scenario. |
| F．As a result, we will have a lot of health problems. |
2 . Life in 2060
An international group of 40 scientists have made some very surprising predictions about the future. They say that in the next 50 years the way we live will change beyond our wildest dreams.
Professor Ellen Heber-Katz says: “
Professor Susan Greenfield of Oxford University says, “in 50 years’ time we may have a clearer idea of how the brain generates consciousness.” Studies of the brain and the nature of consciousness will bring much greater understanding of disorders such as depression. Other scientists go further than Professor Greenfield. They believe that by 2060 computers will develop their own consciousness and emotions.
Thanks to a device which can ‘read’ emotions, feelings, and thoughts, we will be able to ‘talk’ to animals. The story of Dr. Dolittle will be fact, not fiction. “
| A．People will take for granted that injured or diseased organs can be repaired in much the same way as we fix a car. |
| B．This device could first work with primates(灵长类), then mammals, then other vertebrates, including fish. |
| C．Within 50 years, living to 100 years old while will enjoying active, healthy lives will be a common thing. |
| D．A number of scientists predict that the biggest breakthrough in the next 50 years will be the discovery of extra-planet beings. |
| E．Human beings may eventually be replaced by computers in some areas of life. |
| F．We don’t yet know how the brain gives us our awareness of being alive. |
3 . Dr. Donald Sadoway at MIT started his own battery company with the hope of changing the world's energy future．It's a dramatic endorsement（支持）for a technology most people think about only when their smartphone goes dark．But Sadoway isn't alone in boasting about energy storage as a missing link to a cleaner, more efficient, and more equitable energy future．
Scientists and engineers have long believed in the promise of batteries to change the world．Advanced batteries are moving out of specialized markets and creeping into the mainstream, signaling a tipping point for forward-looking technologies such as electric cars and rooftop solar propels．
The ubiquitous（无所不在的）battery has already come a long way, of course．For better or worse, batteries make possible our mobile-first．lifestyles, our screen culture, our increasingly globalized world．Still, as impressive as all this is, it may be trivial compared with what comes next．Having already enabled a communications revolution, the battery is now poised to transform just about everything else．
The wireless age is expanding to include not just our phones, tablets, and laptops, but also our cars, homes, and even whole communities．In emerging economies, rural communities are bypassing the wires and wooden poles that spread power．Instead, some in Africa and Asia are seeing their first light bulbs illuminated by the power of sunlight stored in batteries．
Today, energy storage is a $33 billion global industry that generates nearly 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year．By the end of the decade, it's expected to be worth over 50 billion dollars and generate 160 gigawatt-hours, enough to attract the attention of major companies that might not otherwise be interested in a decidedly pedestrian technology．Even utility companies, which have long viewed batteries and alternative forms of energy as a threat, are learning to embrace the technologies as enabling rather than disrupting．
Today's battery breakthroughs come as the world looks to expand modern energy access to the billion or so people without it, while also cutting back on fuels that warm the planet．Those simultaneous challenges appear less overwhelming with increasingly better answers to a centuries-old question: how to make power portable．
To be sure, the battery still has a long way to go before the nightly recharge completely replaces the weekly trip to the gas station．A battery-powered world comes with its own risks, too．What happens to the centralized electric grid, which took decades and billions of dollars to build, as more and more people become "prosumers," who produce and consume their own energy on site?
No one knows which——if any——battery technology will ultimately dominate, but one thing remains clear．The future of energy is in how we store it．
1. What does Dr. Sadoway think of energy storage?| A．It involves the application of sophisticated technology． |
| B．It is the direction energy development should follow． |
| C．It will prove to be a profitable business． |
| D．It is a technology benefiting everyone． |
| A．Mobile-first lifestyles will become popular． |
| B．The globalization process will speed up． |
| C．Communications will take more diverse forms． |
| D．The world will undergo revolutionary changes． |
| A．find digital devices simply indispensable |
| B．communicate primarily by mobile phone |
| C．light their homes with stored solar energy |
| D．distribute power with wires and wooden poles |
| A．It might become a thing of the past． |
| B．It might turn out to be a "prosumer"． |
| C．It will be easier to operate and maintain． |
| D．It will have to be completely transformed． |
4 . Beginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to meet and many decisions to make．Your future begins here．
However，you will find college life is different from your previous school environment．Many of us can be easily overwhelmed（压垮）by the details of running a well-balanced life．While some of us may have the know-how, I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you．
The following you may find of use about life on campus．
* Plan well．There are so many new things to do at a new college or university．Give yourself time to make new friends and become familiar with the campus, but don’t forget why you are there．Give some time for social activities and manage your time wisely．
* If you don’t have a “system” for planning your time now （like a day timer, a computer data book）, get one．Most of all, don’t depend on your memory．
* Don’t miss the guidelines．The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student handbook．Consider them well-balanced food for thought．What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can/ can’t you do in class? What can/ can’t you do in your student residence（住处）? Who has right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?
* Write the word “STUDY” on the walls of our bedroom and bathroom, and maybe it will help to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table．Consider this—you are paying thousands of dollars for your courses．You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course．
* Build your identity．This is the time for you to decide what to do and what not to do．Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas．Do not be afraid of the beyond．This is learning to make good choices．
1. What is the main purpose of the passage?| A．To offer advice on college life． |
| B．To explain why college life is exciting． |
| C．To describe the importance of college life． |
| D．To persuade you to go to college． |
| A．Because you will have more freedom at college． |
| B．Because you will no longer be afraid of the beyond． |
| C．Because you prepare for your future career and life there． |
| D．Because professors there will provide you with many new ideas． |
| A．an understanding of how things are going at college |
| B．practical knowledge about how to behave and what to do at college |
| C．college halls where rules and regulations are presented |
| D．an environment completely different from the one you’re used to |
| A．needn’t learn from those who went to college before them |
| B．spend as much time as possible on social activities |
| C．should know what they have fought for on campus |
| D．are supposed to repeat or replace at least one course |
