1 . There was a time, Wang Fuchun remembered, when all the people on Chinese trains looked more or less the same. In the late 1970s, when he started taking his photographs, everyone seemed to wear green suits and caps. The “green-skinned” trains crept between China’s main towns and cities. On board, all was chaos. Life seemed to explode on the train as if it were a stage. He did not care what seat he had, for he was on the move.
China, too, was on the move. China was rushing to the modern world, and the trains, showed it. Steam was fading; the green-skinned trains acquired fans, then air-conditioning. Then came express trains, then high-speed rail. And the passengers, too, changed. They began to wear jeans; by the 1980s they let their hair grow. The 1990s brought in a fashion for T-shirts with favourite stars. People wanted a look that was unique; they became individuals. His book Chinese on the Train, published in 2001, caught the brief span when old and new crashed.
Many slow trains had been replaced by high-speed models, as comfortable and quiet as hotels. The aisles were clear, the windows sealed. In the ordinary seats, everyone’s nose was buried in their tablets and their phones.
Over 40 years he reckoned he had ridden on 1,000 trains and covered more than 100,000 kilometres, on every line in China. He found he could not sleep properly without the clank of rails beneath him. He took about 200,000 pictures. He liked to place two of his photographs side by side. One was of a green-skinned train in 1998, with a merry line of passengers grinning out of the window. The second picture showed a pair of newly-weds (新婚夫妇) in 2015 in front of a Harmony high-speed train, holding the character for “double happiness”. He liked the message of hope. He was proud of what China had achieved.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The development of trains in China. |
| B．The changes that took place in China. |
| C．The publication of an influential book. |
| D．Chinese people’s habits of dressing in the past. |
| A．He set about photographing in 1970. |
| B．His book featured green-skinned trains. |
| C．His photos focused on ordinary people. |
| D．He suffered from sleep disorder on the train. |
| A．The great changes of trains. | B．The pride in rapid development. |
| C．The happy life of train passengers. | D．The breakthrough in his photographing |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Outgoing. | C．Determined. | D．Talented. |
2 . Space tourism is the term used to describe space travel for recreational or leisure purposes. What was once only a dream, as described in A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke, is now becoming a reality.
Futurologists attempt to make predictions of what life will be like in the future. After the first man landed on the moon, they thought that hotels would be built on the moon by the year 2000. They also considered the possibility that, in the 21st century, families might go for a holiday on the moon. Neither of these predictions have come true yet-but the rapid development of technology may mean these predictions are possible in the years to come.
Space Adventures is currently the only company to have succeeded in sending paying passengers into space. It worked with the Federal Space Agency of Russia and Rocket and Space Corporation Energia to provide flights for the world’s first private space explorers. Each paid over $20 million for their 10-day trip to the International Space Station.
Following successful explorations into space, other companies are now considering the possibility of enabling tourists to visit space. To make it affordable, suborbital space travel is being considered by some companies, like Virgin Galactic. Passengers would be transported to a height of between 100 and 160 km above earth, experience 3 — 6 minutes of weightlessness and a view of the stars before back to earth. This is expected to cost around $200, 000 per person.
Whilst it could be an enriching experience, there are some disadvantages. Many critics say that a huge growth in the spaceflight industry could drastically speed up the process of global warming. The ozone layer would be damaged further and the polar regions would suffer. In addition, space travel is only really affordable for the super-rich, though Virgin Galactic claims to be ‘opening space to the rest of us’.
1. What do you know about space tourism?| A．It is nothing but a dream. | B．It’s only in some fairy tales. |
| C．It’s a sightseeing tour in space. | D．It’s a scientific expedition. |
| A．The future life on the moon. | B．Landing on the moon in 1969. |
| C．Predictions about trips to the moon. | D．The history of the moon exploration. |
| A．It’s cheaper. | B．It’s safer. | C．It’s greener. | D．It’s convenient. |
| A．Its safety. | B．Environmental effect. |
| C．Social equality. | D．Its expense. |
3 . Predictions for Automation by 2040
Experts have given their top predictions for what house technology will revolutionise home living in the near future.
House Robots
Predicted to start appearing in households in the 2030s, they will be able to load the dishwasher and put away pots and pans, fold the laundry, change sheets and move furniture.
Multi-Function Drones(无人机)
Tiny drones will be commonplace in the 2030s. Some will pick up small spots of dirt, clean surfaces, water plants and monitor security around the home. Some will shine an infrared beam(红外光束)at the room's occupants to warm them as they move around the house.
AI Butlers(人工智能管家)
They are best imagined as extremely advanced versions of Siri or Alexa. They will be able to take control of all rountine life administrator like paying bills, managing subscriptions, doing your shopping and constantly monitoring ways to save you time and money.
Reverse Microwave
It is designed to cool things down in seconds so wines and beers can be chilled in seconds rather than hours.
Washing Balls
A tennis-ball sized ultrasonic(超声的)device that uses ultrasound(超声)to clean. It will be placed inside a pile or bucket of clothing to clean clothes without the need for a bulky(庞大的)washing machine.
Super Smart Fridges
They will learn what you eat, record when stocks are low, and even recommend recipes.
1. Which is NOT needed with multi- function drones?| A．Broom. | B．Computer. | C．Fridge. | D．Washing machine. |
| A．Backward. | B．Opposite. | C．Multifunctional. | D．Changeable. |
| A．They can record what they have. | B．They will be environmentally friendly. |
| C．They will learn to cook to people's taste. | D．They can offer people instructions for preparing dishes. |
