1 . Some people believe that humans could live on the planet Mars by the year 2100. Our own planet, the Earth, is becoming more and more crowded and polluted. It is hoped that people could start all over again and build a better world on Mars. Here is what life there could be like.
At present, our spacecraft are too slow to carry large numbers of passengers to Mars — it would take months. With the development of technology, by the year 2100, the journey might only take about 20 minutes in spacecraft that travel at the speed of light! However, the spacecraft would travel really fast, so the journey to Mars might be quite uncomfortable. Many people would feel ill.
Humans can’t live without water, air or food. So far, nobody knows whether there would be enough water or air on Mars for people. Moreover, scientists are not sure whether plants could grow on Mars. Food would most probably be in the form of pills (药片) and would not be so tasty.
Compared with life on the earth, life on Mars would be better in some ways. People would have more space. They might live in houses with huge comfortable rooms. Also, robots would do a lot of their work so that they could have more time to relax. There would probably be no schools on Mars. Every student would study at online schools with “e-teachers”.
Life on Mars would be interesting and challenging. However, it may take hundred or years to make it true. So the most important thing we need to do now is to protect our beautiful blue planet — the Earth!
1. The underlined word “spacecraft” means ________.| A．spaceships | B．hot-air balloons | C．space stations | D．planes |
| A．Fast and enjoyable. | B．Fast but uncomfortable. |
| C．Slow and boring. | D．Slow but comfortable. |
| A．There would be enough water and air on Mars for people. |
| B．Food on Mars would be more delicious than that on the earth. |
| C．People would be busy with work on Mars. |
| D．The writer thinks living on Mars would be full of challenges. |
| A．Schools on Mars | B．Food on Mars |
| C．Life on Mars | D．Environment on the Earth |
2 . These are some ideas that some people came up with about what the life will be like in the year 2500.
We will have established a base on the moon. School kids can take field trips to the moon weekly. We will have found cures(疗法) for AIDS and cancer. The war will have ended and peace flows freely through the land. Kids will learn more and be smarter than ever before! History will be the main subject at school. Cafeteria(自助餐厅) food will be delicious! You just walkup to a machine, stick out your tongue, and it will scan your taste buds(味蕾) to see what you want to eat.
—Kristen
Here I am in the wonderful year of 2500 and life is so easy. I work in a pet store and it is so hard! I have to wake up at midnight every day and fly my car to the store. It takes so long to get there. It takes me 20 seconds to get to the store in Mississippi from my home in Florida! At work, I have to push 5 buttons and then I go home. It takes 2 seconds and that is like forever.
—Morgan
In the year 2500, I think we will have invented cars that run on things we don’t need like garbage. Tail gas will smell like whatever you like such as chocolate. I also predict that buildings will be able to go into a different dimension(维) so your car won’t hit them. The cars in 2500 don’t fly, for we haven’t got that technology yet, but they can hover(盘旋) up to seven feet. These cars are made for speed!
—Carly
Instead of cars, we may have hovering devices that float around. We could also have electric cars instead of gas? powered cars. Food might be more healthy. What I believe is that the environment will change most. The environmental changes will also determine many other changes. If more people try to help the environment, then perhaps in 2500 we will have more forests and wildlife. If people won’t help the environment, then we will have no forests and little wildlife left.
—Roberta
1. According to Kristen, what will happen in 2500?| A．English will be the main subject at school. | B．Students can go to the moon every week. |
| C．Cafeteria will replace other restaurants. | D．AIDS and cancer will disappear. |
| A．Kristen. | B．Morgan. | C．Carly. | D．Roberta. |
| A．there will be more wildlife and forests | B．the environment will have changed a lot |
| C．the environment will be seriously damaged | D．cars will run on solar power and electricity |
| A．Aids and cancer will disappear in 2500 |
| B．Studnets can go to the moon every week |
| C．English will be the main subject at school |
| D．What the life will be like in the year 2500? |
3 . What the future school will look like is difficult to make clear, but most experts agree that the school will be electronic in the future.
“Present-day schools will no longer exist in the next century,” says a report in The Age. “At that time, schools will become community-style centers, which run seven days a week, and 24 hours a day.” At the same time, computers will surely become a central part of the school in the future.
According to The Age, the distance learning will be popular and students will listen to teachers on computers. Going into classrooms on their computers, students will study at any time, which is very easy for them. However, it is necessary for students to go to the actual school in order to develop some social skills.
Seashore Primary School is an imaginary school in the future created by the Education Department of Australia. At this school, all the teachers and students have laptop computers. Teachers check messages and call students back with a special telephone system and students use telephones to search for information or speak to their teachers who give their lessons. Besides, all the lessons are related to all sorts of subjects and all the students have their own learning plans created by teachers.
As one headmaster says, a laptop computer is a student’s library, data storage(数据存储) device as well as the bridge to a wider world. Technology has changed the emphasis of future learning. Thus, we’ll pay more attention to the learning of kids rather than the teaching.
1. According to the report in The Age, students in future schools will ________.| A．mainly study online | B．study at set times |
| C．have no teachers | D．never go to actual schools |
| A．telephones are important in Australia |
| B．how future schools will work |
| C．every student needs a learning plan |
| D．students enjoy getting in touch with teachers |
| A．Lesson. | B．Score. | C．Attitude. | D．Focus. |
| A．The Schools in the Future | B．Great Changes in Technology |
| C．Seashore Primary School | D．Actual Schools to Be Replaced |
4 . The future home is something that people have talked about for decades. Because the future home idea inspires our imagination, scientists and engineers have been working hard to develop different systems to make houses “smarter”.
The video camera at the entrance recognize visitors using facial recognition. The facial recognition software of the future home will not only recognize friends, but strangers as well. And the software in the future home will run the strangers faces against a database of criminals.
The future home will also have smart application appliances (家电) as well. There will be a vast networking system connecting them. Ovens, microwaves and refrigerators will be controlled automatically, so remote cooking will be a possibility and meals are prepared for your arrival.
There will also be a green systems in place such as saving and reusing washing water and bathwater. Plants and people may receive pure or mineralized (含矿的) drinking water.
If you think this future home idea is pie in the sky or science fiction, then think again. Most of the systems described here are either in development or already out in the market. Future homes may not be standard yet for the middle class but this is not as far ahead as many people would think.
1. What can the facial recognition software be used for in the future houses?| A．Greeting friends. | B．Collecting criminals information. |
| C．Recognizing visitors. | D．Following dangerous criminals. |
| A．Facial recognition software. | B．Remote cooking. |
| C．Smart refrigerators. | D．Saving and reusing water. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Common. | C．Special. | D．Excellent. |
| A．Smart future home |
| B．A smart networking system |
| C．Software in future home |
| D．Various household appliances |
Task: Write about what life will be in the year 2050.
In 2050, our life will be a lot different from nowadays in many aspects. The environment, transportation, education and people’s lifestyles will also change to a new level.
There are some reasons to be optimistic about life then. Along with development of scientific advances, people will have more means of transport. Solar-powered, wind-powered cars which are much more environment-friendly will be produced and used. Travelling to other planets will be more available to everyone physically, mentally and financially qualified.
In addition, everyone can afford to study in 2050. With the help of technologies, such as metaverse or something more advanced or revolutionary, we don’t need to go to school anymore.
Just stay at home and you can learn everything from online teachers, which will help us save money and commuting time. The schedule will be more optional for you to choose as long as it suits your time and your purposes.
However, there are also some reasons to worry about life in the year 2050. The more modern the technologies will be, the more polluted environment we will have. As I suppose, the future environment will have much pollution. Nevertheless, future scientists will pay more attention to this aspect so I think it will be improved soon.
Because of technologies, people will be much passive than at present. There will be robots helping people in many aspects of their lives. People won’t need to do housework or cook for meals because robots do them all. And since we can study at home, people will use computers almost every day, which may make them become much lazier and easier to be obese.
There will be a lot of changes in our life in the next decades. Whether it will be a better or worse life depends on what we will do with them and how they can influence our life…[ To be continued ]
1. This passage is probably taken from a website for _______.
| A．field research | B．essay reference |
| C．environmental protection | D．science fiction |
| A．Everyone will have the chance to experience interplanetary travelling. |
| B．Technological advances can help people to reduce the educational costs. |
| C．Our planet will be sure to be dirtier in 2050 due to moderner technologies. |
| D．People in 2050 are doomed to be fatter and lazier with robotic services. |
| A．Positive. | B．Pessimistic. |
| C．Mixed. | D．Ambitious. |
| A．people’s attempts to overcome the challenges that may occur in the future |
| B．the life that people in the future may encounter in underdeveloped areas |
| C．the advantages and drawbacks that technologies may bring to people |
| D．the government’s efforts to promote the development of smart cities |
6 . 2050 seems a long way away, but it is not impossible to predict the future though. With the speed we are moving now so many amazing things are going to happen in the future. So where is technology going in the future?
◇The Internet will be free for everyone.
The Internet is really a key driver these days. But it is not free for everyone yet. There have already been attempts like Facebook’s Free Basics.
◇Personal airplanes will be used widely for short journeys.
With the increasing population, it is not very hard to predict that common methods of transportation will not be enough.
◇Most cancers will be treated successfully.
◇
There will be great achievements in space research. In the year 2050, humans will be able to live on Mars. We will receive more intelligent signals from space. Chances are we will be able to find the next Earth — like planet.
| A．Though it hasn’t happened yet |
| B．Let’s start our predictions |
| C．The world’s population will cross 9. 6 billion |
| D．What do you think of my predictions of 2050 |
| E．Humans will live on other planets |
| F．There will be much heavier traffic on the road |
| G．The number of deaths caused by cancers will be greatly reduced |
7 . My future happiness
When I imagine my future, I see myself as an adult who is confident in my abilities, doing a job I love and living my life responsibly. When I grow up, I will be enjoying more convenience brought by the advances in technology, with more time to pursue hobbies and enjoy the company of family and friends.
I will feel the happiest in the future because I will learn more about life and develop into the best person I can be.
Thanks to new technology, my future life is sure to improve in various ways. Homes will become smarter to the extent that they might be programmed to learn about our needs and monitor our health and activity. I can imagine hearing an AI voice remind me to buy groceries or do more exercise! There will also be enormous advancements in transport options. I will be riding in a self-driving car, and other new means of transport may be developed in the future.
My development into a mature adult and access to advanced technology will provide me with more free-time opportunities.
| A．I might be able to ride a flying bike to quickly meet up with my friends. |
| B．I will become more knowledgeable about the world and myself. |
| C．When I think about the future, I realize my happiest days are still ahead of me. |
| D．For these reasons, I look forward to the future as the happiest moment in my life. |
| E．With less work-related stress, I will also have more time and energy to do volunteer projects. |
| F．The working day will be only four hours long thanks to robots. |
| G．Technological advances will guarantee that I will be in good health and find true happiness. |
8 . “Demographics are our fate”, which suggests much of the future is determined by the very simple trend lines of populations. Of course, demographics can’t spot pandemics or other crises. But as shocking as they feel at the moment, such events are rare. One aspect of the future that demographics can’t help predict are technological discoveries. But even technological discoveries have a slower impact on the daily life than we sometimes perceive. Peter Thiel famously said in 2013, “We wanted flying cars. Instead, we got nothing but 140 characters.”
So what comes next? If you woke up 20 years from now in 2042, what would be different? Here are some ideas based on numbers that don’t require a crystal ball. About 70 percent of the world population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050, according to data from the United Nations. That means most cities are going to need more improvements. Roads, public transportation and waste management will need large-scale expansion and upgrades. The average person produces 4.9 pounds of waste a day, up from 3.66 pounds in 1980. But here’s a trend going in the other direction as a result of technology: Paper and paperboard declined from 87.7 million tons in 2000 to 67.4 million tons in 2018, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
And we’ll be older. In the United States, we’re likely to live until 82.4 years old, compared with 79.1 years old today, the United Nations predicts. That’s a good thing for health care companies and others that satisfy the needs of older people. But living three extra years is going to be more expensive, which will have an influence on both working and saving.
Businesspersons, industry leaders and policymakers are already at work solving some of the problems that demographic data suggest are ahead of us. They are trying to figure out how to inspire farmers to sequester carbon and use green machines to reduce the energy consumption.
What about the metaverse? Or robots taking our jobs? Or AI taking over everything? Demographics can’t answer those questions. All of those things may happen, but life in 2042 may also look a lot like it does today maybe with the exception of those flying cars.
1. How does the author understand “Demographics are our fate.” in Paragraph 1?| A．The trend lines of populations can decide the future of the world. |
| B．Demographics can’t determine all the things in the future. |
| C．Demographics can help recognize pandemics or other rises in the future. |
| D．Demographics can decide how quickly we make new technological discoveries. |
| A．Much more paper will be produced. |
| B．The environment will be polluted seriously. |
| C．People will produce much more waste than before. |
| D．Urban areas are going to need more improvements. |
| A．increase | B．avoid | C．generate | D．encounter |
| A．Are flying cars popular in 20years? | B．What is the fate of the car industry? |
| C．What will the world be like in 20 years? | D．What effect do the Demographics have? |
9 . Your options for an ego - friendly home may seem somewhat limited now—solar panels, rain barrels, and maybe a small garden—but as the world of green technology advanced, there is a rise in the number of smart, ego-friendly home improvements. Some of them are available now.
A home thermos tat (恒温器) can automatically adjust the temperature for you, making sure your house is warm when you get home and reducing energy waste during the day. For example, a thermos tat called Nest Learning Thermos tat learns your heating and cooling preference and automatically adjusts itself.
Years ago, recycling paper and plastic was the most you could do to save resource.
In 2009, The Wall Street Journal asked four architectural firms to imagine the future of green homes.
| A．There are quite a lot of benefits of green homes. |
| B．Others, like walls made of gardens, are a bit more futuristic |
| C．Traditional energy sources are still the norm in most houses |
| D．Nest users have saved 29 million in energy in less than two years |
| E．It will depend on the type of heating and cooling system in your home |
| F．Now, recycling factories have gone way beyond the traditional materials |
| G．And one of the groups, Rios Clementi Hale Studios, undertook the project |
10 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more？Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),”said Michael Zey，a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that's a conservative estimate（保守的估计）.”
At the conference in San Francisco，Donald Louria,a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nano technology（纳米技术）make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what has been possible in the past. “There is a great push so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less diseases, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live." It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life？" said Leonard Poon，director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre." At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all."
1. By saying “we are knocking at the door of immortality”, what does Michael Zey mean?| A．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| B．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| C．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| D．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| A．people can live from 120 to 180 years |
| B．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| C．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| D．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| A．a great push | B．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| C．the idea of living beyond the present life span | D．the conservative estimate |
| A．Living Longer or Not | B．Science，Technology and Long Living |
| C．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living | D．No Limit for Human Life |
