Happy 18th birthday! You’ve officially reach     1     (adult) in a lot of ways, even though I know you’re already mature beyond your years.

Many bittersweet events will happen in the next ten years. There will be highs. Stick to     2     (cherish) every single second. There will also be lows, and you may feel     3     (dishearten). But you’ll surely be committed to     4     (make) it through, and    5     (gradual) you’ll get stronger than before.

The world will always throw new challenges at you.     6     a consequence, your strength will be tested again and again. Looking back to what has happened over the last decade, I feel proud of how far you’ve come. Approve     7     everything that contributes to your     8     (become) fearless and independent.

As you become an adult, jump at every opportunity     9    comes your way. Celebrate every chance you get. No doubt you’ll always ponder     10    it and make the right decision.

Happy birthday, Kelsey! See you in ten years.

28-­year-­old Kelsey

You will be alarmed to find future household robots looking     1     like humans than machines. As they are superior     2     humans in some ways, you will be free of many tough jobs, such as household chores, and tasks under miserable conditions. More importantly, equipped with an intelligent computer brain, they will urge you     3     (set) aside some time for outdoor exercise. You can go out for a walk     4     a leisure place while the robot takes     5    all the housework. Just imagine enjoying your meals prepared by your robot, you are bound to be the happiest one in the world. It is calculated     6     the elderly may not feel lonely if     7     (accompany) by such household robots at home.

The world is changing at an increasing speed. In such a world, our ability     1       (anticipate) the future is very important. Here are some tips that may help us ensure a brighter future.

First, staying optimistic is of great importance because a     2     (pessimism) person sees difficulties in every opportunity, thus giving up easily.     3     is apparent that those who make the most of every opportunity will achieve their goals. Besides, there is a general     4     (recognise) that pressure and fear will produce doubt and disbelief. So, we should let go of them and pursue our goals bravely. What’s more, the ability     5     (cooperate) with others is quite essential. No matter how old we are, working with other people benefits us a lot. Finally, stick to keeping a     6     (purity) heart and a strong mind whatever difficulties and obstacles we may meet.

Though it seems that it is hard to accurately predict       1    future cars may be like, they will be       2     (potential) different in many aspects from traditional ones.

On the whole, shaped like bullets, future cars have the capacity       3     (drive) at much higher speed and they will be more energy efficient and affordable, which are       4     the horizon. More importantly, the cars will not only drive       5     (automatic) but can also be transformed into smaller boxes instantly we park,     6     (make) it possible to solve the problem of limited places to park.

Sooner or later, future cars will be bound       7     (offer) us more secure and comfortable driving experiences.

There are     1    bunch of predictions about what the future will be like, but not every prediction is    2     (convince) and solid. There will be a growing tendency for many technological innovations    3    (pop) up. These new advances will make thousands of new products accessible to people with the    4    (intend) of facilitating people’s life. Some may seem integral to a more comfortable life. However, not everyone may have access    5    those products or compete    6     a chance to enjoy such products which will combine convenience with comfort. In light of such prospects, many people who have an influence on the latest technology are convinced    7     (work) hard to make new products cheaper and expand    8    the benefits of those products. As a consequence, the whole society can benefit from it.

Take a moment     1     (imagine) yourself in ten years. You might have a few more grey hairs and wrinkles, and hope to change your material circumstances, too. But does the person you imagine feel very close to the person you are today.

Some people have a vivid sense of future self, which feels     2     (extreme) close to their current identity. These people tend to be more responsible for their money     3     they are keen to act in a way     4     will make life easier in the years ahead than present. Many other people see their future self as a separate person that has little     5     (relevant) to their present identity and,     6     consequence, they are far less worried about the long-term consequences of their actions.

You could almost think about your future self as a relationship that should     7     (pay) great efforts to develop. Thinking more about whom we will be in the future has a profound effect on our health, happiness and     8     (finance) security. You might consider a simple imaginative exercise—writing     9     letter from the future. This encourages people to feel a greater sense of link with their future self, thus     10     (prepare) for positive behavioral change.

In 1818 Mary Shelley published Frankenstein, the story of a scientist who tries to create a superior, being and instead creates a monster. In the last two centuries, this story     1     (tell) over and over again in countless variations. At first sight, the Frankenstein story appears to warn us that if we try to play God and engineer life we will be punished severely. Yet the story has a     2     (deep) meaning.

The Frankenstein myth confronts. Homo sapiens (智人) with the fact that the last days are fast approaching.     3     some nuclear or ecological disaster strikes, the pace of technological development will soon lead to the replacement of Homo sapiens by completely different beings who possess not only different physiques, but also very different cognitive and emotional worlds. This is something most Sapiens find extremely worrying. We like to believe that in the future people just     4     us will travel from planet to planet in fast spaceships. We don’t like to think about the     5     (possible) that in the future, beings with emotions and identities like ours will no longer exist, and our place will be taken by alien life forms     6     abilities beat our own.

We seek comfort in the fantasy that Dr. Frankenstein can create only terrible monsters, whom we would have to destroy in order to save the world. We like to tell the story that way because it implies that we are     7     best of all beings, that there never was and never will be anything better than us. Any attempt     8     (improve) us will inevitably fail, because even if our bodies might be improved, you cannot touch the human spirit.

We would have a hard time     9     (accept) the fact that scientists could engineer spirits as well as bodies, and that future Dr. Frankenstein could therefore create something     10     (true) superior to us, something that will look at us as condescendingly (居高临下地) as we look at the Neanderthals (穴居人).

In the near future, the smart     1    (home) with new technology will solve many daily problems for us. We will be using     2     (advance)technology every day for automatic control of everything. All controls will respond    3     our voice commands and prepare everything for us according to our     4     (day) routine. In the meantime, regular health checks     5     (monitor) our health every day and give us a warning early     6     if there is something abnormal, which     7    (potential) save our lives. In addition, by     8    (detect)abnormal signs in our homes, smart homes will provide us with the relevant information, so we will be able    9     (fix) the problem in time. Many of these new innovations are already     10     (avail) and being used in some homes, and most new homes will begin to use this new technology in the not-too-distant future.

Dr Richard Fairhurst,     1     new book The New Age of Invention has just been published, is an     2     (invent) himself. He thinks there have been golden ages of     3     (invent) throughout history and the present day is     4     new age for inventions. Most of the new great inventions are     5     (base) on advances in virtual reality, wearable tech, the flexible battery, madicine and     6     (environment) science. 3D printers have been used to make replacement hearts and bone parts.     7     terms of the environment, it is now possible     8     (create) an intelligent walking house. It is capable of using GPS technology to travel to different places, with computing technology     9     (control) its “legs”. Solar technology can be eco-friendly, too. Most inventions start with recognising a problem that    10     (need) a solution. That people have an incredible desire to think and create, and that is the real spirit of invention.

What will your future life look like? Let’s have     1     look.

In 3000, medical technology will be     2    (good) than ever. When you get up in the morning and look into the mirror, your face will be beautiful and young-looking. Many people at your age could live to be 120, and your parents will just have an anti-aging (抗衰老的)     3    (treat). All of you will look the same age!

Besides, “smart clothes” will contain special particles (粒子),     4     will be much smaller than the cells in your body. They can     5    (design) to change your clothes’ color or pattern. When you say to your shirt, “Turn red”, it will change from blue     6     red.

There will also be a great change in your house. If you get into the kitchen, you     7    (find) a special food machine that will tell you what your body needs and help you eat     8    (healthy).

In 3000, cars will drive     9    (they). You can just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, it will be possible     10    (change) the color of cars at the flick of a switch.

Such “smart technology” will be all around you, and let’s look forward to it.