1 . Future living: what will the home of tomorrow look like?

What will our homes be like in the future? Growing cities, shrinking living spaces, and climate change are major challenges     1    (face) urban planners and architects. We’re sharing three trends with you     2     will shape the home we live in tomorrow.

Energy efficient and carbon neutral

One of the greatest challenges for homes of the future is our increasing energy consumption, something that cannot be covered by fossil fuels going forward.     3    the impact of climate change becoming notable, it’s perfectly understandable that the buildings of the future could function as environmentally friendly power plants. Solar collectors and heat storage systems allow     4     are known as ‘plus-energy buildings’ to produce 100 percent renewable energy for emission-free operation.

The trend to downsizing

Living more efficiently not only means improving energy use and reducing one’s own carbon footprint, but also building to save space. Rooms     5    (design) to be multifunctional when there’s not a dedicated room available for every potential purpose. Modular and flexible furnishing systems that can be adapted to the individual floor space and room zones will replace     6    (fix) structures, ensuring that there’s room for everything even in a small space.   

Trends for living and working under one roof

Over the last few months, the office     7    (become) a feature in many people’s homes. For a number of years now, the home office has been evolving from a make-do desk into a comfortable long-term solution. This development means we need to ask     8     how we should construct our living spaces to allow us to concentrate and work productively.   

    9     you rent or own your own home in the future, what’s clear is that the home of tomorrow will be smarter, more flexible, and more sustainable. It will offer us space     10    (live), sleep and work both indoors and outdoors.

Good morning! Today I     1     (speak) to you about drones, also known as UAVs.     2     (fly) around on their own, drones have already been used for photography, scientific research and military operations. They will come into     3     (wide) use in various fields in the near future.     4     (deliver) drones now are mainly used for military action and disaster relief. It can be predicted that before long many people     5     (use) drones to deliver daily supplies like food and drink. Some companies are also developing passenger drones,     6     carry people in crowded cities. We can assume that with     7     (improve) technology in passenger drones, we     8     (enter) the age of personal flying vehicles. There can be no denying     9     the technology will have a huge impact     10     everyday life.

We     1     (persuade) that in the not-too-distant future smart homes will     2     (great) change our life. For example, household appliances can be switched     3     and off automatically. If you have a preference     4     jazz, your home     5     (play) jazz the instant you get home. Besides, if you command your smart home to change     6     (it) daily routine, the home system will obey as well. There is no denying that smart homes combine technology and health firmly,     7     can give appropriate suggestions on your health in time. However, when it     8     (come) to smart homes, is there anyone opposed to the coming of smart home era? We advocate that we should embrace new     9     (technology). After all, only by accepting science and technology instead of     10     (resist) it can we promote social progress.

No one can foretell the future of technology exactly, because no one can see the future. However, there are reasonable arguments     1    (base) on the advances and trends in technology in the past. For example, it is reasonable to predict that computers     2    (continue) to become more powerful, numerous and     3    (cheap). Areas with huge potential that are just beginning to be made use of today, like biotechnology, will continue to bear fruit.

Technology in general will probably continue to improve,     4    (create) both promises and risks. In the area of computers, someone might interact with hundreds of embedded microchips (嵌入式微芯片) throughout the home and the office. In     5     future, it will be many thousands. Increasing bandwidth and decreasing costs will lead to     6    some have called “ubiquitous computing”—computers everywhere helping us with everything. Some viewers, especially Bill Gates, believe the next few     7    (decade) will be characterized by long-awaited revolutions in robotic technology. Other futurists see trends in automation technology leading to desktop factories that allow users     8    (make) objects from simple original parts.

Apart from above areas, there are dozens if not hundreds of areas that will continue to advance technologically. One thing is     9    sure: the future will have better technology than the past did. But will we put     10     to better use? Only time and effort will tell.

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.