1 . Forecasting the technological future is difficult at best. Back in the 1980s,the thought of carrying around a small, portable phone seemed to belong in the world of science fiction. Then in the 1990s, imagining a phone that would allow you to surf the Internet something that didn't even exist until 1990was unheard-of. Today, smartphones can surf the Web, run applications and play games, and those with a near field communication (NFC) chip can act as away to make purchases. Oh, and they can still make phone calls, too.
So what will phones look like in 2050? Based upon phone customer behavior, I imagine the future phones will rely more on combining our physical lives with our digital lives. They probably won't be similar to the ones we’re reusing now. They’ll be built into other devices and products. Imagine a pair of glasses that can display a digital overlay on top of your physical surroundings.
I don’t think video chat is taking off despite services like Skype and FaceTime. Rather, the trend seems to be toward asynchronous(非同步的)communication. That means the two or more people in a conversation complete а discussion over time.
We might even see the phone part of phones disappear. Recent phone customer behavior suggests that texting is a more popular way to communicate than telephone calls. Future phones will need a way to display messages but don’t necessarily include voice communication.
Since we’re talking about 2050 here, there’s even the possibility that research into brain-computer interfaces(脑机接口) will have reached a point in which we won’t need a physical screen or microphone at all. Electronics could be built into clothing. You’d link the devices to an interface connected to your brain and post messages just through thought. It’d be a form of telepathy(心灵感应).
But what do you think? Will we be wearing devices that let us communicate easily? Or will we be carrying around the iPhone 47 and answering texts between games of Angry Birds? Let us know your predictions.
1. What will future phones be like according to the author?A.Texting may disappear. |
B.NFC chips can be used for purchasing. |
C.Phones may be built into other products. |
D.Phones will combine our lives with our work. |
A.telepathy between people may come true |
B.we may send messages just through thought |
C.clothing may be used as the screen of phones |
D.phones can be connected directly to your brain |
A.people started surfing the Internet in the 1980s |
B.we will be carrying around the iPhone 47 in 2050 |
C.the author’ s prediction about phones is based on phone customer behavior |
D.the author is positive about the development of brain-computer interfaces |
2 . 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 |
3 . What will man be like in the future – in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.
1. The passage mainly tells us ________.A.man's life will be different in the future |
B.what man will look like in the future |
C.man is growing taller and uglier as time passes |
D.human's organs' functions will become weak |
A.he makes use only 20% of the brain's capacity |
B.his brain has grown larger over the past centuries |
C.the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time |
D.he will use his brain more and more as time goes on |
A.He will be hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
B.He will have smaller eyes and will wear better glasses. |
C.His fingers will grow weaker because he won't have to make use of them. |
D.He will think and feel in a different way. |
A.human beings will become less attractive in the future. |
B.less use of a bodily organ may lead to its degeneration (退化). |
C.human beings hope for a change in the future life. |
D.future life is always predictable. |
内容包括:
1.你未来的职业以及工作内容;
2.业余生活;
3.家务由谁来承担;
4.你在未来的生活中是否需要使用钱。
参考词汇:robot机器人;扫码支付Scan to Pay;支付宝Alipay
注意:
1.适当发挥,以使行文连贯;
2.数:100-120左右。
My life in the future
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5 . Technologically, the 20-year jump from 2015 to 2035 will be huge. Back in 1995 we were in the early days of the Internet, we worked in small rooms and our computers were heavy and powered by Windows 95. There were no touch screen phones or flat screen TVs; people laughed at the idea of reading electronic books.
So, what will our world really be like in 2035? What will the future jobs and technology be like? The world in 2035 will probably be much like it is today, but smarter and more automatic. We can see the future of our work first.
Taxi drivers will be replaced by self-driving Uber cars and receptionists will be replaced by robots. Doctors can use vast medical databases and travel agents will be wiped out by trip-planning, flight-booking web services. Even writers are threatened by companies such as Narrative Science, which currently uses AI to create sports reports and financial updates.
Obviously, there will also be new jobs created: the computer engineer who fixes the self-driving Uber taxis, programmers, space tour guides and vertical (垂直的) farmers. Technology will continue to disrupt (扰乱) businesses and get rid of jobs, creating new professions we can’t yet envisage now.
Those of us who work probably won’t do so in a traditional office either. We’re already seeing a shift in the definition of work. It’s now a task you perform, not a place you go to. Productivity is no longer measured by sitting at a desk. There’s no nine to five. No job for life.
The biggest advantage of working from home is that you save a lot of time commuting back and forth to work. You can spend extra time with your children or spouse and read the newspaper instead of sitting in traffic. Of course, advanced technology will ensure that most of us can work from home.
1. What’s the function of the questions in paragraph 2?A.Leading in the topic of the article. | B.Raising the thinking of the readers. |
C.Introducing the work of the future. | D.Inspiring readers to explore the future. |
A.Assess. | B.Ignore. | C.Imagine. | D.Reject. |
A.In the office. | B.At the hotel. | C.In the open air. | D.At home. |
A.The future health. | B.The future technology. | C.The future marriage. | D.The future transportation. |
1.可以在固定的时间做饭,做饭时间可以根据个人需要进行调整;
2.可以陪老人聊天儿、下棋、做运动等;
3.及时处理突发事件,例如在老人突然病倒时及时拨打急救电话等。
请你根据以上内容写一篇发言稿,在新闻发布会上向大家推荐你公司的这一新产品。
emergency n.突发事件
Ladies and gentlemen,_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you.
7 . It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak the ‘decline of class’ and ‘classless society’ in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class. But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging society of public opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in particular class; 73 percent agreed that class was still a vital part of British society; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an important part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.
One unchanging aspect of a British person’s class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounded ‘educated’ and ‘soft’. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional (地区的) city accents. These accents were seen as ‘common’ and ‘ugly’. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper middle-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song ‘Common People’ puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may ‘want to live like common people’ they can never appreciate the reality of a working-class life.
1. A recent study of public opinion shows that in modern Britain ________.A.it is time to end class distinction. |
B.most people belong to middle class. |
C.it is easy to recognize a person’s class. |
D.people regard themselves socially different. |
A.variety | B.division | C.authority | D.qualification |
A.original | B.educated | C.prejudiced | D.unattractive. |
A.The middle class is expanding. |
B.A person’s accent reflects his class. |
C.Class is a key part of British society. |
D.Each class has unique characteristics. |
8 . American cities are similar to other cities around the world: In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War Ⅱ, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents(居民) became richer. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区).
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals(专业人士,专门人才) are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. A large number of poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
1. What does the author think of cities all over the world?A.They are alive. | B.They are hopeless. |
C.They are similar. | D.They are different. |
A.Because older American cities were dying. |
B.Because they were richer and needed more space. |
C.Because cities had the worst parts of society. |
D.Because they could hardly afford a life in the city. |
A.are faced with housing problems |
B.are forced to move to the suburbs |
C.want to sell their buildings |
D.need more money for daily expenses |
A.American cities are changing for the worse |
B.people have different views on American cities |
C.many people are now moving from American cities |
D.the population is decreasing in older American cities |
9 . What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? What do you hope about the future?
Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050 in all the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050.Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. Demand for water will increase ten times between now and 2050 and there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists predict that water could be the cause of war if we don't act now. In transport, cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won't be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination.
In the domain of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots-they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere-in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
Last but not least, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. Scientists will be able to do these things-but should they?
1. What's the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To arouse the interest of the reader. |
B.To tell the background of the passage. |
C.To introduce the topic of the passage. |
D.To describe the pictures of the future. |
A.computers will finally take the place of the media nowadays |
B.robots will completely have replaced people in factories |
C.computers will tell drivers exactly where they are in future |
D.it is more convenient to choose programs sent by the computer |
A.all diseases will not be conquered by scientists |
B.scientists have known the way to produce genes |
C.the clones of human are understood by scientists |
D.the clones of animals have a long way to go |
10 . Where is the future going?
Our work habits have changed a lot over the past thirty years. While our parents may have expected to stay in one job, with one company, for their whole life, we are faced with the possibility of changing jobs and even careers several times. Our understanding of education, work and society is different from that of earlier generations.
People in the future will still need food, of course, but the way we produce food will not be the same.
What about people who work with computers? Well, things will change for them, too. More advanced computer programs and new technologies will remove the need for computer operators who perform simple actions. Modern search engines can do many of the things that yesterday's computer operators did. Word processing and simple information handling can be done automatically.
A rapidly changing job market also creates new challenges for students, teachers and parents.
A.What life will be like in the future is difficult to predict. |
B.Not only the way we work and view the job has changed. |
C.It is hard to imagine where all these advanced technologies will lead us. |
D.For people with these skills, there will be new jobs as database managers. |
E.Where is the future going and what can we do to find a place for ourselves in it? |
F.Small farms that use old methods will be replaced by large farms with high efficiency. |
G.The difference in values, skills, education and desires between two generations is growing. |