1 . With the rapid development of science and technology, we don’t know how different our life will be in the future.     1    .

At first we think about human relationships. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will be making new friends through the Internet — even our husbands or wives will be met in this way.     2    . On the other hand, our relationship with people won’t be as important as they are today — we will feel a little lonely.

Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the housework for us.

    3     . Traveling to other planets or to the moon will also be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly.

We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true.     4    . And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as health will be in a better condition.

Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future; we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather confident about our future.     5    .

A．However, we are convinced of the following

B．We should be happy and believe good things will happen

C．We will pay more attention to protecting the environment

D．We can only imagine it

E．Spending holidays will also be completely different

F．It will be much faster and easier for us

G．Our environment will be more polluted

3 . 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.

2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

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.

3. Why is suborbital space travel considered possible?

A．It’s cheaper.

B．It’s safer.

C．It’s greener.

D．It’s convenient.

4. What is some critics’ major concern about space tourism?

A．Its safety.	B．Environmental effect.
C．Social equality.	D．Its expense.

5 . On paper, hydrogen（H2）looks like a dream fuel. Coal, oil, and natural gas produce carbon dioxide, which warms the earth when burned, Hydrogen produces pure water. Hydrogen packs more energy into less space than a battery（but certainly less than petrol）. Also, empty tanks（燃料箱）can be refilled with hydrogen much faster than refilling empty batteries with electricity.

While in practice, things are trickier. Storing a meaningful amount of hydrogen gas requires pressing it several hundred-fold. Changing it into the liquid form is another option, but it should be cooled to-253C. Both processes require a heavy and strong tank. While a 700 bar tank is acceptable for a city bus or a truck, adapting it for use in small vehicles is very difficult because the pressure during refilling would be too great.

The solution? Powerpaste.

A German team of researchers, led by Marcus Vogt, have come up with an interesting "powerpaste", which can store hydrogen energy at atmospheric pressure, ready for release when needed. It is so named because it comes in tubes and looks like toothpaste（牙膏）, not in its traditional form of gas.

The main ingredient（原料）of the paste is magnesium hydride, a substance that reacts with water to form hydrogen. The escaped hydrogen can then be directed into a fuel cell, where it reacts with oxygen from the air to produce electric power.

Refueling is very simple, as instead of going to a filling station, drivers and riders can simply replace an empty tube with a new one and refill the water tank.

Given that powerpaste only begins to break down at temperatures of around 250℃ it remains safe even when a vehicle stands in the baking sun for hours.

However, we will have to be patient. Just because researchers have succeeded in developing a new fueling way does not mean that we can expect to see such vehicles on the road anytime soon. It will indeed be several years before this concept is turned into reality.

1. As a fuel, what is the advantage of hydrogen over oil?

A．Refilling empty tanks will be more convenient.

B．It is less likely to worsen global warming

C．More energy can be packed in the same space.

D．It will produce pure water for people to drink.

2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The practical difficulties to use hydrogen as fuel in small vehicles.

B．The detailed processes of adapting a strong tank in small vehicles.

C．The differences in fueling between large vehicles and small ones.

D．The tricks of building strong tanks in small vehicles.

3. The author mentions the refueling process to show that powerpaste is______________.

A．inexpensive

B．powerful

C．convenient

D．environment-friendly

4. Why does the author call on the readers to be patient?

A．Powerpaste-driven vehicles sometimes move very slowly on the road.

B．Practical use of powerpaste-driven vehicles will not come very soon.

C．Powerpaste-driven vehicles can only work after being in the sun for hours

D．It will be years before the researchers work out the concept of powerpaste.