1 . What if we had the power to control time, instead of moving from the past to the present to the future? What if we could jump and travel through time in a machine? What if we could go wherever and whenever we pleased?
This ability would allow us to witness historic wonders, change decisions and see people from the past. We could right wrongs and stop wars from starting.
The mysterious puzzle of time has kept people debating its nature for hundreds of years. Science fiction writers have turned it into imaginative stories. Some scientists have even attempted to explain it using math. This math tries to make the dream of time travel come true.
The scientist Albert Einstein said that time and space are one thing. He called it “spacetime”. Einstein said that there are three dimensions (维度) in space: height, width and depth. A scientist named Hermann Minkowski added time as a fourth dimension.
Einstein introduced two ideas that have led to theories about the possibility of time travel. The first is relativity (相对论). The idea of relativity is that the force of gravity causes space to bend, which causes time to twist. The second idea focuses on special relativity. The idea is that a traveler moving super-fast through flat spacetime will enter the future. Einstein considered time “relative” because it is measured based on where we are on Earth or in space.
Stephen Hawking is a famous scientist. He believes that a time machine will never be built. If it were possible, he thinks we would already know. If a time machine could be built, how come no one from the future has invaded us?
The first science fiction story with this theme is The Clock That Went Backward by Edward P. Mitchell, which was published in 1881. Since then, thousands of books, films and television shows have explored the idea of time travel, in which some tools such as phones, watches, photographs and old books take travelers backward and forward.
Will time travel ever happen? Who knows? Most important is to keep our eyes open and have a sense of wonder.
1. The three questions the author uses in Paragraph 1 are __________.| A．to show time and space are connected |
| B．to show people’s interest in time travel |
| C．to draw readers’ attention to time travel |
| D．to make people believe time travel is possible |
| A．Time travel is possible in the future. | B．People can’t move faster than light. |
| C．Time travel is against scientific rules. | D．Spacetime is not a real thing in theory. |
| A．The first science fiction story. | B．Some tools used in time travel. |
| C．Edward P. Mitchell, the pioneer. | D．Different works about time travel. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Approving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Hopeful. |
2 . As Tiger King 2 appeals to viewers, some fans feel sad about having to pay much for another streaming service subscription. And they take pity on the once-hot video technology which is now more likely to be a temporary coaster (杯垫) for your coffee: DVDs were once the future, but now the industry can hardly be turned around.
DVD sales once reached $16.3 billion and were 64% of the U.S. home video market. That was 2005.
However, this year just 300 million DVDs are expected to be sold worldwide, down from an average of 2 billion every year between 2005 and 2009. Instead, a rise in customers buying on-demand and digital copies of films and the launch of streaming services are what have reduced the DVD industry to such a state.
But there are still 300 million of the things, even if your collection is gathering dust on the bookshelf. While pop psychology would suggest that older generations hold on to their love of the physical disc, instead, those aged 25 to 39 are more likely than most to watch DVDs. They’re often collectors.
“DVDs are a sign of our identity and our personality,” says Tony Gunnarsson, an analyst of TV, video, and advertising. That’s why England-based radio producer Tom Green still stores around 300 DVDs, including the whole seasons of The Simpsons. They represent a part of my life, and a part of me,” Green says. Others continue to keep DVDs because of the excellent audio (声音的) quality.
For DVDs, to undergo a renaissance (复兴) similar to that experienced by cassette tapes will require a big shift. “We need to wait for the generation that have a fascination with DVDs to control the mainstream culture, but it seems to be nowhere in sight,” says Tom Green. “And the public see DVDs as nothing but outdated media.” Even so, there is a solid group of DVD consumers. And that’s perhaps why producers keep making DVDs and why committed collectors collect their discs.
1. What does the author intend to stress in Paragraph 1?| A．The fall of DVDs. |
| B．A possible way of reusing DVDs. |
| C．A recent trend in the film industry. |
| D．The big expenses of video streaming services. |
| A．It celebrated a shift in digital copies of films. |
| B．It suffered from an oversupply of DVDs. |
| C．It entered 64% of the U. S. households. |
| D．Its sales reached the peak. |
| A．They both appreciate the charm of DVDs. |
| B．They are both professional DVD advertisers. |
| C．They are both passionate about collecting things. |
| D．They both praise the audio quality of streaming services. |
| A．They may control the mainstream culture. |
| B．They can greatly benefit many collectors. |
| C．They are as important as cassette tapes. |
| D．They are hard to make a comeback. |
3 . Myspace launched in September 2003. Friendster gave inspiration to the founders of Myspace, and the social network officially went live on the web in January 2004. After its first month online, over one million people signed up. By November 2004, that number grew to 5 million. By 2006, Myspace was visited more times than Google Search and Yahoo, becoming the most visited website in the United States. In June of that year, Myspace was reportedly responsible for nearly 80 percent of all social media traffic.
As explosive as Myspace was, it paled in comparison to how quickly Facebook grew into the internet giant it is today. In April 2008, both Facebook and Myspace attracted 115 million unique global visitors per month, with Myspace still winning in the U. S. alone. In December 2008, Myspace experienced peak (顶峰) U. S. traffic with 75. 9 million unique visitors. As Facebook grew, Myspace sustain a series of downsizing and redesigns as it tried to redefine itself as a social entertainment network. It was estimated (估价) in March 2011 that the site had dropped from attracting 95 million to 63 million unique visitors within the past year.
Although several factors triggered Myspace’s fall, one argument held that the company never figured out how to innovate well enough to keep up with the competition. Officially, however, Myspace is far from dead. If you go to myspace.com, you’ll see that it is very much still alive, though it has mostly transitioned away from social networking to become a site for planning music and entertainment. As of 2019, the site boasted over 7 million monthly visits. On Myspace’s front page, you’ll find a variety of entertainment news stories not just about music, but also movies, sports, food, and other cultural topics. Profiles are still a central feature of the social network, but users are encouraged to share their own music, videos, photos, and even concert events.
1. How long has it taken Myspace to become the most visited website in America since its establishment?| A．About 2 years. | B．About 3 years. |
| C．About 5 years. | D．About 8 years. |
| A．adapted | B．acquired | C．challenged | D．experienced |
| A．Lack of improvement. | B．Too much competition. |
| C．Unclear business positioning. | D．Cutting down too many workers. |
| A．Profiles. | B．Social networking. |
| C．Entertainment news. | D．Music and entertainment. |
4 . When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note — “Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery” — and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically (魔术般) appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊) . Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
1. Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer to __________.| A．show his magical power | B．pay for the delivery |
| C．satisfy his curiosity | D．please his mother |
| A．He wanted to have tea there. | B．He was a respectable person. |
| C．He was treated as a family member. | D．He was fully trusted by the family. |
| A．Nobody wants to be a milkman now. | B．It has been driven out of the market. |
| C．Its service is getting poor. | D．It is not allowed by law. |
| A．He missed the good old days. | B．He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
| C．He needed it for his milk bottles. | D．He planted flowers in it. |
5 . Bournemouth in Dorset has always been my favourite seaside town. When I was growing up, Mum and Dad didn’t have much money, but they’d saved enough for a few days in Bournemouth. I was four years old at the time. I don’t actually remember much about the trip, apart from being devastated when we had to leave. Mum said I fell in love with the place and insisted on waving goodbye to the sea when it was time to go. So I grew up believing Bournemouth was a wonderful place.
Forty years on, my wife and I returned for a week’s break. I was nervous, wondering if I’d be able to bring back that delight I’d felt as a child. I needn’t have worried. We had a fantastic time. It helped that the British weather had decided to provide us with high temperatures and plenty of sun. But it was Bournemouth that kept me spellbound, making me feel like a child again.
Bournemouth and its neighbour, Boscombe, are always busy, alive with chatter, music and other lively sounds. But as we stepped into Boscombe Chine Gardens, all the noise faded away. A sense of peace spread through us as we meandered along the paths, delighting in the squirrels climbing up and down the trees and the bright colours of the pretty plants.
One morning, we made a short trip to Poole Quay and took the ferry to Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, it’s a feast for the eyes, from its mock Tudor entrance, to the many peacocks walking around, to the magnificent views of the sun sparkling on the shining waters and boats bobbing up and down, seen from the island’s highest point.
Before we knew it, it was time to return home—but not before waving goodbye to the sea.
1. Which of the following best explains “devastated” underlined in Paragraph 1?| A．Sorrowful. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Thrilled. | D．Desperate. |
| A．The fear of losing childhood memories. |
| B．The adjustment to the new circumstances. |
| C．The uncertainty of recalling childhood delight. |
| D．The exposure to high temperatures and sunshine. |
| A．It boasts seaside views. | B．It belongs to wild animals. |
| C．It is free of the town’s noise. | D．It reminds him of his childhood. |
| A．Farewell to Bournemouth. | B．Working in a wonderful place. |
| C．A childhood unforgettable story. | D．Revisiting a childhood favourite. |
6 . With the rapid development of science and technology, we don’t know how different our life will be in the future.
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.
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.
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true.
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.
| 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 |
1. What is the main idea of the talk?
| A．Movies are highly inaccurate. |
| B．Society seems like magic enough. |
| C．Science is advancing very quickly. |
| A． He would be tired. |
| B．He would get confused. |
| C．He would be disappointed. |
| A．Forty. | B．Sixty. | C．Ninety. |
1. What is the speaker talking about?
| A．His experiences. | B．His opportunities. | C．His hobbies. |
| A．He can’t afford lots of things. |
| B．He doesn’t have many chances. |
| C．He wants to enjoy life as he did. |
| A．Meeting people. |
| B．Wearing long hair. |
| C．Enjoying good food. |
| A．Amused. | B．Excited. | C．Worried. |
9 . What will man be like in the future-in 5,000 or even 50,000 years? We can only make guesses, 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 example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Again, in the modern world we use brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity(容量). 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 to the head, especially the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are used very often. In fact, we use them so much that 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(秃头的).
Perhaps all this shows that future man will not be a very attractive being to look at! This may well be true. No matter how great the change is, future man will still have a lot in common with us.
1. Why will the forehead’s size of the man probably change?| A．The body of the man will get stronger. |
| B．His brain will be used more and more. |
| C．The head will become more sensitive. |
| D．The brain’s capacity will grow smaller. |
| A．man is growing taller as time passes. |
| B．man’s life won’t be the same in the future. |
| C．man will still have a lot in common with us. |
| D．future man will look quite different from us. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A novel. | C．A magazine. | D．A diary. |
10 . 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. |
