1 . Education in 2080 is distinctive from education in the 2020s. Until about 2035, the main function of education systems was to supply the economy with the next generation of workers. In 2080, the purpose of education is the well-being of society and all its members. To make this a bit more tangible for you, I would like to give an example of what a child’s education looks like in 2080. Her name is Shemsy. Shemsy is 13, and she is confident and loves learning.

Shemsy does not go to school in the morning because schools as you know them no longer exist. The institution was abolished as it was widely thought of as more like a prison or a factory than a creative learning environment. Schools have been replaced with “Learning Hubs” that are not restricted to certain ages. They are where intergenerational learning happens, in line with the belief that learning is a lifelong pursuit.

Every year, Shemsy designs her learning journey for the year with a highly attentive “teacher-citizen”. Shemsy is actively engaged in designing her education and has to propose projects she would like to be involved in to contribute to and serve her community. She also spends lots of time playing as the role of play in learning has finally been recognized as essential and core to our humanity. Shemsy works a lot collaboratively. Access to education is universal, and higher education institutions no longer differentiate themselves by how many people they reject yearly. Variability between students is expected and leveraged (利用) as young people teach one another and use their differences as a source of strength. Shemsy naturally explores what she is curious about at a pace she sets. She still has some classes to take that are mandatory for children globally: Being Human and the History of Humanity.

We invite you to think about your vision for education in the year 2080, what does it look like, who does it serve,and how does it transform our societies?

1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us?

A．There are different types of education.

B．The present education needs improvements.

C．Education and economy are closely associated.

D．The goal of future education is fundamentally different.

2. What do we know about the Learning Hub that Shemsy goes to?

A．It accepts students of all ages.	B．It promotes competition.
C．It discourages individualized learning.	D．It is all about play-based learning.

3. What does the underlined word “mandatory” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Tough.

B．Satisfactory.

C．Optional.

D．Required.

4. What is the suitable title for the text?

A．An Example to All	B．A Vision for Education
C．A Challenge for Education	D．A Journey into the Future

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

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.

3 . Not long after my daughter was born in early 2013, I had a serious thought about the life that lay ahead for her. With health and luck, she will live long enough to see the dawn of the 22nd century.

As a journalist, I often encounter the date 2100. It’s a milestone year frequently mentioned in climate change news reports, stories about future technologies and science fiction. But it’s so far ahead that the route we will take to get there is difficult to see. I rarely consider that, like my daughter, millions of people alive today will be there as 2100 arrives, inheriting the century my generation will leave behind.

For many of us, how often can we truly say we are thinking about the well-being of these future generations? How often do we think about the impact of our decisions on the decades and centuries ahead?

Part of the problem is that the “‘now’commands so much more attention,” the sociologist Elise Boulding once said. “If one is mentally out of breath all the time from dealing with the present, there is no energy left for imagining the future.” No wonder problems like climate change or inequality feel so hard to handle right now.

That’s why researchers are coming to the same conclusion that short-termism (短期主义) may be the greatest threat our species is facing this century. Despite our natural ability to look and plan ahead, we have a weakness in our thinking called “present bias.” For example, people are more likely to accept an offer of£10 today, rather than a guarantee of £12 in a week. They also tend to spend on pleasures, not save for rainy days.

I understand the dangers of short-termism. I can both justify the argument and feel the need to care more about future generations. But I admit I still struggle with how to translate that into clear action as an individual. To realize that we are just one in a chain of generations, we owe an obligation (义务) to our future generations to leave a better world than the one we inherited ourselves.

1. What is Paragraph2 mainly about?

A．People’s expectation of the year 2100.

B．The author’s thoughts on the year 2100.

C．The author’s plan for his daughter’s future.

D．People’s attitude to the importance of the year 2100.

2. Why do many of us rarely consider our future generations according to Elise Boulding?

A．Owing to our ignorance of the future.

B．Because of people’s inability to plan for the future.

C．Because of our difficulty in handling future problems.

D．Due to the lack of our mental energy to consider the future.

3. What does the underlined word “bias” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Preference.

B．Disorder.

C．Balance.

D．Freedom.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To criticize those who favor short-term rewards.

B．To express his dissatisfaction with the young generations.

C．To inspire people to think more about the future generations.

D．To show his determination to speak for his daughter’s future.

4 . Some talk of building settlements on the moon or mars to help make sure humanity survives long into the future. Others have their sights set closer to home: on future cities under the ocean.

“Technologically speaking, it is absolutely possible to colonize the bottom of the sea,” says Fabien Cousteau, a well-known ocean explorer who once spent 31 days living in what is now the world’s only functioning undersea habitat, Aquarius. It’s about the size of a school bus and located 62 feet below the ocean surface off the Florida Keys.

Just as astronauts test what it would be like to live in space, aquanauts try out undersea living with an eye on the future. Escaping from disasters such as climate change, wars, or pandemics is one reason to live under the sea. Others include studying, exploring, or appreciating the ocean. It’s costly and expensive to constantly keep up an ocean habitat which must pump in or make its own air, electricity, and fresh water. Inhabitants have to deal with high pressure. And infections can develop rapidly due to high humidity.

Despite the challenges, several new ocean habitats and cities are under construction. A series of space station-like undersea living quarters for aquanauts called Proteus are scheduled to be completed by 2025 off Curacao, an island north of Venezuela in South America. An undersea colony called Ven Base Alpha will be built near a hydrothermal vent, which would supply it with energy. Meanwhile, an undersea city called Ocean Spiral in Japan would link its surface to the deep sea, using the difference in pressure to generate energy and produce fresh water. This sounds amazing, but it would be extremely expensive and remains just a design.

Not everyone agrees that building homes in the ocean is a good idea. This type of development could place even more strain on ecosystems that are already struggling with pollution and climate change. It’s important to make sure that any construction is done carefully, says Susanne Menden-Deuer, an oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island. Wild undersea habitats should be treated as “the precious, irreplaceable resource that they are,” she says.

1. What do we know about Aquarius?

A．It is still under construction.

B．It functions as an undersea school bus.

C．It is the only ocean habitat in operation.

D．It only allows a person to live there for 31 days.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The present and future of living under the sea.

B．The reasons and challenges of living under the sea.

C．The purpose and cost of building undersea settlements.

D．The problems and findings of building undersea settlements.

3. What would be the result of building homes in the ocean according to the text?

A．Rapid development of undersea habitats.

B．Protection of irreplaceable ocean resource.

C．Negative impacts on undersea ecosystems.

D．Struggles with pollution and climate change.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A textbook.

B．An exam paper.

C．An academic article.

D．A science magazine.

5 . 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.

2. With the development of brain-computer interfaces,_________.

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

3. From the text, we know that__________.

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

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the program say about the life in the future?

A．People’s way of consumption will change.

B．More supermarkets will come into existence.

C．More free time will be available for people.

2. What is the speakers’ attitude to the program’s opinion on shopping in the future?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Dismissive.

7 . 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.

2. What does the underlined word “envisage” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Assess.

B．Ignore.

C．Imagine.

D．Reject.

3. Where will most people work in the future?

A．In the office.

B．At the hotel.

C．In the open air.

D．At home.

4. What will be discussed in the following paragraph?

A．The future health.

B．The future technology.

C．The future marriage.

D．The future transportation.

8 . For years, planet-hunters have been searching for a planet other than Earth that can support life. They may have found one.

The planet is the sixth found orbiting a star called Gliese 581. Steven Vogt, one of the scientists involved, expects the new planet to have water. On Earth, when we find water, we find life.     1    

A planet that can support life has to be just the right size for its system and just the right distance from its star. Some planets orbit so close to their stars that they’re much too hot for liquid water—or for life as we know it.     2    

But a right-sized planet that's neither too close nor too far might be just right for water. Gliese 581 is probably just right. It is about three times as huge as Earth.     3     Because it’s so close, one side of it always faces its star, and the other side is always dark.

The new planet is 20 light years away, which is as far as 250 million trips to the Moon and back.     4     Only light can go that fast. So even at the fastest speed we could manage, it would take a spaceship from Earth more than 200 years to go that far.     5     But that doesn’t mean we can’t study it. Thanks to powerful new telescopes and new techniques for searching the skies, scientists can learn a lot about distant planets without even leaving Earth.

Gliese 581 is an exciting discovery—and astronomers are likely to find more soon, thanks to new, powerful telescopes specifically designed to look for planets.

A．We can’t travel at the speed of light.

B．It’s pretty hard to imagine that water wouldn't be there.

C．Human beings won’t be visiting this planet any time soon.

D．So scientists looking for life on other planets look for water first.

E．It orbits its star so closely that it goes all the way around in only 37 days.

F．Astronomers will probably find more potential life-supporting planets soon.

G．Other planets keep their distance from the stars—where they’re too cold to have water or life.

9 . 阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

In the not-too-distant future, we     1     (live) in smart homes, which will keep us secure, save us energy, and provide a more comfortable environment to live in. For example, the     2     (integrate) sensors will go into an energy-efficient mode all by itself. Your home will learn your     3     (day) routine and preferences. Your lights, favourite music or TV programmes will come on     4     instant you enter the door. All controls will respond to voice commands. Besides, how well you sleep every night will     5    (record) by your bed, and your     6     (weigh) problem will be checked as well. Even the smart toilets can     7     (constant) keep track of your health. Moreover, by providing you with relevant information early on, smart homes can help prevent serious damage     8     accidents, like big fires. Though some of these new     9     (innovation) are readily available and being used in some homes, it will still take some years     10    most new homes begin to use this high technology.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Over the past 50 years, robots     1     (become) a normal part of our everyday lives. They build cars in factories, clean up dirt in the house and deal with bombs in war zones. However, some     2     (invent) are trying to create a future where robots not only do our boring and dangerous jobs but also become a part of our families.

Japanese Robotics Company introduced LOVOT,     3     robot that weighs as much as a baby and looks like a mix between a penguin and a bear.     4     LOVOT cannot build a car, it can build a relationship with     5     (it) owner and provide love and companionship. In fact, LOVOT is just one of the latest robots meant to help those     6     feel lonely.

Robots like LOVOT are being developed at the perfect time. Many countries have “aging societies” with the populations of old people outweighing young people, resulting     7     more people who not only need assistance with things like getting     8     (dress) and cooking meals but also friendship and love. Additionally, it is predicted that 40 percent of Japanese will be living alone by 2040, meaning loneliness among younger populations may also increase     9     (significant). However, if LOVOT can give us all the affection we get from     10     (pet) without any of the mess or regular care, we might not be so lonely after all.