1 . Below are several things that will have happened by the mid-point of this century both for the good and bad.
Right now, people are focused on AI potentially causing job losses but the reality could be far worse. George Stakhov said, “By 2050, AI will have profoundly(深刻地) reshaped the world. There is a dark AI future where those who control AI will gain huge power, while 99 percent of the population will be disenfranchised(剥夺权利) .The AI lords will control the world’s data and turn the rest of us into their serfs. The alternative is a bright AI scenario, where everyone benefits from AI through better healthcare, faster transport and less pollution.”
Futurist and former Google engineer Ray Kurzweil says that people will merge with machines by 2025. In an event he describes as the “Singularity”, Kurzweil predicts that by 2045, people will connect their brains to machines. “I have set a date for the Singularity in 2045, which is when we will increase our effective intelligence a billionfold by merging with the intelligence we have created.”
Alien-hunting astronomer Seth Shostak bet fellow astronomers that we should find aliens within two dozen years. That means we could be in contact with ET by 2036. Shostak has since doubled down on his prediction, saying that newer measurements suggest there could be billions of Earth-like worlds. That means if the Earth is the only place with life, it’s like a winner in a lottery where the odds are a billion to one. That may be the strongest argument for life in space.
Soaring humidity (湿度) and heat will lead to heatwaves where it is almost impossible for humans to survive outdoors in areas including South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. By 2070, this will also be true in areas of Brazil and China. “Wet bulb” temperatures refer to conditions where temperature and humidity are high, making it hard to survive outdoors. Humans can survive temperatures of up to 50℃ when humidity is low, but in high humidity, humans cannot survive because there is no way to cool down by sweating. Even extremely strong and fit people die within hours. Large areas of the Earth might be uninhabitable.
1. What is the dark AI future according to George Stakhov?| A．AI will hold power over humans. |
| B．Humans will earn a basic low wage. |
| C．Humans will have to serve as AI’s masters. |
| D．AI will become the owner of the Earth. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Approving. | C．Cautious. | D．Negative. |
| A．Heatwaves occur in most areas in the world. |
| B．High humidity causes people to sweat a lot. |
| C．Huge areas of the Earth might be uninhabitable. |
| D．People can’t live in low humidity for a long time. |
2 . It's March, 2050.
Frank and Mary Smith wake up in their comfortable house in the morning and switch on the bedroom computer to get the latest news. They used to read the Times, but changed to electronic newspapers many years ago.
There is the usual news about space: another space flight has returned from Mars and scientists have discovered a new planet. Then they turn to business news: the Us dollar has risen greatly in Shanghai, one of the world's leading business centres. Mary tells the computer to buy 5,000 dollars, and there is a quick response that it has been done. As they watch the screen, Mary orders one of the household robots to make coffee for them. Frank disappears into the study to join a video conference with his partners around the world. He is a computer engineer, working for several companies. This is his third job: he used to be in marketing and then television. Mary has a quick look at the shopping channels—the usual selection of electric cars, household robots and cheap travel offers-before picking up the video phone to talk to her assistant. She also has a job and she is doing medical research. Both she and Frank used to have an office desk in London, but in 2023 they decided to move to the seaside and work from home.
·Frank and Mary have one daughter, Louise, who also has her own workstation at home. She goes to school only one day a week, mainly to play with other students. Classrooms disappeared in 2030 because there was no longer any need for them: communications systems have made it much easier to learn at home. Louise, now thirteen, is studying Chinese at present, which has become a world language as important as English. Louise has many Chinese friends. They communicate by computer. According to the family doctor, Louise will live to at least 130. Her wish is to work for a few decades（十年）and then spend her time on music and painting.
1. Why do Frank and Mary switch on the bedroom computer in the morning?2. Who makes coffee for Mary and Frank?
3. How does Frank work with others from home?
4. What are the two world languages in 2050?
3 . 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. |
4 . Future City Competition
Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue. Past topics include Urban Agriculture, Public spaces, and Green energy while the topic of this year is Living on the Moon. Teams will design a futuristic lunar city and provide examples of how the city uses Moon resources to keep its residents safe and healthy.
Participants complete five deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay: a scale model; a project plan; a presentation video; and a virtual/online Q&A session with /judges. Regional winners represent their region at the international Finals. After completing Future City, student participants are not only prepared to be citizens of today’s complex and technical world, but also ready to become the drivers of tomorrow.
What you can learn
This flexible, cross-curricular(跨课程的) educational program gives students an opportunity to do the things that engineers do-identify problems: brainstorm ideas; design solutions; test, retest and build; and share their results. With this at its center, Future City is an engaging way to build students’ 21st century skills. Students participating in Future City also learn how their communities work and become better citizens and develop strong time management and project management skills.
What you need
Future City costs just $25 per organization—and you can register I team or 100. The price always stays the same.
We keep the price affordable so everyone can participate. Not only that, we limit the budget for materials for the City Model and City Presentation to $100 and encourage teams to use recycled materials. You don’t need expensive equipment to excel. Creativity, hard work, and commitment are all you need to get ahead.
Please note: Some regions limit the number of teams an organization can bring to the Regional Competition. Please check with your Regional Coordinator to find out the guidelines in your region.
1. In Future City Competition 2021, students need to ________.| A．complete more than five taskes |
| B．design a city with green energy |
| C．address problems on the moon |
| D．make use of lunar resources |
| A．Designing cities. |
| B．Identifying problems. |
| C．Training better citizens |
| D．Engineering design process |
| A．to be creative and devoted. |
| B．to use the recycled materials. |
| C．to buy some expensive equipment. |
| D．to ask more people to join in your team. |
