Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.
First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. A computer will send the program directly to the television. On TV screen appear holograms（全息圖）, which are pictures with certain height, width and depth. We will be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television.
Water has become one of our most serious problems. Agriculture is changing and people are growing more fruit and vegetables to export. Demand for water will increase ten times in 2050. Some futurologists predict that water will be the cause of war if we don’t act now.
In transport, cars will run on new fuels and go very fast. A car will have computers to control its speed and there won’t be any accidents. On the other hand, space planes will take people around the earth in about three hours. People will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo by space plane in just half an hour.
In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere. They do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. 
Medicine technology will have conquered many diseases by 2050; we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals and will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. If you want all this to come true, you should study science and technology hard.
【小題1】What is the main difference between today’s and 2050’s TV?

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.
TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.
Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.
Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots — they don’t 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.
Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices（設備）that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.
Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists 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 clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?
【小題1】We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

By 2050

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots—they don’t 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.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there is equipment that connects directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists have already produced clones(克隆) of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1.

According to the passage, the following can be realized today EXCEPT __________.

A. reading newspapers on a computer 

B. making a space shuttle go into space and land on Earth again

C. creating cloned animals

D. choosing TV programs freely from a “menu”

2.

We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

   A. can work 24 hours a day               B. often ask for more pay

   C. are not clever enough                 D. are often late for work

3.

From Paragraph 5 we can infer that __________.

   A. there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050

   B. few diseases will attack people by 2050

   C. equipment is connected directly to the brain to help people hear today

   D. medical technology will be more effective by 2050

4.

What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

   A. The author does not support the use of cloning technology.

   B. The author thinks human cloning is impossible.

   C. The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.

   D. The author is quite excited about human cloning.

What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse of 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 programme from a menu and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. In many places, agriculture is changing and they are growing fruit and vegetables to export. This uses a lot of water. 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 the drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. On the other hand, space planes will take people half way around the world in two hours. Nowadays, the United States Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angels to Tokyo in just two hours.
In the field 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.
In particular, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are electronic devices that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again and 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?
【小題1】. What may happen in the field of entertainment in the future?

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots — they don’t 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.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices（設備）that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists 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 clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1.We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

2.The underlined word “conquered” in Paragraph 5 most probably means ________.

3.It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that _________.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

5.According to the passage, which of the following can be realized today?

Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. A computer will send the program directly to the television. On TV screen appear holograms（全息圖）, which are pictures with certain height, width and depth. We will be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television.

Water has become one of our most serious problems. Agriculture is changing and people are growing more fruit and vegetables to export. Demand for water will increase ten times in 2050. Some futurologists predict that water will be the cause of war if we don’t act now.

In transport, cars will run on new fuels and go very fast. A car will have computers to control its speed and there won’t be any accidents. On the other hand, space planes will take people around the earth in about three hours. People will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo by space plane in just half an hour.

In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere. They do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. 

Medicine technology will have conquered many diseases by 2050; we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals and will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. If you want all this to come true, you should study science and technology hard.

1.What is the main difference between today’s and 2050’s TV?

A．We can use a computer to turn off the TV set.

B．We can talk with the characters appearing on TV.

C．We can choose whatever we like to see on TV.

D．We can touch the things we see on TV.

2.What isn’t mentioned about the future in 2050 in the passage?

A．Technology.        B．Medicine.         C．Movies.           D．Agriculture.

3.What will be more likely to cause the war in the future?

A．The lack of water.                       B．The less farmland.

C．The shortage of robots.                   D．The more space planes.

4.From the passage we can infer that by 2050 ____.

A．people will spend less time in studying

B．more and more people needn’t go to school

C．people will have more time to relax or rest

D．no patients will be found in the world

What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse of 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 programme from a menu and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. In many places, agriculture is changing and they are growing fruit and vegetables to export. This uses a lot of water. 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 the drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. On the other hand, space planes will take people half way around the world in two hours. Nowadays, the United States Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angels to Tokyo in just two hours.
In the field 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.
In particular, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are electronic devices that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again and 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. 1.

   . What may happen in the field of entertainment in the future?

   1. A.
      The programme made by yourself may be sent to TV.
   2. B.
      A computer may choose TV programmes for you.
   3. C.
      You may choose the channels from the menu in a computer.
   4. D.
      What to broadcast on TV is decided by yourself.
2. 2.

   . After reading Paragraph 3, we can know _______.

   1. A.
      we should take measures to save water from now on
   2. B.
      fruits will be more and more expensive
   3. C.
      people will be short of supplies of vegetables
   4. D.
      planting will need much less water in the future
3. 3.

   . ________ is the main factor that makes driving much safe in the future

   1. A.
      Good traffic condition
   2. B.
      A good knowledge of driving skill
   3. C.
      The role played by computer
   4. D.
      The use of new fuel in cars
4. 4.

   . The following statements are wrong EXCEPT ________ according to the text.

   1. A.
      The future world will be controlled by robots.
   2. B.
      People won’t be blind or deaf in the future.
   3. C.
      Fewer and fewer workers are needed in the future in factories.
   4. D.
      Scientists have the right to clone people of different kinds.

Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.
First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. A computer will send the program directly to the television. On TV screen appear holograms（全息圖）, which are pictures with certain height, width and depth. We will be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television.
Water has become one of our most serious problems. Agriculture is changing and people are growing more fruit and vegetables to export. Demand for water will increase ten times in 2050. Some futurologists predict that water will be the cause of war if we don’t act now.
In transport, cars will run on new fuels and go very fast. A car will have computers to control its speed and there won’t be any accidents. On the other hand, space planes will take people around the earth in about three hours. People will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo by space plane in just half an hour.
In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere. They do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. 
Medicine technology will have conquered many diseases by 2050; we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals and will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. If you want all this to come true, you should study science and technology hard

1. 1.

   What is the main difference between today’s and 2050’s TV?

   1. A.
      We can use a computer to turn off the TV set
   2. B.
      We can talk with the characters appearing on TV
   3. C.
      We can choose whatever we like to see on TV
   4. D.
      We can touch the things we see on TV
2. 2.

   What isn’t mentioned about the future in 2050 in the passage?

   1. A.
      Technology
   2. B.
      Medicine
   3. C.
      Movies
   4. D.
      Agriculture
3. 3.

   What will be more likely to cause the war in the future?

   1. A.
      The lack of water
   2. B.
      The less farmland
   3. C.
      The shortage of robots
   4. D.
      The more space planes
4. 4.

   From the passage we can infer that by 2050_____.

   1. A.
      people will spend less time in studying
   2. B.
      more and more people needn’t go to school
   3. C.
      people will have more time to relax or rest
   4. D.
      no patients will be found in the world

Will life in the future be better, worse or the same as now? Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. A computer will send the program directly to the television. On TV screen appear holograms（全息圖）, which are pictures with certain height, width and depth. We will be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television.

Water has become one of our most serious problems. Agriculture is changing and people are growing more fruit and vegetables to export. Demand for water will increase ten times in 2050. Some futurologists predict that water will be the cause of war if we don’t act now.

In transport, cars will run on new fuels and go very fast. A car will have computers to control its speed and there won’t be any accidents. On the other hand, space planes will take people around the earth in about three hours. People will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo by space plane in just half an hour.

In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere. They do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. 

Medicine technology will have conquered many diseases by 2050; we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists have discovered how to control genes. They have already produced clones of animals and will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. If you want all this to come true, you should study science and technology hard.

67. What is the main difference between today’s and 2050’s TV?

A. We can use a computer to turn off the TV set.

B. We can talk with the characters appearing on TV.

C. We can choose whatever we like to see on TV.

D. We can touch the things we see on TV.  

68. What isn’t mentioned about the future in 2050 in the passage?

A. Technology.     B. Medicine.   C. Movies.                D. Agriculture.

69. What will be more likely to cause the war in the future?

A. The lack of water.              B. The less farmland.

C. The shortage of robots.          D. The more space planes.

70. From the passage we can infer that by 2050 ____.

A. people will spend less time in studying  

B. more and more people needn’t go to school

C. people will have more time to relax or rest  

D. no patients will be found in the world

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.
TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.
Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.
Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots — they don’t 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.
Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices（設備）that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.
Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists 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 clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1. 1.

   We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

   1. A.
      often ask for more pay
   2. B.
      can work 24 hours a day
   3. C.
      are not clever enough
   4. D.
      are often late for work
2. 2.

   The underlined word “conquered” in Paragraph 5 most probably means ________.

   1. A.
      discovered
   2. B.
      treated
   3. C.
      caused
   4. D.
      cured
3. 3.

   It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that _________.

   1. A.
      few diseases will attack people by 2050
   2. B.
      there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050
   3. C.
      medical technology will be more effective by 2050
   4. D.
      devices are connected directly to the brain to help people hear
4. 4.

   What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

   1. A.
      The author does not support the use of cloning technology.
   2. B.
      The author thinks human cloning is impossible.
   3. C.
      The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.
   4. D.
      The author is quite excited about human cloning.
5. 5.

   According to the passage, which of the following can be realized today?

   1. A.
      Read newspapers on a computer.
   2. B.
      Make a space shuttle to go into the land.
   3. C.
      Use computers to control car speed.
   4. D.
      Choose TV programs freely from a “menu”.

By 2050

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots—they don’t 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.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there is equipment that connects directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists have already produced clones(克隆) of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

53. According to the passage, the following can be realized today EXCEPT __________.

A. reading newspapers on a computer  

B. making a space shuttle go into space and land on Earth again

C. creating cloned animals

D. choosing TV programs freely from a “menu”

54. We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

   A. can work 24 hours a day                 B. often ask for more pay

   C. are not clever enough                    D. are often late for work

55. From Paragraph 5 we can infer that __________.

   A. there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050

   B. few diseases will attack people by 2050

   C. equipment is connected directly to the brain to help people hear today

   D. medical technology will be more effective by 2050

56. What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

   A. The author does not support the use of cloning technology.

   B. The author thinks human cloning is impossible.

   C. The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.

   D. The author is quite excited about human cloning.

By 2050

Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels（頻道）will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big computers prefer robots—they don’t 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.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices（設備）that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists have already produced clones（克?。﹐f animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1.According to the passage, the following can be realized today EXCEPT __________.

2.We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

3.From Paragraph 5 we can infer that __________.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

Life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it looks as though 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. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmers, newspapers and books will come to us in this way.

In many places, agriculture is developing quickly and people are growing fruit and vegetables for export. This uses a lot of water. Therefore, there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists (未來學家) predict that water could be the cause of wars if we don’t act now.

In future, cars will run on new，clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Also, by 2050, space planes will fly people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.

A number of large companies now use robots instead of people who ask for pay rises, or go on strike, and can not work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see and hear again. In the last few years, scientists have discovered how to control genes and 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.By 2050, people will get information mainly by _______.

2.From the second paragraph, we learn that _______.

3.Which of the following is NOT a reality at the present time?

4.What will play the biggest part in the quality of life in the future?

Life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it looks as though 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. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmers, newspapers and books will come to us in this way.

In many places, agriculture is developing quickly and people are growing fruit and vegetables for export. This uses a lot of water. Therefore, there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists (未來學家) predict that water could be the cause of wars if we don’t act now.

In future, cars will run on new，clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Also, by 2050, space planes will fly people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.

    A number of large companies now use robots instead of people who ask for pay rises, or go on strike, and can not work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

    By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see and hear again. In the last few years, scientists have discovered how to control genes and 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? 

40. By 2050, people will get information mainly by _______.

A. watching TV                                                             B. reading newspapers 

C. listening to the radio                                         D. turning to a website

41. From the second paragraph, we learn that _______.

A. the demand for water will increase a lot in the future

B. future wars will lead to an increasing need for water

C. there can be no agriculture without enough water

D. the population will decrease for lack of water

42. Which of the following is NOT a reality at the present time?

A. Scientists have found out how to control some genes.

B. Cars have computers which tell drivers their positions.

C. People can learn about what has happened anywhere on the Internet.

D. Robots have completely replaced humans in some factories.

43. What will play the biggest part in the quality of life in the future?

A. Medicine.                   B. Technology.    C. Education.               D. Agriculture.

Life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it looks as though 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. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmers, newspapers and books will come to us in this way.

In many places, agriculture is developing quickly and people are growing fruit and vegetables for export. This uses a lot of water. Therefore, there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists (未來學家) predict that water could be the cause of wars if we don’t act now.

In future, cars will run on new，clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Also, by 2050, space planes will fly people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.

    A number of large companies now use robots instead of people who ask for pay rises, or go on strike, and can not work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

    By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see and hear again. In the last few years, scientists have discovered how to control genes and 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? 

By 2050, people will get information mainly by _______.

A. watching TV                                                   B. reading newspapers 

C. listening to the radio                                       D. turning to a website

From the second paragraph, we learn that _______.

A. the demand for water will increase a lot in the future

B. future wars will lead to an increasing need for water

C. there can be no agriculture without enough water

D. the population will decrease for lack of water

Which of the following is NOT a reality at the present time?

A. Scientists have found out how to control some genes.

B. Cars have computers which tell drivers their positions.

C. People can learn about what has happened anywhere on the Internet.

D. Robots have completely replaced humans in some factories.

What will play the biggest part in the quality of life in the future?

A. Medicine.             B. Technology.        C. Education.                 D. Agriculture

Life will probably be very different in 2050. First of all, it looks as though 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. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmers, newspapers and books will come to us in this way.
In many places, agriculture is developing quickly and people are growing fruit and vegetables for export. This uses a lot of water. Therefore, there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists (未來學家) predict that water could be the cause of wars if we don’t act now.
In future, cars will run on new，clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Also, by 2050, space planes will fly people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.
A number of large companies now use robots instead of people who ask for pay rises, or go on strike, and can not work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see and hear again. In the last few years, scientists have discovered how to control genes and 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. 1.

   By 2050, people will get information mainly by _______.

   1. A.
      watching TV
   2. B.
      reading newspapers
   3. C.
      listening to the radio
   4. D.
      turning to a website
2. 2.

   From the second paragraph, we learn that _______.

   1. A.
      the demand for water will increase a lot in the future
   2. B.
      future wars will lead to an increasing need for water
   3. C.
      there can be no agriculture without enough water
   4. D.
      the population will decrease for lack of water
3. 3.

   Which of the following is NOT a reality at the present time?

   1. A.
      Scientists have found out how to control some genes.
   2. B.
      Cars have computers which tell drivers their positions.
   3. C.
      People can learn about what has happened anywhere on the Internet.
   4. D.
      Robots have completely replaced humans in some factories.
4. 4.

   What will play the biggest part in the quality of life in the future?

   1. A.
      Medicine.
   2. B.
      Technology.
   3. C.
      Education.
   4. D.
      Agriculture

By 2050

Futurologists（未來學家）predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels（頻道）will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed 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. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big computers prefer robots—they don’t 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.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices（設備）that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes（基因）. Scientists have already produced clones（克?。﹐f animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

59. According to the passage, the following can be realized today EXCEPT __________.

A. reading newspapers on a computer  

B. making a space shuttle go into space and land on Earth again

C. creating cloned animals

D. choosing TV programs freely from a “menu”

60. We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

   A. can work 24 hours a day                 B. often ask for more pay

   C. are not clever enough                    D. are often late for work

61. From Paragraph 5 we can infer that __________.

   A. there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050

   B. few diseases will attack people by 2050

   C. devices are connected directly to the brain to help people hear

   D. medical technology will be more effective by 2050

62. What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

   A. The author does not support the use of cloning technology.

   B. The author thinks human cloning is impossible.

   C. The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.

   D. The author is quite excited about human cloning.

B
Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the longest and most costly presidential campaign in American history. The election results were widely seen as a strong statement by voters on economy. A public opinion study reported by the Wall Street Journal found that about sixty percent of voters considered the economy as the top issue.
Mr. Obama faces the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of leading stocks has lost nearly thirty of its value. The government seized the nation’s two largest home financing companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also took control of the huge insurance company, A. I. G.  The government is now a share holder in nine of the country’s largest banks. That will expand to small banks , too. The amount spent on these rescue plans has been close to one trillion dollars. That amount could increase.
Another problem the new administration faces is the budget deficit(赤字). Some experts predict the deficit for next year’s budget could be close to one trillion dollars. Some observers predict that the deficit will limit speeding in economic programs.
Barack Obama has promised a tax cut for middle income Americans. He is seeking fifty billion dollars in aid for states and job creation programs. Mr. Obama has put forward a health care reform plan that costs fifty to sixty-five billion dollars. Obama is also seeking to spend one hundred and fifty billion dollars on new energy technologies over the next ten years.
In addition, Mr. Obama has been discussing a program worth one hundred billion dollars. It includes spending in public works projects and aid to American states, cities and citizens.
41. According to the passage, the election results suggested ___________________.
A. how fierce the presidential campaign was
B. the significance of the election in American history
C. Obama promised to devote himself to economic development
D. how much money was spent during the presidential campaign
42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is mentioned to show _________________.
A. how serious the economic crisis is
B. the value of all America’s stocks
C. the economy was considered as the top issue
D. what percentage of shares Obama has in leading stocks
43. We know from the passage that _______________________.
A. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are insurance companies
B. the government will become a share holder in small banks
C. money spent on the government’s rescue plan will be decreased
D. the budget deficit will not affect the economic programs
44. Which of the following statements does NOT belong to Obama’s rescue plans?
A. Cutting taxes for middle income Americans.
B. Seeking money for job creation programs.
C. Putting forward a health care reform plan.
D. Stopping spending on new energy technologies.
45. The passage mainly tells us ____________________________.
A. the deepest economic crisis in the 1930’s
B. the result of the presidential election
C. America tries to save the country’s economy
D. how Americans think of the newly-elected president