Life in the twenty-first century

The World Future Society is a group of people from more than 80 countries who are interested in how modern technology is making our world better, and who write reports about how it will change our lives.                                                                                                                                             The things that we will be able to do in the twenty-first century (since the year 2000) should help us live better lives in many ways, at home and at work, in our own country and around the world. Here are just some of them, put into five groups.

People

People may live for up to 120 years and use new technology to help when people go blind, deaf and have other problems. The number of people over a hundred years old could go from 135,000 today to 2.2 million people by 2050. By 2015 people think that 100 million workers will be able to work from home for a company in a different country by using the Internet.

Money

Worldwide e-business will become even more successful with online shops that sell special products for each person, which will be brought to their house the next day.

Environment

The technology for making energy from wind and the Sun is growing very quickly. In the future wind and Sun energy could become much cheaper and many more countries could use it. This would be very useful in poor countries. The air in big cities would also become much cleaner and healthier as a result.

Society and culture

The Internet will help to create more worldwide friendships. Families may spend more time together as people will be able to do 24-hour online banking and shopping.

Technology      

The new science of “nanotechnology” (very small robots or machines) will make all sorts of products smaller and lighter. Very, very small machines could take away rubbish, make things in factories, and help inside the human body by taking away fat. By 2012 people will be able to wear these small machines that look like watches, which will give them lots of information about their body and keep them healthy.

1.What does the World Future Society do?

  A. Look at how technology will make people happy.

  B. Look at how technology will change the world.

  C. Make technology work better for themselves.

  D. Make small machines to make us healthier.

2. How will technology help people?

  A. Help all people live for over 120 years.

  B. Help disabled people to get jobs.

  C. Make people healthier and live longer.

  D. Help workers to use the Internet.

3.How will people go shopping?

  A. In special shops.

  B. Using the Internet at certain times.

  C. Using the Internet any time of the day.

  D. Using nanotechnology.

4. How will technology help the environment?

  A. Poor countries will have enough energy.

  B. Wind energy will be cheaper than Sun energy.

  C. We will not need wind and Sun energy.

  D. Wind and Sun energy will be cheaper.

5.The new science of “nanotechnology” will _______.

  A. drive small machines to work for people

  B. make good-quality watches

  C. allow people to eat more

  D. make very small products

 

Dear editor,
I live in a beautiful city. Many visitors come to my city every year because there are so many colorful peacocks (孔雀) here.
The peacocks mostly live on the grassland of Dongfeng Square. Visitors usually throw food to them, but they don’t think about at all whether the food is good or not. Some of the peacocks became ill, and some even died eating the bad food given by visitors.
I’m sure most of the visitors who throw food to the peacocks really like the bird, but they don’t realize that they may be doing them harm (伤害). Visitors should be told that what they have done is harmful to the birds, and this kind of thing must be stopped.
Perhaps we can build some small shops beside Dongfeng Square to sell peacock food. For us every person, it is our duty to give more love to these beautiful birds to look after them carefully.
Yours,
Wang Yang
【小题1】The letter will be sent to _____________________.

A．a school

B．a hospital

C．a newspaper

D．a museum

【小题2】Many visitors come to the writer’s city every year to _________________.

A．give peacocks food

B．see peacocks

C．do some shopping

D．travel

【小题3】Some peacocks became ill and died because __________________.

A．they weren’t given any food	B．they were given too much food
C．they were given some bad food	D．they weren’t given enough food

【小题4】The writer suggests that some small shops should be built so that they may _______.

A．sell peacocks food to visitors	B．sell food to peacocks
C．make the square more beautiful	D．sell some things for everyday life

【小题5】Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A．Peacocks mainly live on the grassland of Dongfeng Square.

B．Some small shops were built in the square.

C．People should look after peacocks carefully.

D．Some visitors throw food to the peacocks.

Dear editor,
I live in a beautiful city. Many visitors come to my city every year because there are so many colorful peacocks (孔雀) here.
The peacocks mostly live on the grassland of Dongfeng Square. Visitors usually throw food to them, but they don’t think about at all whether the food is good or not. Some of the peacocks became ill, and some even died eating the bad food given by visitors.
I’m sure most of the visitors who throw food to the peacocks really like the bird, but they don’t realize that they may be doing them harm (伤害). Visitors should be told that what they have done is harmful to the birds, and this kind of thing must be stopped.
Perhaps we can build some small shops beside Dongfeng Square to sell peacock food. For us every person, it is our duty to give more love to these beautiful birds to look after them carefully.
Yours,
Wang Yang
【小题1】The letter will be sent to _____________________.

A．a school

B．a hospital

C．a newspaper

D．a museum

【小题2】Many visitors come to the writer’s city every year to _________________.

A．give peacocks food

B．see peacocks

C．do some shopping

D．travel

【小题3】Some peacocks became ill and died because __________________.

A．they weren’t given any food	B．they were given too much food
C．they were given some bad food	D．they weren’t given enough food

【小题4】The writer suggests that some small shops should be built so that they may _______.

A．sell peacocks food to visitors	B．sell food to peacocks
C．make the square more beautiful	D．sell some things for everyday life

【小题5】Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A．Peacocks mainly live on the grassland of Dongfeng Square.

B．Some small shops were built in the square.

C．People should look after peacocks carefully.

D．Some visitors throw food to the peacocks.

For years I wanted a garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew, and Marvin, and the twins Alisa and Alan, and then Helen. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was not enough. Neither was time. Often when my children were little,one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”
Finally, all the children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about a garden.
Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. There were things blowing around on it. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills*, one hundred of them, hanging all over that tree. There was also a note among them, “Thank you for your time, Mom. We love you!”
Later, my children bought me tools, ornaments, a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books. A new page started in my life.
That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and take care of my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they’re right there with me. Now every year when winter comes, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes—every time.
I’m still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!
【小题1】How many children did the writer have?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

【小题2】 What did the mother mean when she said “Money doesn’t grow on trees”?

A．She was too busy to plant a money tree at that time.

B．She had to save money so that she could have a garden.

C．It wasn’t easy for her to make money to raise all the children.

D．They didn’t have much money because the mother lost her job.

【小题3】 The “money tree” appeared in the writer’s yard _________.

A．before her children were born

B．one spring morning when the children were little

C．after the children went to school

D．on a Mother’s Day after the children left her

【小题4】 The children planted a money tree in their mother’s yard because _________.

A．their mother needed money badly

B．they wanted to show their love to their mother

C．it was time for them to give the money back to her

D．they wanted to live together with their mother forever