A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has changed the way we work. Already we’re partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth (广度) of the economic transformation can’t be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a basic new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held concepts about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers — all these are being challenged.

We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip (芯片), would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow’s achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more important, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing (制造业) or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant (最重要的). It will be the way you do your job.

1.One of the great changes caused by the knowledge society is that ______.

2.The future will probably belong to those who ______.

3.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

PITTSBURGH For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.

The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.

Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.

The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.

Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.

Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.

“It just allows us to do something we’ve been able to do before,” Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”

He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building.

Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.

Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.

72. Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?

A. Robotics Trends.                      B. Pittsburgh City Council.

C. Carnegie Mellon University.         D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

73. Choset believes that his invention ______.

A.      can be attached to an electronic arm

B.      can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes

C.      can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog

D.     can sense its way no better than its operators

74. By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.

A.      could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

B.      would have been put to use in past rescue work

C.      helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday

D.     were in greater need yesterday than today

75. What is the text mainly about?

A.      Snake-like robots used in industries.

B.      Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.

C.      The development of snake-like robots.

D.     The working principles of snake-like robots.

Computers are very important to modern life．Many people think that in the future computers will be used in lots of everyday life．It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet．There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers．The Internet will be used to play games, see films and buy food．Most telephone calls will be made by computers, too．

Some people are glad about those new ways of shopping and communicating(交流)．Others do not think that computers will replace（代替）our old ways．

Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper. Instead, we will buy and read books using computers, which will keep many different books in them at the same time．We won’t need to turn lots of pages and paper will be saved．Computerized (计算机化的) books will be used more and more．

While many people say it is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy．It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers. Because paper books will perhaps be more friendly．Maybe computers won’t change these two habits．

Which is the main idea of this passage?

A. People like going shopping      B. Reading books is important

C. Computers are important   D. Computer can be used to play games

.There will be no more books because________.

A. There is no paper in the future.            B. People don’t like reading books.

C. They are very expensive.                 D. We can read passages from computers.

Which of the following is TRUE?

A. We can see films by computers.       B. People all like to go shopping by computers.

C. We can’t buy anything using computers. D. All the people like reading books from computers.

Which of the following is mentioned (提到) in the passage?

A. Computers can help us e-mail our friends.     B. We can chat by using computers.

C. Computers can help us make telephone calls.  D. We can listen to the music by computers.

Students are encouraged to _________ the design competition for robots at the university.

.

第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Computers are very important to modern life. Many people think that in the future computers will be used in lots of everyday life. ___66____ There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers. The Internet will be used to play games, see films and buy food. Most telephone calls will be made by computers, too.

____67___ Others do not think that computers will replace our old way.

Let’s look at books, for example. Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper. ____68____ We will read texts on small pocket computers. The computers will keep many different books in them at the same time. Lots of pages and paper will be saved. Computerized books will be used more and more.

____69____ Many people say it is not. It is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy. It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers. ____70____

E. Maybe we will use computers more and more often in our daily life.

F. It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet.

G. People can’t live without computers in the future.