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 (未来学家) 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.
Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined.Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was.In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.
Nitrogen（氮） and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌） networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神经元）in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.
Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend.She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow.When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.
“We didn't take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly.“Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Old Trees Communicate Like Humans |
| B．Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection |
| C．Trees Contribute To Our Society |
| D．Trees Are More Complex Than You Think |
In Simard's opinion, trees _______
| A．compete for survival | B．protect their own wealth |
| C．depend on each other | D．provide support for dying trees |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．“mother trees” are usually of no use to other trees. |
| B．Charles Darwin had the same thought as Simard. |
| C．if “mother trees” are cut down, the survival for the entire forest will be affected. |
| D．people know much about the complex “tree societies”. |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．how “tree societies” work |
| B．how trees grow old |
| C．how forestry industry develops |
| D．how young trees survive |
Everyone's at it, even my neighbors.I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn't done an eBay deal.So I decided to try my hand at online auction.
Buying for beginners: Sign up on www.eBay.co.uk.Most items (e.g.tables, computers, and books) ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “Buy It Now” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids for you.The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again.Auctions last up to 10 days, and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders.The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card.
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item.I followed my friends'advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday.This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It's easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by delivery men.Check the ways of delivery before you bid.The passage suggests that a buyer ________.
| A．has more than one chance to bid |
| B．should make payment immediately |
| C．can only buy one item |
| D．must give the credit card to the seller |
The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is ______.
| A．through an online payment system |
| B．through a local bank system |
| C．by sending the money to the seller |
| D．by paying the delivery man directly |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Big items can't be sold on eBay. |
| B．Including a picture of the item for sale helps make the selling simple. |
| C．Sellers can only be paid in one way. |
| D．Most items ready for auction don't have a picture. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to make payment online. |
| B．Ways of making delivery online. |
| C．Advantages of an online auction system. |
| D．How to use an online auction system. |
Last week I was riding my special motorbike and then stopped at a convenience store.As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat.We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter.“Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this.He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat.Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas. As we came back to the convenience store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive.I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn't know I could do this.” I told her about some of the other things I do (ski, travel the world by myself, etc.).As her father was taking her off my bike, she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I'm going to be OK.Mr.Bryant does all kinds of things, and I will too.” Her father turned away as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek. He hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her.She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children.God answered my prayer just now.Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” I believed what he said.Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
| A．He was happy because his daughter could gain excitement. |
| B．He was moved because the author offered to help his daughter. |
| C．He felt surprised because he didn’t know the author. |
| D．He felt nervous because he was worried about his daughter's safety. |
According to the passage, the girl ____________.
| A．used to be a completely healthy person |
| B．was inspired by the author's experiences |
| C．was satisfied with her life |
| D．was unwilling to communicate with a stranger |
What was the author's gift to Amy according to the girl's father?
| A．The motorbike | B．The wheelchair |
| C．The blessing | D．The ride |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The author usually drove too fast |
| B．The author worked in a convenience store |
| C．The author often offered strangers a ride on his motorbike |
| D．The author was a man with disability |
The day my husband fell to his death，it started to snow，just like any November day．His body, when I found it，was lightly covered with snow．It snowed almost every day for the next four months，while I sat on the couch and watched it pile up．One morning，I shuffled downstairs and was surprised to see a snow remover clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman shoveling(铲)my walk．I dropped to my knees and crawled through the living room. And back up stairs so those good people would not see me. I was embarrassed．My first thought was，how would I ever repay them? I didn’t have the strength to brush my hair, let alone shovel someone’s walk．
Before John’s death，I took pride in the fact that I rarely asked for help or favors，I defined myself by my competence and independence．So who was I if I was no longer capable and busy? How could I respect myself if all I did was sit on the couch every day and watch the snowfall?
Learning how to receive the love and support that came my way wasn't easy. Friends cooked for me and I cried because I couldn't even help them set the table. “I'm not usually this lazy, ”I wept．Finally，my friend Kathy sat down with me and said, "Mary，cooking for you is not a burden. I love you and I want to do it. It makes me feel good to be able to do something for you.”
Over and over，I heard similar emotions from the people who supported me during those dark days．One very wise man told me, “You are not doing nothing. Being fully open to your sorrow may be the hardest work you will ever do.”
I am not the person I once was, but in many ways I have changed for the better. My heart is now filled with thanks for people around me．I have been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom that comes from facing one’s worst fear and walking away whole. I believe there is strength, for sure, in accepting a dark period of our life.Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．The writer’s friend was unwilling to cook for her． |
| B．The writer had been busy with her life before． |
| C．The writer recovered from her sorrow quickly with his friend’s help． |
| D．The day her husband died，it was snowing heavily． |
We can describe the writer before her husband died as the following EXCEPT __．
| A．hard-working | B．independent |
| C．smart | D．capable |
．The underlined word“shuffled”in Paragraph 1 probably means ___________．
| A．stepped steadily | B．walked slowly |
| C．ran swiftly | D．fell sadly |
．We can infer from the passage that ____________.
| A．the writer found her husband immediately he fell off the roof |
| B．the writer became strong-willed immediately after John's death |
| C．the people around the writer were friendly and supported her |
| D．before John’s death, the writer never asked others for help |
．The writer wrote the passage to ___________．
| A．share her sad story with us |
| B．express her guilty conscience（良心）to the people who helped her |
| C．show her thanks to the people who love and support her |
| D．tell us the changes she has made because of her husband’s death |
Trevor, C. O., Lansford, B. and Black, J. W., 2004, "Employee turnover (人事变更) and job performance: monitoring the influences of salary growth and promotion", Journal of Armchair Psychology, vol. 113, no.1, pp. 56-64.
In this article Trevor et al. review the influences of pay and job opportunities in respect of job performance, turnover rates and employees' job attitude. The authors use data gained through organizational surveys of blue-chip companies in Vancouver, Canada to try to identify the main cause of employee turnover and whether it is linked to salary growth. Their research focuses on assessing a range of pay structures such as pay for performance and organizational reward plans. The article is useful as Trevor suggests that there are numerous reasons for employee turnover and a variety of differences in employees' job attitude and performance. The main limitation of the article is that the survey sample was restricted(限制) to mid-level management, thus the authors indicate that further, more extensive research needs to be undertaken to develop a more in-depth understanding of employee turnover and job performance. As this article was published in a professional journal, the findings can be considered reliable. It will be useful additional information for the research on pay structures.
The following card includes a brief summary and a short assessment of a research paper. It can provide a guide for further reading on the topic.The research paper published is primarily concerned with______.
| A．the way of preventing employee turnover |
| B．methods of improving employee performance |
| C．factors affecting employee turnover and performance |
| D．pay structures based on employee performance |
As is mentioned in the card, the limitation of the research paper mainly lies in that_______.
| A．the data analysis is hardly reliable |
| B．the research sample is not wide enough |
| C．the findings are of no practical value |
| D．the research method is out-of-date |
Who might be most interested in this piece of information?
| A．Job hunters. |
| B．Employees in blue-chip companies. |
| C．Mid-level managers. |
| D．Researchers on employee turnover. |
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