What's going to happen in the future? Will robots control our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen in 10 to 30 years from now, according to the BBC.
Digital money
We used to pay with cash(现金) for everything we bought. Now when we use a credit card(信用卡) to shop online, money is spent without us seeing it. That means we are already using digital money. Using a card is much easier than searching our pockets for change. It is also safer than carrying a lot of cash.
When ATM cards were first introduced, they were not accepted everywhere. But now it's hard to live without them. It's reported that people in Sweden completely stopped using cash last year, and the US might be next.
Bionic(仿生的) eye
It's no longer something only in a science fiction movie. People who are blind may have a chance to get their sight back—by wearing bionic eyes.
A blind eye can no longer sense light, but a bionic eye can use a camera to “see” the environment and send data(数据) to the mind. Now the bionic eye only allows patients to see lights and unclear shapes. A high resolution(高清的) image could be just a few years away.
Self－driving cars
Unlike a human driver, a self－driving car won't get distracted(分钟) by phone call, the radio or something outside the window. Sensors(探测器) and cameras on the car would allow it to stick reduce the number of road accidents. You could even take a nap while the car driver itself. In the future, driverless cars would be widely accepted.
| A．Sweden | B．ATM | C．BBC | D．America |
| A．We use digital money to shop online without paying money. |
| B．Digital money is most likely to be used instead of cash. |
| C．Using cash is easier and safer than a credit card. |
| D．ATM cards are always popular. |
| A．Bionic eyes only appear in the science fiction film. |
| B．Human drivers won't get distracted by something outside. |
| C．The blind wearing bionic eyes may see clearly in the future. |
| D．There will be no road accidents at all if self－driving cars are used. |
| A．culture and art |
| B．industry and farming |
| C．science and technology |
| D．traffic and journey |
| A．There would be a number of self-driving |
| B．The blind could use cameras to see things around. |
| C．We would live a hard life with digital money. |
| D．Robots would control the world. |
阅读下面的短文，并根据文章后的要求答题。
It is widely accepted that television is playing an important part in people's lives. But, there is a heated discussion as to whether television does good or harm.
Television keeps one learning more about present events, allows one to follow the most re¬cent developments in politics and science, and offers various programs which are .both instructive and exciting. The most distant countries, the strangest customs and the most attractive scenes of nature are brought right into one's room or house.
However, some people insist that television is bad rather than good. They argue that it has brought about many serious problems. The major one is its effects on young people. Children are now so used to getting their information and entertainment from television that their ability to read and write as well as physical ability has been greatly weakened. Even worse than that, vulgar( 庸俗的) advertisements and poor programs may develop their bad tastes, shape their view points badly towards human life to such a degree that their minds might be destroyed.
In a word, television has both advantages and disadvantages. Whatever effects it has, one point is certain, television in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the use to which it is put that decides its value to society.
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Science fiction is a popular kind of writing, and many people think of Jules Verne as the father of science fiction. He was born in France in 1828. His father wanted him to become a lawyer(律师), but when he was about twenty years old, Verne decided to become a writer. At first he wrote plays for the theater. Then, in 1863, he wrote a story called Five Weeks in a Balloon. The success of this book encouraged him to write more stories such as A Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864) and From the Earth to the Moon(1865).
In the 19th century, many people were interested in science and inventions. Jules Verne wrote about scientific subjects in his stories and, as a result, they were very popular. Verne’s writing included many predictions(预言) for the 20th century and many of them came true. He described space flight, movies, and air conditioning, a long time before they appeared. These books were very successful and they made Verne rich.
Jules Verne’s books have been the subjects for many movies. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a successful movie for Walt Disney. It was the first Disney movie to use real actors instead of cartoon drawings. Around the World in Eighty Days is another famous movie based on one of Verne’s books. The main character is an Englishman called Phileas Fogg. For him, the most important thing is to be always on time!
| A．The man who loves science and inventions. |
| B．The writer whose father wrote science fiction. |
| C．The man who first started writing science fiction successfully. |
| D．The man who first found science fiction |
| A．The success of Five Weeks in a Balloon. |
| B．The encouragement from his father. |
| C．The plays he wrote for the theater. |
| D．The encouragement from his friends. |
| A．Because his books made him rich and famous. |
| B．Because his books have been the subjects for many movies. |
| C．Because many people were interested in science and inventions. |
| D．Because people loved him. |
| A．From the Earth to the Moon |
| B．Around the World in Eighty Days. |
| C．A Journey to the Center of the Earth. |
| D．Five Weeks |
| A．cartoon movie |
| B．movie to use real actors |
| C．book written by Walt Disney |
| D．story told by an old man |
Here's one very simple but lifechanging advice that I first heard from Brian Tracy. Cut down on the TV at night by just one hour. Instead, use that hour to read books that could improve your life.
If you're a salesman, google for the best and most useful books on improving your sales.
This applies(适用) to all fields, not just the work-related(与工作相关的) ones. Maybe you want to improve your health, become a more energetic person. Or maybe you want to improve your study, your relations or perhaps do some personal development.
One hour a day is not much. But if you read for one hour a day on weekdays, that's about 260 hours a year. That's a large number of books and a lot of useful advice.
If you follow the ideas, who knows what great things and feelings could come into your life. Also, all that information and advice will start to open up your mind. You will start to see more chances in your life.
Now, you might think something like this:
1. I really don't have the money...
Answer: Visit your public library or search the database(数据库). Or look for books that are used in places like amazon.com.
2. I really don't have the time...
Answer: Buy audiobooks and listen to them in the car while driving to and from work. Or copy them to your MP3-player and listen while riding your bike /bus to work or school. Recently selling audiobooks through MP3-downloads has become popular...
Shut off the TV a little earlier and start reading.
| A．Watching TV. | B．Listening to MP3. |
| C．Surfing the internet. | D．Reading helpful books. |
| A．read work-related books | B．become more energetic |
| C．improve your study | D．improve your relations |
| A．It will open up your mind. |
| B．You will have about 260 hours a year to read. |
| C．You will read lots of books and get much useful advice. |
| D．It will probably bring great things and feelings into your life. |
| A．To buy some books from amazon.com. |
| B．To download MP3 free. |
| C．To visit the public library. |
| D．To borrow audiobooks and listen to them. |
| A．They are more useful. |
| B．Listening to audiobooks is easier than reading books. |
| C．It’s dangerous to listen to audiobooks while driving or riding. |
| D．Audiobooks are a good solution to the problem of having no time to read. |
My friend Matt and I arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening. The accommodation wasn't wonderful，but we had everything we needed(beds，blankets，food)，and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air.
On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group. Cameron had come along with two friends，Kevin and Simon，while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda. There were some other members I didn't know. We had come from different places and none of us knew the area.
We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors，but none of us was sure exactly how. Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock-climbing and then we changed at lunchtime. Matt and I went to the caves(岩洞) first. Climbing out was harder than going in，but after a good deal of pushing， we were out at last. Though we were covered with mud，we were pleased and excited by what we'd done.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
| A．rock-climbing |
| B．sleeping |
| C．meeting friends |
| D．caving |
| A．6 | B．8 | C．l0 | D．12 |
| A．some of the group had been there before |
| B．the group had done rock-climbing many times |
| C．some of the group already knew each other |
| D．group all came from the same city |
| A．interesting | B．relaxing |
| C．frightening | D．unpleasant |
| A．the writer's friends at the Activity Centre |
| B．the writer's experience at the Activity Centre |
| C．outdoor sports at the Activity Centre |
| D．how to go rock-climbing and caving |
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