World Future Society
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.
【小题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 w ork better for themselves.

D．Make small machines to make us healthier.

【小题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.

【小题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.

【小题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.

【小题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

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.
【小题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.

【小题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.

【小题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.

【小题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.

【小题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

What do people do with their old, out-of-date but still useful computers? Most people don’t know what to do with them. Many old computers are put away in homes. Many more are simply thrown out with the rubbish.　　
Some companies are thinking of ways to bring down the number of old computers. Sony has agreed to help recycle old Sony products. Dell, Hewlett-Packard and other companies now also take back some old computers.　　
In some countries, laws are being passed, too. Computer companies will have to collect and recycle their used products. And 70% of computer waste must be recycled. The idea behind the laws is that computer companies themselves should pay the cost. That will encourage them to make computers that are easier and cheaper to repair and upgrade（升级）.　　
Yet while many people are throwing away good computers, others cannot afford them at all. Hundreds of organizations are working to solve this problem. They collect and repair old computers. Some also teach others how to repair computers.　　
The computers then go to schools, charities and people who need them. Giving a used computer to one of these organizations can turn one person’s rubbish into someone else’s useful things—and cut down on waste, too.　　
【小题1】 How do people usually deal with their old computers?　　
A. They stop using them. B. They give them to others.   C. They fix them up.　　
【小题2】 What do some computer companies do to bring down the number of old computers?　　
A. They don’t do anything about them.　　
B. They take back some old ones.       　　
C. They donate them to some charities.　　
【小题3】According to some countries’ laws, what must computer companies do?　　
A. Collect and recycle most of computer waste. 　　
B. Repair and upgrade old computers.      　　
C. Make much cheaper computers.　　
【小题4】 What may people who can’t afford computers think of the used computers?　　
A. Expensive.        B. Useful.         C. Out-of -date.　　
【小题5】 What is the passage about?　　
A. Repairing old computers.　　
B. Selling old computers.              　　
C. Recycling old computers.             　

Life in 30 years will be   31  because many changes will take place, but what will the changes be?

The population is growing fast. There will be    32   people in the world and most of them will live longer than before. Computers will be   33  smaller and more useful, and there will be at least one in every home. And computer studies will be one of the important  34  in school.

People will work fewer hours than they are doing now, and they will have more free time for sports, watching TV and traveling. Traveling will be much cheaper and  35 . And more people will go to other countries  36  holidays.

There will be changes in our food, too. More land will be used for  37   new towns and houses. Then there will be less  38  for cows and sheep, so meat will be more expensive. Maybe people won’t eat it every day, they will eat more vegetables and fruit instead. Maybe people will be healthier.

Work in the future will be different, too. Dangerous and hard work will  39  by robots. Because of this, many people will not have  40  to do. This will be a problem. 

1.A. same                    B. difference                C. different      

2.A. little and little     B. less and less              C. more and more

3.A. much                   B. many                   C. more          

4.A. subject                  B. subjects                 C. way                   

5.A. easily                   B. more easily              C. easier           

6.A. for                     B. with                    C. at           

7.A. build                   B. building                 C. to build        

8.A. rooms                  B. room                    C. spaces        

9.A. done                   B. do                      C. be done       

10.A. works enough             B. enough works             C. enough work

 

Answer the questions (根据短文内容回答下列问题)
I’ve always wanted to try rock climbing, but never had time or money for it. But I’ve discovered a way to experience the thrill(兴奋，紧张) of climbing rock. Indoor climbing is an easy and exciting way to get a taste of rock climbing. And it is also much cheaper and safer! Indoor climbers don’t climb on real rock, but on a plastic wall. You can probably find a climbing wall near you. Many gyms,
schools and camps have one.
You can climb in doors at any time of the year, no matter how the whether is. It is usually not expensive. Most gyms provide the equipment you need. The convenience of indoor climbing is one reason why it has become so popular. But the main reason people climb is for rush(刺激感) they get. When I stand at the roof of the wall and look up, I’m always scared, but once I start climbing, fear changes to determination. With my heart pounding(心剧烈跳动), I reach the top and look down. I can’t stop grinning. I did it! Indoor climbing is a great workout(锻炼). Climbing uses muscles(肌肉)that are hard to exercise, especially those in the shoulders, arms, chest and back. Many people say climbing makes exercise fun. Most gyms have several climbing walls with various degrees of difficulty. The easier ones are like climbing a ladder. The difficult ones bulge out(凸出)in places so that climbers must sometimes climb parallel(平行的)with the floor.
Although gym climbing is easier and safer than real rock climbing, you should still be careful. Always climb with a partner. As you climb, your partner pulls you climbing rope through something called a belay device(绳索控制器). The belay catches you if you slip. But make sure your partner knows how to use this equipment. And if you are a first-time climber, get some instruction before you begin.

【小题1】Is indoor climbing cheaper and safer than real rock climbing?
【小题2】On what do indoor climbers climb?
【小题3】What are the reasons that make the indoor climbing so popular?
【小题4】Who should always be with you when you climb?
【小题5】What does your partner do as you climb?
【小题6】Which do you think sounds more fun, rock climbing or indoor climbing? Why?