What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse of the same as now? What do you hope about the future?
Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050 in all the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. Instead, people will choose a programme from a menu and a computer will send the programme 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, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. In many places, agriculture is changing and they are growing fruit and vegetables to export. This uses a lot of water. Demand for water will increase ten times between now and 2050 and there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists predict that water could be the cause of war if we don’t act now.
In transport, cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won’t be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell the drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. On the other hand, space planes will take people half way around the world in two hours. Nowadays, the United States Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angels to Tokyo in just two hours.
In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots — they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere — in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
In particular, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are electronic devices that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again and 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?
【小题1】. What may happen in the field of entertainment in the future?

A．The programme made by yourself may be sent to TV.

B．A computer may choose TV programmes for you.

C．You may choose the channels from the menu in a computer.

D．What to broadcast on TV is decided by yourself.

【小题2】. After reading Paragraph 3, we can know _______.

A．we should take measures to save water from now on

B．fruits will be more and more expensive

C．people will be short of supplies of vegetables

D．planting will need much less water in the future

【小题3】. ________ is the main factor that makes driving much safe in the future

A．Good traffic condition	B．A good knowledge of driving skill
C．The role played by computer	D．The use of new fuel in cars

【小题4】. The following statements are wrong EXCEPT ________ according to the text.

A．The future world will be controlled by robots.

B．People won’t be blind or deaf in the future.

C．Fewer and fewer workers are needed in the future in factories.

D．Scientists have the right to clone people of different kinds.

As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(学龄前儿童)：

Develop social skills

As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co­workers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.

Build self­confidence

  Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers(摩天大楼) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.

Boost intellectual growth

  Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.

Practice language skills

Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.

Work out fears

  Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children role­play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(发泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．

To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.

  For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.

1.What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?

A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems.

B．Expressing their feelings like anger.

C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential.

D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories.

2.What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?

A．Improve.  B．Limit.C．Push.  D．Praise.

3.From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．

A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award

B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free

C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids

D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales

4.What's the purpose of writing the article?

A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination.

B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers.

C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative.

D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan.

 

The following are four books that will help you change your mind and change your life.

1) You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay: A groundbreaking book when it was released in 1982. It is still the book that I turn to when I have physical unrest that requires deeper understanding. Louise Hay is the pioneer in looking at the connection between the physical unrest that we have in our body and the emotional connection. At the time that she wrote the book many people scoffed at this idea, but it is now widely accepted and millions of people refer to it on a daily basis.

2) The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz: Maintaining a sense of reliability and faith is developed through understanding to The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz written in 1997. We are faced with rules and regulations; don’t do this, don’t do that, watch what you are doing, be kind, loyal, faithful etc. The four agreements represent a simple system of maintaining your own inner authority while practicing being a true person with other people.

3) Slowing Down to the Speed of Life, Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey: This is a new one in my “bedside collection” and one that has made the biggest impact on me lately. Written in 1997, it is even more relevant today than it was when it was written. The idea of “slowing down” to get there faster was extremely hard for me to understand. As a human species we seem to enjoy moving fast and expecting quick results, especially from ourselves. I should be successful now, I should be slim now, get me to my destination now—in contrast to “in the fullness of time” when I am ready.

4) The Game of Life and How to Play It, Florence Scovel-Shinn: A classic book that was first published in 1925 and remains one of my favorite books of all time. Scovel-Shinn understood the power of our words to express either our deepest desires or our most horrible nightmares.

So where does this leave you? The way I see it is if you want to ‘Heal Your Life” then you had better learn how to play “The Game of Life” by learning how to “Slow Down to the Speed of Life” and keep the “Four Agreements”. The solution may not be easy to do but it is simple. In fact, most solutions are pretty simple, and it is us humans that want to complicate it.

1.According to the author, people who are lacking in personal freedom should read______.

A. You Can Heal Your Life

B. The Four Agreements

C. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

D. The Game of Life and How to Play It

2.Which of the following books did the author read most recently?

A. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

B. The Four Agreements

C. You Can Heal Your Life

D. The Game of Life and How to Play It

3.In which part of a magazine would you probably find this passage?

A. Arts & Entertainment   B. Reference & Education

C. Book Reviews    D. Self Improvement

4. In the author’s opinion, the four books _______.

A. offer four ways to change our life and mind    B. represent four stages of life

C. represent four attitudes                     D. tell us four interesting stories

 

As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(学龄前儿童)：

Develop social skills

As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co­workers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.

Build self­confidence

Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers(摩天大楼) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.

Boost intellectual growth

Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.

Practice language skills

Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.

Work out fears

Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children role­play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(发泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．

To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.

For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books—Bambi and Pinocchio.

16．What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?

A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems.

B．Expressing their feelings like anger.

C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential.

D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories.

17．What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?

A．Improve.  B．Limit.

C．Push.  D．Praise.

18．From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．

A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award

B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free

C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids

D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales

19．What's the purpose of writing the article?

A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination.

B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers.

C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative.

D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan.

The following are four books that will help you change your mind and change your life.

1) You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay: A groundbreaking book when it was released in 1982. It is still the book that I turn to when I have physical unrest that requires deeper understanding. Louise Hay is the pioneer in looking at the connection between the physical unrest that we have in our body and the emotional connection. At the time that she wrote the book many people scoffed at this idea, but it is now widely accepted and millions of people refer to it on a daily basis.

2) The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz: Maintaining a sense of reliability and faith is developed through understanding to The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz written in 1997. We are faced with rules and regulations; don’t do this, don’t do that, watch what you are doing, be kind, loyal, faithful etc. The four agreements represent a simple system of maintaining your own inner authority while practicing being a true person with other people.

3) Slowing Down to the Speed of Life, Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey: This is a new one in my “bedside collection” and one that has made the biggest impact on me lately. Written in 1997, it is even more relevant today than it was when it was written. The idea of “slowing down” to get there faster was extremely hard for me to understand. As a human species we seem to enjoy moving fast and expecting quick results, especially from ourselves. I should be successful now, I should be slim now, get me to my destination now—in contrast to “in the fullness of time” when I am ready.

4) The Game of Life and How to Play It, Florence Scovel-Shinn: A classic book that was first published in 1925 and remains one of my favorite books of all time. Scovel-Shinn understood the power of our words to express either our deepest desires or our most horrible nightmares.

So where does this leave you? The way I see it is if you want to ‘Heal Your Life” then you had better learn how to play “The Game of Life” by learning how to “Slow Down to the Speed of Life” and keep the “Four Agreements”. The solution may not be easy to do but it is simple. In fact, most solutions are pretty simple, and it is us humans that want to complicate it.

46. According to the author, people who are lacking in personal freedom should read______.

A. You Can Heal Your Life

B. The Four Agreements

C. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

D. The Game of Life and How to Play It

47. Which of the following books did the author read most recently?

A. Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

B. The Four Agreements

C. You Can Heal Your Life

D. The Game of Life and How to Play It

48. In which part of a magazine would you probably find this passage?

A. Arts & Entertainment   B. Reference & Education

C. Book Reviews    D. Self Improvement

49. In the author’s opinion, the four books _______.

A. offer four ways to change our life and mind    B. represent four stages of life

C. represent four attitudes                     D. tell us four interesting stories