1、UNIT 2 课下题型练(一)Reading and Thinking.阅读理解AFour of the Worlds Best Futurists(未来学家)Kevin KellyKevin Kelly is an author.His 1994 publication, Out of Control, discusses a future where machines and systems are so complex as to be indistinguished(难区分的) from living things.His latest book What Technology Wan
2、ts suggests that technology is not just a mixture of wires and metals but a living thing that has its own need.The book looks out through the eyes of this global technological system to discover what it wants.Dr Michio KakuDr Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at the City University o
3、f New York and author of The Future of the Mind and Physics of the Future.In The Future of the Mind, he explores the frontier of neuroscience.He predicts that one day we will be able to upload the human brain into a computer.In Physics of the Future, he predicts that glasses and contact lenses will
4、be connected to the Internet and cars will become driverless with the power of the GPS system.David BrinScience fiction author and scientist, David Brin has received awards.In 1998, he won the Freedom of Speech Award for The Transparence Society.The book concerns threats to personal affairs and open
5、ness in the information age.In a world where the police monitor public places 24 hours a day with cameras and some credit companies can sell peoples financial details to anyone willing to pay, Brin warns that surveillance (监控) technology will be used by too few people in the future.He argues that th
6、e tables should be turned and the public should have access to information like who is buying financial details from credit companies.Dr Ray KurzweilDr Ray Kurzweil is the main inventor of the first printtospeech reading machine for the blind.He is the director of artificial intelligence development
7、 at Google.Over the past 25 years, a number of his predictions have come true.In 1990, he predicted a computer would defeat a human at chess by 1998.He predicts that by the 2020s, most diseases will go away and selfdriving cars begin to take over the roads.语篇解读：本文是一篇应用文。文章介绍了四位未来学家以及他们的贡献。1Whose boo
8、k is discussing about machines and systems in the future?AKevin Kellys.BDr Michio Kakus.CDavid Brins. DDr Ray Kurzweils.解析：选A细节理解题。根据Kevin Kelly部分中的第一段可知，他在1994年出版的失控一书中探讨了一个未来的世界，在这个世界里，机器和系统是如此复杂，以至于无法与生物区分开来。由此可知，Kevin Kelly的书讨论了未来的机器和系统，故选A。2Which of the following books won the Freedom of Speech
9、 Award?AOut of Control.BThe Future of the Mind.CPhysics of the Future.DThe Transparence Society.解析：选D细节理解题。根据David Brin部分中的“In 1998, he won the Freedom of Speech Award for The Transparence Society.”可知，1998年，他因The Transparence Society获得“言论自由奖”，故选D。3Whats Dr Ray Kurzweils attitude towards his predicti
10、on of the 2020s?ACautious. BOptimistic.CDoubtful. DDisapproving.解析：选B观点态度题。根据Dr Ray Kurzweil部分中的最后一句可知，他预测，到21世纪20年代，大多数疾病将会被治愈，自动驾驶汽车将开始占领道路。由此推知，Ray Kurzweil博士对21世纪20年代的预测持乐观态度，故选B。BThese are some ideas that some people have come up with about what the life will be like in the year 2500.We will ha
11、ve established a base on the moon.School kids can take field trips to the moon weekly.We will have found cures (疗法) for AIDS and cancer.The war will have ended and peace flows freely through the land.Kids will learn more and be smarter than ever before！History will be the main subject at school.Cafe
12、teria(自助餐厅) food will be delicious！You just walk up to a machine, stick out your tongue, and it will scan your taste buds (味蕾) to see what you want to eat.KristenHere I am in the wonderful year of 2500 and life is so easy.I work in a pet store and it is so hard！I have to wake up at midnight every da
13、y and fly my car to the store.It takes so long to get there.It takes me 20 seconds to get to the store in Mississippi from my home in Florida！At work, I have to push 5 buttons and then I go home.It takes 2 seconds and that is like forever.MorganIn the year 2500, I think we will have invented cars th
14、at run on things we dont need like garbage.Tail gas will smell like whatever you like such as chocolate.I also predict that buildings will be able to go into a different dimension(维度) so your car wont hit them.The cars in 2500 dont fly, for we havent got that technology yet, but they can hover(盘旋) u
15、p to seven feet.These cars are made for speed!CarlyInstead of cars, we may have hovering devices that float around.We could also have electric cars instead of gaspowered cars.Food might be more healthy.What I believe is that the environment will change the most.The environmental changes will also de
16、termine many other changes.If more people try to help the environment, then perhaps in 2500 we will have more forests and wildlife.If people wont help the environment, then we will have no forests and little wildlife left.Roberta语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。2500年的生活会是什么样子呢？人们对它展开了丰富的想象。4According to Kristen, what
17、will happen in 2500?AEnglish will be the main subject at school.BStudents will go to the moon every week.CCafeteria will replace other restaurants.DAIDS and cancer will disappear.解析：选B细节理解题。根据文章中克里斯滕所说的话“School kids can take field trips to the moon weekly.”可知，B项为正确答案。5Morgan thinks his work in the p
18、et store is Adifficult BmeaninglessCimportant Deasy解析：选D推理判断题。文章中摩根对他工作的具体描述使用的是反语，他真实的意思是“这份工作太轻松了”。他的第一句话也是对该意思的提示，故选D项。6Who mainly tells the reader of the cars in 2500?AKristen. BMorgan.CCarly. DRoberta.解析：选C细节理解题。根据文章中卡力所说的那段话可知，他主要谈到的是2500年的汽车，包括汽车的燃料、废气及功能等，故选C项。7Roberta thinks that in 2500 At
19、he environment will have changed a lotBthere will be more wildlife and forestsCthe environment will be seriously damagedDcars will run on solar power and electricity解析：选A细节理解题。根据文章中罗伯塔所说的那段话可知，她所坚信的是环境一定会变化很大，或往好的方面变化，或往坏的方面变化。故选A。CFrom selfdriving cars to carebots for elderly people, rapid developm
20、ent in technology has long represented a possible threat to many jobs normally performed by people.But experts now believe that almost 50 percent of occupations existing today will be completely unnecessary by 2025 as artificial intelligence continues to change businesses.“The next fifteen years wil
21、l see a revolution in how we work, and a revolution will necessarily take place in how we plan and think about workplaces，” said Peter Andrew, Director of Workplace Strategy for CBRE Asia Pacific.A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence, social skills and the ability
22、 to use artificial intelligence.The report is based on interviews with 200 experts, business leaders and young people from Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.It shows that in the US technology already destroys more jobs than it creates.But the report states：“Losing occupations does not necessari
23、ly mean losing jobs just changing what people do.” Growth in new jobs could occur as much, according to the research.“The growth of 20 to 40 person companies that have the speed and technological know how will directly challenge big companies，” it states.A report by Pew Research found 52 percent of
24、experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future and believed there would still be enough jobs in the next few years.The optimists pictured “a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create，” according to Aaron Smith, the reports coauthor.“
25、Technology will continue to affect jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created.Although there have always been unemployed people, when we reached a few billion people, there were billions of jobs.There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change，” Microsofts Jonathan Gru
26、din told researchers.语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。人工智能改变商业结构，专家称约一半的职业到2025年将会消失。8.We can infer from the text that in the future Apeople will face many difficultiesBpeople will take up more creative jobsCartificial intelligence will threaten peoples livesDmost jobs will be done in traditional workplaces解析：选B推理判断题。
27、由第三段中的A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence可知，未来人们需要从事更具有创造性的工作。故选B。9According to the report， Apeople wont necessarily lose jobsBbig companies will face fewer challengesCsmall companies will win against big companiesDmost people will become interested in technolog
28、y解析：选A细节理解题。由第五段中的“Losing occupations does not necessarily mean losing jobs just changing what people do.”可知，职业消失并不必然意味着工作丢失它仅仅改变了人们做的事情。故选A。10What is the attitude of most experts in artificial intelligence and robotics to the future?AMixed. BWorried.COptimistic. DDoubtful.解析：选C观点态度题。由倒数第二段中的52 perc
29、ent of experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future和The optimists pictured “a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create”可知，大多数人工智能和机器人领域的专家对未来持乐观态度。故选C。11Jonathan Grudins words in the last paragraph suggest that Athere will be enou
30、gh jobs for peopleBthings will change a lot in a few yearsCmany people will become unemployedDtechnology will totally change future jobs解析：选A推理判断题。由最后一段中的more jobs seem likely to be created .when we reached a few billion people, there were billions of jobs可知，微软公司的Jonathan Grudin认为，更多的工作会被创造出来，人们会有足够
31、的就业机会。故选A。.阅读七选五People have always wanted to know what the future will look like.Then, how can we know what the future will look like？ 1 The world has changed a lot in the past 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago, such as food, sleep, the feeling of b
32、eing appreciated and loved. 2 No.In addition, generally speaking, the inventions for the last 150 years have been a human effort for freedom and communication, to be able to get in control of the time and world.Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the nex
33、t 150 years.But why do we need to predict the future？Predicting the future is important for two reasons：first we need to start to think about what kind of future wed like for ourselves and to pass on the next generation. 3 How about the virtual worlds？It might be possible in the future to experience
34、 the sand between your toes, and hear the waves, just lying in your bed at home. 4 So, even if a great invention is there for an affordable price, itll never take the place of the common experience if its not real. 5 What well see in the next 50 years is the transition from an oildependent society t
35、o a new society.Here therell be new medicine, continued exploration of space, challenges in the climate change, and new inventions that make life a little easier.ASo what will the future look like then?BWill this change in the next 150 years?CPredicting the future can help us in many ways.DHowever,
36、youll never get the feeling of being there.EWell, to understand the future, you must know the past.FHowever, no matter how real the experience will feel, it doesnt happen for real.GThen we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future.语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章
37、主要向我们介绍了人们预测未来的原因及未来50年有可能会发生的变化。1选E根据空前的句子“Then, how can we know what the future will look like？”和空后的句子The world has changed a lot in the past 150 years可知空处讲的是过去和未来的关系，所以E项(好吧，为了理解未来，你必须知道过去)符合语境。2选B根据空后的No可知，此处应该为一般疑问句，又根据本段的内容可知空处的意思是：在接下来的150年，这些会改变吗？故选B。3选G根据本段中Predicting the future is importan
38、t for two reasons：first we need to start to think about可知，空处应该是第二个原因，故用then来引出句子，且空处意为：然后我们需要知道今天需要做什么样的决定，会给未来带来最好的结果。故选G。4选F根据空前句子可知，躺在家里的床上感受到的一切再真实也不是现实，因为现实中没有发生这样的事情，故选F。5选A本段主要谈论了未来会是什么样子。根据空后的“What well see in the next 50 years is the transition from an oildependent society to a new society.”可知选A。