In the future your automobile will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
Not all past predictions have been proven wrong. A few of them have been surprisingly accurate. Some great thinkers predicted the arrival of the credit card, the fax machine and even the internet years before they happened. But for each prediction that has come true, some others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or if people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot Helpers
Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other working environments.Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.So why hasn’t it happened? Maybe because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And probably the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too strange. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet. Why? The technology worked fine, but it overlooked something obvious: people desire for privacy. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just stepped out of the shower? Probably not--it could be uncomfortable! Just because technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy any more! But a flying car remains one of the most wonderful technology ideas to catch our imagination. Keep watching the news or perhaps the sky outside your window to see what the future will bring..The passage mainly deals with______.
| A．predictions that can catch our imagination |
| B．predictions that haven’t come true |
| C．new technology can benefit our life |
| D．predictions that have come true |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it. |
| B．Predictions don’t need to consider people’s practical use of the technology. |
| C．Not all the high-tech things people thought we’d be using by now are widely used |
| D．High-tech things are not always convenient to people’s life. |
Robot Helpers haven’t been used in most people’s homes because______.
| A．using the kind of robots at home is simply a waste of time and money |
| B．the kind of robots hasn’t been developed yet |
| C．people find it difficult to control the kind of robots |
| D．the kind of robots won’t bring people practical use |
How does the writer find the flying car?
| A．It is too difficult to imagine. |
| B．It is too crazy an idea to realize. |
| C．It is likely to appear in the future. |
| D．It has been the focus of the news. |
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| We Need Office Cleaners! Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5: 00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays for each one. Approximately five hours per shift(轮班). A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345 7843 now. |
| Want To Work As A Dental Nurse? This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental Health Scheme. You must be able to get along well with children because work involves talking to groups about dental health practices. For further information, visit our website at schooldentalservices @ gov.sg. And fax your resume to 6234 4567. |
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You may find the above advertisements _____.
| A．in a store window | B．in a school magazine |
| C．in a newspaper | D．on a company notice-board |
The position of a(n) _____ is a part-time job.
| A．florist | B．artist |
| C．preschool teacher | D．dental nurse |
Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?
| A．Cooking skills |
| B．The ability to work well with other people. |
| C．Childcare experience |
| D．The ability to start work in two weeks |
An office cleaner will be required to work about _____ hours a week.
| A．5 | B．10 | C．15 | D．45 |
One day, President Lincoln went to a party. At the gathering, a man called Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life and saying that he first met Lincoln when he was a shop assistant at a village shop. Finally he said, “And Mr. Lincoln was a very good waiter too.”
People burst into laughter, but they quieted down when Mr. Lincoln said quietly.
“Gentlemen, what Mr. Douglas has said is true. I did keep a grocery(杂货店), and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars, and sometimes whiskey(威士忌酒). But I remember that in those days Mr. Douglas was one of my best customers. I often stood on one side of the counter(柜台) and sold whiskey to Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between us now is: I have left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever.”Where was Douglas talking about Lincoln’s low position in life?
| A．At home | B．At a grocery |
| C．At a gathering | D．In a restaurant |
Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life because _____
| A．he was friendly to Lincoln. |
| B．Lincoln was an example to show that an American of low position can also rise up in life. |
| C．he wanted others to look down upon Lincoln. |
| D．he wanted to tell other people about Lincoln’s honesty as a shop assistant. |
How did Lincoln win the oral competition?
| A．By telling about his low position in life in his early days. |
| B．By making fun of Douglas’ low position now. |
| C．By proving Douglas was telling lies. |
| D．By comparing his present position with Douglas. |
What do you suppose the sentence “Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever means?”
| A．Douglas was still talking about Lincoln’s low position in life. |
| B．Douglas was still standing on the other side of the counter. |
| C．Douglas remained a drunkard and had not changed a bit. |
| D．Douglas kept on going to parties and speaking ill of Lincoln. |
In nature, you may see many insects and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why?
Locusts （蝗虫）are super delicious food for birds, but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them. It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies（敌人）. The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops （庄稼）. When crops are young, locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do.
Brown bears, tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can’t be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies （蝴蝶）and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to survive, they have to hide themselves in the daytime and appear only at night.
Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts（行为）? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over, its enemies will find themselves in a dark world. At the same time the ink fish immediately swims away. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all. According to the passage, most soil insects ______
| A．do not have bright colors |
| B．change their colors with the soil |
| C．do not live in a dark and wet environment. |
| D．eat colorful insects like butterflies and bees. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “survive” in the passage?
| A．繁殖 | B．产卵 | C．觅食 | D．生存 |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Some insects and animals have different skills. |
| B．Some insects and animals are cleverer than we think. |
| C．Some insects and animals use colors to protect themselves. |
| D．Some insects and animals can get used to the environment easily. |
Where did Li Hua see Mrs Daniels’ advertisement?
| A．At London University. | B．In a newspaper |
| C．On the Internet. | D．On TV. |
Why did Li Hua write the Email?
| A．To make friends with Mrs Daniels. |
| B．To apply to study at London University. |
| C．To get more information about Mrs Daniels’ lessons. |
| D．To find out more information about Aston College. |
Which of the following information did Li Hua NOT mention in his email?
| A．His age |
| B．His reasons for learning English |
| C．His language level |
| D．The language skills he wants to focus on. |
Li Hua wants to take the lessons to improve his ______.
| A．listening and writing | B．writing and speaking |
| C．listening and grammar | D．listening and speaking |
San Francisco has many museums. You can visit one and learn something new. We have art, science, history and other special museums. Some museums are open every day. Some are only open on certain days. Some museums are expensive, and others are free. But some of the expensive ones have free days. Many museums have websites. The websites usually have information about the things you can see in the museums.
On a museum’s website you can get information about ticket prices and free days. You can also know where the museum is and when it is open. Sometimes you have to click on the words like Visit, Information, or About to find the information. That will be hard work for you. San Francisco has many museums for you to visit and ______.
| A．learn something new | B．play computer games |
| C．watch the movies | D．click on Information |
Some museums in San Francisco are open every day, but some are only open ______.
| A．on weekdays | B．on weekends |
| C．on certain days | D．on holidays |
Many museums have ______ with information about the things you can see in them.
| A．ticket prices | B．their websites |
| C．open hours | D．free days |