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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Beijing Opera is also called Peking Opera. It came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes(戏班) came to Beijing. Its music and singing(唱腔) come from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. Its costumes are all fascinating and artistic. It is the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It’s full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, and wonderful gestures and fighting. This kind of opera is very popular with Chinese people.
There are four main roles in Beijing Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng is the leading male(男性) actor. For example, a Wusheng is a soldier or fighter. A Xiaosheng is a young man. A Laosheng is an old man. Dan is the female(女性) role. Jing, mostly male, is the face-painted role and Chou is the comedy actor or clown.
Stories in Beijing Opera are very interesting. Some of them are from the history book, but most of them are from the literature, especially famous novels. The people in the story usually have some disagreements. They become angry and unhappy. They are sad and lonely. Sometimes they are nervous and worried. Then they find a way to make peace. The stories usually end with happiness and laughter and people are all happy in the end.
1. Beijing Opera’s singing is from ____________.
A. Anhui and Hubei
B. Beijing and Anhui
C. the history book
D. the literature and novels
2. The second paragraph of the reading is about the _________ of Beijing Opera.
A. stories B. roles
C. gestures D. paintings
3. From the reading, we know the role Chou most probably has a (n) _________ feature.
A. honest B. funny
C. dull D. serious
4. Which of the following is the role Sheng?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
5.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Peking Opera is full of different gestures.
B. There are only four roles in Beijing Opera.
C. Beijing Opera is the most popular in the world.
D. The people in the story usually are in agreement.
Name | Personal Information | Name | Personal Information |
Mo Yan
| Born in 1955. Worked hard and became the first Chinese national writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature(诺贝尔文学奖). His novel: Red Sorghum(红高粱) |
| Born in 1980 in Shanghai. The son of two great basketball players. Joined the Houston Rockets in June, 2002. |
Liu Yang
| Born in 1978 in Henan Prov- ince, China. The first Chinese woman astronaut. Traveled in Shenzhou Ⅸ in outer space with Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang from June 16th, 2012 to June 29th, 2012. | Jay Chou
| Born in 1979 in Taiwan, China. A popular singer Favorite music: Hip-Hop |
1. Yao Ming played basketball in _ after 2002.
A. GermanyB. Canada
C. AmericaD. England
2.Red Sorghum is the name of a __ .
A. sport B. song
C. magazineD. novel
3. Liu Yang, Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang traveled in outer space for days.
A. 11 B. 12C. 14D. 15
4. According to the passage, the was born in 1979.
A. writer B. astronaut
C. basketball player D. singer
5. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Liu Yang is the first Chinese woman astronaut from Henan, China.
B. Jay Chou is from Taiwan, China.
C. Mo Yan is the second writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
D. Yao Ming’s parents are both basketball players.
An artist went to a beautiful place of the country for a holiday, and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out and painted from morning to evening. When it got dark, he came back to the farm and had a good dinner before he went to bed.
At the end of his holiday he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said, “No, I don’t want money but give me one of your pictures. What is money? In a week it will all be finished, but your painting will be here.”
The artist was very pleased and thanked the farmer for saying such kind words. The farmer smiled and said, “I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month, I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to be an artist any more, I believe.”
1. The artist liked to ___________ near a nice place.
A. sing songs B. dance
C. paint pictures D. write something
2. He liked painting ____________.
A. in a house
B. in the open air
C. because he would do well in painting
D. with the most important artist
3. The farmer thought that the artist ____________.
A. was not good at painting
B. was really a great man
C. did well in painting
D. was the most important artist
4.The farmer’s son wanted to __________ some day.
A. be an artist B. become a popular singer
C. write twenty novels D. dance around the world
5. The farmer ____________.
A. was a foolish man
B. didn’t want his son to be a painter
C. liked the artist’s picture very much
D. couldn’t pay for his son about his paintings
—Could you tell me __________？
—Sorry, I don’t know.
A. how can I get to the Water Sports Center
B. when will Mr. Black come back
C. why is Tom late for class
D. where Mr. Green has gone
I don’t know if it ________ tomorrow. If it _________ , we won’t go hiking.
A. rains; rains B. will rain; rains
C. rains; will rain D. will rain; will rain
