The Future of Technology
William, a businessman, arrives in a foreign airport. He doesn’t show his passport. Instead, a machine in the wall reads the computer chip（芯片）in his arm. This contains information about him: his name, age, and I.D number. He exits the airport, and a car door opens when it “sees” him. The car takes him to his hotel. His room “knows” he has entered the building and it “reads” his body. He is cold, so the room becomes warmer. William then watches a business presentation on a video wall. When he takes a bath, the presentation “follows him and continues on the bathroom wall. Finally, the room plays music to help him sleep. It turns off the music when it “sees” him sleeping.
William doesn’t exist, and none of this is real. But it might be soon. “In five to ten years, computing and communications are going to be free and everywhere, in your walls, in your car, on your body,’ says Victor Zue, leader of Project Oxygen.
Project Oxygen has one big idea: to create better relationships between machines and people. The dream is that computer will learn to understand what people want.
So, what changes will there be at work? Firstly, the building will know where everyone is, all the time. You want to talk to someone? Type the person’s name on the nearest computer. It will show you a map of the building and exactly where this person is. You then call this person, who picks up the nearest telephone, also shown on the computer. If he or she is busy with a client（客户）or in a meeting, the computer will tell you.
Is all this really possible? Visit the Siebel Center, Illinois and see for yourself: computers in the doors and walls, cameras everywhere, the technology of the future, but here today.
1.William doesn’t’ show his passport because__________.
A. he is not required to show his passport
B. he doesn’t need a passport in that airport
C. his information can be read by a machine
D. only a man from foreign country needs to show his passport
2.The computer chip in William’s arm contains his information except_______.
A. his name B. his age
C. his I.D. number D. his job
3.The dream of Project Oxygen is that computers will ________
A. show you where the person is you are calling
B. let you pick up the nearest telephone
C. learn to understand what people want
D. show you a map of every building
4.In the Siebel Center, Illinois, ________.
A. computers are everywhere
B. the technology of the future is there today
C. there are cameras in the doors and walls
D. the future technology will be there in 5-10 years
It was already dark when an old man came to a small town. He found an inn and wanted to stay there for the night. After he had gone to his room, the owner said to his wife, “Look at his bag, dear. I’m sure there are lots of valuable things in it. I want to steal it when he is asleep.”
“No, no,” said the woman. “He must look for his bag tomorrow morning. Then he’ll take you before the judge.” They thought and at last the woman had an idea. “We have forgetful grass,” said the woman, “Why not put some into his food? If he has the food, he will forget to take his bag away.” “How clever you are!” said the owner, “Don’t forget it when you prepare supper for him.”
The old man had the food with the forgetful grass and went to bed. The next morning, when the owner got up, he found the door was open and the old man had left with his bag. He woke his wife up and said angrily, “What a fool! Your forgetful grass isn’t useful at all.”
“No, no,” said the woman. “I don’t think so. He must forget something.”
“Oh, I’ve remembered!” The owner cried out suddenly, “He forgot…”
1.The owner and his wife wanted to _______.
A. get the man’s bag
B. steal the man’s money
C. make the man pay them more
D. hide the man’s bag
2.The owner and his wife put the forgetful grass into the food because _______.
A. the old man always forgot something
B. they wanted to make the food better
C. they hoped the old man would leave the bag in the inn
D. they wanted to know if the grass was useful
3.According to the passage the old man forgot _______.
A. to take his bag away
B. to tell the owner when he left
C. to close the door when he went to sleep
D. to pay them the inn money
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Both the owner and his wife were clever.
B. The owner of the inn got nothing from the old man.
C. The old man left the inn without his bag.
D. The woman forgot to put the grass into the food.
Would you mind ____________ your radio a little?
A.turn off B.turning off C.to turn down D.turning down
Do you remember ____________ me at a party last year?
A.meet B.to meet C.meeting D.met
People couldn’t help ____________ the foolish emperor in the procession.
A.laugh at B.to laugh at
C.laughing at D.laughing on
He’s the only boy in our city ____ enters the Beijing University.
A. that B. which C. where D. Who
