问答题This book is about the future of technology. In it we will examine some of the many recent developments in a few key fields and try, in a limited way, to predict where they will take us in the next fifteen years or (1)____.　　If that sounds like a modes

Text 3 Up until a few decades ago,our visions of the future were largely-though by no means uniformly-glowingly positive.Science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity,leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all.Now utopia has grown unfashionable,as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us,from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change.You might even be tempted to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.But such gloominess is misplaced.The fossil record shows that many species have endured for millions of years-so why shouldn't we?Take a broader look at our species'place in the universe,and it becomes clear that we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens,if not hundreds,of thousands of years.Look up Homo sapiens in the"Red List"of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature（IUCN）,and you will read:"Listed as Least Concern as the species is very widely distributed,adaptable,currently increasing,and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline."So what does our deep future hold?A growing number of researchers and organisations are now thinking seriously about that question.For example,the Long Now Foundation has its flagship project a medical clock that is designed to still be marking time thousands of years hence.Perhaps willfully,it may be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate future.The potential evolution of today's technology,and its social consequences,is dazzlingly complicated,and it's perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can envisage.That's one reason why we have launched Arc,a new publication dedicated to the near future.But take a longer view and there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance.As so often,the past holds the key to the future:we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns shaping the history of the planet,and our species,to make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants will find themselves.This long perspective makes the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely to be a passing fad.To be sure,the future is not all rosy.But we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans,and to improve the lot of those to come.33.Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 5?

A.Arc helps limit the scope of futurological studies.
B.Technology offers solutions to social problem.
C.The interest in science fiction is on the rise.
D.Our Immediate future is hard to conceive.

Text 3 Up until a few decades ago,our visions of the future were largely-though by no means uniformly-glowingly positive.Science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity,leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all.Now utopia has grown unfashionable,as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us,from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change.You might even be tempted to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.But such gloominess is misplaced.The fossil record shows that many species have endured for millions of years-so why shouldn't we?Take a broader look at our species'place in the universe,and it becomes clear that we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens,if not hundreds,of thousands of years.Look up Homo sapiens in the"Red List"of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature（IUCN）,and you will read:"Listed as Least Concern as the species is very widely distributed,adaptable,currently increasing,and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline."So what does our deep future hold?A growing number of researchers and organisations are now thinking seriously about that question.For example,the Long Now Foundation has its flagship project a medical clock that is designed to still be marking time thousands of years hence.Perhaps willfully,it may be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate future.The potential evolution of today's technology,and its social consequences,is dazzlingly complicated,and it's perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can envisage.That's one reason why we have launched Arc,a new publication dedicated to the near future.But take a longer view and there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance.As so often,the past holds the key to the future:we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns shaping the history of the planet,and our species,to make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants will find themselves.This long perspective makes the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely to be a passing fad.To be sure,the future is not all rosy.But we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans,and to improve the lot of those to come.32.The IUCN’s“Red List”suggest that human being are

A.a sustained species
B.a threaten to the environment
C.the world’s dominant power
D.a misplaced race

资料：Because of the biochemical reactions in your body that occur with every type of food you eat on a daily bases, some foods age you faster than your real age, while other foods help to fight aging.
Three of the processes that go on inside your body that have a major impact on your rate of aging are called “glycation”, “inflammation” and “oxidation”.
When we talk about aging, we’re not just talking about wrinkles on your skin or how thick your hair is, we’re also talking about factors that you can’t see, such as how well your organs function, and whether your joints are degrading.

The passage is probably___.

A.the preface of a book.
B.an excerpt from a paper on health
C.a book review
D.promotional materials for a book

资料：Procrastination comes in many disguises. We might resolve to tackle a task, but find endless reasons to defer it. We might prioritize things we can readily tick off our to-do list- answering emails, say- while leaving the big, complex stuff untouched for another day. We can look and feel busy. while artfully avoiding the tanks that really matter. And when we look at those rolling, long untouched items at the bottom of our to-do list, we can't help but feel a little disappointed in ourselves.
The problem is our brains are programmed to procrastinate. In general, we all tend to struggle with task that promise future upside in return for efforts we take now. That's because it's easier for our brains to process concrete rather than abstract things, and the immediate hassle is very tangible compared with those unknowable, uncertain future benefits. So the short-term effort easily dominates the long-term upside in our minds--an example of something that behavioral scientists call present bias.
How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks? It's all about rebalancing the cost benefit analysis: make the benefits of action feel bigger, and the costs of action feel smaller. The reward for doing a pestering task needs to feel larger than the immediate pain of tacking it.
To make the benefits of action feel bigger and more real:
Visualize how great it will be to get it done. Researchers have discovered that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they're shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. Why? Because it makes their future self feel more real-making the future benefits of saving also feel more weighty.

How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks?

A.Make the costs of action feel smaller.
B.Make the reward larger than the immediate pain of doing it.
C.Make the benefits of action feel bigger.
D.All the above.

资料：Procrastination comes in many disguises. We might resolve to tackle a task, but find endless reasons to defer it. We might prioritize things we can readily tick off our to-do list- answering emails, say- while leaving the big, complex stuff untouched for another day. We can look and feel busy. while artfully avoiding the tanks that really matter. And when we look at those rolling, long untouched items at the bottom of our to-do list, we can't help but feel a little disappointed in ourselves.
The problem is our brains are programmed to procrastinate. In general, we all tend to struggle with task that promise future upside in return for efforts we take now. That's because it's easier for our brains to process concrete rather than abstract things, and the immediate hassle is very tangible compared with those unknowable, uncertain future benefits. So the short-term effort easily dominates the long-term upside in our minds--an example of something that behavioral scientists call present bias.
How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks? It's all about rebalancing the cost benefit analysis: make the benefits of action feel bigger, and the costs of action feel smaller. The reward for doing a pestering task needs to feel larger than the immediate pain of tacking it.
To make the benefits of action feel bigger and more real:
Visualize how great it will be to get it done. Researchers have discovered that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they're shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. Why? Because it makes their future self feel more real-making the future benefits of saving also feel more weighty.

According to the author, which can NOT be seen as the way of procrastination?

A.We prioritize the to-do list and finish the task in time.
B.We prioritize and only do things that can be done easily and quickly.
C.We look busy but avoid the task that really matters.
D.We find endless reasons to defer a task.

Directions: Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. What′s your view about what subject university students should study? You are required to write a composition within 180 words, but no less than 150 words.

In the preface（ ）this book,we are given the reason why it has been republished.
to

Up until a few decades ago,our visions of the future were largely-though by no means uniformly-glowingly positive.Science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity,leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all.Now utopia has grown unfashionable,as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us,from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change.You might even be tempted to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.But such gloominess is misplaced.The fossil record shows that many species have endured for millions of years-so why shouldn't we?Take a broader look at our species'place in the universe,and it becomes clear that we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens,if not hundreds,of thousands of years.Look up Homo sapiens in the"Red List"of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature（IUCN）,and you will read:"Listed as Least Concern as the species is very widely distributed,adaptable,currently increasing,and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline."So what does our deep future hold?A growing number of researchers and organisations are now thinking seriously about that question.For example,the Long Now Foundation has its flagship project a medical clock that is designed to still be marking time thousands of years hence.Perhaps willfully,it may be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate future.The potential evolution of today's technology,and its social consequences,is dazzlingly complicated,and it's perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can envisage.That's one reason why we have launched Arc,a new publication dedicated to the near future.But take a longer view and there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance.As so often,the past holds the key to the future:we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns shaping the history of the planet,and our species,to make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants will find themselves.This long perspective makes the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely to be a passing fad.To be sure,the future is not all rosy.But we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans,and to improve the lot of those to come.
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A.Uncertainty about Our Future
B.Evolution of the Human Species
C.The Ever-bright Prospects of Mankind
D.Science,Technology and Humanity

When I opened the first "Body Shop" in 1976, what I wanted to do was to earn （挣） enough money to feed my children. Today the "Body Shop" is a great company growing fast all around the world. In the years since we began, I have learned a lot. Much of what I have learned will be found in this book, because I believe that we, as a company, have something worth saying about how to run a successful business without giving up what you really believe in.
It's not an ordinary business book. It is not just about my life, either. The message is that to succeed in business you have to be different. Business can be fun, and can be run with love and do good. In business, as in life, I need to enjoy myself, to have a feeling of my family and to feel excited by something unusual. I have always wanted the people who work for the "Body Shop" to feel the same way.
Now this book sends these ideas out into the world, and makes them public. I'd like to think there are no limits （界限） to our "family", and no limits to what can be done. I find that an exciting thought. I hope you do, too.

What would someone learn from this text?

A. How to make a lot of money.
B. How to write a book about business.
C. What the book is about.
D. What the writer's family is like.

资料：Procrastination comes in many disguises. We might resolve to tackle a task, but find endless reasons to defer it. We might prioritize things we can readily tick off our to-do list- answering emails, say- while leaving the big, complex stuff untouched for another day. We can look and feel busy. while artfully avoiding the tanks that really matter. And when we look at those rolling, long untouched items at the bottom of our to-do list, we can't help but feel a little disappointed in ourselves.
The problem is our brains are programmed to procrastinate. In general, we all tend to struggle with task that promise future upside in return for efforts we take now. That's because it's easier for our brains to process concrete rather than abstract things, and the immediate hassle is very tangible compared with those unknowable, uncertain future benefits. So the short-term effort easily dominates the long-term upside in our minds--an example of something that behavioral scientists call present bias.
How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks? It's all about rebalancing the cost benefit analysis: make the benefits of action feel bigger, and the costs of action feel smaller. The reward for doing a pestering task needs to feel larger than the immediate pain of tacking it.
To make the benefits of action feel bigger and more real:
Visualize how great it will be to get it done. Researchers have discovered that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they're shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. Why? Because it makes their future self feel more real-making the future benefits of saving also feel more weighty.

The next paragraph is probably about____.

A.The natural function of our brain
B.The other ways to make the benefits of action feel bigger and real
C.The other ways to make the benefits of action feel smaller and unreal
D.The perils of procrastination

资料：Procrastination comes in many disguises. We might resolve to tackle a task, but find endless reasons to defer it. We might prioritize things we can readily tick off our to-do list- answering emails, say- while leaving the big, complex stuff untouched for another day. We can look and feel busy. while artfully avoiding the tanks that really matter. And when we look at those rolling, long untouched items at the bottom of our to-do list, we can't help but feel a little disappointed in ourselves.
The problem is our brains are programmed to procrastinate. In general, we all tend to struggle with task that promise future upside in return for efforts we take now. That's because it's easier for our brains to process concrete rather than abstract things, and the immediate hassle is very tangible compared with those unknowable, uncertain future benefits. So the short-term effort easily dominates the long-term upside in our minds--an example of something that behavioral scientists call present bias.
How can you become less myopic about your elusive tasks? It's all about rebalancing the cost benefit analysis: make the benefits of action feel bigger, and the costs of action feel smaller. The reward for doing a pestering task needs to feel larger than the immediate pain of tacking it.
To make the benefits of action feel bigger and more real:
Visualize how great it will be to get it done. Researchers have discovered that people are more likely to save for their future retirement if they're shown digitally aged photographs of themselves. Why? Because it makes their future self feel more real-making the future benefits of saving also feel more weighty.

Which one is TRUE about our brain?

A.Concrete things are more attractive than the abstract things.
B.The long term upside is easily dominated by short-term effort in our minds.
C.We cannot avoid present bias in our brain.
D.The brain can be trained to procrastinate often.

Directions: Some people think that alluniversity students should study whatever they like. Others believe that theyshould only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, suchas those related to science and technology. What′s your view about what subjectuniversity students should study? You are required to write a compositionwithin 180 words, but no less than 150 words.