Module 1 Life in the Future

　　阅读理解提速练——练速度

　　(限时：20分钟)

　　A

　　(2024·九江市高三二模)Robots performing tasks according to a predetermined set of instructions are nothing new.But robots able to learn how to cook by watching videos are a completely different approach, which is conducted by a group of researchers at the University of Maryland.

　　If you have posted a video of your favorite recipe on the popular website YouTube, chances are that it will be used by a robot.University of Maryland's professor Yiannis Aloimonos, leader of the group, said “There exists a large amount of video information on the Internet that our robots can capitalize_on.”

　　“At present, the videos are fed electronically，”said research scientist Cornelia Fermuller.“Originally, we took our own videos, our cameras looking at us doing the cooking，”she explained.“And, as the robot advances, it reacts to good quality videos.And it will react to even lower quality homemade videos.”

　　So far, the robot named Julia can make a simple salad by breaking each task into basic parts, such as grasping a spoon, bringing it to the bowl, stirring the salad and observing the results.

　　But why teach a robot how to understand a video when it can easily follow a fixed program？Aloimonos believes predetermined instructions lack flexibility.He thinks one of the problems is how to make the robot understand and use what it learns during a certain task, the so-called feedback (反馈意见); another is the introduction of language.

　　“I believe it will take quite some time before the robots are able to understand metaphorical (比喻性的) language，”he added.“But，” he said，“we don't need that to create a new world where the robots will be working for us.”

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇科普说明文。机器人按既定指令完成任务并不让人觉得新鲜，但能看着视频学做饭的机器人，你可能前所未闻。1．The underlined phrase “capitalize on” in Paragraph 2 probably can be replaced by ________.

　　A．take hold ofB．make use of

　　C．keep track of

　　D．catch sight of

　　解析：选B　词义猜测题。由第二段的第一句“If you have posted ...used by a robot.”可知，机器人能利用网上大量的视频信息。结合第二段的最后一句可知，capitalize on应与“make use of”意思相近，因此选择B项。

　　2．Aloimonos probably agrees that at present the robot ________.

　　A．can not fully digest what it learns

　　B．can not make a simple salad

　　C．can follow home-made videos

　　D．can understand metaphorical language

　　解析：选A　推理判断题。根据最后一段Aloimonos的话可知，该机器人目前还不能理解比喻性的语言。根据倒数第二段的最后一句可推知，Aloimonos可能认为目前该机器人还不能完全消化它学的东西，应选择A项。

　　3．Robots are taught to understand a video mainly because ________.

　　A．they can easily follow fixed programs

　　B．they are smart enough to learn cooking

　　C．cooking videos are more interesting to watch

　　D．predetermined instructions are not flexible

　　解析：选D　细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的前两句可知，教机器人理解视频是因为预定指令不够灵活，应选择D项。

　　4．Which of the following might best serve as the title of the passage?

　　A．Robots Creating a New World

　　B．Robots Making Cooking Videos

　　C．Robots Learning to Cook by Watching Videos

　　D．Robots Performing Tasks by Following Instructions

　　解析：选C　标题归纳题。文章主要介绍了通过观看视频学做饭的机器人，因此C项是最佳标题。

　　B

　　(2024·银川一中高三年级第三次月考)

　　Life in 2060

　　Let us suppose it is now about A．D. 2060. Let's make believe (假装；虚构) it is about 45 years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.

　　Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment of young and old.

　　What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven't yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.

　　Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet's surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.

　　Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.

　　People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.

　　Such would be our life in 2060.

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。2060年我们的生活会是什么样子，作者为我们描绘出了一番景象。

　　5．When was the passage written?

　　A．In about A．D. 2060.

　　B．In about 1960.

　　C．In about 2024.

　　D．In about 2024.

　　解析：选D　推理判断题。根据第一段的前两句可知，2060年在45年之后，因此写文章的年份大约是2024年。故选D。

　　6．According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A．D. 2060?

　　A．Many other animals.

　　B．Many tourists.

　　C．Many plants.

　　D．A sea.

　　解析：选B　推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知，去月球旅游成为了常态，每天都有游客去月球旅游。故选B。

　　7．What will people eat then according to the passage?

　　A．Biscuits in pill form. B．Foods in pill form.

　　C．Foods in water form.

　　D．Foods in gas form.

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句可知，到那时很多食物都是以药片的形式出现的。故选B。

　　8．The passage tells us that in 2060, ________ on the earth than now.

　　A．the crops are getting better

　　B．there are more pests

　　C．there are fewer people

　　D．there is less water

　　解析：选A　细节理解题。根据第四段的后两句可知，庄稼不再遭受害虫的侵袭，每年都是大丰收。故选A。

　　C

　　(2024·银川质量检测)Many of the world's countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth (ZPG). Nearly all such lands are economically well developed. They include much of Europe (including Russia), the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. As the rate of natural increase (RNI) declines, two things happen. First, the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration. Second, a country's population ages because there are fewer births.

　　Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a country's population begins to drop? Many people, after all, believe that population decline is a good thing. But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree?

　　An aging population can create many problems. Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention. Rather than paying into retirement programs, they begin to draw from their pensions. In the US, the Social Security program, according to many experts, will be used up by 2024. It will pay out more money than it takes in. Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or able to do them. Many of these jobs are entry-level positions that pay low wages. With an aging population, who will fill them? At the other extreme, some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills. Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce?

　　The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple: increased migration. Today many people, particularly those from less developed countries, are migrating in search of employment. Many are willing to take jobs that cannot (or will not) be filled by the_domestic_population. Others are well educated and highly skilled. Both groups contribute to a country's economy progress in many ways. Further, they add to the richness of a country's culture. Of greatest importance, perhaps, is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands. As you can see, for many countries and for most immigrants, migration is a win-win situation.

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇议论文。许多发达国家正在或即将经历人口零增长，这是利还是弊？作者认为，人口零增长会导致人口老龄化，从而导致劳动力不足，加大社会福利负担，不利于国家的经济发展。所以增加移民是解决这个问题的办法，因为增加移民既能解决劳动力不足的问题，又能引进人才，丰富文化，带动经济发展。

　　9．In the writer's view, which of the following statements is TRUE?

　　A．Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good.

　　B．Achieving ZPG is every country's aim in spite of its side effects.

　　C．Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens.

　　D．Achieving ZPG is good for employment.

　　解析：选A　推理判断题。第三段作者认为：人口零增长会导致人口老龄化，从而导致劳动力不足，加大社会福利负担，不利于国家的经济发展。由此可知，作者认为人口零增长有一些不利之处。故A项正确。

　　10．According to the passage, the best way to solve the problem of declining and aging population is ________.

　　A．to improve the health care system

　　B．to increase RNI

　　C．to increase employment

　　D．to increase migration

　　解析：选D　细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句“The answer to ... increased migration.”可知，作者认为解决人口减少和人口老龄化的方法是增加移民。故选D项。

　　11．The underlined words “the domestic population” can be replaced by ________.

　　A．people within the country

　　B．people from developing countries

　　C．people without a college education

　　D．people living abroad

　　解析：选A　词义猜测题。根据第三段最后五句“Additionally, a great number of jobs ... as retirees leave the workforce？”可知，人口老龄化会导致社会劳动力不足，这些职位将由谁来担任？第四段作者指出增加移民可以解决这些问题。许多移民愿意承担本国人不能或不愿做的事。由此可知，“the domestic population”是指相对移民而言的本国人。故选A项。

　　12．The main idea of the last paragraph is ________.

　　A．the advantages of increased migration

　　B．the problem of declining and aging population

　　C．how to increase migration

　　D．some ways to enrich a country's culture

　　解析：选A　段落大意题。最后一段的中心句是该段第一句。由该句和下文可知，本段主要说明了增加移民的好处。故选A项。

　　Module 1 Life in the Future

　　阅读理解提速练——练速度

　　(限时：20分钟)

　　A

　　(2024·九江市高三二模)Robots performing tasks according to a predetermined set of instructions are nothing new.But robots able to learn how to cook by watching videos are a completely different approach, which is conducted by a group of researchers at the University of Maryland.

　　If you have posted a video of your favorite recipe on the popular website YouTube, chances are that it will be used by a robot.University of Maryland's professor Yiannis Aloimonos, leader of the group, said “There exists a large amount of video information on the Internet that our robots can capitalize_on.”

　　“At present, the videos are fed electronically，”said research scientist Cornelia Fermuller.“Originally, we took our own videos, our cameras looking at us doing the cooking，”she explained.“And, as the robot advances, it reacts to good quality videos.And it will react to even lower quality homemade videos.”

　　So far, the robot named Julia can make a simple salad by breaking each task into basic parts, such as grasping a spoon, bringing it to the bowl, stirring the salad and observing the results.

　　But why teach a robot how to understand a video when it can easily follow a fixed program？Aloimonos believes predetermined instructions lack flexibility.He thinks one of the problems is how to make the robot understand and use what it learns during a certain task, the so-called feedback (反馈意见); another is the introduction of language.

　　“I believe it will take quite some time before the robots are able to understand metaphorical (比喻性的) language，”he added.“But，” he said，“we don't need that to create a new world where the robots will be working for us.”

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇科普说明文。机器人按既定指令完成任务并不让人觉得新鲜，但能看着视频学做饭的机器人，你可能前所未闻。1．The underlined phrase “capitalize on” in Paragraph 2 probably can be replaced by ________.

　　A．take hold ofB．make use of

　　C．keep track of

　　D．catch sight of

　　解析：选B　词义猜测题。由第二段的第一句“If you have posted ...used by a robot.”可知，机器人能利用网上大量的视频信息。结合第二段的最后一句可知，capitalize on应与“make use of”意思相近，因此选择B项。

　　2．Aloimonos probably agrees that at present the robot ________.

　　A．can not fully digest what it learns

　　B．can not make a simple salad

　　C．can follow home-made videos

　　D．can understand metaphorical language

　　解析：选A　推理判断题。根据最后一段Aloimonos的话可知，该机器人目前还不能理解比喻性的语言。根据倒数第二段的最后一句可推知，Aloimonos可能认为目前该机器人还不能完全消化它学的东西，应选择A项。

　　3．Robots are taught to understand a video mainly because ________.

　　A．they can easily follow fixed programs

　　B．they are smart enough to learn cooking

　　C．cooking videos are more interesting to watch

　　D．predetermined instructions are not flexible

　　解析：选D　细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的前两句可知，教机器人理解视频是因为预定指令不够灵活，应选择D项。

　　4．Which of the following might best serve as the title of the passage?

　　A．Robots Creating a New World

　　B．Robots Making Cooking Videos

　　C．Robots Learning to Cook by Watching Videos

　　D．Robots Performing Tasks by Following Instructions

　　解析：选C　标题归纳题。文章主要介绍了通过观看视频学做饭的机器人，因此C项是最佳标题。

　　B

　　(2024·银川一中高三年级第三次月考)

　　Life in 2060

　　Let us suppose it is now about A．D. 2060. Let's make believe (假装；虚构) it is about 45 years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.

　　Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment of young and old.

　　What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven't yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.

　　Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet's surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.

　　Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.

　　People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.

　　Such would be our life in 2060.

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。2060年我们的生活会是什么样子，作者为我们描绘出了一番景象。

　　5．When was the passage written?

　　A．In about A．D. 2060.

　　B．In about 1960.

　　C．In about 2024.

　　D．In about 2024.

　　解析：选D　推理判断题。根据第一段的前两句可知，2060年在45年之后，因此写文章的年份大约是2024年。故选D。

　　6．According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A．D. 2060?

　　A．Many other animals.

　　B．Many tourists.

　　C．Many plants.

　　D．A sea.

　　解析：选B　推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知，去月球旅游成为了常态，每天都有游客去月球旅游。故选B。

　　7．What will people eat then according to the passage?

　　A．Biscuits in pill form. B．Foods in pill form.

　　C．Foods in water form.

　　D．Foods in gas form.

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句可知，到那时很多食物都是以药片的形式出现的。故选B。

　　8．The passage tells us that in 2060, ________ on the earth than now.

　　A．the crops are getting better

　　B．there are more pests

　　C．there are fewer people

　　D．there is less water

　　解析：选A　细节理解题。根据第四段的后两句可知，庄稼不再遭受害虫的侵袭，每年都是大丰收。故选A。

　　C

　　(2024·银川质量检测)Many of the world's countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth (ZPG). Nearly all such lands are economically well developed. They include much of Europe (including Russia), the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. As the rate of natural increase (RNI) declines, two things happen. First, the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration. Second, a country's population ages because there are fewer births.

　　Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a country's population begins to drop? Many people, after all, believe that population decline is a good thing. But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree?

　　An aging population can create many problems. Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention. Rather than paying into retirement programs, they begin to draw from their pensions. In the US, the Social Security program, according to many experts, will be used up by 2024. It will pay out more money than it takes in. Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or able to do them. Many of these jobs are entry-level positions that pay low wages. With an aging population, who will fill them? At the other extreme, some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills. Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce?

　　The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple: increased migration. Today many people, particularly those from less developed countries, are migrating in search of employment. Many are willing to take jobs that cannot (or will not) be filled by the_domestic_population. Others are well educated and highly skilled. Both groups contribute to a country's economy progress in many ways. Further, they add to the richness of a country's culture. Of greatest importance, perhaps, is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands. As you can see, for many countries and for most immigrants, migration is a win-win situation.

　　语篇解读：本文是一篇议论文。许多发达国家正在或即将经历人口零增长，这是利还是弊？作者认为，人口零增长会导致人口老龄化，从而导致劳动力不足，加大社会福利负担，不利于国家的经济发展。所以增加移民是解决这个问题的办法，因为增加移民既能解决劳动力不足的问题，又能引进人才，丰富文化，带动经济发展。

　　9．In the writer's view, which of the following statements is TRUE?

　　A．Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good.

　　B．Achieving ZPG is every country's aim in spite of its side effects.

　　C．Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens.

　　D．Achieving ZPG is good for employment.

　　解析：选A　推理判断题。第三段作者认为：人口零增长会导致人口老龄化，从而导致劳动力不足，加大社会福利负担，不利于国家的经济发展。由此可知，作者认为人口零增长有一些不利之处。故A项正确。

　　10．According to the passage, the best way to solve the problem of declining and aging population is ________.

　　A．to improve the health care system

　　B．to increase RNI

　　C．to increase employment

　　D．to increase migration

　　解析：选D　细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句“The answer to ... increased migration.”可知，作者认为解决人口减少和人口老龄化的方法是增加移民。故选D项。

　　11．The underlined words “the domestic population” can be replaced by ________.

　　A．people within the country

　　B．people from developing countries

　　C．people without a college education

　　D．people living abroad

　　解析：选A　词义猜测题。根据第三段最后五句“Additionally, a great number of jobs ... as retirees leave the workforce？”可知，人口老龄化会导致社会劳动力不足，这些职位将由谁来担任？第四段作者指出增加移民可以解决这些问题。许多移民愿意承担本国人不能或不愿做的事。由此可知，“the domestic population”是指相对移民而言的本国人。故选A项。

　　12．The main idea of the last paragraph is ________.

　　A．the advantages of increased migration

　　B．the problem of declining and aging population

　　C．how to increase migration

　　D．some ways to enrich a country's culture

　　解析：选A　段落大意题。最后一段的中心句是该段第一句。由该句和下文可知，本段主要说明了增加移民的好处。故选A项。