My Uncle Dave posed an interesting question to my wife and me when he came to visit us the other day. He asked: “What do you think the world will be like in 50 or 100 years, in terms of technology and society and so on?”

He says he asks many of the people he meets this question to see what their thoughts are. His point is that no one really knows. I mean, in 1945, could people have even imagined surfing the net or sending e-mails as we do? No way. And the pace of technological innovation(创新) is incredible (难以置信的). We’re on a more different curve than we used to be.

One thing I’m looking forward to is real software agents. There is so much information out there, but I want something that can help me find what I really want. For instance, in about ten years, I think, there will be no longer recorded music, and there will be some big databases from which you can download music onto your hard drive or whatever. At that point, there will be so much music to choose from and you’ll be able to sample things before you buy them. But the question will be how I find what I’m looking for and how I do find the music that might interest me. Or more generally, how do I find information that I want without spending all the time myself surfing the net? How do I find people who are like-minded (具有相似目的), with whom I might really want to communicate? I want to find those people but it’s hard to do. In the future I think that one will be able to build a community of like-minded people who live all over the globe. It’s going to be very interesting, I think.

1.No one really knows what the future will be like because _____.

2.The function of the first paragraph is to _____.

3.The writer is looking forward to some real software agents so as to _____.

4.The best title of this passage should be _____.

Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.
You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.
Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.
【小题1】In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to      .

Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.

As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.

When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.

I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.

You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.

Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.

Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?

Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.

Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.

I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.

1.In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to      .

A．introduce a topic                       B．present his own idea

C．describe a scene                        D．offer an argument

2.Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because       .

A．they haven’t had any life-changing experiences

B．they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff

C．they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away

D．they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them

3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?                          

A．It takes the burden off her while she is moving.

B．It reduces her attachment to her personal things.

C．It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires.

D．It helps her to realize how true life is.

4.By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means       

A．little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life

B．minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations

C．minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality

D．life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value

5.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Minimalism brings happiness.

B．Minimalism is applied in many fields.

C．Minimalism makes people think nostalgically.

D．Minimalism is about able to move.

Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.

As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.

When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.

I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.

You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.

Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.

Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?

Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.

Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.

I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.

66. In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to　　 .

A. introduce a topic　　　 　　　　　　 　　 B. present his own idea

C. describe a scene　　　 　　　　　　　 D. offer an argument

67. Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because 　　　.

A. they haven’t had any life-changing experiences

B. they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff

C. they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away

D. they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them

68. Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?

A. It takes the burden off her while she is moving.

B. It reduces her attachment to her personal things.

C. It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires.

D. It helps her to realize how true life is.

69. By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means 　　　

A. little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life

B. minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations

C. minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality

D. life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value

70. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Minimalism brings happiness.　　

B. Minimalism is applied in many fields.

C. Minimalism makes people think nostalgically.

D. Minimalism is about able to move.

下面是美国长大的台湾人气歌手Wang Lee Hom在接受CNN Talk Asia栏目专访时，回答了主持人Lorraine Hahn提出的五个问题。请从下列提问（A、 B、C、D、E和F）中选出符合各小题要求的最佳选项。

A. What do awards mean to you?

B. How would you describe your style?

C. What is it about acting that’s so attractive?

D. How do you deal with this loss of privacy?

E. How do you divide your time in acting and music?

F. What gave you the idea to start the studios in the first place?

Born in New York in 1976, Wang grew up in the United States. Blessed with a mix of brains and talent, he spent his youth performing in local musicals. While in university, Wang landed a recording contract in Taiwan. His breakthrough album firmly established him as a rising star in the Asian music scene. In addition to writing and producing his own music, Wang has also taken part in movie projects around Asia. He has won a great popularity, and now he is having an interview with CNN Talk Asia.

1. _______

WL: It is a school of hip hop, which is the way I like to think of it. It combines Chinese elements and sounds. I started it off in my last album called Shangri-La. And this album combines the music of ethnic minorities, in China, in Tibet, and in Mongolia. It’s beautiful and original to Chinese culture. And this new album called Heroes of Earth combines Opera and Quench, which are thousand-year-old traditions also unique to Chinese culture. Very unique instruments, costumes, singing styles. I don’t think anyone has ever done this before in the hip hop world.

2._______

WL: Um, just the large quantity of work that I have to come up with. I produce for other artists and compose for them as well. And there are a lot of changes in music going on right now in Asia. And it’s really exciting so I decided that I’m going to need a studio in New York. I’m going to need a studio in Taipei. And maybe the rest I can get by with just my laptop.

3._______

WL: Well, I started doing musical theatre. And I loved it so much from the age of 13, you know. Actually in 2000, I did my first movie and ever since then I’ve been enjoying doing movies. I don’t think I’m much of an actor. But I just love being surrounded by creative people and a lot of times doing music is a lonely struggle, especially composing, and arranging, producing my own albums. Acting, every day you get called and you’re surrounded by other actors and creative people.

4._______

WL: The first time I won, like you just said, when I was 22, it meant a lot to me. It was like…I didn’t know I could make this happen. I didn’t know I could get this kind of recognition. So back then, it was huge increase of confidence. And I don’t want to say vanity (虚荣心), but confidence. I think every artist needs confidence.

5._______

WL: Well, it can be a real pain in the neck. You know, I feel lucky that I can go back to New York and not be recognized and not be followed. At times it can be really, really annoying. Today many people own a cell phone that has a camera on it… and a blog. In the entertainment news, there’s a recent trend of journalists or media just going on to the Internet and saying “Oh, so and so saw so and so.” when they see a blog. You know, it’s completely irresponsible but in the blog what he says can become the title of the newspaper article.