Today, the world is rapidly urbanizing. With half of the world population expected to live in cities by the early part of the 21^st century, the Shanghai 2010 World Expo’s focus on a better city bears profound meaning.

   What might future cities look like 28 years from now? Here are some scenarios: things to come, things to go.

   Zero waste

   Waste disposal is one of the biggest headaches for cities. Apart from recyclable waste, everything is buried or incinerated（焚烧）, only to pollute the environment. Plastic waste remains underground for several decades. The world produces much more garbage than it can dispose of.

   Now at the Expo, all waste is delivered to a compression station where the waste is sorted, filtered, decontaminated, deodorized and compressed before finally being disposed of at designated spots. In Beijing, people living in the Asuwei area turn their household waste into organic fertilizers which are used to grow plants at residence communities.

   No more transportation problems during Spring Festival

   The Spring Festival, the most important Chinese holiday when everyone returns home, has caused headaches for millions of Chinese. More than 2 billion people travel at the same time, making obtaining travel tickets and the journey difficult.

   But in 28 years, Spring Festival travel may not be a problem at all. China plans to have more than 120,000 kilometers of railway and a rapid transportation network that will serve 90 percent of the population by 2020. And because most of China will be cities, people will not have to go to other places to find a job, so migration will no longer be so large-scale.

   Newspapers to disappear

   American scholar Philip Meyer predicts that newspaper will come to an end in 2043. Utagawa Reizou, former editor-in-chief of The Mainichi Daily News, believes that the newspaper will be gone in 2030.

   This kind of prediction may worry those in print news business. In the U . K. , the circulations of national newspapers are declining. Major Japanese newspapers have gone into debt. In the U. S. ,declining circulations and ad revenues have forced several newspapers to stop printing paper editions.

   Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch thinks the future of media relies on interaction through the Internet. In the future, digital newspapers will be sent to portal web terminals through wirelessly. Readers can discuss issues with journalists and editors. Information will move faster.

   Oil to run out

   In August 2009, Fatih Birol, chief economist of the International Energy Agency, said that oil is running out faster than expected and that the world will likely feel the tightness in supply in the next five years.

   Scientists have found substitutes for oil as fuel. Coal, natural gas, soar power, nuclear power and even water can replace oil as sources of energy. Flammable ice reserves alone can support humans for the next 1,000 years.

61. By now, the world population in cities has grow to about _________.

   A. 6.9 billion         B. 0.75 billion         C. 3.5 billion          D. 1.3 billion

62. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

   A. Everything buried or incinerated, besides recyclable waste, pollutes the environment.

B. People deal with their household waste in an environmentally-friendly way in the Asuwei area, Beijing.

C. More than 2 billion people suffer from headaches during the Spring Festival in China.

D. By 2020, 90 percent of the population will have to go to other places to find a job.

63. According to the American predictor Philip Meyer, what will happen in 2043?

   A. Newspaper will disappear.

B. Japan has to stop printing newspapers.

C. Digital newspaper will be sent to portal web terminals.

D. Information will move faster.

64. _________ can replace oil as sources of energy in the future.

   A. Coal and natural gas                  B. Solar power and nuclear power

C. Water and flammable ice reserves       D. All the above

65. Which of the following can be best title for the passage?

   A. The Shanghai 2010 World Expo

B. What will city life be like in 28 years

C. A rapid urbanizing world

D. Things to come, things to go

 (Four students are talking about the future after class.)

Deng Yu: In 2050 , China will be richer than it is now. Beijing will be getting ready for the 40th Olympic Games in 2052. We will see the blue and clear sky and smell the fresh air . There will be more pandas living happily in China.

Liu Yuan : A holiday to the moon will no longer be a dream. We can also travel far to other planets and talk with spacemen . We might also eat something like pills instead of today’s meals . Everyone will enjoy a longer life.

Sun Wei : Robots will be very popular . They will do what people don’t want to do . We’ll build new homes on other planets. By then , I’ll be sixty years  old.

Zhang Lan: By the year of 2050,cloning will have been used in many ways .It will bring back animals which disappeared many years ago. There will be no pollution. The whole world will be one big family. There will be no wars. As time passed, we’ll live a much easier and better life.

45. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. China will be richer than it is now

B . Shanghai will be getting ready for the 40th Olympic Games.

C. We will see the blue and clear sky and smell the fresh air.

D. More pandas will live happily in China. 

46. ______ thinks that people can spend their holidays on the moon in the future.

A. Deng Yu    B. Zhang Lan     C. Sun Wei    D. Liu Yuan

47. Zhang Lan thinks ______in the future.

A. people will live in a world without wars

B. robots will do everything for people

C. people can talk with spacemen

D. 2050 will be the year of China

48. What is the dialogue mainly about ?

A. The 40th Olympic Games .    B. How to spend our holiday.

C. The future                 D. Cloning