Question

In the future your automobile will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!

For each prediction that has come true today, several others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or whether people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.

Robot Helpers

Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other manufacturing environments.

Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.

So why hasn’t it happened? Probably because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And maybe the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too weird. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.

Telephones of Tomorrow

In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet.

Why? The technology worked fine, but it over-looked something obvious: people’s desire for privacy. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just step out of the shower? Probably not—it could be embarrassing! Just because a technology available doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.

And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy anymore! But a flying car remains one of the most fascinating technology ideas to capture our imagination. Keep watching the news, or perhaps the sky outside your window, to see what the future will bring.

1.The whole passage is mainly about　　　.

A. predictions that have come true

B. predictions that haven’t come true

C. why predictions don’t come true easily

D. what technology will bring about

2. The author of this passage won’t believe that　　　.

A. predictions needn’t consider people’s practical use of technology

B. the future isn’t always easy to guess

C. not all past predictions have come true

D. many of the high-tech things our parents thought we’d be using by now simply never appeared

3.The underlined word “weird” in Para. 5 probably means　　　.

A. wonderful　　　　　　　　B. stupid

C. practicalD. strange

4.What does the author think of the flying car?

A. It is too difficult to imagine.

B. It is too crazy an idea.

C. It is likely to be made.

D. It is often reported in the news.

 

Answer 1

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】

【文章大意】人们总是预测未来, 那么他们的预测一定会实现吗? 作者列举了很久以前人们对未来的预测的例子来证明并不是所有的预测都能完全实现。

1.选B。主旨大意题。作者列举了很久以前人们对未来的预测的例子来证明并不是所有的预测都能完全实现。故选B项。

2.2】选A。推理判断题。根据第二段中的Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or whether people really needed it in their lives or not. 可知作者认为很多的预测之所以不能实现是因为它们不考虑人们在生活中是否真的需要这种科技, 故A项是作者不赞成的。

3.3】选D。词义猜测题。根据上文知道机器人太昂贵、太笨拙, 所以机器人帮人们洗衣做饭的想法现在看来仍是不可思议的事情, 故选D项。

4.4】选C。细节理解题。根据最后一段中的It’s not so crazy anymore! 可知会飞的汽车的想法有可能会实现。故选C项。