21世纪大学英语读写基础教程 Unit10

Unit 10

Test A

What will our future be like? What might happen in the year 2144? How far can your imagination take you into the future? Let's see what a newspaper in New Zealand tells us.

The Future

Will the future be one of robots and spaceships, or meditation¹ and organic food? Today and next Wednesday The Post steps into the future, and asks the experts what they think the world of tomorrow will be like.
Imagine you are holding the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post. It won't be made of paper, but a thin screen that can be folded up and put in your pocket or bag. You'll use the same screen tomorrow, when the day's news will be beamed to its tiny modem² via satellite.
The modem will chatter³ away all day, updating stories from around the world as they happen, complete with moving pictures and sound. A retina scanner will follow your eye, scrolling⁵ each page as you get near the bottom. The paper's computer will record which stories interest you most and design a custom menu every time you switch it on.
Let's see what's happening today. Again, the big local story is the disappearing apartment blocks at Happy Valley. Built over an old landfill, this expensive new development is slowly sinking into the ground. Engineers suspect plastic milk bottles dumped with their caps screwed on in the late-20th century are bursting under the weight of the buildings. "People back then," says Wellington's Mayor in a live interview, "were pretty stupid."
Overseas a power failure at a cryo-prison in Alabama during the holiday weekend saw 50,000 inmates⁷ thawed⁹ prematurely¹⁰, and in Bangladesh monsoon¹¹ floods have wiped out hundreds of villages. Some things don't change.
In reality, we can't predict what the pages of this newspaper will contain 144 years from now because we can't predict the future. But in two weeks we will arrive in the new millennium¹², a date long held up as the future, but which will soon represent a new beginning.
Thirty years ago it was expected that by 2000 commuters would fly to work on highways in the sky, that robots with pinnies would do the vacuuming, that humans would have colonised our near planets and the moon.
Our cars are still stuck firmly on the ground, although even the most basic family runabout has a powerful electronic brain which tells it how much fuel to use and figures out in milliseconds how to save the occupants in a crash.
We still do the vacuuming ourselves, although our ovens tell us when food is ready. We can download whole libraries through our home computers and view snaps of friends on the other side of the world seconds after they are taken.
We have yet to live anywhere other than Earth, although missions into space have allowed us to develop new medicines, information chips and superconductors to make life better down here.
Who would have believed we'd be altering the genetic¹³ make-up of animals so they can grow replacement¹⁴ organs for us? Who'd have believed the drink machine in the foyer dials for supplies when it senses it's getting low?
At the dawn of the new millennium the future seems to be coming at us at a frightening pace, with the world seeming to change almost weekly.
What then, will it be like in 100 years? 500? 1000? Will it be a technological¹⁵ future with space hotels, rocket cars, genetically¹⁶ engineered people and automated¹⁸ homes? Or will it be an organic future with a new emphasis on spirituality and nature?
Will humankind still be blighted²⁰ by war? Will we be able to cure cancer? Will we still get married? What sort of world will our children inherit?
Over the past few months The Post has been asking experts in their fields to take an educated, but fanciful, guess. None claims to be able to tell the future, but by tracking current trends they can give us an idea of what to expect in the world of tomorrow.
You won't be around to read the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post, but this is the next best thing.
Welcome to the future.
(666 words)

New Words

robot
n. an automatic machine that can perform the actions of a person 机器人

spaceship
n. a vehicle used for travelling in space 航天器；宇宙飞船

organic
a. 1. not using artificial chemicals in the production of plants and animals for food 施有机肥料的
2. of, found in, or formed by living things 生物体的；有机体的

expert
n. a person with special knowledge, skill or training in a particular field 专家；能手

edition
n. one printing of a book, newspaper, etc. （书、报等的）版次

fold
vt. bend (sth.) so that one part is over another 折叠

beam
vt. transmit (a signal) in a particular direction 定向发射（无线电信号等）

modem
n. （计算机）调制解调器

via
prep.through 通过

* update
vt. make (sth.) more modern or up-to-date 更新

retina
n. 视网膜

scanner
n. 扫描器

scroll⁴
vt. (on a computer display) move a cursor smoothly²¹, causing new data to replace old on the monitor （象展开卷轴般）将文字显示于屏幕

design
vt. plan or arrange so as to make sure that sth. fulfils your purpose 设计

custom
a. made specially²² for individual customers 定制的；定做的

switch
vt. turn (an electrical device) on or off 用开关把（电器）开启（或关掉）

disappear
vi. cease to be seen 消失；不见

apartment
n. a set of rooms on one floor of a building 公寓；单元房

valley
n. a stretch of land between hills or mountains 谷，山谷

landfill
n. an area built up from deposits of solid garbage 用垃圾填筑而成的地面

suspect
vt. believe without certain proof; guess 推测，猜想；认为

dump
vt. throw away (garbage, rubbish, etc.) in a heap or a place set apart for the purpose 倾倒（垃圾等）

screw
v. fasten (sth.) by turning or twisting 拧紧

mayor
n. the chief executive of a city or a town 市长

overseas
ad. across the sea; abroad 到海外；在国外

cryo-prison
n. 冰冻监狱

inmate⁶
n. any of a number of people living together in an institution, esp. a prison （尤指监狱中的）被收容者

thaw⁸
vi. change from a frozen to a liquid state 融化；化冻

* prematurely
ad. before the proper or usual time; too early 比（正常）时间提早地；过早地

monsoon
n. 季风

contain
vt. have or hold within itself 包含，容纳

millennium
n. a period of 1000 years 一千年

highway
n. a main public road 公路；交通要道

pinny
n. 围裙

vacuum
vi. clean with a vacuum cleaner 用吸尘器打扫

colonise
vt. make into a colony 在…开拓殖民地

firmly
ad. in a firm way 牢固地；稳固地；坚定地

runabout
n. 敞蓬小轿车

electronic
a. 电子的

millisecond
n. 毫秒

occupant
n. a person who occupies a car, house, etc. 占用者，居住者

crash
n. an accident in which a vehicle hits sth., usu causing damage, and often injury or death （车辆等）碰撞；撞毁

oven
n. 烤箱

download
vt. transfer (a program, data, etc.) from a larger computer system to a smaller computer 下载（计算机程序、资料等）

snap
n. short for snapshot （口）快照，简照

chip
n. 集成电路片；微（型）电路

superconductor
n. 超导体

alter
v. become or make different; change （使）改变；变更

* genetic
a. 基因的

makeup²³
n. combination of things, people, etc. that form sth.; composition of sth. （事物、人等的）组合；构成

replacement
n. 1. the act of replacing 代替；替换
2. a person or thing that takes the place of another 接替者；替换物

organ
n. a part of an animal body or plant serving a particular purpose 器官

foyer
n. an entrance hall or large open space in a theatre, hotel, etc., where people can meet or talk （剧场、旅馆等的）门厅，休息厅

pace
n. rate of progress or development （进步或发展的）速度；节奏

weekly
ad. once a week or every week 每星期；每周一次

technological
a. 技术的

rocket
n. 火箭；火箭发动机

genetically
ad. 因基因决定地

engineer
vt. 设计；建造

automate¹⁷
vt. cause (sth.) to work automatically 使自动化

emphasis
n. stress 强调

spirituality
n. 精神性；灵性

humankind
n. 人类

blight¹⁹
vt. spoil or ruin 损害

cancer
n. 癌症

inherit
vt. receive (property, a title, etc.) as a result of the death of the previous owner or be born with (a physical or mental quality) that a parent, grandparent or other relative has 继承

fanciful
a. showing imagination rather than reason and experience 幻想的；想像的

track
vt. follow the course or movements of 跟踪；追踪

current
a. of the present time; happening now 现时的，当前的

trend
n. the way or direction things tend to go 趋势；动向

Phrases and Expressions

step into
enter 走进，进入

fold up
make smaller in size by folding 折叠

chatter away
clatter²⁴ continuously from vibration²⁵ （机器）不停地咯咯作响

switch on
turn on 打开（电灯、收音机等）

screw on
旋，拧；旋牢

wipe out
destroy completely 彻底摧毁；消灭

hold sb./sth. up
show sb./sth. as an example 举某人（某事物）作为范例

other than
except 除…之外

come at
move towards in a threatening manner 冲向

Proper Names

New Zealand
新西兰（太平洋南部岛国）

Wellington
惠林顿（新西兰首都）

Alabama
亚拉巴马州（美国州名）

Bangladesh
孟加拉国（国名）

1 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

2 modem   

n.调制解调器

参考例句：

• Does your computer have a modem?你的电脑有调制解调器吗？
• Provides a connection to your computer via a modem.通过调制解调器连接到计算机上。

3 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

4 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

5 scrolling   

n.卷[滚]动法，上下换行v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的现在分词 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕

参考例句：

• Another important detail required by auto-scrolling is a time delay. 自动滚屏需要的另一个重要细节是时间延迟。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• In 2D visualization and drawing applications, vertical and horizontal scrolling are common. 在二维的可视化及绘图应用中，垂直和水平滚动非常普遍。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

7 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

9 thawed   

解冻

参考例句：

• The little girl's smile thawed the angry old man. 小姑娘的微笑使发怒的老头缓和下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He thawed after sitting at a fire for a while. 在火堆旁坐了一会儿，他觉得暖和起来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

11 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

12 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

13 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

14 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

15 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

16 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

17 automate   

v.自动化；使自动化

参考例句：

• Many banks have begun to automate.许多银行已开始采用自动化技术。
• To automate the control process of the lathes has become very easy today.使机床的控制过程自动化现已变得很容易了。

18 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

19 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

20 blighted   

adj.枯萎的，摧毁的

参考例句：

• Blighted stems often canker.有病的茎往往溃烂。
• She threw away a blighted rose.她把枯萎的玫瑰花扔掉了。

21 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

22 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

23 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

24 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

25 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。