Unit 4 A glimpse of the future

Section Ⅰ Starting out & Understanding ideas

基础训练

单词拼写 根据首字母或汉语提示，用本部分所学单词的正确形式填空。

1.As we all know， he has a great c for learning languages.

2.It is i to burst into others’ rooms without asking for their permission.

3.She’s p our best player， but she needs to practice much harder.

4.We should develop the students’ ability to a and solve problems.

5.It is （违法的） to sell this kind of product to customers.

6.Frightened （受害者） can rarely make correct identification.

7.The treatment does not involve the use of any （人工的） drugs.

8.Shop （助理） should try their best to give the customers satisfaction.

选择填空 用方框中所给短语的适当形式填空。

happen to agree on be susceptible to lie in hang out

1. Lisa’s fault might her style of presenting the information.

2. Some of these plants frost damage.

3. I used in supermarkets with my family.

4. If you be going to the post office， please get me some stamps.

5. They failed a time for Friday’s meeting.

课文语法填空

According to Millenniumbutterfly， thanks to AI， he has got his own super-smart personal assistant 1 （build） into his phone. And speaking 2 hanging out， he’s hoping that self-driving cars are available soon. He does think that developments in AI will on the whole make doing day-to-day things a lot 3 （easy）.

In Popkid’s opinion， the technology we’re using today is a basic form of AI which can’t think 4 （independent） without programming. Of course， it could be very useful to have a more advanced form of AI—a truly independent form of artificial intelligence， capable of exercising its own 5 （judge）. But there are many risks. Nearly every job is potentially at risk in 6 long run. The truth is 7 none of us is prepared for the challenges of AI.

As far as Pink_haze is concerned， machine learning is something we have come to accept as a part of our modern world. But while super-intelligent AI could be the biggest leap forward in human history， if it 8 （go） wrong or falls into the wrong 9 （hand）， it could also be the most dangerous. However， AI is not going to go away. We have no choice but 10 （embrace） it and regulate it.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

阅读理解

Jason Allen， a video game designer in Pueblo， Colorado， spent about 80 hours working on his entry to the Colorado State Fair’s digital arts competition. Judges awarded him first place， which came with a $300 prize.

Allen’s victory took a turn when he revealed （透露） online that he’d created his prize-winning art using Midjourney， an artificial intelligence （AI） program that can turn text descriptions into images. He says he also made that clear to state fair officials when he dropped off his submission called Theatre d’Opera Spatial.

The fair’s submission guidelines do not directly mention AI-generated art， but they define （定义） digital arts as “artistic practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process”. The competition’s two judges say they were unaware that Allen had used AI to create his piece. But even if they had known， they still would’ve given him first place. They said they awarded the top prize based on the story Theatre d’Opera Spatial tells， as well as the spirit it inspires.

Allen created Theatre d’Opera Spatial by entering various words and phrases into Midjourney， which then produced more than 900 versions for him to choose from. He selected his three favorites， then continued adjusting them in Photoshop until he was satisfied. He boosted their resolution （分辨率） using a tool called Gigapixel and printed the works on canvas. He entered all three pieces into the competition， and one of them won.

Allen says he believes the criticism of his work originates from artists’ fear that technology will one day become so advanced that they’ll be out of jobs. In the meantime， as state fair spokesperson Olga Robak says， it’s bringing out “a broader conversation about how we decide what art is， and how we judge it appropriately”.

1. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. Taking a turn. B. Revealing the truth online.

C. Turning text descriptions into images. D. Applying an AI program to the creation.

2. Why did the judges award Allen first place？

A. He followed guidelines for AI-generated art.

B. They were aware of the use of AI in his piece.

C. They are impressed with the ideas his work presents.

D. He is a pioneer of using digital technology in creation.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about？

A. How Allen created his works. B. What technologies Allen used.

C. Why Allen chose to employ Midjourney. D. Where the advantage of Allen’s works lay.

4. What can we learn about Allen’s victory according to the last paragraph？

A. It costs some artists their jobs. B. It helps improve AI technology.

C. It ensures fairness in arts competitions. D. It generates a discussion on defining art.

阅读七选五

The jobs of the future have not yet been invented. 1 By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

1. Curiosity

Your children need to be deeply curious. 2 Ask kids， “What ingredients （配料） can we add to make these pancakes even better next time？” and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better？ What could we try next time？

2. Creativity

True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new. 3 There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

3. Interpersonal skills

Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what’s going on inside our own head， but what about others？ Being able to read people helps prevent kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. 4 “Why do you think she’s crying？” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face？” “If someone were to do that to you， how would you feel？”

4. Self expression

5 There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas—music， acting， drawing， building， photography， etc. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A. Encourage kids to cook with you.

B. And we can’t forget science education.

C. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs？

D. We can give kids chances to think in new ways.

E. We can ask questions about characters in stories.

F. It is a good activity to help kids develop the skill.

G. Communicating ideas in a meaningful way is a skill.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Section Ⅱ Using language

基础训练

单句语法填空 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

1.A great many college students （be） sent to a poor area to help the children there last week.

2.He looks healthier in contrast his former self.

3.People provide food and clothes the sufferers.

4.The researchers said some adults （assess） as having learning difficulties.

5.Linda （cite） a saying in her writing in the exam last week.

6.Jackson is a lawyer who has many famous （client）.

7.I always keep my cell phone my reach in order to answer it quickly.

8.So long as we hold fast to our ideals， we are bound （achieve） success.

单元语法填空 阅读下面短文，根据上下文语境，结合本单元所学语法知识完成短文。

Our school library， along with many other buildings， is very different from other schools’. There 1 （be） two computer rooms， three art rooms， a meeting room and a reading room in the library building. The number of the books 2 （be） large， and it is said that all the books cost our school 200，000 dollars. Maybe 200，000 dollars 3 （be） large to every student. The number of the students who 4 （have） a thirst for knowledge is increasing day by day.

Nowadays， our library has developed into a multifunctional building. There are 50 computers in it. Many a student 5 （like） to surf the Internet at weekends here， and now you can see that my classmates， Mike and John， 6 （play） computer games there. When you turn to another room， you will find that a professor and writer 7 （deliver） a speech. Each boy and each girl 8 （focus） on his interesting speech. Every time there is a wonderful speech， the audience always cheer up. You are entering our art exhibition. A teacher with his students 9 （be） in the room. On the wall 10 （be） 100 pictures， which attract many students.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6.   7. 8. 9. 10.

完形填空

I log onto a computer at the doctor’s office to say I have arrived. Then I 1 until a voice calls me into the examination room. There， a robotic nurse 2 me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later， the 3 ， who is also a robot， comes. He notes down my 4 and gives me a prescription （处方）. I pay for my visit using a credit card and return home without having 5 another human being. This is my 6 vision of the future， which hasn’t happened at least yet.

I should say I really do like many aspects of 7 . I am a big fan of air conditioning in summer and heaters in winter. But I am 8 this because I don’t want machines to 9 .

When I call my dentist’s office and actually get a human being on the line， I am 10 . But when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store， I feel like 11 ， “When it comes to cashiers， make mine a human， please！”

12 ， human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon （优惠券） for items you are 13 .

Even more than that， real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children， which can 14 young mothers’ day. A cashier may also show pity on an elderly person 15 to get that last penny out of his purse.

Machines can be 16 and cost-effective and they often get the 17 done just fine. But they lack an element so 18 to everyday life.

Call it the spirit， the soul or the 19 . It is something no machine will ever have. It is human beings that 20 us to smile at others， which may be what they need at that moment.

1. A. eat B. work C. rest D. wait

2. A. follows B. directs C. lifts D. pulls

3. A. teacher B. nurse C. doctor D. cleaner

4. A. signal B. condition C. words D. questions

5. A. guided B. helped C. met D. called

6. A. terrible B. wonderful C. relaxing D. adventurous

7. A. economy B. agriculture C. literature D. technology

8. A. writing B. doing C. proving D. hating

9. A. cut in B. pass by C. take over D. go away

10. A. amazed B. thrilled C. discouraged D. annoyed

11. A. talking B. laughing C. shouting D. whispering

12. A. After all B. So far C. At first D. For example

13. A. desiring B. using C. forgetting D. buying

14. A. brighten B. seize C. influence D. destroy

15. A. turning B. happening C. planning D. struggling

16. A. urgent B. efficient C. frequent D. consistent

17. A. challenge B. exercise C. job D. test

18. A. different B. important C. enjoyable D. convenient

19. A. arm B. hand C. head D. heart

20. A. encourage B. force C. promise D. allow

语法填空

Can you imagine what the future will be like？ Some companies are looking to produce flying vehicles. That is 1 （amaze）. If we have our own personal flying cars， we would fly at 480 kilometers per hour， 2 （avoid） busy roads. However， it seems that there is a long way to go before they get off the ground！ One of the problems 3 （point） out by some people is what 4 （happen） if the flying cars break down.

Others are trying to build a 5 （practice） suit “exoskeleton”， a suit of robot arms and legs which follows your movements. It will allow the wearer 6 （lift） heavy objects and walk a long way！ It is useful in many ways， especially for people with 7 （disable）. This suit might help people to walk again 8 disease and injury. But the disadvantage at the moment is battery life. 9 suit like this needs a lot of power but batteries only last about 15 minutes at the moment.

So in the future， whether we may fly to work 10 lift heavy objects， there are plenty of problems to solve before this is possible.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

短文改错

As far as I’m concerning， houses in the future will be likely to be built with environment-friendly materials. The materials are wonderful， that can not only produce electricity by taking in air and sunshine， and also keep the houses warm in winter and cool in summer. Besides， if there is an accident happen in the house， the host will receive an alarm call immediate. Most importantly， once some disaster such as earthquakes or storms happened， the house will fly away. In word， with the development of science and technology， I believe my dream will be come true. And the houses in the future will become more comfortable to live with.

Section Ⅲ Developing ideas

基础训练

单词填空 用所给词的适当形式填空。

1.The doctors made one last attempt to save the boy’s life and desired to drive him from . （desperate）

2.If the product you buy is ， please contact the after-sales department of our company. After all， we are at . （fault）

3.John is with his words and actions. And he has shown that he has the common touch. （consistent）

4.There was every reason to suppose that Henry would the artist’s style and make of the artist’s paintings. （imitate）

5.He could no longer cope with his job and fail to satisfy his boss’ . （demand）

6.We are looking for an who would be willing in the group’s work. （assist）

单句表达 根据括号内提示翻译句子。

1. 看上去好像马上就要下雨了。（as though）

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2. 警察搜查了犯罪现场，寻找证据。（go through）

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3. 好几件事凑在一起，使我改变了主意。（change one’s mind）

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4. 随着智能手机的普及，学生有多种学习英语的方式。（with复合结构作状语）

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5. 直到那时，我突然意识到没有人比我更幸福了。（It was not until... that...）

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提示写作

选用所给词汇或句型造句，并组成一段连贯的短文（80词左右）。

imitate analyse the difference between... and... so far

by contrast When it comes to... not so/as... as... It is likely that...

阅读理解

A

Technology has become so advanced that the previous impossibilities seem to occur on a daily basis， and yet we still have no cure for the common cold.

According to Peter Barlow， a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK， the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses. There are at least 160 types. They change so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs， or learn to hide from our immune （免疫的） systems. In other words， a single cure isn’t likely to work on every type of cold.

However， researchers from Stanford University have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein （蛋白质） that the viruses need. Without it， they can’t spread inside your body. To identify the gene （基因） which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses， researchers used a gene- editing technique to test all genes. These modified （改变的） cells were then exposed to a range of viruses， including ones causing the common cold. All the viruses were unable to copy inside cells without the gene that produces that specific protein.

Then， they tested genetically modified mice， which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live normal lives without the protein. “Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral infection，” said associate professor Jan Carette from Stanford. “These mice would always die， but they lived through and we saw a very strong reduction in copying viruses and very strong protection. We have identified a fantastic target that all cold viruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance.”

Carette said the plan was to find a drug which could temporarily control the protein， instead of producing genetically modified humans.

1. What does Peter Barlow think is a problem for fighting the common cold？

A. The poor immunity of patients. B. The lack of enough cures.

C. The large variety of viruses. D. The side effects of drugs.

2. What is the function of the protein？

A. Helping viruses spread. B. Reducing physical infection.

C. Fighting against other viruses. D. Helping the immune system.

3. What can we learn about the genetically modified mice？

A. They caught cold easily. B. They became unhealthy.

C. They produced more protein. D. They were able to survive.

4. What is the purpose of the research？

A. To test a new drug. B. To control certain genes.

C. To defeat the common cold. D. To cure genetically modified mice.

B

Smart cities are coming. And you can be sure that hackers （黑客） won’t be very far behind.

We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that future， as cities across the globe start to use technology to connect their services and residents in ways that was science fiction just a few years ago. They are using sensors to collect data—such as traffic， garbage collecting， and road conditions—and then using that data to deliver services to more people more efficiently.

But this rush to become a smart city has a major drawback： The more connected a city is， the easier it is to cyber-attacks. Hackers have， in recent years， effectively held cities hostage through ransomware （勒索软件）， sometimes damaging critical systems for months at a time. The damage can cost millions to repair， as Baltimore and Atlanta have discovered.

And this is just the beginning. As cities add connectivity to their streetlights， power grids， dams， transit lines and other services， they are adding more targets that have the potential to be hacked. What’s more， as additional information on residents is collected， officials worry the result—lots of data could attract nation-states or terrorists who could incorporate the data into physical and cyber war.

What cyber security lesson can’t be taught in this hack？ For example： Don’t open email attachments from unfamiliar sources; don’t click on unrecognized links; don’t leave sensitive information visible on the walls or surfaces of your office. But let’s just stick to the most important lesson： The information you share on social media can be used to profile and target you， whether that’s by engineering click bait （诱饵） aimed at your particular interests， guessing your password based on your birthday or figuring out your schedule and travels so that an intruder can access your home or office.

5. What did people use to think of smart cities？

A. It was the product of science. B. It was bound to be popular.

C. It existed in imagination. D. It improved people’s life.

6. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3？

A. Introduce the harm of hackers. B. Show the danger of a smart city.

C. Add some background information. D. Summarize the previous paragraphs.

7. What is officials’ idea talking about big data？

A. It is convenient to provide service. B. It is certain to bring about changes.

C. There are actually potential dangers. D. There’s competition in high technology.

8. What does the underlined word “profile” in Paragraph 5 probably mean？

A. Describe. B. Judge. C. Catch. D. Fund.

完形填空

When I was a boy I dreamed of my future. I was going to be a cowboy. Then I dreamed of being a firefighter and 1 people from burning buildings. I just couldn’t 2 to grow up and be an adult. After I went to college， those dreams 3 . I thought I would be a scientist， and then I switched to being a teacher. When I 4 and had children， my dreams of the future changed again. Now it wasn’t a 5 career that I dreamed of but a time when I could be settled and 6 .

That dream， of course， didn’t 7 . In fact， none of those dreams ever came to life. It took me many years as well to 8 that living in a dreamy future was living in a 9 and that each moment I spent there was taking a moment away from the 10 NOW. I saw that there could be no perfect， problem-free future because problems are part of 11 .

It is only in the NOW that we can truly live. Our dreams for the future are just that： 12 . Whether they come true or not isn’t as 13 as how we live each day here. A hug shared today can never be 14 . An act of kindness not given now is lost forever. A moment of love missed can never be 15 up again. Each second of the NOW is precious and priceless. Don’t waste any one of them.

1. A. liberating B. carrying C. rescuing D. keeping

2. A. wait B. stop C. stay D. refuse

3. A. remained B. ended C. disappeared D. changed

4. A. retired B. married C. succeeded D. worked

5. A. certain B. firm C. promising D. professional

6. A. silent B. gentle C. secure D. patient

7. A. lose B. happen C. help D. matter

8. A. assess B. appreciate C. conclude D. realize

9. A. hope B. fantasy C. surprise D. lie

10. A. precious B. favorite C. common D. popular

11. A. adventure B. research C. life D. business

12. A. realities B. dreams C. purposes D. treasures

13. A. necessary B. serious C. impressive D. important

14. A. replaced B. followed C. destroyed D. bothered

15. A. picked B. broken C. made D. put

Writing

话题表达指导

话题介绍

话题：科幻故事。要求学生能够依据所给材料内容、所给段落开头语进行续写（150词左右），充分发挥想象力和创造力，将其发展成一篇逻辑衔接合理、情节和结构完整的短文。读后续写除了要求学生掌握丰富的词汇和句式，还注重学生的内容构思和情节衔接的能力。

注意事项：

1. 注意与所给短文及段落开头语的衔接程度；

2. 情节设计要合理，续写的部分应该是故事的高潮和结尾部分；

3. 允许添加新的人物。

题例导学

题目

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I believe there are aliens in space. I have met them in my dream. One night， I dreamed of going camping in a forest. I had a good time there. As I was going to sleep， I heard a loud noise. Then I saw a red light land in the forest near me. I went to see what happened. To my surprise， I heard some voices speaking a strange language that I had never heard before， so I hid behind some bushes and kept quiet. I saw strange creatures who were very short and thin with big round heads. They discovered me. Before I could speak a word， I was pushed into a UFO.

Several minutes later， I arrived in a strange world where I saw many short aliens who have green skin exactly the same as I ever thought. There was much land and only a little water. And there were some kinds of fish， but no birds. Many fearful snakes and insects lived on the planet. In my eyes， the aliens there were smart and special. They did exercise and explored just like humans. What amazed me most was the transportation that they were using. They each had a light backpack which would turn into a mini plane when used.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

Seeing that I was interested in it， one of the aliens invited me to have a try.

Later， the alien invited me to visit their flying object.

思路引导

本题是让学生续写一篇科幻故事，审题时要注意以下几点：

1. 根据所给出的“开头语”确定写什么；

2. 根据阅读文段的相关内容明确怎么写；

3. 注意人称、时态等方面的问题。

范例展示

Seeing that I was interested in it， one of the aliens invited me to have a try. When I touched it， I immediately flew high into space. In space， I saw a lot of rubbish in the air， and I tried to pick it up. But I felt it hard to do so. Suddenly， I saw an alien in front of me using a_{tNFLBb/Rw6b28eE7Cp75PA==} strange cleaner to clean all the rubbish quickly.

Later， the alien invited me to visit their flying object. I went to the object and saw a lot of buttons on it. “What’s the use of these buttons？” I asked in surprise. “Don’t look down on these buttons. They are actually very useful. They can attack enemies，” the alien pointed to the buttons and said in my language. Then， I woke up and found myself on the earth. What an unforgettable experience！

话题表达

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Malcolm is a 17-year-old boy who really likes adventures. One day in the summer holiday， Malcolm went to a museum. He saw a lot of dinosaur skeletons （骨架） and thought they were very cool. The skeletons were very large and were discovered many years ago. It took a lot of space in the museum. It was three meters high and two meters wide. Malcolm was shocked by the great sight.

After that， Malcolm likes collecting dinosaur toys and reading books about it. His whole room is full of dinosaur posters and toys piled on the ground， and there are also books about dinosaur history on his bed. Malcolm hopes that he could see one in real life， but he knows that they are already extinct.

One Sunday， Malcolm took a camera to take pictures of the view from his tree house， but saw a key in the tree house stairs. It looked like a normal yellow key. Malcolm was confused， and he thought： Why is there a key here？ There shouldn’t be anyone nearby. He decided to give the key to his mother. Suddenly， the magic key began to shine. It was too bright for Malcolm to open his eyes， and then he fainted （昏厥）.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

When he came to himself some time later， Malcolm found that he was in a forest！

At this moment， he realized that some kind of animal was behind him.

Section Ⅳ Presenting ideas

核心短语与句型回顾

短语

1. on the 大体上；总的来说

2. come into 开始存在

3. in 相比之下

4. 闲逛

5. in the 从长远来看

6. happen 碰巧

7. 迄今为止

8. be to 易受影响的

9. on 同意，达成一致

10. 840c3706cbda3c8d906716e88d8d08cbthrough 经历，经受

11. 好像，仿佛

12. in 在于

13. be 很有可能，肯定会

14. bank 指望，依靠

15. on the 将要发生

16. make an 进行调整

句型

1. 过去分词短语作后置定语

The Electrolux Trilobite， the first robotic vacuum cleaner （专为家庭使用而设计的）， went on sale.

2. whether... or... 引导让步状语从句

We all need to learn to live with AI technology （不管我们喜欢它还是担心它）.

3. 现在分词短语作状语

He’s at the rocket station， （做测试）.

4. “as... as...”结构

That place isn’t （没有我们的先进）.

5. It was not until... that...

（直到一个小时后） he noticed that Carolyn had left her emergency call device on the breakfast table.

请根据提示，运用本单元核心知识，以“科技发展与未来生活”为话题，谈谈你的看法。

提示：需用以下句型。

1. There is a possibility that human beings will…

2. It is fascinating to…

3. I believe that the science of artificial intelligence is…