新视野第一册9单元.docx

新视野第一册9单元.docx

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新视野第一册9单元

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Whatanexcitingtimetobealive!

Anewcenturyliesbeforeuslikeanartist’ssketchbookwithhardlyamarkinit.Whatwillwedowiththeseblankpages?

Whatwillourfootprintsshow100yearsfromnow?

Howwillwehandleouruniqueopportunitytomakeourworldabetterplace?

Willwealsofillthepagesofthiscenturywithbloodandtearsandhorriblewars,destroyingourenemiesorourselveswithgunsanddrugsorgermsorworse?

Orwillwechoosetouniteinacommoncausetosavethisearthhomeweshareandriditofallitsills?

Willwechoosetofillourdayswithactswhicharebeautiful,true,honest,just,pure,goodandworthyofhonour?

For,howweimagethisnewcenturyismostcertainlyachoice.Wewillcreateourfuturebasedonwhatwedotoday.“Lookwellthereforetothisday,”asthefamousSanskritpoemadvises.

1.YourFuture

Thefuturedoesnotdetermineitself.Theactionsofthepresentdeterminethefuture.

EdwardCornish,editorof"TheFuturist"magazinepublishedbytheWorldFutureSociety,says:

"Theresponsibilitywehaveforthefuturebeginswhenwerecognisethatweourselvescreatethefuture--thatthefutureisnotsomethingimposeduponusbyfateorotherforcesbeyondourcontrol.Weourselvesbuildthefutureboththroughwhatwedoandwhatwedonotdo."

2.YourBrain

Yourbrainwavesmaybecheckedtoseewhetheryouarebusy,tiredordoingyourworkproperly.

PsychologistArthurF.Kramertestedvolunteersworkingonarithmeticproblems.Hecouldpredicttheirperformancefromthestrengthofthebrain'selectricalactivitymeasuredthroughthehead.

Thefuture?

Bossescouldmeasurebrainactivitytolearnworkerquality.Frequentcomputeranalysescouldtellwhetherworkers,likeairtrafficcontrollers,areseeingallactivityclearlyenoughtomonitoritproperly.

3.YourDoctor

Moreandmore,doctorswillusevisualinformationaboutyourconditionfromcomputers,insteadoftextbooks,fordiagnosisandtreatment.

Homecomputerswillenableyoutoanswerinteractivequestionsaboutyourhealthandshowthealternativeresultsshouldyouactinacertainway.

4.YourCar

Carswillbealmostentirelycontrolledbycomputers.

Topayforcosts,carswillbebilledforusinghigh-speedtollroads.Computerswillrecordthepassageofthecarandautomaticallytakethemoneyfromtheowner'scomputerbankaccount.

Computerswillshowdriversmapsofdistrictsthecariscrossingonasmallscreeninthecar.

Computerswilldiagnoseanyproblemswiththeengine.Computerconnectionswilllistthenearestplacesofrepair,tellthecostofnewpartsandtheplacewheretheycanbebought.

5.TheComputer-Home

MorethanhalfofthehomecomputerssoldintheUnitedStatesinrecentyearswillbecomeessentialtohomelifeintheWest.Futuretaskscomputersalreadydoathomeinclude:

Computersturnonthelights,heatingandessentialhouseholdservicesbeforepeoplearrivehomefromwork.Computerscontrolcooking,hotwater,security.

Computersenablehomeworkassignmentstobedonewithworldwideresources,usingsiteslikemuseumsandsciencefacilitiesaroundtheworld.Homeworkhelpcancomeequallyfromthelocallibrary,orlibrariesanddatabasesinplacesasfarapartasNewYorkandLondon,orfromteachersandfellowstudentsaroundtheglobe.

ManyshoppersordergroceriesathomethroughInternetsuppliersandhavepurchasesdelivered.

6.TheWorkplace

Thechangingfaceofworkandthework-placeisoneofthemostwidespreadinfluencesinWesternsociety.

Womennowformmorethanhalftheworkers;thepercentageisrisingastheystartupsmallbusinessesoftheirown,oftenworkingfromhome.

Peoplearechangingcareersonaverageeverytenyearsnow,insteadofstayinginajobforlife.

Increasesininformationandknowledge-basedbusinessesarereducinglevelsofmiddlemanagement.Topmanagersgetalltheinformationneededtoworktogetherwithfront-linestaff.

Specialistsarebecomingmoreimportantthangeneralworkers.

7.TheEnvironment

Protectionoftheenvironmentusedtobetheconcernofspecialgroups.Nowgovernmentsandbusinessesrealisebadairandwaterpollutionaffecteveryone,makingitdifficultforcitiestosurviveandforbusinessestomakeaprofit.

London,England'sbiggestcity,oftensuffersfromairpollutionwhichcausesmorethan1,000deathsayear.Especiallytheveryyoung,theelderlyandcigarettesmokersareathighrisk.

ManyEuropeancountriesandtheUnitedStatescheckvehiclesforgasandsmokeemissionstomakesurethelevelsarebelowthepermittedoutput.Forexample,Germanyhas600sitesthatmonitorcarbonmonoxide.

8.YourHealth

Physicalfitnessandhealthylifestyleshavechangedfromfashionandhobbyforafewtoofficialpolicyformanybusinessesandgovernments.

Smokingcigarettesisundersiegeasahabit.Smokingadvertisingisbannedinmanyareas.

Althoughpillsfortension,heartconditions,weightandotherlife-threateningconditionsareprescribedbyWesterndoctors,mostnowrequirepatientstodevelophealthylifestylesbychangingdietsandexercisingmoretokeepwell.

Words:

700

（Trendsforthe21stCentury）

Whatproblemswillourworldencounterinthenext1000years?

Socialscientistsandeconomists,farmingexpertsandenvironmentalistsposethisquestionandexaminedata,informationfromsurveys.

Ineveryfield,expertsexaminechangestounderstandthestateofthefield.Tounderstandacountry'seconomy,economistscheckgrowthinanindustrysuchassteel.Tounderstandthestateofbusiness,theymaylookatthenumberofbuildingpermitsfornewhouses.Theinformationlearnedshowsincreasesordecreases.Importanttrendsemergeineachfield.

Population

PopulationisimportanttoeverypersononEarth.Peopletendtolivelongerinmostplaces.InCentralEurope,however,lifespanisdroppingbecausehealthcareisnotwhatitwasafewyearsago.Factorsaffectinggeneralhealthincludeexcessivesmokinganddrinkingofalcoholandpollutedwatersupplies.

Thepopulationexplosiononourplanethasbeenincreasingatanalarmingratebutthepercentageofincreaseisdecreasing.OneoutofeveryfivepeopleonEarthisChinese,yetChina'sgrowthratehasslowed.Asthenumberofwomengoingtoschoolincreases,thegrowthratedeclines.

FoodProduction；[

Theproductionofgrainseemstobedecreasingmainlybecauseofclimatechanges.Naturaldisasterslikestormsandfloodshavewashedawaymanycrops.

Withlesslandforcattleandsheep,lessmeatlikebeefandlambisbeingproduced.Productionofchicken,turkeyandfishhasincreased,however.Theamountofoceanfishhasnotincreased,butfishfarmproductionhas.

Fishfarmingisveryefficient:

producingakilogramoffishutilizeslessthan2kilogramsoffeed,butittakes2.2kilogramsoffeedtoproduce1kilogramofchicken.Onekilogramofbeefrequires7kilogramsofgrain.People,therefore,mayeatlessredmeatinthefutureandmorefish.

Energy

Usingfossilfuelsforenergyhasnotalteredverymuchbutwindenergyuseisincreasingsignificantly.Denmark,Germany,theNetherlands,Britain,andAmericahavelargewindpowerprojects.China,India,Mexico,NewZealand,andtheUkrainearealsodevelopingwindpower.

Energyfromnuclearpowerplantsissteadilyincreasingbuttheproblemofdangerouswastelimitsgrowthinmanyregions.Becausemanyelectricalcompaniesconsidernuclearenergytooexpensive,thetrendistowardlessdangeroussourcesofenergy.

Whilenaturalgasuseincreases,useofcoalasfuelisdecreasing.Naturalgas,anoutstandingenergyfuel,canbeusedtoheathomes,makeelectricity,andpowercars.

Economics

Ascountriesaroundtheworldtrademorewithoneanother,moreproductsareavailable.Butthefastdevelopmentofworldeconomywillbringaboutmanynewproblems.Withfewertrees,thepaperindustryisproducingmorepaperfromrecycledmaterialsbut,unfortunately,damagestheplanet.Thepaper-makingprocessuseslargeamountsofwater,burnsfossilfuelsandproducesmuchchemicalwaste.

Automobileproductionisdown;bicycleproductionisup.Crowdedhighways,highgasolinecosts,andeaseofbicyclingarethreereasonsforthischange.

Health

Threemajorhealthtrendsexistaswebeginthenewcentury.Healthcareisbetterthanever.Medicalresearchbreakthroughsincludefindingtumorsearly,andsavinglivesthroughCATscansandsurgery.Survivingcancerisanewtrend.HIV/AIDS,however,isspreadingquicklyallovertheworld.

Thethirdmajortrendistowardanattitudeofindifference.Peopleseemtohaveforgottenwaystokeepdiseasesundercontrol.Althoughmedicalsciencehadachievedcontroloverseveraldangerousdiseases,somearereturning.Forinstance,tuberculosis,onceadangerouskiller,wascured.Nowthediseaseisappearingagain.

Nature

Pollutioncontinuestoaffectourforestsandwater.Thebirdpopulationisdecreasingbecauseofoilspillsandspreadingcities.Seasandoceansarechanging.Treesarecutdown,moresoilwashesaway,andwaterqualityisaffected.Manyofthesetreesareinourrainforestswherethickareasofplantsandtrees,homeformanybirdsandanimals,aredisappearing.

Conclusion

Ourchallengesforthisnewcenturyareclear.Theproblemsofnumerousinhabitantsonthissmallplanetwillcontinuetobeimportanttoeachofus.Thesechallengesshowthatallofusneedtobeinvolvedinsolvingtheproblems.Maywefindnewwaystoaccomplishthetask.

Words:

696

AmericansinthefuturewillprobablynotliveasAmericansdotoday.Fusion（核聚变）powerwillbecapableofproducingenergywithoutlimitswhilesavingnaturalresources.Peopl