A
Four of the World's Best Futurists(未来学家)
Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly is an author.His 1994 publication, Out of Control, discusses a future where machines and systems are so complex as to be indistinguished(难区分的) from living things.
His latest book What Technology Wants suggests that technology is not just a mixture of wires and metals but a living thing that has its own need.The book looks out through the eyes of this global technological system to discover what it wants.
Dr Michio Kaku
Dr Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York and author of The Future of the Mind and Physics of the Future.
In The Future of the Mind, he explores the frontier of neuroscience.He predicts that one day we will be able to upload the human brain into a computer.In Physics of the Future, he predicts that glasses and contact lenses will be connected to the Internet and cars will become driverless with the power of the GPS system.
David Brin
Science fiction author and scientist, David Brin has received awards.In 1998, he won the Freedom of Speech Award for The Transparence Society.The book concerns threats to personal affairs and openness in the information age.In a world where the police monitor public places 24 hours a day with cameras and some credit companies can sell people's financial details to anyone willing to pay, Brin warns that surveillance (监控) technology will be used by too few people in the future.He argues that the tables should be turned and the public should have access to information like who is buying financial details from credit companies.
Dr Ray Kurzweil
Dr Ray Kurzweil is the main inventor of the first printtospeech reading machine for the blind.He is the director of artificial intelligence development at Google.
Over the past 25 years, a number of his predictions have come true.In 1990, he predicted a computer would defeat a human at chess by 1998.He predicts that by the 2020s, most diseases will go away and selfdriving cars begin to take over the roads.
语篇解读：本文是一篇应用文。文章介绍了四位未来学家以及他们的贡献。
1．Whose book is discussing about machines and systems in the future?
A．Kevin Kelly's. B．Dr Michio Kaku's.
C．David Brin's. D．Dr Ray Kurzweil's.
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据Kevin Kelly部分中的第一段可知，他在1994年出版的《失控》一书中探讨了一个未来的世界，在这个世界里，机器和系统是如此复杂，以至于无法与生物区分开来。由此可知，Kevin Kelly的书讨论了未来的机器和系统，故选A。
2．Which of the following books won the Freedom of Speech Award?
A．Out of Control.
B．The Future of the Mind.
C．Physics of the Future.
D．The Transparence Society.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据David Brin部分中的“In 1998, he won the Freedom of Speech Award for The Transparence Society.”可知，1998年，他因The Transparence Society获得“言论自由奖”，故选D。
3．What's Dr Ray Kurzweil's attitude towards his prediction of the 2020s?
A．Cautious. B．Optimistic.
C．Doubtful. D．Disapproving.
解析：选B 观点态度题。根据Dr Ray Kurzweil部分中的最后一句可知，他预测，到21世纪20年代，大多数疾病将会被治愈，自动驾驶汽车将开始占领道路。由此推知，Ray Kurzweil博士对21世纪20年代的预测持乐观态度，故选B。
