Cyberspace

The Future of Cyberspace

Part A Reading: The Future of Cyberspace

Before you start

1. Imagine life in the next twenty years. How do you think technology will change our lives?

2. Look at the title of the article. Which of these topics do you think it will mention?* the Internet * artificial human * time travel * robots

* global warming * virtual realityRead to learn

3. Read the article and match the vocabulary from the text below with the definitions.

hacker, chaos, terrorist, the Net (Internet), virtual reality, crash (1) a person who enters other people’s computer programmes in secret(2) The use of computers to make situations feel and look real (3) have an accident by violently hitting something

(4) someone who does terrible things to harm countries, governments and people

(5) computer system that allows millions of people around the world to share information

(6) A terrible situation in which everything goes wrong

4. Why are some experts pessimistic about the future? What possible changes do some experts believe the Internet can bring to our lives?

The Future of Cyberspace

Peter Taylor finds out how computers and the Internet are going to affect our lives.

In the last thirty years, the Internet has grown rapidly. In 1983, there were only 200 computers

connected to the internet; now there are around 50 million and this growth is clearly going to continue.

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Some experts are pessimistic about the future. One worry is crime in cyberspace. Even now, young hackers can get into the computers of banks and governments. In the future, terrorists may “attack” the world’s computers, cause chaos, and make planes and trains crash.

However, many people are optimistic about the future of the Internet. Already, users can buy books, find out about holiday offers, book tickets, and get all sorts of information from the Internet. “ In the next few years,” says Angela Rossetto of Cyberia magazine, “ It is clear that we are going to see a huge growth in shopping on the Internet.” She also believes that, in the future, we will get entertainment from the Net and that television will probably disappear. The mail service may also disappear with the increasing use of e-mail.

Some experts see our future in virtual reality—the use of computers with sounds and pictures that make you feel as if you are in a real situation. “Personally, I think virtual reality will become a part of modern life,” says Australian expert Peter Anderson.

“I see people living and working in a virtual world. We will work in virtual offices, shop in virtual supermarkets, and we will even study in virtual schools.”

5. Read the text and judge the following statements is true (T) or false (F)．

(1) In spite of the development of computers，it is unlikely to live in virtual reality.( )

(2) The text infers to us that worry is necessary and computers and the Internet may do bad to us.( )

(3) It is certain that in the future children will not go to school in the classroom like us.( )

(4) According to the text，it is possible that people live in another world of outer space.( )

(5) In virtual reality，you can go to work but needn’t go to the place yourself.( )

(6) Because of the rapid development of Internet，television and the mail may disappear and are replaced by computers.( )

6. Choose the right answers.

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(1) The writer writes this passage in order to____.A．show us the bright future of cyberspaceB．tell people the disadvantages of the Net

C．build up the future picture of the influence of the Net on our lifeD．make people know about the advantages of the Net(2) We can infer from the passage that_______.

A．cyberspace will affect people’s life greatly

B．communicating with your friends on the Internet is always secretC．the Net is sure to have a good effect on people’s life

D．the Net is sure to have a bad influence on people’s life(3) Angela Rossetto thinks that________.A．email will surely replace mail

B．most people think the Net has a bright futureC．people will book tickets from the Net

D．more and more people will buy what they need on the Net

(4) The word “chaos” in the second paragraph can be replaced by________.A．an accident B．a disordered situationC．a fire D．an interruption

(5) The main idea of the last paragraph is________.A．people can do everything in virtual reality

B．cyberspace will play an important role in people’s lifeC．the prediction of our life in virtual realityD．people can not live without the Netvoice your opinion

7. Do you feel pessimistic or optimistic about the future of the Internet? Why?词汇：

1．____________adj.全球的→____________n．地球→____________adv.全球性地

2．____________n．现实→____________adj.真实的→____________adv.→ ____________v．实现

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3．____________n．生长→____________v．→____________n．成年人

4．____________n．犯罪，罪行→____________n．罪犯→____________adj.

5．____________n．恐怖分子→____________n．恐怖→____________v．使恐怖

6．____________vi.消失→____________n．→____________v．(反义词)词)

7．____________n．& v．伤害，损害→__________adj.→ __________adv.→ __________adj.(反义

8．____________n．破坏，毁灭→____________v．→____________adj.有破坏性的

1．变成现实 ________true

2．在最近的30年 ________the________30 years3．对……乐观 be optimistic________5．各种各样的 all________of 4．时局，目前形势 ________situation6．在不久的将来 ________________8．立即采取行动 ________________语法练习：用will或be going to填空

7．表达观点、看法 ________________

1．He's very ill.I'm afraid he ______________ die.

2．I think there ________ be many tall buildings in the centre of the city in years.3．It is said there ______________ be a football match between class.4．She ______________ take a trip on weekends.5．I ________ be twenty years old next week.

6．If go to the new water park, you ______________ see many interesting things.7．It looks as if he _____________ win the game.

8．I think we ________ be able to have holidays on the moon in twenty years' time.

课后作业

一、品句填词

1．Don’t be afraid. The dog is my friend，and it won’t________(攻击) you.talking about it.响) him.

2．It is________(显而易见的) to us that he likes his new job，because he is always very excited when

3．Tom decided to go abroad for further education next year. I don’t think your opinion will________(影

4．Let me turn on the light. Reading in such a dark room will h________your eyes.

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