Unit 3
Life in the future
Using language (1)
I Have Seen Amazing Things
Reading and discussing
What can you see in the picture?
How do you feel at first sight of it?
time travel
Free talk before reading
1. Do you think it’s possible for human being to have a time travel?
2. If you had the chance to take a time travel to the year AD 3008 as Li Qiang did, what places would you go to visit?
Read the text and find out the information below.
Modern Inventions of the 31st Century
Only to be seen on the Space Station
Use the information from the reading passage to
fill in this poster for the Space Station.
a waste machine
efficient
environmentally friendly
Thoughts must be clear or messages may be mixed up
1. no waste
2. no
pollution
3. no
environ-
mental
damage
1. disposes
of all waste
2. turns them into three grades of useful material
People must live on a space station to monitor the robots
Discussion 1
In pairs discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living on a space station. For example, would you like to live and work in one? What would you do with your spare time? Prepare to report to the class.
Try to predict your future life and make a short-term plan and talk about your dreams, and then fill in the chart.
Discussion 2
Fill in the chart after your discussion.
1. My first visit was to a space station considered the most modern in space.
Language points
considered the most modern in space是过去分词短语，在句中作定语，修饰前面的名词。
In judging him you should consider his youth.
I consider it a great honor to be invited to dinner.
I am considering the purchase of car. We must consider giving it a try.
We should consider what to do next.
consider 考虑，思考，认为
consider, think, believe, regard这些动词均含有“认为”之意。
consider: 指经过考虑和观察后得出的结论。
think: 普通用词，指按照自己的意见提出
看法。
believe: 通常指根据一定的证据，经思考后
而认为属实。
regard: 侧重凭外表或表面现象作判断。多
强调观点。
2. You place the metal band over your head, clear your mind, press the sending button, think your message and the next instant it’s sent.
instant n. 顷刻，刹那
I’ll be back in an instant.
An instant later the explosion occurred.
instant adj. 立即的，即时的，紧迫的
I don’t like drinking instant coffee.
The flood victims were in instant need of help.
moment, minute, instant这些名词均含“瞬间、片刻”之意。
moment: 较minute所表示的时间短，指一
刹那或一段很短时间，有时也含持续
的意味。
minute: 指极短的时间，但可觉察到时间的
持续。
instant: 常与moment换用，指一瞬间，但
更侧重时间短促，多用于表示紧迫、瞬
变等情况。
3. A giant machine, always greedy for more, swallows all the waste available.
greedy adj. 贪婪的
He looked at the shop window with greedy eyes. 
The dictator was greedy for power.
be greedy to do sth. 渴望做某事
be greedy for sth. 渴望…
Listening
Read the phrases before listening, and guess the topic. Then listen to the tape and tick those you hear.
space creatures
living on another planet
new discoveries in space
why a space station spins
how to get water on Mars
Listen and tick those you hear.
comets
houses in a town on Mars
Martian creatures
atmosphere and gravity
√
√
√
√
1. How can “Wonderworld” make sure there is enough oxygen?
2. How can “Wonderworld” make sure there is enough water?
3. What is the advantage of living in “Wonderworld”?
4. Do you think people will be healthy living in “Wonder world”? Why?
Listen again and answer the questions.
1. How can “Wonderworld” make sure there is enough oxygen?
“Wonderworld” will provide a covered area for people to live in with a special air supply.
2. How can “Wonderworld” make sure there is enough water?
“Wonderworld” will make sure there is enough water by collecting some from under the planet’s surface. After use, this water will be cleaned and recycled so that it can be used as rain to water crops and provide clean drinking water. Everyone will put their dirty water in special tanks and animals will have to go to the toilet in special places. Bacteria will clean this dirty water so it can be used again.
3. What is the advantage of living in
“Wonderworld”?
People may become rich or famous.
4. Do you think people will be healthy living in “Wonderworld”? Why?
I think the people will be quite healthy as they have a satisfactory climate, enough water and sufficient accommodation to live comfortably.
Speaking
In pairs discuss what life will be like in your hometown in 1,000 years’ time. Discuss the future of one of the following areas.
1. Communication 2. The human body
3. Work 4. Business and money
5. The transportation 6. Education
Suppose that …
Do you imagine that …?
I wonder if …
Is it possible that …?
Is it likely /unlikely that …?
Do you suppose that …?
Perhaps /Maybe /Possibly/Probably…
Most likely …
I’m sure …
These expressions may help you.
What will life be like in the future?
Transportations
As people’s life is improving, people prefer to travel to different places. Not only do they enjoy local travel but also they travel abroad. Some even can afford to travel in space.
Education
Students in the future will be able to receive far better education with the help of the Internet and e-schools. And their subjects will be richer and more personal.
Life in the future
Business and money
In the future more companies and individuals prefer to do business on the Internet by using various kinds of smart cards. Even you don’t take any cash you can also do business, go to the concert or travel abroad. In a word, E-commerce will play a more important role in our daily life.
The human body
Human beings will look healthier in the future. In spite of this they still get sick. However, scientists will have a better understanding of how cancer develops.
Languages
In the future people will speak much fewer languages.
Both English and Chinese have become world languages.
Work
As to where people work in the future, the answers are
divided. Some people will be able to work at home on the
Internet, which we call SOHO.
More people will work in the companies also related to
computers. At that time, there will be more and more new
jobs like database managers, sales, engineers and so on.
Houses and buildings
In the future people will live in different places. As the population is exploding, more people will prefer to live in faraway places, under the sea or even on the moon.
Communication
In the future people will communicate more easily and conveniently. They can talk on the phone and send e-mails on the Internet. They can do almost everything on the Internet, like shopping, reading, borrowing books, depositing money, order meals and tickets.
Writing
Write about what life may be like on the earth in 1,000 years’ time. Follow these steps.
In pairs prepare 4 to 5 questions about the
future.
Ask and answer questions using the following
expressions.
Suppose that …
I wonder if …
I imagine that …
I’m sure …
Do you imagine that …?
Is it likely / unlikely that …?
Is it possible that …?
Do you suppose that … ?
Perhaps/Maybe/Possibly…
Most likely …
Probably …
I think there will be more benefits than problems living in the future. Of course things will be difficult and there may be many problems.
If there is dirty air we will solve that by placing a cover over our hometown. That way we can clean the air as it enters the town, and keep out all the dust and dirt.
Sample writing
If it is too hot people will be provided with suits fitted with cooling systems. That way they will keep cool all the time.
As for the problem of the energy running out that we face today, that will be solved by using the energy from the sun to run all the electrical plants as well as cars. Luckily it will be endless clean energy!
So we think that life in the future will be much better than it is now.
Preview “using language” part and read the passage on page 58.
Finish your writing passage and read it to the class in next class.
Homework