Bertrand Russell, a famous philosopher, said in 1944, “The one thing the study of the past teaches us is that the future is never how people imagine it will be.”
In 1946, physicists predicted that within twenty years, most of the world’s energy would be supplied by nuclear power. __________ (46) In 1951, a famous surgeon said that he and his colleagues were confident that “by the end of the 1950s, a cure for most if not all cancers will have been found.” In 1954, an American economist predicted Americans would go on getting richer and richer. ___________ (47).
In the year 1969, an automation engineer working for Max Factor Cosmetics in Britain said that “within twenty or twenty-five years factories that today employ hundreds of workers will need only five or ten computer technicians to run them.” _____________ (48).
In the early 1970s, there were many predictions that before the end of the century most homes in the United States, Europe and Japan would have computers in them. ___________ (49)
Long before 1980, it was predicted that instead of letting nature and luck choose their children’s characteristics, people would have to decide which characteristics they wanted their children to inherit from them and previous generations in their families. ____________ (50) We may be able to have “undesirable” characteristics changed or destroyed through genetic therapy. Perhaps we may even begin to wish that Bertrand Russell was right when he said that history teaches us that the future is never like that future we imagine.
A “By the end of the century,” he said, “there will be no poverty anywhere in the country.”
B If this prediction comes true, we will be faced with a much greater responsibility than ever before.
C According to the same predictions, this would result in “an information explosion” as well as “radical and revolutionary changes in the way we work, learn, and do business.”
D When this prediction came true, more people would be killed than ever before.
E They were certain that this would not only be “far cleaner than coal and other fossil fuels but far safer and much cheaper.”
F He added that this “will lead to enormous social problems for unskilled manual workers in particular, who will be unable to find work.”
第6部分：完形填空 （第51—65题，每题1分，共15分）
阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出了4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案，涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
The American Family
In the American family the husband and wife usually share important decision making. When the children are ___________ (51) enough, they take part as well. Foreigners are often surprised by the permissiveness (宽容) of American parents. The old rule that “children should be seen and not heard” is rarely _______ (52), and children are often allowed to do ____________ (53) they wish without strict control of their parents. The father seldom expects his children to listen to him __________ (54) question, and children are encouraged to be ______________ (55) at an early age. Some people believe that American parents carry this freedom _________ (56) far. Others think that a strong father image would not ____________ (57) the American values of equality and independence. Because Americans emphasize the importance of independence, young people are expected to _________ (58) their parental families by the time they have ________________ (59) their late teens or early twenties. Indeed, not to do so is often regarded as a ____________ (60), a kind of weak dependence.
This pattern of independence often results in serious ____________ (61) for the aging parents of a small family. The average American is expected to live ___________ (62) the age of 70. The job-retirement age is _______ (63) 65. The children have left home, married, and ___________ (64) their own households. At least 20 percent of all people over 65 do not have enough retirement incomes. _________ (65) the major problem of many elderly couples is not economic. They feel useless and lonely with neither an occupation nor a close family group.
51 A senior B junior C old D young
52 A watched B followed C understood D grasped
53 A what B that C which D when
54 A for B on C without D in
55 A dependent B independent C sure D secure
56 A too B almost C nearly D so
57 A gain B welcome C suit D estimate
58 A break up B break into C break through D break away from
59 A reached B come C arrived D developed
60 A reward B criticism C failure D success
61 A events B problems C matters D affairs
62 A on B up C from D beyond
63 A only B usually C sometimes D seldom
64 A set forth B set aside C set up D set down
65 A But B Therefore C In contrast D On the other hand
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2009年职称英语等级考试理工类（B级）答案
1. B 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. B
6. D 7. C 8. A 9. A 10. D
11. A 12. C 13. C 14. C 15. D
16. A 17. A 18. B 19. B 20. C
21. A 22. C 23. B 24. E 25. C