6.1 FUTURE GAZING: PREDICTIONS

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Question English Answer English
You are going to read a text that predicts the Earth's future 1,000 years or more from now. What do you think it might say about the following:
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buildings, language, global disasters, monuments like the Pyramids of Giza, the Earth's temperature
buildings
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buildings: most will be destroyed by 3,000
language
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most words commonly used today will become extinct by 3,000 due to the rapid evolution of language
global disasters
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a global disaster may well have happened by 100,000; either a super-volcano or a large climate-altering asteroid
monuments like the Pyramids of Giza
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monuments like the Pyramids of Giza might still exist in 1,000,000
the Earth's temperature
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the Earth's temperature will be higher; by 4,000, the ice in Greenland will have melted because of extreme global warming
The text says gamma radiation will trigger mass extintions. What is a trigger? What does the verb mean here?
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A trigger is the part of a gun that you squeeze to make it fire. Here, "trigger" means "start a rapid or powerful process".
The text says "Africa will have collided with Eurasia" and "all continents will be fused together". What is the difference between "collide" and "fuse together"? Which is the more violent action?
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"Collide" means "crash into". "Fuse together" means "slowly become one mass". "Collide" is the more violent action.
The text say an area of land will "erode", titanium will "corrode" and glass will "decompose". What is the difference between these verbs?
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"Erode" describes the process of land being destroyed over many years. "Corrode" means "destroyed by a chemical action", e.g. metal. "Decompose" is used about organic matter, e.g. food.
One synonym for "cease to exist" is "die out". Find two others synonyms in the text with the same meaning. They both use the verb become.
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become extinct, become a thing of the past.
Look at the expressions in bold in the text.
a distant memory, the signs are, the days of living on islands will be over, become a thing of the past, may well, is likely to
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Which refer to:
predictions with a link to the past?
a distant memory, the signs are, the days of living on islands will be over, become a thing of the past, may well, is likely to
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a distant memory, become a thing of the past
predictions that are highly possible?
the signs are, the days of living on islands will be over, may well, is likely to
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may well, is likely to
the evidence for a prediction?
the signs are, the days of living on islands will be over
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The signs are
a situation that will stop because of changing conditions?
the days of living on islands will be over
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the days of living on islands will be over
Look at the expressions below.
The facts suggest/The figures point to; is bound to/is destined to
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They are similar to two of the expressions in Exercise 3A. Which two?
The facts suggest/The figures point to
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the signs are
is bound to/is destined to
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is likely to
Read some predictions about global developments.
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Complete the paragraphs with suitable prepositions.
India is (?) track to surpass China as the most populated country by 2035.
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India is on track to surpass China as the most populated country by 2035.
on track
In India, 48,000 babies are born every day (?) average.
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In India, 48,000 babies are born every day on average.
on average
In future, India's resources such as schools and hospitals will be permanently (?) trial as they try to keep up with rising demands.
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In future, India's resources such as schools and hospitals will be permanently on trial as they try to keep up with rising demands.
on trial
Millions of children are (?) risk of contracting diseases from dirty water.
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Millions of children are at risk of contracting diseases from dirty water.
at risk of
Only sixty percent of the world's population has easy access to drinking water (?) present.
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Only sixty percent of the world's population has easy access to drinking water at present.
at present
In the future, it is hoped that (?) least ninety-five percent of people will have running water in their homes, but there are no guaranties of this.
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In the future, it is hoped that at least ninety-five percent of people will have running water in their homes, but there are no guaranties of this.
at least
As humanity's need for resources and industries has grown, it has become clear that man is (?) far the most destructive animal on Earth.
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As humanity's need for resources and industries has grown, it has become clear that man is by far the most destructive animal on Earth.
by far
We are, (?) nature, extraordinarily prolific polluters of the planet.
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We are, by nature, extraordinarily prolific polluters of the planet.
by nature
In future, everyone will have to monitor their pollution (?) law.
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In future, everyone will have to monitor their pollution by law.
by law
While the number of humans has risen, the number of wild animals such as lions has been (?) decline for decades.
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While the number of humans has risen, the number of wild animals such as lions has been in decline for decades.
in decline
We are now preserving the genetic codes of animals that are (?) danger of extinction.
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We are now preserving the genetic codes of animals that are in danger of extinction.
in danger of
In future, we hope to be able to, (?) effect, "recreate" these animals.
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In future, we hope to be able to, in effect, "recreate" these animals.
in effect
In the early twenty-first century, corruption in business has started getting (?) control.
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In the early twenty-first century, corruption in business has started getting out of control.
out of control
Corporations have tried to keep a number of scandals (?) sight.
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Corporations have tried to keep a number of scandals out of sight.
out of sight
In future, (?) necessity, stricter anti-corruption laws will be passed.
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In future, out of necessity, stricter anti-corruption laws will be passed.
out of necessity
Replace the underlined words below with prepositional phrases from Exercise 10A.
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Then use your own ideas to complete as many of the predictions as you can.
In the future, people will be vulnerable to catching a new disease called...
vulnerable to
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In the future, people will be at risk of catching a new disease called...
at risk of
Birth rates are falling fast, so soon...
falling fast
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Birth rates are in decline, so soon...
in decline
Inflation will get completely crazy, which will lead to...
completely crazy
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Inflation will get out of control, which will lead to...
out of control
By 2040 there will be a minimum of ten billion people alive, and this will cause...
a minimum of
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By 2040 there will be at least ten billion people alive, and this will cause...
at least
In future, legally people will have to register their...
legally
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In future, by law people will have to register their...
by law
To protect animals that are close to becoming extinct, we will...
close to becoming extinct
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To protect animals that are in danger, we will...
in danger
People will, generally, have only one...
generally
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People will, on average, have only one...
on average
Right now, robots aren't very intelligent, but by 2040,...
Right now
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At present, robots aren't very intelligent, but by 2040,...
At present
Match the prepositional phrases in bold
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with phrases a), b) or c).
The ship was hit by the typhon and blown off course. Now it's lost.
off course
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away from a scheduled path
off course
I started the race OK, but soon realised I was off the pace and have to give up.
off the pace
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too slow to keep up
off the pace
You can't get power into a golf shot if you're off balance.
off balance
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in an unsteady position
off balance
We are not investigating the president. He's above suspicion.
above suspicion
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assumed to be inocent
above suspicion
We never do anything illegal. Everything is above board.
above board
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legal
above board
The planes are fast and comfortable, but above all they're safe.
above all
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the most important thing is
above all
The manager said that, aged sixty-five, I was over the hill so he fired me.
over the hill
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past my best (too old now)
over the hill
When I won first prize I was over the moon. I celebrate a lot.
over the moon
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extremely happy
over the moon
Her celebrations were excessive. They were over the top.
over the top
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too much
over the top
I didn't go to work because I was feeling under the weather.
under the weather
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a little bit sick
under the weather
Oh, do I have to cook dinner? I was under the impression you'd do it!
under the impression
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thinking (probably wrongly)
under the impression
When you testify in court, remember you are under oath and cannot lie.
under oath
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obliged by the law to tell the truth in court
under oath
Complete the text
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by adding one word in each gap.
The idea of resurrecting extinct species used to be science fiction, but this development (?) well come true.
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The idea of resurrecting extinct species used to be science fiction, but this development could/might/may well come true.
could/might/may
The science already exist. The recent explosion (?) genoma research tells us that the recipe for making a creature lies in its DNA.
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The science already exist. The recent explosion in genoma research tells us that the recipe for making a creature lies in its DNA.
in
Creating animals from a genoma sequence is impossible now, but the (?) are it will happen soon.
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Creating animals from a genoma sequence is impossible now, but the signs/chances are it will happen soon.
signs/chances
When an animal dies in a dry cave or in ice,
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we can find intact genome sequences.
We then need a surrogate species to give birth to the animal.
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If we wanted to bring back a mammouth, the surrogate would be an elephant.
As a result of this development, fears about the extinction of some species could become a (?) memory.
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As a result of this development, fears about the extinction of some species could become a distant memory.
distant
As the science gathers pace, conservationists are getting ready;
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they have begun freezing tissue samples of these animals.
The days of campaigns to save the whale and so many other species could (?) over,
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The days of campaigns to save the whale and so many other species could be over,
be
as extinction becomes a (?) of the past!
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as extinction becomes a thing of the past!
thing

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