Genetic engineering*:

Eventually, genetic engineering will allow us to create* the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who will grow up to do a slam dunk* or to have a Barbie doll* appearance*. But after the 2082 winter Olympics, some babies will be created with aerodynamics*, so they can sail like ski jumpers*. Soon, powerful little motors will be added so they can fly. Billions of slam dunkers will jump for joy, while billions of Barbie dolls will become totally unhappy.

The dead can live again:

In the future, it will be possible to use virtual reality* to bring the dead back to life. People will get tired of boring home movies and choose a relative* to bring back to life. The visual will be combined with records about that person to create a virtual relative.

Then the family can have a chat with that relative, keep the virtual relative running, and live with it. The experience will be like living with a ghost.

People who died long ago will come back to life so they can take on new roles. In 2030 the great people of the 20th century will be brought back to life virtually and be presented* on television.

Permanent* people:

Over the next 20 to 50 years, it will become harder to tell the difference between the human and the machine. All body parts will be replaceable*. A computer will function like the human brain with the ability to recognize feelings and respond in a feeling way. Computer engineers can then produce fake people.

Using nanobots*:

Nanobots, miniature robots, will be built to travel through your bloodstream and repair damage. Also, larger nanobots will be used when you are sick.

When you have an upset stomach, you will swallow* a very small robot which will travel through your stomach taking video of the mess. It will be set up like a video game, so you can control the exploring and the selection of images. Then after you run your nanobot out one end or the other, you can replay the video to help a doctor diagnose* your problem, or to prove to your boss that you really were sick.

Computers will become the creators:

As computers have advanced, they have helped us remember, calculate*, organize and clarify*. This has made things simpler, putting things into a form that makes it easier to come up with new breakthroughs.

In time, more advanced computers will be creative. They will be able to respond to feelings in a feeling way. They will be able to create other computers.

Help

1. genetic engineering 基因工程

2. create 创造

3. slam dunk 灌篮

4. ski jumper 滑雪运动员

5. Barbie doll 芭比娃娃

6. appearance 样貌

7. aerodynamic 空气动力学的;流线型的

8. virtual reality 虚拟现实

9. relative 亲戚

10. present 展示;出现

11. permanent 长期的

12. replaceable 可代替的

13. nanobots 超微机器人

14. swallow 吞

15. creator 创造者

16. calculate 计算

17. clarify 澄清; 清除

Questions

1. After the 2082 Winter Olympics, will babies make slam dunks like Michael Jordan and will you get used to this?

2. Why will the Barbie dolls become totally unhappy?

3. Will you be able to talk to your dead relatives in the future? If so, in what way?

4. If you feel ill, will you need to see a doctor or will you just repair the damage by yourself?

5. Will there be any difference between humans and computers in the future?

6. Do you like this version of the future? Explain.