Life in the future

the year 2050
Space exploration and travel on other planets
Travel on

our own planet
Damaging the environment
The future of Cyberspace

that friendship – one of the most important human

relationships – will have changed dramatically. The world’s getting quicker all the time and we have no time for talking. Because of computers, which will have become absolutely essential by 2050 we will have little real human contact. Even now many people make friend through the Internet because they haven’t them in reality.

better?
Not long ago people believed that in the future we

would work less, have more free time, and be more relaxed. But today we work harder, work longer hours, and are more stressed than 10 years ago. We walk faster, talk faster, and sleep less then previous generations. And although we’re obsessed with machines which save us time, we have less free time than our parents had. We’re always trying to do more things in less time and, as a result, our lives are more stressful. So, if we don’t slow down, we won’t live as long as our parents.
For most people, faster doesn’t mean better

there will be no more real schools in the future,

so we will study near our computers – virtual teachers will be giving the lessons from the computer screen. What is more, certain abilities, like mental arithmetic, won’t be necessary since there will be computer programs for most calculations.

cured in the future. If scientists manage to find a

cure for cancer and AIDS, we will have a much healthier society. On the other hand, new diseases will have appeared – it’s going to be a balance. There always will be.

will become increasingly popular. Maybe we will be flying off

for a holiday on the other planets like Mars or Venus. To be honest, I don’t think space travel is going to happen for a lot longer

b) ice c) oxygen
In what year will commercial

flights probably start?
a) 2008 b) 2012 c) 2025
What company is going to build a lunar hotel?
a) Hilton b) Holiday Inn c) Hyatt
What is a Japanese company planning to build?
a) a sport centre b) a golf course c) a hotel
How will people get oxygen to breathe?
a) from rocks b) from Earth c) from ice
How will you able to communicate with Earth?
a) by mobile phone b) by radio c) by Internet

travel on our own planet will have changed a lot.

People will travel more, transport will become faster and cheaper. In my opinion, everyone will have personal car, plane, shuttle or something like this. What is more, because of problem with fossil fuels we might see more solar-powered cars, electric trains, different forms of transport – it will have replaced the cars we use nowadays. On the other hand, if there are many more people traveling around, it will be overcrowded in cities.

have started using cleaner forms of energy and environmentally-friendly cars.

In addition, we will have discovered a way to get rid of rubbish without damaging the environment. On the other hand, there will be fewer wild animals and, because of too many kinds of machines, the rivers, lakes and seas will have become too dirty to swim in.

has grown dramatically. 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.

the activities of cybercriminals. Even now, young hackers can get

into the computers of banks and governments. In the future, cyberterrorists 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. They also believe that we will get entertainment from the Net and that television will probably disappear.

the use of computers with sounds and images that make

you feel as if you are in a real situation. Moreover, people will be living and working in virtual offices, shop in virtual supermarkets, and we will even study in virtual schools.