Prediction(预言)has always been a serious business．In the old days, astrologers (星占学家)were employed(从事于)to predict the future．Today futurologists(未来学家)make scientificall based predictions which are taken seriously．Basically, the methods used in the past and those used today are similar．You look at what is happening in the present and then project(设想)into the future．

　　Take something like the motor-car, for example．It's obviously wasteful, noisy, dangerous, etc．So perhaps in the future it will have been replaced by something better．Projecting in the same way we can say that the common cold will have been cured; pollution will be got rid of; Antarctica will have been developed; money will have been replaced by credit cards; floating cities will have been built; the Jupiter(木星)will have been visited ;a cure for cancer will have been discovered．The world's mineral supplies will have been used up, and so on．But only one thing is really certain：most of us will have been completely forgotten!

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阅读理解

　　Americans often try to say things as quickly as possible, so for some expressions we use the first letters of the words instead of saying each word．Many common expressions or long names are shortened this way．

　　BYOB is a short way of saying “bring your own bottle”．The letters BYOB are often found at the bottom of a written invitation to a simple social event or gathering friends．For example, I decide to have a party on a Sunday afternoon．I might write a note saying, “Please come to the party, and BYOB．” The bottle each person brings is what that person wants to drink at the party．

　　An invitation to a special event, such as a wedding, would never say BYOB．However, an invitation to an official or very special event often has other letters at the bottom of it．The letters are RSVP．The letters represent the French expression “repondez sil vous plait”．In English, the words mean “Respond if it pleases you”．Americans use the letters as a short way to say please answer this invitation．

　　Another expression ASAP is often heard in business offices．My boss might say she wants something done ASAP．It means as soon as possible．She also might tell me she wants something done by COB．That means she wants it finished by close of business, or the end of the workday．

　　Beginning letters often are used to represent the name of a university．A famous one is MIT．It is short for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology．Another major university is UCLA, almost no one ever says its real name, the University of California at Los Angeles．That takes too long．

　　Some American businesses are better known for the beginning letters of their name than for their complete names．For example, you may not have heard of the company called International Business Machines, but you probably have heard of the company by its short name IBM．And the American Telephone and Telegraph Company is much better known as AT & T．Many American government agencies are known by the beginning letters of their name, too．For example, the FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation．The FBI investigates criminal activity in the United States．Then there is the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service．It is not a very popular agency．It collects Federal taxes．Here is an example you already know－VOA．Yes, it is the short name of the “Voice of America”．

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阅读理解

　　Traveling without a map in different countries, I find out about different “styles”(方式)of directions(方向)every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”

　　Foreign tourists are often confused(迷惑的)in Japan because most streets there don't have name signs; in Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names．For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner．Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market．The post office is across from the bus stop．”

　　People in Los Angeles(洛杉矶), the US, have no idea of distance on the map：they measure(衡量)distance(距离)by time, not miles．“How far away is the post office?” you ask．“Oh,” they answer, “it's about five minutes from here．” You don't understand completely, “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won't get an answer, because most probably they don't know it themselves．

　　People in Greece(希腊)sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language．Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me．” Then he'll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office．

　　Sometimes a person doesn't know the answer to your question．What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea．” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don't know．” People there believe that “I don't” is impolite．They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one．So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!

　　However, one thing will help you everywhere in the world．It's body language．

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