15．By 2050，a completely new type of human evolve as a result of extremely new technology，behavior，and natural selection．This is according to Cadell Last，a researcher at the Global Brain Institute，who claims mankind is undergoing a major"evolutionary transition"．
In less than four decades，Mr．Last claims we will live longer，have children in old age and rely on artificial intelligence to do ordinary and boring tasks．This shift is so significant，he claims，it is comparable to the change from monkeys to apes，and apes to humans．"Your 80or 100is going to be so radically different than your grandparents，"Mr．Last says，who believes we will spend much of our time living in virtual reality．Some evolutionary scientists believe this age could be as high as 120by 2050．
Mr．Last claims humans will also demonstrate delayed sexual maturation，according to a report by Christina Sterbenz in Business Insider．This refers to something known as life history theory which attempts to explain how natural selection shapes key events in a creature's life，such as reproduction．It suggests that as brain sizes increase，organisms need more energy and time to reach their full potential，and so reproduce less．
Instead of living fast and dying younger，Mr．Last believes humans will live slow and die old．"Global society at the moment is a complete mess，"he told MailOnline．"But in crisis there is opportunity，and in apocalypse （啟示） there can be transformation．So I think the next system humanity creates will be far more sophisticated，fair，and abundant than our current civilization．"
"I think our next system will be as different from the modern world，as our contemporary world is from the medieval （中世紀的） world．The biological clock isn't going to be around forever，"he added，and said that people could pause it for some time using future technology．
The change is already happening．Today，the average age at which a woman in Britain has her first baby has been rising steadily stands at 29.8．In the US，just one percent of first children were born to women over the age of 35in 1970．By 2012，that figure rose to 15percent．
"As countries become socio-economically advanced，more and more people，especially women have the option to engage in cultural reproduction，"Mr．Last added．And as well as having more child-free years to enjoy leisure time，he believes artificial intelligence will make up the need for low-skill jobs．We may also spend a large amount of time living in virtual reality．"I'm not quite sure most people have really absorbed the implications of this possibility，"Mr．Last said．
His views are detailed in a paper，titled"Human Evolution，Life History Theory，and the End of Biological Reproduction"published Current Aging Science．
59．According to Cadell Last，a completely new type of human will appear because ofA．
①artificial intelligence ②new technology ③natural selection ④mundane tasks
⑤behavior
A．②③⑤
B．①②③
C．③④⑤
D．①②⑤
60．Which statement is compared by Mr．Last to the change from monkeys to apes，and apes to humans？D
A．We have diseases and die young．
B．We give birth to a child when we are young．
C．We spend less time in virtual reality．
D．We use intelligent robots to do everyday housework．
61．The underlined words in the third paragraph most probably mean"A"．
A．Organisms need more energy and time to ripen．
B．Natural selection shapes key events．
C．Reproduction．
D．Reproduce less．
62．In the next system Mr．Last explained we can infer thatA．
A．women are engaged in careers or hobbies instead of giving birth to babies
B．women are engaged in playing computer games rather than working
C．women are engaged in cultural reproduction in place of men
D．women are engaged in living in virtual reality without options．
分析 本文寫了到2050，一種全新的人類進化會出現(xiàn)新的技術(shù)、行為和自然選擇．
解答 59．A 細節(jié)理解題．由第一段中的"a completely new type of human evolve as a result of extremely new technology，behavior，and natural selection．This is according to Cadell Last"可知，一種全新的人類進化作為一個非常新的技術(shù)，行為，和自然選擇． 所以答案順序為②③⑤正確，故選A．
60．D 細節(jié)理解題．由第二段中的"Mr．Last claims we will live longer，have children in old age and rely on artificial intelligence to do ordinary and boring tasks．"可知拉斯特先生聲稱，我們將活得更長，有孩子在老年和依靠人工智能做普通和無聊的任務，D項正確．
61．A 句意理解題．由后文中的"It suggests that as brain sizes increase，organisms need more energy and time to reach their full potential，and so reproduce less．"可知，畫線部分指的是生物體需要更多的時間和精力成熟起來，從而充分發(fā)揮其潛力，故A項正確．
62．A 推理判斷題．由文章倒數(shù)第三段可知，這種改變已經(jīng)發(fā)生，女性生孩子的年齡越來越晚，再由倒數(shù)第二段中的"more and more people，especially women have the option to engage in cultural reproduction"可知，越來越多的女性選擇參與到文化再生產(chǎn)中，也就是說越來越多的女性選擇投入到工作或業(yè)余愛好中去，由此可知A項正確．
點評 閱讀理解題測試考生在閱讀基礎上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據(jù)文章所述事件的邏輯關(guān)系，對未說明的趨勢或結(jié)局作出合理的推斷；或根據(jù)作者所闡述的觀點理論，對文章未涉及的現(xiàn)象、事例給以解釋．考生首先要仔細閱讀短文，完整了解信息，準確把握作者觀點．
