PAU mock exam 4

2109: a life of equality – but no polar bears

It is going to take until 2109 for there to be pay parity between men and women – by which time our planet will look radically
different.
Robots should finally be smart enough to liberate us from mundane responsibilities – and space tourism will be old news, as will
planetary exploration. Instead we will begin reaching out beyond our solar system to neighbouring stars, using millions of tiny
nanoships to scout for suitable planets, and giant solar sails to carry us there. And we will use clean nuclear fusion to meet all our
energy needs. At least that’s according to futurologist Michio Kaku, whose book Physics of the Future attempts to predict what our
world will look like a century from now.
But while this may still all sound like science-fiction, we may actually find ourselves hoping he’s right, not least because of how
crowded our planet will become. For, while it’s still possible that our global population level may actually have dropped by 2100,
if growth continues at current levels, there is the distinct possibility that a century from now we could be brushing shoulders with
43.6 billion other people. Quite literally in fact because, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if average
temperatures are allowed to rise by 1–4 ºC we could see sea levels rising by as much as six metres, which would create even less
space. Along the way extinctions may help free up some land. It’s impossible to tell which ones, according to Jean-Christophe Vie
of the International Union of the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Endangered Species, but in the firing line are tigers, polar
bears and the Javan rhino, he says.
But it’s not all bad news. Advances in medicine should cut mortality rates in countries such as the UK. And for women that’s great
news, because not only will they get to finally enjoy equal pay but their life expectancy should rise to 90, five years longer than
their male counterparts.
Adapted from 2109: a life of equality – but no polar bears, Duncan Graham-Rowe, guardian.co.uk, 31st August 2011

1 Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Use the 3 Use of English
exact words from the text to justify your answers. Rewrite the following sentences, keeping their original
1 Women and men will be earning the same amount of meaning.
money by 2109. 1 By 2100 the temperatures will have increased by four degrees.
In 2100

2 According to Kaku’s book, the use of nuclear energy will 2 The transformation of the world will be such an important
disappear. issue that we won’t speak about anything else.
The changes in the world will be so

3 According to the article, by the year 2100 there will be more
inhabitants and less space to live in. 4 Match the words 1–5 with the meanings a–e.
1 present a allowed
2 permitted b crowded
3 disappearance c current
2 Answer the following questions in your own words, relating
4 number d extinction
to the ideas from the passage.
5 populated e rate
1 Why will space tourism be old news?
5 Write a composition of 100–130 words on the following:
Describe how you imagine the world in 100 year’s time.
2 According to the article, what things do women have to Include a personal comment.
look forward to?

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2015