W: Hi, Professor Smith. I hear you’ve written a book titled Visions.
M: Yes.(1)__________________________.
W: Could I ask you some questions concerning the book?
M: Sure.
W: Are you optimistic about the future?
M: Generally, yeah. If we go back to the year of 1900, most Americans didn’t live beyond the age of 50. Since then, we’ve had improvements in health care and technology. There is no reason why these won’t continue far into the 21st century.
W: Are we ready for the changes that will come?
M: Changes are already happening. The future is here now. We have DNA, microchips, the internet. Some people’s reaction is to say, we are too old; we don’t understand new technology.(2)_______________________.
W: Is world population going to be a big problem?
M: Yes, and no. I think that world population will stop increasing as we all get richer. If you are a part of the middle class, you don’t want or need 12 children.
W: Will there be a world government?
M: Very probably. (3)____________________________because countries alone are too small.
W: Will we have control of everything?
M: I think we’ll learn to control the weather, volcanoes and earthquakes. Illness won’t exist. (4)________________________. People will live to about 130 or 150. For 2000 years, we have tried to understand our environment. Now we’ll begin to control it.
