Scribd
Upload
4K views5 pages

Unit 4 Robots: The Face of The Future: Prereading

This document summarizes a reading passage about robots and their increasing capabilities and roles. It discusses how ASIMO, an advanced humanoid robot, demonstrated conducting an orchestra and has abilities like running, climbing stairs, and kicking a soccer ball. While industrial robots have long performed dangerous and repetitive tasks, newer robots are being developed for elderly care in aging societies like Japan and household assistance tasks like cleaning. The passage predicts robots will become more useful in the future as their capabilities continue advancing.

Uploaded by

Valentina Bonilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4K views5 pages

Unit 4 Robots: The Face of The Future: Prereading

This document summarizes a reading passage about robots and their increasing capabilities and roles. It discusses how ASIMO, an advanced humanoid robot, demonstrated conducting an orchestra and has abilities like running, climbing stairs, and kicking a soccer ball. While industrial robots have long performed dangerous and repetitive tasks, newer robots are being developed for elderly care in aging societies like Japan and household assistance tasks like cleaning. The passage predicts robots will become more useful in the future as their capabilities continue advancing.

Uploaded by

Valentina Bonilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

UNIT 4 CHAPTER 7 Robots: The Face of the

Future

An ASIMO robot in Tokyo

Prereading
Discuss these questions with a partner.

1. Look at the photo. This is a robot called ASIMO. What do you think it can do? Make a list.
 to cook your dinner
 clean your house
 do your homework
 get your groceries

106 UNIT 4 Technology Today and Tomorrow


2. ASIMO looks like a person. Do you think all robots look like people?

No, because they try to imitate humans, but most robots only fulfill some special
functions.

3. Where do people use robots? Circle your answers. You can choose
more than one answer.
a. At home
b. At work
c. At school

4. Did you ever see a robot? Where did you see it? What did it do?

Yes, in television movies, they do many of the jobs that humans don't want to
do, can't do, or just can't, like cooking, cleaning the house, etc…

5. Imagine you have a robot. What do you want the robot to do for you? Make a list.

• cleaning the house

• cooking

• massages on the body

• driving

• supermarket shopping

ChapTer 7 Robots: The Face of the Future


107
Reading
read the following passage carefully. Then complete the exercises that follow.
CD 1
TR 14

Robots: The Face of the Future


1 ASIMO traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the annual Edinburgh International
2 Science Festival. The festival takes place in February every year. Thousands of people
3
came to visit the festival, but most of them came to see ASIMO. ASIMO is very
4
famous because ASIMO is a robot. It is designed to run, climb stairs, and kick a soccer
5
ball. It can even conduct an orchestra. In fact, when Yo Yo Ma, the famous cellist,
6
performed at a concert in Detroit, Michigan, ASIMO was the conductor. Everyone at
7
8
the concert was amazed not only by Yo Yo Ma, but also by ASIMO.
9 A robot is not a new idea. Scientists developed robots more than 60 years ago.
10 For many years, robots have worked in factories. They do uninteresting jobs, such
11 as packaging food or assembling cars. They are often used to do dangerous work as
12 well. Most of these robots are shaped like machines; they do not look like people.
13 However, ASIMO looks like a person. In addition, it is equipped with the ability to
recognize and remember people.
14 While many countries are developing robots, Japan has the most robots of all.
15 It is also developing more robots very quickly. In Japan, 20 percent of the people are
16 over 65 years old. This means that a lot of Japanese people are senior citizens who no
17 longer work. When people retire, robots can do their work. They can take care of the
18 senior citizens, too. Japan hopes to have one million robots working in the country by
19 the year 2025. A single robot can replace, or do the work of, ten people!
20 In the future, robots will become more useful and popular. Right now you can’t buy
21 a robot to do all your work, but you can buy one to help you around the house. A few
22 years ago, iRobot, an American company, announced that it has robots that can wash,
23 sweep, or vacuum your floors. Although these robots do not look like people, they
24 can work just as hard!

A robot
helps a
woman in a
grocery
store.

108
Fact Finding
read the passage again. Then read the following statements. Check (√) whether each
statement is True or False. If a statement is false, rewrite it so that it is true. Then go
back to the passage and find the line that supports your answer.

1. True False ASIMO can play the cello.

ASIMO, you can conduct an orchestra.

2. True False Some robots do uninteresting and dangerous jobs.

3. True False Most robots look like people.

Most of these robots are machine-like; they don’t look like people. However,
ASIMO looks like a person.

4. True False ASIMO has the ability to recognize people.

5. True False Most people in Japan cannot work.

6. True False One robot can do the work of ten people.

7. True False Now you can buy a robot to clean your floors.

You can buy a robot to do all your work, but you can buy one to help you with
housework.

Write 4 questions according to the reading example:

Where was the International Science Festival?


1. How is ASIMO controlled?
2. What does the name ASIMO stand for?
3. Who created ASIMO?
4. Can ASIMO recognize people and obstacles?

ChapTer 7 Robots: The Face of the Future 5

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy