Robots can’t completely ________ humans though they are very clever.A.take the place o

课外选材

WIDE WORLD OF ROBOTS

Engineers who build and program robots have fascinating jobs. These researchers tinker (修补) with machines in the lab and write computer software to control these devices. "They're the best toys out there," says Howle Choset at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Choset is a roboticist, a person who designs, builds or programs robots.

When Choset was a kid, he was interested in anything that moved--cars, trains, animals. He put motors on Tinkertoy cars to make them move. Later, in high school, he built mobile robots similar to small cars.

Hoping to continue working on robots, he studied computer science in college. But when he got to graduate school at the Califomia Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Choset's labmates were working on something even cooler than remotely controlled cars: robotic snakes. Some robots can move only forward, backward, left and right. But snakes can twist (扭曲 ) in many directions and travel over a lot of different types of terrain (地形) . "Snakes are far more interesting than the cars," Choset concluded.

After he started working at Carnegie Mellon, Choset and his colleagues there bagan developing their own snake robots. Choset's team programmed robots to perform. the same movements as real snakes, such as sliding and inching forward. The robots also moved in ways that snakes usually don't, such as rolling.

Choset's snake robots could crawl (爬行) through the grass, swim in a pond and even climb a flagpole.

But Choset wondered if his snakes might be useful for medicine as well. For some heart surgeries, the doctor has to open a patient's chest, cutting through the breastbone. Recovering from these surgeries can be very painful. What if the doctor could perform. the operation by instead making a small hole in the body and sending in a thin robotic snake？

Choset teamed up with Marco Zenati, a heart surgeon now at Harvard Medical School, to investigate the idea. Zenati practiced using the robot on a plastic model of the chest and they tested the robot in pigs.

A company called Medrobotics in Boston is now adapting the technology to surgeries on people.

Even after 15 years of working with his team's creations, "I still don't get bored of watching the motion of my robots," Choset says.

1. Choset began to build robots in high school.{T; F}

2. Snake robots could move in only four directions.{T; F}

3. Choset didn't begin developing his own snake robots until he started working at Carnegie Mellon.{T; F}

4. Zenati tested the robot on people after using it in pigs.{T; F}

5. The robotic technology for surgeries on people has brought a handsome profit to Medrobotics.{T; F}

Wide World of Robots

Engineers who build and program robots have fascinating jobs. These researchers tinker(修补) with machines in the lab and write computer software to control these devices. “They’re the best toys out there,” says Howle Choset at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Choset is a roboticist, a person who designs, builds or programs robots.

When Choset was a kid, he was interested in anything that moved — cars, trains, animals. He put motors on Tinkertoy cars to make them move. Later, in high school, he built mobile robots similar to small cars.

Hoping to continue working on robots, he studied computer science in college. But when he got to graduate school at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Choset’s labmates were working on something even cooler than remotely controlled cars: robotic snakes. Some robots can move only forward, backward, left and right. But snakes can twist(扭曲) in many directions and travel over a lot of different types of terrain(地形). “Snakes are far more interesting than the cars,” Choset concluded.

After he started working at Carnegie Mellon, Choset and his colleagues there began developing their own snake robots. Choset’s team programmed robots to perform. the same movements as real snakes, such as sliding and inching forward. The robots also moved in ways that snakes usually don’t, such as rolling. Choset’s snake robots could crawl(爬行) through the grass, swim in a pond and even climb a flagpole.

But Choset wondered if his snakes might be useful for medicine as well. For some heart surgeries, the doctor has to open a patient’s chest, cutting through the breastbone. Recovering from these surgeries can be very painful. What if the doctor could perform. the operation by instead making a small hole in the body and sending in a thin robotic snake？

Choset teamed up with Marco Zenati, a heart surgeon now at Harvard Medical School, to investigate the idea. Zenati practiced using the robot on a plastic model of the chest and they tested the robot in pigs.

A company called Medrobotics in Boston is now adapting the technology to surgeries on people. Even after 15 years of working with his team’s creations, “I still don’t get bored of watching the motion of my robots,” Choset says.

16. Choset began to build robots in high school.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

r Statistics projects that while the number of nurses will increase by 19 percent by 2022, demand will grow faster than supply, and that there will be over one million unfilled nursing jobs by then.

So what's the solution？ Robots.

Japan is ahead of the curve when it comes to this trend. Toyohashi University of Technology has developed Terapio, a robotic medical cart that can make hospital rounds, deliver medications and other items, and retrieve records. It follows a specific individual, such as a doctor or nurse, who can use it to record and access patient data. This type of robot will likely be one of the first to be implemented in hospitals because it has fairly minimal patient contact.

Robots capable of social engagement help with loneliness as well as cognitive functioning, but the robot itself doesn't have to engage directly—it can serve as an intermediary for human communication. Telepresence robots such as MantaroBot, Vgo, and Giraff can be controlled through a computer, smartphone, or tablet, allowing family members or doctors to remotely monitor patients or Skype them, often via a screen where the robot's ' face' would be. If you can't get to the nursing home to visit grandma, you can use a telepresence robot to hang out with her. A 2016 study found that users had a "consistently positive attitude" about the Giraff robot's ability to enhance communication and decrease feelings of loneliness.

A robot's appearance affects its ability to successfully interact with humans, which is why the RIKEN-TRI Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research decided to develop a robotic nurse that looks like a huge teddy bear. RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance), also known as ‘Robear', can help patients into and out of wheelchairs and beds with its strong arms.

On the less cute and more scary side there is Actroid F, which is so human-like that some patients may not know the difference. This conversational robot companion has cameras in its eyes, which allow it to track patients and use appropriate facial expressions and body language in its interactions. During a month- long hospital trial, researchers asked 70 patients how they felt being around the robot and "only three or four said they didn't like having it around."

It's important to note that robotic nurses don't decide courses of treatment or make diagnoses (though robot doctors and surgeons may not be far off). Instead, they perform. routine and laborious tasks, freeing nurses up to attend to patients with immediate needs. This is one industry where it seems the integration of robots will lead to collaboration, not replacement.

51. What does the author say about Japan？

A) It delivers the best medications for the elderly.

B) It takes the lead in providing robotic care.

C) It provides retraining for registered nurses.

D) It sets the trend in future robotics technology.

52. What do we learn about the robot Terapio？

A) It has been put to use in many Japanese hospitals.

B) It provides specific individualized care to patients.

C) It does not have much direct contact with patients.

D) It has not revolutionized medical service in Japan.

53. What are telepresence robots designed to do？

A) Directly interact with patients to prevent them from feeling lonely.

B) Cater to the needs of patients for recovering their cognitive capacity.

C) Closely monitor the patients' movements and conditions around the clock.

D) Facilitate communication between patients and doctors or family members.

54. What is one special feature of the robot Actroid F？

A) It interacts with patients just like a human companion.

B) It operates quietly without patients realizing its presence.

C) It likes to engage in everyday conversations with patients.

D) It uses body language even more effectively than words.

55. What can we infer from the last paragraph？

A) Doctors and surgeons will soon be laid off.

B) The robotics industry will soon take off.

C) Robots will not make nurses redundant.

D) Collaboration will not replace competition.

be seen, but they are following the orders given to them by machines. The machines were designed by mad scientists, but at some point even the mad scientists were taken over by their super-inventions.

Does this sound familiar？ You have probably read something like it in magazines or books, or seen it in a film. Why is it so popular？ One of the reasons is that it reflects the fears of many people; fear of the unknown fear of what is not understood or, at least, fear of something that is not completely understood.

The fact is that every day it seems that computers take control of another area of our lives. Some

factory jobs are now done by robots and the robots are controlled by computers. Our bank accounts are managed by computers. At the airport, our tickets are sold by a computer. Certainly, many of these operations are made more

efficient by computers, but our admiration is sometimes mixed with unsafe feelings. And this lack of safety is caused by the fact that we do not know how computers do these things, and we really don't know what they might do next. But we can find out how computers work, and once we understand them, we can use computers instead of worrying about being used by them. Today, there is a new generation of computer wizards who know exactly how computers get things done. These young men and women, usually university students, are happy to sit for hours, sometimes for days, designing programs, not eating, not sleeping, but discovering what can be done by these wonderful slaves which they have learned to control. These computer wizards have learned to use the computer and search for new tasks for their machines.

(1)、According to the passage, our present world is under the control of ______ .

A：mad scientists

B：men and women

C：the unknown fear

D：some super-inventions

(2)、The reason why many people are afraid of computers is that ______ .

A：they don't know anything about computers

B：they haven't really understood computers

C：there are so many computer games

D：computers are often down

(3)、The author mentions computer wizards in order to point out that ______ .

A：computers can be controlled by man

B：there should be more people devoted to computers

C：only young people are interested in computers

D：more time and energy is required to control computers

(4)、This passage is probably written to suggest that ______ .

A：some day computers can deal with all human problems

B：computers can be used in place of traveling to our jobs

C：people should not fear computers

D：computer technology will not meet people's needs in various situations

(5)、The author's attitude towards widely used computers is __.

A：positive

B：anxious

C：worried

D：serious

ned in the next presidential campaign： What happens when the robots come for theirjobs？

Don‘t dismiss that possibility entirely About half of U.S jobs are at high risk of beingautomated， according to a University of Oxford study， with the middle class disproportionatelysqueezed Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don’t appeal to robots But manymiddle-class occupations-trucking， financial advice， software engineering — have arousedtheir interest， or soon will The rich own the robots， so they will be fine.

This isn‘t to be alarmist Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefitedworkers in the past The Industrial Revolution didn’t go so well for Luddites whose jobs weredisplaced by mechanized looms， but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobsthan it destroyed Likewise， automation should eventually boost productivity， stimulatedemand by driving down prices， and free workers from hard， boring work But in the mediumterm， middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.

The first step， as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age，should be rethinking education and job training Curriculums —from grammar school tocollege- should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complexcommunication Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skillsand helping students work alongside robots Online education can supplement the traditionalkind It could make extra training and instruction affordable Professionals trying to acquirenew skills will be able to do so without going into debt.

The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S to revive itsfading business dynamism： Starting new companies must be made easier In previous eras ofdrastic technological change， entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways tocombine labor and machines The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven‘t beeninvented yet The U.S needs the new companies that will invent them.

Finally， because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and laborincome， taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought Taxes on low-wage labor need tobe cut， and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded： Thiswould boost incomes， encourage work， reward companies for job creation， and reduceinequality.

Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years， yet this willbe little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation Destroyingthe machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts But policies to help workers adapt willbe indispensable.

Who will be most threatened by automation？

A.Leading politicians

B.Low-wage laborers

C.Robot owners

D.Middle-class workers

Education in the age of automation should put more emphasis onA.creative potential

B.job-hunting skills

C.individual needs

D.cooperative spirit

Which of the following best represent the author’s view？A.Worries about automation are in fact groundless

B.Optimists‘ opinions on new tech find little support

C.Issues arising from automation need to be tackled

D.Negative consequences of new tech can be avoided

The author suggests that tax policies be aimed atA.encouraging the development of automation

B.increasing the return on capital investment

C.easing the hostility between rich and poor

D.preventing the income gap from widening

In this text， the author presents a problem withA.opposing views on it

B.possible solutions to it

C.its alarming impacts

D.its major variations

请帮忙给出每个问题的正确答案和分析，谢谢！

For anyone who hates doing yard work, your new best friend may have arrived. A robot can autonomously shovel snow, collect leaves and cut grass.

“We’re trying t o help people not spend time on yard work，”said Steven Waelbers, the designer of t he robot. “We want people to enjoy t heir free time with their family.”The electric robot can run by itself in right directions with the help of two beacons(信号塔) that must be placed in the yard. the robot includes a camera and ultrasound sensor (超声传感器) that Waelbers said would stop quickly when it finds pets and people.

Owners of the robot will need t o regulate t he values stored in the robot. then it will confirm the task it’s going to take. Before the robot operate by itself, an owner must manually wheel it around the yard 一 taking it around any obstacles like trees, bushes or mailboxes. By doing this, the robot is taught how long and wide the lawn is, and won’t accidentally(不小心) destroy your rose hush or run to the neighborhood.

Once this setup is complete, and the $3,999 robot has been trained on where to cut grass, rake leaves and shovel snow, it operates without any supervision.

Waelbers has always loved to build robots and play with electronics. He started work on a high-tech company after his father asked him to make a robot that would shovel snow for him. Waelbers plans to start sales in early 2017.

26. This article mainly talks about()

A. a newly-designed robot

B. The founder of a company

C. problems with a new product

27. According to Steven Waelbers, the robot is designed to()

A. encourage people to do exercise

B. help people keep healthy and fit

C. make people enjoy family time

28.the robot would stop in front of pets and people thanks to()

A. the remote controller

B. the ultrasound sensor

C. the big and square yard

29. Which of the following steps should be done in the first place？()

A. An owner must wheel the robot around the yard by himself.

B. The robot learns and stores the length and width of the lawn.

C. The robot operates the task it’s going to take without supervision.

30. Which of the following about Waelbers is TRUE？()

A. He didn’t love building robots when he was a young boy.

B. His father asked him to make a robot that could play balls.

C. He is starting to sell this snow-shoveling robot in early 2017.

A．Social robots are more difficult to design

B．Industrial robots are more complicated to design

C．Social robots can be more useful than industrial robots

D．Industrial robots can do less than social robots

A.So clever are the robots

B.Such clever the robots are

C.So clever the robots are

D.Such clever are the robots

Robots May Allow Surgery in Space

Small robots designed by University of Nebraska researchers may allow doctors on Earth to help perform. surgery on patients in space.

The tiny, wheeled robots, （51）are about 3 inches tall and as wide as a lipstick case, can be slipped into small incisions(切口)and computer-controlled by surgeons in different locations. Some robots are equipped（52）cameras and lights and can send images back to surgeons and others have surgical tools attached that can be（53）remotely.

“We think this is going to （54）open surgery, ”Dr Dmitry Oleynikov said at a news conference. Oleynikov is a （55）in computer-assisted surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Officials hope that NASA will teach（56）to use the robots soon enough so that surgeries could one day be performed in space.

On earth, the surgeons could control the robots themselves（57）other locations. For example, the robots could enable surgeons in other places to （58）on injured soldiers on the front line. Researchers plan tp seek federal regulatory（59）early nest year. Tests on animals have been successful, and tests on humans in England will begin very soon.

The camera-carrying robots can provide（60）of affected areas and the ones with surgical tools will be able to maneuver(操控)inside the body in ways surgeons' hands can't. The views from the camera-carrying robots are （61）than the naked eye, because they（62）back color images that are magnified(放大). Because several robots can be inserted through one incision, they could reduce the amount and （63）of cuts needed for surgery, which would decrease recovery time. This is particularly（64）to those patients who have been debilitated(使虚弱)by long illness.

Eventually, Oleynikov said, the tiny robots may enable surgeons to work without ever（65）their hands in patients' bodies. “That's the goal, ”Oleynikov said. “It's getting easier and easier. We can do even more with these devices. ”

A．since

B．when

C．which

D．as

Kismet is different from traditional robots because

A．it thinks for itself

B．It is not like science fiction

C．it can look after two—year-old

D．it seems to have human feelings