Question

When you think of robots, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think of science fiction movies like Star Wars, where robots of all shapes and sizes are part of daily life? The word “robot” itself comes from a play written in 1920 by Karel Capek. In the play, people create robots to do some everyday tasks.

Today, most robots don’t look human. Modern robots take many forms and are good at many things, from sweeping the floors in your home to working in factories. They are even exploring the surface of the moon. But there is an interesting irony(諷刺) in the world of robotics which describes a surprising problem: What humans find easy is extremely complicated for a robot. However, what humans find difficult is pretty easy for a robot. For example, picking up clothes in a messy room is simple for people. But that kind of chore is very hard for a robot. Another example is the game of chess. People might find it difficult to win the game of chess all the time. But robots like Alpha-Go can be programmed to play it very well.

This is because robots are very good at doing things in controlled environments. However, moving through a room filled with random(隨機的) objects is hard for robots, along with picking up objects of different shapes and sizes without damaging them. In short, it is very difficult for them to deal with certain types of variables.

It turns out that one of the most difficult things to improve in robots is their ability to control objects. Luckily, great progress is being made in the development of robots. On the one hand, exciting developments in making human-like hands and legs are underway. On the other hand, the biggest progress might result from using virtual learning(虛擬學習) to “teach” robots through computer simulations(模擬). In this way, robots can “guess” what to do without an order when they meet unfamiliar things in the real world.

Soon, robots may be able to do those things that humans find simple. That means big changes in what robots can do and how they can help us with daily tasks. Robots might make movies a reality.

1.What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A.To give an example.

B.To present the topic.

C.To explain what robots are.

D.To show how robots develop.

2.According to the passage, what might be difficult for robots?

A.Playing chess.

B.Washing the dishes.

C.Making cars in factories.

D.Gathering up clothes in a mess.

3.What’s the writer’s opinion about robots in the future?

A.They will cause further problems for people.

B.They will deal with new things depend on orders.

C.They can hardly develop until they look like human.

D.They can benefit people more by making improvements.

Answer 1