Robots have come a long way since 15th century. We’ve got robots to build cars, carry heavy things, work in dangerous places and explore planets. But things haven’t stopped there.
In 1986, Honda made a robot called ASIMO. And now, it has been developed greatly. Standing at 130cm and weighing 54kg. ASIMO is very much like a small astronaut wearing a bag on the back. And he can walk, flight, climb and run fast. Isn’t it wonderful?
The world’s first robot teacher is Saya. With her human-like face, she can show expressions like happiness, surprise, sadness, dislike, fear and she can even smile or show anger at students, which look much like a real teacher’s. To do this, her rubber skin is pulled from the back with motors inside. And her eyes and mouth have wires(電線) too. She can also say some simple words like “hello” or “thank you”.
In the UK, the development of robots is exciting. The mini-robots will send food, clean floors, collect and throw away waste. These robots can open doors by themselves and stop if anything or anyone is in the way.
These mini-robots are very useful for controlling infection(傳染). Usually clean and dirty work is done by the same person, but here, you’ll have robots that do”dirty work”, like collecting dirty sheets, or taking away hospital waste; and you’ll have robots that do”clean work”, like bringing meals or clean sheets to patients. The robots have separate work so there’s no way for infection, which is great. But of course, robots would not take the piece of humans, but would free up more time for nurses to be with patients.
But if this is what it’s like in 2011, what’s it going to be like to 2021?
小題1:In the following, which is ASIMO’s behavior?
| A．Smiling at people, saying “hello”. |
| B．Sending food or opening doors by himself |
| C．Fighting, climbing or running fast |
| D．Collecting waste for patients |
小題2:What makes Saya look real?
| A．Her face and rich expressions | B．Her clothes and shoes |
| C．Her walking and running speed | D．Her rich knowledge |
小題3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Robots have come a long way since 1986. |
| B．The first robot teacher was made by Honda. |
| C．Saya looks like a small astronaut. |
| D．If anyone or anything is in the way, mini-robots will stop. |
小題4:The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that _______.
| A．nurses would have more free time with patients |
| B．robots would not take the place of humans |
| C．dirty and clean work is always done by the same person |
| D．mini-robots are useful for controlling infection |
The first Earth Hour was held in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals(個體) and more than two thousand businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later Earth Hour had grown into a global event with more than 50 million people across 35 countries and territories（行政區(qū)）participating(參加). Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent(緊急) by the hour. In March 2009, millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries and territories have promised their official support for the event. On Saturday 27 March, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour. A record said 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action.
do much listening．Don’t be 32 of making mistakes．But be careful not to let them stop you from improving your 33 ．While you are doing this，a good 34 is to write-keep a diary，write notes or letters．Then if you can，ask some others to go through 35 you have written and tell you where it is wrong．Many mistakes in your speaking will be 36 found when you write．Through correcting mistakes，you can do better in learning English．
