Scientists are racing to build the world's first thinking robot. This is not science fiction： some say they will have made it by the year 2020，Carol Packer reports. Machines that walk, speak and feel are no longer science fiction. Kismet is the name of an android (人形机器人）which scientists have built at the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Kismet is different from the traditional robot because it can show human emotions. Its eyes, ears and lips move to show when it feels happy, sad or bored. Kismet is one of the first of a new generation of androids—robots that look like human beings—which can imitate human feelings. Cog, another android invented by the MIT, imitates the action of a mother. However, scientists admit that so far Cog has the mental ability of a two-year-old. The optimists (乐观主义者） say that by the year2020 we will have created humanoids (人形机器人） with brains similar to those of all adult human beings. These robots will be designed to look like people to make them more attractive and easier to sell to the public. What kind of jobs will they do? In the future, robots like Robonaut , a humanoid invented by NASA, will be doing dangerous jobs, like repairing space stations. They will also be doing more and more of the household work for us. In Japan, scientists are designing androids that will entertain us by dancing and playing the piano. Some people worry about what the future holds：Will robots become monsters(怪物）？ Will people themselves become increasingly like robots? Experts predict that more and more people will be wearing micro-computers，connected to the Internet, in the future. People will have micro-chips in various parts of their body, which will connect them to a wide variety of gadgets (小装置）. Perhaps we should not exaggerate (夸大）the importance of technology, but one wonders whether, in years to come，we will still be falling in love, and whether we will still feel pain. Who knows? 【选项】1. Kismet is different from traditional robots because __________. A. it thinks for itselfB. it is not like science fictionC. it can look after two-year-old childrenD. it seems to have human feelings2. What makes Cog special?A. It looks like a mother. B. It behaves like a child. C. It can imitate the behavior of a mother. D. It has a huge brain. 3. In about 10 years' time from now, robots __________ A. will become space designersB. will look like monstersC. will behave like animalsD. will think like humans4. In the future robots will also __________. A. explore spaceB. entertain peopleC. move much fasterD. do all of the housework5. What is the writer's attitude to robots in the future?A. Critical. B. Hostile. C. Objective. D. Enthusiastic.
Scientists are racing to build the world's first thinking robot. This is not science fiction： some say they will have made it by the year 2020，Carol Packer reports.
Machines that walk, speak and feel are no longer science fiction. Kismet is the name of an android (人形机器人）which scientists have built at the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Kismet is different from the traditional robot because it can show human emotions. Its eyes, ears and lips move to show when it feels happy, sad or bored. Kismet is one of the first of a new generation of androids—robots that look like human beings—which can imitate human feelings. Cog, another android invented by the MIT, imitates the action of a mother. However, scientists admit that so far Cog has the mental ability of a two-year-old.
The optimists (乐观主义者） say that by the year2020 we will have created humanoids (人形机器人） with brains similar to those of all adult human beings. These robots will be designed to look like people to make them more attractive and easier to sell to the public. What kind of jobs will they do? In the future, robots like Robonaut , a humanoid invented by NASA, will be doing dangerous jobs, like repairing space stations. They will also be doing more and more of the household work for us. In Japan, scientists are designing androids that will entertain us by dancing and playing the piano.
Some people worry about what the future holds：Will robots become monsters(怪物）？ Will people themselves become increasingly like robots? Experts predict that more and more people will be wearing micro-computers，connected to the Internet, in the future. People will have micro-chips in various parts of their body, which will connect them to a wide variety of gadgets (小装置）. Perhaps we should not exaggerate (夸大）the importance of technology, but one wonders whether, in years to come，we will still be falling in love, and whether we will still feel pain. Who knows?
【选项】
1. 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 children
D. it seems to have human feelings
2. What makes Cog special?
A. It looks like a mother.
B. It behaves like a child.
C. It can imitate the behavior of a mother.
D. It has a huge brain.
3. In about 10 years' time from now, robots __________
A. will become space designers
B. will look like monsters
C. will behave like animals
D. will think like humans
4. In the future robots will also __________.
A. explore space
B. entertain people
C. move much faster
D. do all of the housework
5. What is the writer's attitude to robots in the future?
A. Critical.
B. Hostile.
C. Objective.
D. Enthusiastic.
题目解答
答案
1. D
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. C
解析
Kismet是麻省理工学院（MIT）制造的一个机器人，它与传统机器人不同，因为它能够表现出人类的情感。它的耳朵、眼睛和嘴唇会移动，以显示它是否感到快乐、悲伤或无聊。
步骤 2：理解Cog的特点
Cog是另一个由MIT发明的机器人，它模仿母亲的行为。然而，科学家们承认，到目前为止，Cog的智力水平相当于一个两岁的孩子。
步骤 3：理解未来机器人的发展
乐观主义者认为，到2020年，我们将创造出具有成人智力的机器人。这些机器人将被设计成看起来像人类，以使它们更具吸引力，更容易被公众接受。未来的机器人将能够执行危险的工作，如修理空间站，以及为我们做更多的家务。在日本，科学家们正在设计能够通过跳舞和弹钢琴来娱乐我们的机器人。
步骤 4：理解作者的态度
作者在文章中没有表现出明显的批评、敌对或热情的态度，而是客观地描述了机器人技术的发展和未来可能带来的影响。