The Rise of Robots
As kids, our grandparents frequently scared us by talking about how difficult life was when they were growing up. They mentioned walking miles to school in the snow, or doing hours of manual labour for little pay. Life has changed greatly since then, and it seems to get easier year by year. In fact, with the help of robots we soon might have to do much at all. But is this a good thing?
By 2030, it’s estimated that robotics will be a $$$$$$$$10 billion business worldwide. Companies are already starting to integrate them into the workforce. The electronics manufacturer Foxconn is drawing up plans to launch a factory within the next 10 years that’s completely staffed by robot workers. Meanwhile, an American company Briggo has invented a robot that serves gourmet- quality coffee to customers. With the push of a button it will crush coffee beans, measure exact quantities of water, and even wave a steam wand to ensure customers get the perfect cream on top. Unlike human baristas, it can serve multiple drinks at once and work all day and night without a break.
Robots are also invading our homes. The Rooma is a mini-robot that vacuums rooms automatically according to a schedule. The Robomow is a device that will cut the grass for you while you sit in the shade. Then there’s the Nanda clocky, an alarm clock that makes sure that even the deepest sleepers get up on time. The clock is attached to a pair of wheels, and it will randomly move around the room. Once you finally catch it, you’re probably too awake to hit the snooze button. Although these early home robots are somewhat basic, they will likely become more capable as times goes on.
Although robots certainly help us to eliminate tedious tasks, many people are concerned about a future filled with robots. Some fear that humanity will start to decline if machines do everything for us. Others have even warned about the robot rebellion, in which robots become so smart that they may decide to turn on their masters. These ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but there are certainly lots of questions that need to be answered before everyone opens up to the idea of a robotic future.
Question 184: How is Briggo’s invention superior to human workers?
It is more knowledgeable about coffee-making.
It is better at conversation.
It never has to stop.
It can operate machinery.
Question 185: What would happen if you pressed the snooze button?
You would have to wake up immediately
The alarm clock would turn off forever
The alarm would stop, but go off again soon
Nothing would happen at all
Question 186: Which of the following is NOT true about the concerns over roboties?
It takes some time for people to accept robots.
Robots may do some harm to humans
The idea of robotics may seem far-fetched.
Robots may be dominant at the workplace.
Question 187: The word “tedious” in the last paragraph mostly means                      .
A. boring         B. difficult      C. intelligent D. expensive
Question 188: What is the last paragraph mainly about?
Some reasons why people don’t accept robots yet.
A very amusing science-fiction story about robots.
How people in local communities are supporting robots.
A few of the lastest robots on the market today.
Question 189: According to the first paragraph, how is the life changed since our parents time?
The education system has got much worse
Things aren’t as hard as they once were
Children have to walk longer distance to school
It hasn’t changed much at all
Question 190: All of the following are true about robots EXCEPT that                      .
they can work all day and night without break
they have greater capabilities
they can draw up plans to launch a story
they can do boring tasks for human
Question 191: We can infer from the passage that                      .
present domestic robots can work without any programs
the communication will decline with the use of robots
a robot rebellion can happen daily
robotics will have been a major business by 2030
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