Question

IMAGINE that your parents have bought you the most advanced robot. He looks like a real person. He talks to you and plays with you. He can even think for himself and figure out what you need.

It may feel as if you have a considerate new brother who keeps you company all the time. But come to think of it, can you really trust him?

Ever since the first robot was created decades ago, scientists have kept thinking about the task of making robots more like humans. However, as they have gotten closer to that goal, doubts have grown. According to the BBC, Japanese robot designer Masahiro Mori argues that the more lifelike robots become, the more humans feel a connection to them. But once they become too similar to humans, people begin to feel uncomfortable.

This theory is what led to the creation of a brand new robot in Switzerland earlier this month. Roboy, as the new machine is called, has various human-like abilities such as hand-shaking and bicycle-riding, but instead of a skin-like covering, Roboy is wrapped in shiny white armor (盔甲) that clearly shows its robot status.

“As long as people can clearly see that the robot is a machine, even if they project their feelings into it, then they feel comfortable,” Rolf Pfeifer, the creator of Roboy from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, told the BBC.

But the problem that people have with robots is not just with the way they look. It also has to do with the roles that they play in our lives.

A survey last year of European Union countries showed that 88 percent of those interviewed agreed that robots are “necessary as they can do jobs that are too hard or dangerous for people”, such as space exploration and war fighting. But when it comes to taking care of children, 60 percent said that robots should not be allowed to participate, because as robots become more advanced and complicated, parents may tend to hand over too much responsibility to them.

No matter what, robots will soon enter our homes, Pfeifer said. What is not yet clear is whether they will act more like servants who work for us or companions who live with us.

1.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To introduce the newly-invented robot, Roboy.

B. To discuss problems related to designing robots.

C. To explore the roles robots will play in our future lives.

D. To argue what kinds of robots appeal to people more.

2.Why did Pfeifer make Roboy look like a robot?

A. To better protect it.

B.To make it look cool and modern.

C. To make it clearly different from a human.

D. To keep its price down.

3.Which best describes the author’s tone in the article?

A. Objective(客观的).B. Critical(批评的).

C. Admiring.D. Anxious.

4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The brand new robot in Switzerland can do everything human beings can.

B. Scientists have long been dreaming of creating human-like robots.

C. Robots in the future will serve as human beings’ good friends.

D. People won’t be comfortable with robots like a machine in the house.

Answer 1