8 Robots Rule

Unit 8 VOCABULARY 1 Robots (or “bots”) are not just in science-fiction movies. In real life, they work in many environments—in space, on land, and underwater. They do amazing jobs! SPACE Robots can explore space easily because they are mobile and extremely precise. Also, they never need food or sleep. “Bots” have successfully visited Mars, Venus, and Jupiter, where they were controlled by humans on Earth using remote controls. EARTH On Earth, robots are often used to perform useful tasks like cleaning and shopping. Robovie R3 is a Japanese robot that helps older people. Robots perform social tasks, too. For example, AIBO, the robot dog, is a wonderful companion for people. ASIMO, an android robot with human features,can even serve tea and play soccer. UNDERWATER Bots do tasks that are too dangerous or complex for humans. They can respond to commands underwater, like collecting information about ocean life. Scientists hope to be able to program them to clean oil spills, too. Can robots help us save our oceans? 2 Listen and repeat. science fiction Do you enjoy science-fiction movies? mobile Robots are very mobile. They can move on planets. precise When humans feel tired, they are not very precise. control In the future, robots will control our cars! a remote control Where’s the remote control? I want to watch TV. a task Have you fi nished your homework task yet? social Are you a social person? Do you like being with people? a companion I’d like a horse. I think it would be a nice companion. a feature What kind of features does the robot have? dangerous Robots do dangerous jobs that are not safe for humans. complex This is a really complex machine. I don’t understand it. respond to I told the robot to walk, but it didn’t respond to me. a command The astronaut sent a command to her team on Earth. information I need some information about robots for my school project. program We can program robots to fly airplanes.

SONG 1 Listen, read, and sing. I Am a Robot If I were a robot, what would my life be like? I wish I were a robot! What would that life be like? Now, I am a robot. I follow all commands. But I wish I had more features. I wish I had better hands. Now, I am a robot. I do what I am told. But I wish I had a birthday. Then again, I never will get old. I am a robot. I can do many things. Have you ever met a robot that can sing? Now, I am a robot. I’m helpful, and I’m smart. But I wish that I could fix myself. I sometimes fall apart. Now, I am a robot, made of wires and steel. I always say the same thing if you ask me how I feel. I am a robot. I can do many things. Have you ever met a robot that can sing? Now, I am a robot, and I must say goodbye. But even when I’m sad, I am programmed not to cry. I am a robot. I can do many things. Have you ever met a robot that can sing? Have you ever met a robot that can sing?

GRAMMAR 1 Wish statements I wish my teacher were a robot. (But my teacher is not a robot!) I wish I could program a robot. (But I can’t.) Mom wishes she had a robot that played table tennis! (But she doesn’t have one.) Dad wishes the vacuuming robot didn’t cost so much. (But it costs a lot.)

VOCABULARY 2 1 Listen and repeat. Then listen and underline the missing words. voice recognition Sophia has voice recognition. She can understand you when you speak! facial recognition She has facial recognition, too. When she sees your face, she knows who you are. mechanical She has mechanical legs and is learning to walk. a sensor Maybe she will have sensors so that she can smell, touch, and taste things. a laser Maybe lasers will help her to know what is in front of her so she won’t trip over things. 1. Robots smell, touch, and taste things using . 2. Robots with abilities can understand you. 3. Some robots can recognize faces. They have . 4. A robot doesn’t trip over things because it has . 2 Listen and stick. Work with a partner. Discuss. 1. This robot does shopping for people. It has touch sensors on its arms so that it can feel food in the supermarket. 2. These robots clean the fl oor. Using lasers, they can find their way around the house, and they don’t trip over or break your furniture! 3. This robot has voice recognition abilities. It can understand people when they speak, and it can even have a conversation! 4. This robot has facial recognition, which means that it can recognize the faces of about ten people. It knows what these people look like. 5. This robot helps people. It has a mechanical arm, so that it can pick up objects. GRAMMAR 2 Passive voice: Future Robots will be programmed to do many of our dangerous jobs one day. Most people won’t be required to work more than a few hours a week.

READING 1 Listen and read. Meet the BOTS Many people know that robots explore space and build things in factories. But did you know that there are many other kinds of robots? Let’s meet some of these “bots” and find out what they do. Social robots are very popular. The robot, Pepper, was developed by Japanese and French engineers. It can recognize human emotions and can even adapt its behavior to match the mood of whoever it is interacting with. Pepper was so popular that it sold out completely—in just one minute! Medical robots are extremely important. The da Vinci Surgical System lets a doctor sit several feet away from a patient and controls the robot’s every move. Thanks to robotics engineers, like Easton LaChappelle, a seven-year-old girl now has a new prosthetic arm. He made her an inexpensive robotic arm using a 3D printer and inexpensive ready-made parts. Domestic robots (robots that clean your house) are very popular as well. There are a lot of different robots that vacuum your room for you. The Botvac, for example, uses lasers to scan and map your room before choosing the best route to clean the entire room. And if you don’t like doing yard work, the Robomow will cut the grass for you. Explorer robots are incredibly useful, too. Two Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity, are exploring Mars. Amazing! What will future bots do？