domestic-robots雅思-閱讀答案

domesticrobots雅思閱讀答案

文章：

Domesticrobots

Machinesthatlookafteryourhomearegettingcleverer,buttheystillneedcareandattentioniftheyaretoperformasintended.

Floor-cleaningmachinescapableofrespondingtotheirenvironmentwereamongthefirstcommerciallyavailabledomesticproductsworthyofbeingcalledrobots.ThebestknownistheRoomba,madebyiRobot,anAmericancompanywhichhassoldmorethanthreemillionofthediscshaped,frisbee-sizedvacuumingrobots.Thelatestmodel,thefifthversionoftheRoomba,hasmoresensorsandcleverersoftwarethanitspredecessors.Pressthe'Clean'buttonandtherobotglidesoutofitsdockingstationandsetsoffacrossthefloor.

Domesticrobotsaresupposedtofreeuptimesothatyoucandootherthings,butwatchinghowtheRoombadealswithobstaclesisstrangelycompelling.Itiscapableofsensingitssurroundings,anddoesnotsimplytrytoadheretoapre-plannedroute,soitisnotupsetiffurnitureismoved,orifitispickedupandtakentocleananotherroom.Itsinfra-redsensorsenableittoslowdownbeforereachinganobstacle-suchasadozycat-changingdirectionandsettingoffagain.

Itsteadilyworksitswayaroundtheroom,figuringouthowtogetoutfromunderthetelevisionstandoruntangleitselffromastrayGameBoyrecharginglead.Watchitforlongenough,andyoucansometimespredictitsnextmove.Themachinehasa'dirtsensor'andflashesabluelightwhenitfindsthingstocleanup.Onlywhenitdetectsnomoredirtdoesitstopgoingoverthesameareaand,eventually,concludethatthewholeroomisclean.Itthentrundlesbacktodockatitsrechargingstation.

Sothefirstobservationoflifewithadomesticrobotisthatyouwillkeepwatchingitbeforeyoutrustitcompletely.Perhapsthatisnotsurprising:afterall,whenautomaticwashingmachinesfirstappeared,peopleusedtodrawupachairandsitandwatchthemcompletetheirwash,rinseandspincycles.Nowtheyjustloadthem,switchthemonandleavethemtoit.

Thesecondobservationisthat,despitetheircurrentlevelofintelligence,certainallowancesmustbemadetogetthebestoutofadomesticrobot.TheRoombacanbesetuptodeanatparticulartimes,andtocleanmorethanoneroom(smallinfra-red'lighthouses'canbepositionedindoorways,creatinganinvisiblebarrierbetweenoneroomandthenextthatisonlyremovedwhenthefirstroomhasbeencleaned).A'drop-off'sensorunderneaththerobotpreventsitfromfallingdownstairs.Allveryclever,butwhattheRoombawiltnotdoispickuptoys,shoesandotheritemsleftlyingaround.Roomscaredforbyrobotsmustbekepttidy.Tostartwith,childrenwillhappilyputthingsawayinordertowatchtherobotsetoff,butunfortunatelythenoveltysoonwearsoff.

Similarallowancesmustbemadeforotherdomesticrobots.Sweden'sHusqvarnarecentlylaunchedanewversionofitsAutomowerlawnmowingrobot.Beforeitcanbeused,awiremustbeplacedaroundtheperimeterofthelawntodefinetheparttobecut.Iftoysandotherobstaclesarenotclearedfromthelawnbeforeitstartswork,therobotwillsteeraroundthem,leavinguncutareas.However,thelatestversioncantopupitsbatterieswithsolarpower,orsenditsowneratextmessageifitgetsintotroubletryingtoclimbamole-hill.

Butthereisstillonlyalimitedrangeofdomesticrobots.Machinesthatmopthefloor,cleanaswimmingpoolandclearmuckfromgutteringaremadebyiRobotSeveralsurveillancerobotsarealsoonoffer.TheRovio,madebyWowWeeofHongKong,isawi-fi-enabledwebcam,mountedonanextendingarm,whichridesalongsmoothlyonanimblesetofthreewheels.ItsmovementcanberemotelyoperatedovertheInternetviaalaptopormobilephone.TheideaisthatRoviocanpatrolthehomewhenitsownerisaway,eitherautomaticallyorundermanualcontrol:inthelattercase,two-waycommunicationallowstheoperatortoseeandtalkviathemachine.Soyoucould,forinstance,shoutatthecatifitissleepingonyourbestsofa.

Somemachinesarecalledrobotseventhoughtheycannotmovearound.Thereisanironingrobot,forinstance,thatresemblesaninflatabledummy:putadampshirtonit,anditpuffsuptoremovethecreases.Similarly,thereareelaboratetrouserpressesthataspiretoberobots.Butdothesedevicesreallycountasrobots'1Ifso,thensurelydishwashersandwashingmachinesdo,too.Yetwhatevershapeorsizerobotscomein,manywillbeadored.Anotherimportantobservationfromlivingwitharobotisthatittendstobecomepartofthefamily.'Peoplegivethemnames,andiftheyhavetobesentbackforrepair,theycarefullyaddamarktothemtoensuretheygetthesamemachineback,'saysNancyDussaultSmithofiRobot.

題目：

Questions1-6

Dothefollowingstatementsagreewiththe

informationgiveninthereadingpassage?

WriteTRUE

FALSE

NOTGIVEN

1

ImprovementshavebeenmadetoRoombaovertime.

2

ObstacleshavetoberemovedfromRoomba’spath.

3

Roombakeepscleaninginoneplaceuntilitthinksitisdirtfree.

4

Peopleoncefoundwashingmachinesasfascinatingasrobots.

5

Comparativestudiesareavailableontheintelligenceofdomesticrobots.

6

Roombatidiesuparoomaswellascleaningit.

Questions7-10

Answerthequestionsbelow.

Use

NOMORETHANTHREEWORDS

fromthepassageforeachanswer.

7

Whatisusedtomarkoutth