Real World RobotsWhen you think of a robot, do you envision a shiny, metallic devi ce having the same general shape as a human being, performin g humanlike functions, and responding to your questions i n a monotone voice accentuated by high-pitched tones and beeps? This is the way many of us imagine a robot, bu t in the real world, a robot is not humanoid at all. Instead a r obot often is a voiceless, box-shaped machine that efficien tly carries outrepetitive or dangerous functions usually performed by huma ns.T o d a y’s robot is more than an automatic machine that performs one t ask again and again. A modern robot is programmed with varyin g degrees of artificial intelligence—that is, a robot contains a computer program that tell s it how to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning,drawing conclusions, and learning from past experience. A robot does not posses s a human shape for the simple reason that a two-legged robot has great difficulty remaining balanced. A robot does, however, move from place to place on wheels and axles that roll and rotate. Arobot even has limbs that swivel and move in combination wit h joints and motors.T o find its way in its surroundings1, a robot utilizes variou s built-in sensors. Antennae attached to the robot’s base detect anything they bump into. If the robot starts to teeter as it moves on an incline, a gyroscope or a pendul um insideit senses the vertical differential. To determine its distance from an object and how quickly it will reach the object，the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound wave s off obstructions in its path2. These and other sensors con stantly feed information to the computer, which then analy zes the information and corrects or adjusts the robot’s actions. As science and technology advance, the robo t too will progress in its functions and use of artifi cial-intelligence programs.词汇：envision v. 想象，预想device n. 装置accentuate v. 强调，重读artificial intelligence n. 人工智能limb n. 臂antennae n. 天线incline v. 倾斜pendulum n. 钟摆ultrasonic adj. 超声的metallic adj. 金属的monotone n. 单调的humanoid adj. 像人的axle n. 轮轴rotate v. 旋转swivel n. 旋转teeter v. 摇晃gyroscope n. 陀螺仪，回转仪vertical n. 直立的注释：1．To find its way in its surroundings...：为了在周围找到路……2．the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path：机器人发射激光束和超声波，反射到障碍物上（以此来探知路径）。
练习：1．Another good title for this passage would beA Robots: Taking the Place of Humans.B Artificial Intelligence Programs.C Today’s Robots and How They Function.D Modern-Day Sensors.2．Artificial intelligence isA the unnatural way in which robots move.B a voiceless, box-shaped machine that performs repetitive tasks.C sensors such as antennae and a gyroscope.D a computer program that imitates human intellectual proce sses.3．The last paragraph suggests that future robots will beA more humanlike in behavior and actions.B more like automatic machines.C better able to move on inclines.D better equipped with laser light sensors.4．The writer begins the passage by comparingA the shape of a human being with a box.B a modem robot with a fictional robot.C an imaginary machine with a human.D a computer program with artificial intelligence.5．The word humanoid meansA lacking human characteristics.B anything having the appearance of a humanoid.C being void or vacant.D having a human form or characteristics.答案与题解：1．C从文中得知，文章主要介绍了机器人和它们的运行方式，因此选择C选项。
2．DArtificial是“人工”的意思，intelligence是“智能”的意思。
另外从文中得知，机器人使用artificial intelligence能够进行与人类类似的推理分析等活动，因此可知它是一种类似人类智能的计算机程序。
3．A最后一段讲机器人的发展方向是更加智能，能够自己判断并修正行为，而不仅仅是完成重复性的工作。
4B文章开头的时候作者让读者描述他们脑海中的机器人概念，并随后介绍了实际的机器人是怎样的，因此选择B选项。
5．D从humanoid的词根human可看出这个词是形容与人类有关的特征。
另外根据文章对这个词的描述可以得出这个词是表示和人类类似的特征，不管是外形上，还是行为方式上。
Real World Robots现实世界中的机器人When you think of a robot, do you envision a shiny, metallic device having the same general shape as a human being, performing humanlike functions, and responding to your questions in a monotone voice accentuated by high-pitched tones and beeps? This is the way many of us imagine a robot, but in the real world, a robot is not humanoid at all. Instead a robot often is a voiceless, box-shaped machine that efficiently carries out当你想到一个机器人，你想像的有光泽，具有相同的一般形状的金属装置，作为一个人类，执行人的功能，在一个单调的声音高亢的音调的声音加重你的问题的回应？这是许多我们想象一个机器人，但是在现实世界中，一个机器人都不是人形。
取而代之的是一个机器人往往是无声的，箱型机，有效地进行repetitive or dangerous functions usually performed by humans.重复的或危险的通常是由人执行的功能。
Today’s robot is more than an automatic machine that performs one task again and again.A modern robot is programmed with varying degrees of artificial intelligence—that is, a robot contains a computer program that tells it how to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning,drawing conclusions, and learning from past experience. A robot does not possess a human shape for the simple reason that atwo-legged robot has great difficulty remaining balanced. A robot does, however, move from place to place on wheels and axles that roll and rotate. A今天的机器人是一个自动的机器，执行一个任务，一次又一次。