Read the following article and then answer questions 1–20.

For multiple-choice questions,

choose the best answer for each question and write the appropriate letter in the box provided.
For other questions, write your answer in the space provided. (22 marks)

Robots: At your service

1 It is just as hundreds of science-fiction books and films have predicted — robots are
starting to take over the world! Hundreds of thousands of robotic creatures, of different shapes
and sizes, are found in every aspect of our lives. They are working in our factories, cleaning
our homes, and even helping in our hospitals. People all over the world are welcoming these
5 machines into their lives and it is predicted that there will be over four million robots in homes
worldwide by the end of 2007.

2 A robot, as you are no doubt aware, is a machine that can move by itself, performing tasks
a person would do, and is usually controlled by a computer. Until very recently, the majority
of robots have been used for industrial tasks such as working in assembly lines in car factories.
10 They were usually large, heavy and very specialised — each robot was designed and
programmed to perform a limited and specific range of tasks and movements. They generally
did the tasks that were too difficult or dangerous for humans to do. However, technology has
now advanced to such a level that robotics engineers — or roboticists, as they like to call
themselves — are able to design robots that are smaller, more intelligent and much better
15 suited for household use.

3 The Roomba vacuum cleaner is one example of this new breed of household robots. This
machine is a small, disk-shaped robot that scoots around the house, cleaning the floor. Its
computerised brain calculates the size of the room it must clean, and then works out how long
it will take to clean the entire room. After that, it moves around the room, almost at random,
20 following walls and bumping off furniture. Once it decides that it has been cleaning long
enough to have covered the whole room, it returns to its base to recharge its batteries for the
next cleaning mission. At first glance, the Roomba may not appear very impressive, but it is
small, relatively cheap, simple to use, and it works well. These four factors have helped make
it the most successful domestic robot in the world today.

25 4 That is just one example, however. The Korean Government is investing heavily in the
development of network-enabled household robots, including robot maids for the elderly or the
handicapped. These robot maids, which it aims to have ready by 2013, will provide health
care, as well as help with household chores. For example, the robot will be able to monitor a
person’s heart rate and blood pressure and send the information to a doctor. If the person falls
30 over and cannot get up, the robot will summon help. In addition, it will be able to perform
household tasks such as ordering food from a nearby restaurant, setting and cleaning the table,
and even doing all the dishes.

5 Robots are not only here to serve, however. They can also provide entertainment and
companionship. Some play music, read books to children and provide people with access to
35 the Internet without the need for a computer; others have more advanced interactive features.
Take Aibo, Sony’s robot dog, for example. This virtual pet was commercially released in 1999
and has so far sold nearly 750,000 units worldwide. They can recognise spoken commands
from their owners and can be taught to do tricks. Owners even get together to play Aibo
football and hold dance competitions for their robotic dogs.

40 6 It won’t be very long before robots are a normal part of our daily lives. They will no
longer be restricted to factory assembly lines and robotics research laboratories. Instead, they
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 will be vacuuming our floors, mowing our lawns, cleaning our windows, ordering our food
and washing our dishes. We will use them to access the Internet and play games with our
friends. They will take over the most boring, difficult and tiresome chores, leaving us with
45 more time for leisure and relaxation. I am quite sure that the science-fiction writers’ fears of
the robots going crazy and taking over the world will not become a reality.

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Read paragraphs 1 and 2 and decide whether these statements are True, False or the
information is Not Given. Put a tick in ONE box only for each statement. (5 marks)

True False Not Given

1. Science-fiction movies or books seldom use robots as their 

theme.

2. There will be less robots by the end of 2007. 

3. Robots are being used for exploring space. 

4. Most robots in the past were used in factories. 

5. The range of tasks performed by each industrial robot was

wide. 

6. In line 10, what does ‘They’ refer to? robots_________________________________

7. Paragraph 3 is mainly about ……

A. a robot vacuum cleaner.

B. different kinds of domestic robots.
C. how Roomba was invented.
D. what makes a household robot successful. 7. A

8. According to paragraph 3, the Roomba is ……

A. difficult to use.
B. round and flat.
C. shaped like a ball.
8. B
D. very expensive.

9. Look at the word ‘mission’ in line 22. Now look at the dictionary entry for
‘mission’ below. Which meaning corresponds to the meaning in line 22?
Write the correct number in the box provided.

mission n
1 AIR FORCE/ARMY, ETC. an important job that involves travelling somewhere, done
by a member of the airforce, army, etc., or by a spacecraft: He was sent on over 200
missions before being killed in action.
2 JOB an important job that someone has been given to do, especially when they are sent to
another place: Her mission was to improve staff morale.
3 DUTY something that you feel you must do because it is your duty: Momich's mission
was to help young people in his local community.
4 PURPOSE the purpose or the most important aim of an organisation: The mission of
International House is to enable students of different cultures to live together and build life-
long friendships. 9. 2

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10. According to paragraph 4, which of the following statements are FALSE?

1. The Korean Government thinks household robots are important.

2. Restaurants in Korea employ robot maids.
3. Robots can be very helpful for people who are elderly or disabled.
4. The robot maids are programmed for health care, not household duties.
5. Robot maids are in homes throughout Korea.

A. 1, 2 and 5
B. 1, 3 and 4
C. 2, 3 and 5
D. 2, 4 and 5 10. D

11. In paragraph 4, which word means ‘keep an eye on’? monitor____________________

12. In line 30, what does the word ‘summon’ mean? ask for / request________________

13. In line 37, ‘They’ refers to ……

A. Sony.
B. Aibo owners.
C. Aibos. 13. C
D. interactive features.

Below is a summary of the main ideas in the article. However, there are some missing words.
Fill in each blank with ONE word only which best completes the sentence, keeping the
meaning of the original text. Note that the most suitable word may or may not appear in the
article. You should also make sure that your answers are grammatically correct. The first two
have been done as examples. (4
marks)

Robots, which up until recently have been used mainly in _(a)_, are (a) industry____
now becoming more common in people’s _(b)_. These domestic (b) homes_____
robots can _(14)_ a wide range of tasks, from cleaning floors, like (14) perform / do
the Roomba vacuum _(15)_, to helping take care of the elderly, like (15) cleaner____
the robot maids that the Korean Government is currently _(16)_. (16) developing__
They can also keep people company or _(17)_ them. Very soon, (17) entertain___

robots will be an integral part of many people’s lives.

18. What is the writer’s attitude towards robots? Give reasons for your answer. (3 marks)

The writer likes / is positive about robots because (1 mark)_______________________

— they will take over the most boring, difficult and tiresome chores (1 mark) _______

— they will leave us with more time for leisure and relaxation (1 mark) ____________

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19. Which sections of a newspaper might this article appear in?

1. Business
2. Lifestyle
3. Technology
4. Travel

A. 1 and 2
B. 1 and 4
C. 2 and 3
19. C
D. 3 and 4

20. An alternative title for this article could be ……

A. Don’t fall victim to the robot phenomenon!

B. Robots becoming increasingly popular.
C. Robots are humans’ best friends. B
20.
D. Korean health-care robots: Fact or fiction?

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