Lesson 11

Predictions about the future on the eye of ‘ Smart ’

a) Read the text about robots and find the information to answer the questions

1. Who invented the word ‘ robot’ and when?

2. What did people call robots before this time?

3.What is a ‘cyborg’?

4. Which films does the text mention?

5. Are real-life robots the same as the robots in films?

Most people can recognize a robot when they see one. They are familiar to us from comics and science fiction films, but not many people know where the word comes from. Before 1920, writers used the word ‘automaton’ for mechanical human beings. In that year, Karel and Josef Capek, two Czech writers, finished their play R.U.R. , and in it Robots made their first ever appearance. In the play, however, these Robots are not metal. A factory produces them, but they are like human beings. In the play, the Robots take over the world, but later they start to become just like human beings.

Since the 1920s, robots have become common in science fiction films. The best known of recent times is probably the Terminator robot, in the film of that name. This is a ‘ cyborg’ or ‘ cybernetic organism’. This is a being with a metal frame and a computer for a brain, but with human skin and hair. It looks just like an ordinary person, but is a powerful fighting machine. Don’t worry, it’s imaginary, not a real thing! In the first Terminator film, it has no human feelings, but in the second film, Judgment Day, it learns to be more human.

Another famous film robot is Robocop. In the film Robocop, doctors save the life of a policeman who is injured. They replace parts of his body with metal and computers. Who knows, perhaps this will be possible one day in the future.

And what of real-life robots? In many factories, one machine now does the work of many people. Machines assemble cars, for example .We also call these machines ‘robots’ but they do not have arms and legs and heads like most robots in films. Real robots are not so interesting.

b) Find the missing words in the text.

1. When we know what something is, we can … it. It’s familiar.

2. Another name for people is … … .

3. In R.U.R. factories … the robots.

4. Things that you see often are … .

5.Inside your head is your …… .

6. Robots in science fiction films are …… , not real.

7. A doctor can …….. your ……. when you are injured.

8. To ……. something is to put the parts together.

c) Give your predictions about the future. What will people do?

Environment: the Earth grows hotter? Or colder?

Air becomes more polluted?

• People: the world becomes more crowded? There are more old people?

Lifestyle: countries become the same? More people use computers?

Machines do all the work?

d) Make a design for a future school or house. Include computers or robots and explain what they do. Make a display of your design.

Lesson 12

Vocabulary list:

Verbs: anticipate, collaborate, devise, donate, emerge, foresee, intimidate, market, thrive.

Nouns: application, capacity, components, entrepreneur, expertise, gadget, innovation, investment, potential, technology, venture, wizard, pioneer, integrated circuit, microprocessor, circuit, peripherals.

Adjectives/Participles: cumbersome, genuine, inevitable, makeshift, massive, muted, skeptical, state-of-the-art, user-friendly.

Adverbials: passionately, technologically, thereby, whereas.