Question

    When you think of a robot, what do you see? A machine that looks a bit like you and me?

1. They don’t need to look like humans — in fact, most don’t.

What a robot looks like depends on its purpose. Cleaning robots often look like little vacuums. 2. Robots that are meant to interact with people often have a face, eyes, or a mouth — just like we do!

Whether they look like us or not, most robots have three essential parts that make them a robot: sensors, actuators and programs.

Together, these parts are what make a robot different from other gadgets you might have around your house, like your computer or your washing machine.

3. Just like we have eyes to sense light, ears to sense sound, robots have light sensors and cameras so they can “see,” microphones so they can “hear”.

Second, a robot has actuators that allow it to move around. 4. And we might use our hands to pick up an orange and peel it. A robot might use actuators such as motors and wheels to drive to places, and finger-like grippers (机器人手爪) to grasp objects and control them or turn them around.

Third, a robot needs a program that lets it act on its own based on what it is sensing.5. When a robot is autonomous, it’s not quite the same as a person being autonomous, because a person still has to write the computer program that tells the robot what to do.

A.Flying robots might have wings like birds.

B.The past robots were not artificially intelligent.

C.We might use our legs and feet to walk and run.

D.This ability to act on one’s own is called autonomy.

E.First, a robot has sensors that allow it to “see” the world.

F.We would need some actuators so that the robot could move.

G.The reality is that robots can have different shapes and sizes.

Answer

1.G

2.A

3.E

4.C

5.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了机器人，文章说明了机器人可以根据功能的不同，有不同的形状和大小，还介绍了机器人三个重要的部分：传感器、制动器和程序。

1.

根据后文They don’t need to look like humans — in fact, most don’t.可知它们不需要看起来像人类——事实上，大多数都不需要。由此可知，机器人的形状大小不必看起来和人一样，可推知机器人有很多不同的形状和大小。故G选项“事实上，机器人可以有不同的形状和大小”符合上下文语境，故选G。

2.

根据上文What a robot looks like depends on its purpose. Cleaning robots often look like little vacuums.可知机器人的样子取决于它的用途。清洁机器人通常看起来像小吸尘器。由此可知，本句是在举例说明不同功能的机器人所具有的不同外形特点。故A选项“会飞的机器人可能像鸟一样有翅膀”符合上下文语境，故选A。

3.

本句为本段第一句，结合下一段第一句Second, a robot has actuators that allow it to move around.可知其次，机器人有执行机构，允许它四处移动。以及后文Just like we have eyes to sense light, ears to sense sound, robots have light sensors and cameras so they can “see,” microphones so they can “hear”.可知就像我们用眼睛感知光线，用耳朵感知声音一样，机器人也有光传感器和摄像头，所以它们能“看”，麦克风可以“听”。由此可知，本句是在说明机器人的第一个重要部分是传感器，可以感知周围的世界。故E选项“首先，机器人有传感器，可以让它‘看到’世界”符合上下文语境，故选E。

4.

根据上文Second, a robot has actuators that allow it to move around.可知其次，机器人有制动器，允许它四处移动。以及后文And we might use our hands to pick up an orange and peel it.可知我们可以用手拿起橘子，剥它的皮。由此可知，本句是在列举人类可以用自己的身体部位进行的一些行为动作，如用腿和脚走路，用手剥橘子皮。故C选项“我们可以用我们的腿和脚走路和跑步”符合上下文语境，故选C。

5.

根据上文Third, a robot needs a program that lets it act on its own based on what it is sensing.可知第三，机器人需要一个程序，可以让它根据所感知的东西自主行动。以及后文When a robot is autonomous, it’s not quite the same as a person being autonomous, because a person still has to write the computer program that tells the robot what to do.可知当一个机器人是自主的，它和一个人是自主的不太一样，因为一个人仍然需要编写计算机程序来告诉机器人做什么。由此可知，本句承接上文说明这种能够让机器人自主行动的能力叫做“自主权”。故D选项“这种独立行动的能力叫做自主权”符合上下文语境，故选D。