ROBOTS - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 1 Academic Reading Test 3 · Part 2 · Questions 14–27
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14–27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
ROBOTS
Since the dawn of human ingenuity, people have devised ever more cunning tools to cope with work that is dangerous, boring, onerous, or just plain nasty. That compulsion has culminated in robotics – the science of conferring various human capabilities on machines
A The modern world is increasingly populated by quasi-intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose creeping ubiquity has removed much human drudgery. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with rote politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robo-drivers. Our mine shafts are dug by automated moles, and our nuclear accidents – such as those at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl – are cleaned up by robotic muckers fit to withstand radiation.
Such is the scope of uses envisioned by Karel Capek, the Czech playwright who coined the term 'robot' in 1920 (the word 'robota' means 'forced labor' in Czech). As progress accelerates, the experimental becomes the exploitable at record pace.
B Other innovations promise to extend the abilities of human operators. Thanks to the incessant miniaturisation of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy - far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone. At the same time, techniques of long-distance control will keep people even farther from hazard. In 1994 a ten-foot-tall NASA robotic explorer called Dante, with video-camera eyes and with spiderlike legs, scrambled over the menacing rim of an Alaskan volcano while technicians 2,000 miles away in California watched the scene by satellite and controlled Dante's descent.
C But if robots are to reach the next stage of labour-saving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves – goals that pose a formidable challenge. 'While we know how to tell a robot to handle a specific error,' says one expert, 'we can't yet give a robot enough common sense to reliably interact with a dynamic world.' Indeed the quest for true artificial intelligence (AI) has produced very mixed results. Despite a spasm of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s, when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to perform in the same way as the human brain by the 21st century, researchers lately have extended their forecasts by decades if not centuries.
D What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain's roughly one hundred billion neurons are much more talented – and human perception far more complicated - than previously imagined. They have built robots that can recognise the misalignment of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 per cent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the woodchuck at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a tumultuous crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can't approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don't know quite how we do it.
E Nonetheless, as information theorists, neuroscientists, and computer experts pool their talents, they are finding ways to get some lifelike intelligence from robots. One method renounces the linear, logical structure of conventional electronic circuits in favour of the messy, ad hoc arrangement of a real brain's neurons. These 'neural networks' do not have to be programmed. They can ‘teach' themselves by a system of feedback signals that reinforce electrical pathways that produced correct responses and, conversely, wipe out connections that produced errors. Eventually the net wires itself into a system that can pronounce certain words or distinguish certain shapes.
F In other areas researchers are struggling to fashion a more natural relationship between people and robots in the expectation that some day machines will take on some tasks now done by humans in, say, nursing homes. This is particularly important in Japan, where the percentage of elderly citizens is rapidly increasing. So experiments at the Science University of Tokyo have created a 'face robot' – a life-size, soft plastic model of a female head with a video camera imbedded in the left eye – as a prototype. The researchers' goal is to create robots that people feel comfortable around. They are concentrating on the face because they believe facial expressions are the most important way to transfer emotional messages. We read those messages by interpreting expressions to decide whether a person is happy, frightened, angry, or nervous. Thus the Japanese robot is designed to detect emotions in the person it is 'looking at' by sensing changes in the spatial arrangement of the person's eyes, nose, eyebrows, and mouth. It compares those configurations with a database of standard facial expressions and guesses the emotion. The robot then uses an ensemble of tiny pressure pads to adjust its plastic face into an appropriate emotional response.
G Other labs are taking a different approach, one that doesn't try to mimic human intelligence or emotions. Just as computer design has moved away from one central mainframe in favour of myriad individual workstations – and single processors have been replaced by arrays of smaller units that break a big problem into parts that are solved simultaneously – many experts are now investigating whether swarms of semi-smart robots can generate a collective intelligence that is greater than the sum of its parts. That's what beehives and ant colonies do, and several teams are betting that legions of mini-critters working together like an ant colony could be sent to explore the climate of planets or to inspect pipes in dangerous industrial situations.
Questions
Questions 14–19 Matching Headings
Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs A-G.
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph.
i. Some success has resulted from observing how the brain functions.
ii. Are we expecting too much from one robot?
iii. Scientists are examining the humanistic possibilities.
iv. There are judgements that robots cannot make.
v. Has the power of robots become too great?
vi. Human skills have been heightened with the help of robotics.
vii. There are some things we prefer the brain to control.
viii. Robots have quietly infiltrated our lives.
ix. Original predictions have been revised.
x. Another approach meets the same result.
Questions 20–24 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
write
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage
Questions 25–27 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below with words taken from paragraph F.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
The prototype of the Japanese 'face robot' observes humans through a ... 25 ... which is planted in its head. It then refers to a ... 26 ... of typical 'looks' that the human face can have, to decide what emotion the person is feeling. To respond to this expression, the robot alters its own expression using a number of ... 27 ... .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | viii | The modern world is increasingly populated by quasi-intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose creeping ubiquity has removed much human drudgery. Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with rote politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robo-drivers. Our mine shafts are dug by automated moles, and our nuclear accidents – such as those at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl – are cleaned up by robotic muckers fit to withstand radiation | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that our world has more and more smart machines, but we often don't see them, and they are everywhere, helping with hard work. It gives examples like robots in factories, machines at banks, robot drivers for trains, and robots cleaning up dangerous places. This shows that robots are quietly becoming a big part of our lives. Answer Explanation: The answer, 'viii', means that robots have slowly and often without much attention become a part of our daily lives. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'viii. Robots have quietly infiltrated our lives' best describes paragraph A because this paragraph lists many examples of how robots and automated machines are commonly used in different parts of our world. It talks about how these smart devices are everywhere, often without us even noticing them, doing tasks in factories, banks, subways, and even cleaning up dangerous accidents. The paragraph uses phrases like 'increasingly populated' and gives specific examples to show how robots have spread throughout our daily activities. |
| Q15 | vi | Thanks to the incessant miniaturisation of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy - far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone. At the same time, techniques of long-distance control will keep people even farther from hazard | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that robots can do very difficult surgeries with extreme accuracy, even better than doctors can do with their hands. It also says that robots can be controlled from far away, helping people stay safe when exploring dangerous places. This means robots make human doctors more precise and allow people to do risky things without being in danger themselves. Answer Explanation: The answer means that robots have helped make human skills better or stronger. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vi. Human skills have been heightened with the help of robotics' because Paragraph B explains how robots improve what humans can do. It says that robots can perform surgery with much greater precision than human doctors, meaning they make a surgeon's skill more exact. It also describes how robots allow people to explore dangerous places from far away, keeping them safe and extending their reach to hazardous areas. These examples show how robots 'heighten' or boost human abilities and safety. |
| Q16 | ix | Despite a spasm of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s, when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to perform in the same way as the human brain by the 21st century, researchers lately have extended their forecasts by decades if not centuries | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in the past (1960s and 1970s), people were very hopeful and thought computers could be as smart as humans by today (the 21st century). But now, scientists understand it's much harder, so they believe it will take many more years, maybe even hundreds of years, for that to happen. Answer Explanation: The answer means that earlier thoughts about when robots would be very smart have changed. People used to think it would happen sooner, but now they think it will take much longer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ix. Original predictions have been revised' because Paragraph C talks about how what scientists first thought about artificial intelligence (AI) has changed. The paragraph mentions an 'initial optimism' in the 1960s and 1970s. During that time, people believed that machines could work like the 'human brain by the 21st century'. However, the passage then states that 'researchers lately have extended their forecasts by decades if not centuries', meaning they have *revised* their *original predictions* because it is proving much harder than expected. |
| Q17 | iv | What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain's roughly one hundred billion neurons are much more talented – and human perception far more complicated - than previously imagined. They have built robots that can recognise the misalignment of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 per cent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the woodchuck at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a tumultuous crowd. The most advanced computer systems on Earth can't approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don't know quite how we do it | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that human brains are much smarter and more complex than thought before. Robots can see small mistakes in a factory. But human minds can quickly look at a busy scene, ignore most of it, and only focus on important things, like an animal by the road or a strange face in a crowd. Even the best computers cannot do this, and scientists don't know how humans do it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that robots cannot decide things or understand situations in the same way that people can. They cannot make smart choices based on many different things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iv. There are judgements that robots cannot make.' because Paragraph D talks about how the human brain is much better at understanding and focusing on important things in a fast-changing world compared to robots. It explains that robots are good at very precise tasks in controlled settings, like noticing a tiny mistake on a machine. However, the paragraph emphasizes that robots cannot do what the human mind does, which is to quickly see a complex scene, decide what is important (like a 'woodchuck' or a 'suspicious face'), and ignore everything else. This shows that robots lack the ability to make complex 'judgements' or decisions that a human can easily make. |
| Q18 | i | One method renounces the linear, logical structure of conventional electronic circuits in favour of the messy, ad hoc arrangement of a real brain's neurons. These 'neural networks' do not have to be programmed. They can ‘teach' themselves by a system of feedback signals that reinforce electrical pathways that produced correct responses and, conversely, wipe out connections that produced errors. Eventually the net wires itself into a system that can pronounce certain words or distinguish certain shapes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that one way to make robots intelligent is by using a system that is like the 'messy' way a real brain's neurons are arranged. It says that these special systems, called 'neural networks', don't need to be told what to do. Instead, they can learn on their own by getting feedback, which helps them do things like say words or tell different shapes apart. This shows that watching how a brain works helps create successful robot intelligence. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'i'. This means that scientists have had some good results by watching and learning from how the human brain works. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'i' because Paragraph E explains that experts are trying to make robots smarter by copying how a real brain works. It states that they are finding ways to get 'lifelike intelligence from robots' by using a method that uses the 'arrangement of a real brain's neurons'. This method allows robots to 'teach themselves' and eventually do things like 'pronounce certain words or distinguish certain shapes', showing that 'some success has resulted from observing how the brain functions'. |
| Q19 | iii | In other areas researchers are struggling to fashion a more natural relationship between people and robots in the expectation that some day machines will take on some tasks now done by humans in, say, nursing homes. The researchers' goal is to create robots that people feel comfortable around |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that scientists want robots to have a more 'natural relationship' with humans and take on jobs like caring for people in 'nursing homes.' Their main aim is to build robots that make 'people feel comfortable around' them. This shows that the scientists are looking into how robots can act more like humans in social and caring ways. Answer Explanation: The answer means that scientists are looking into ways robots can do things that are like what humans do, especially in how they act and feel, to help people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iii. Scientists are examining the humanistic possibilities' because Paragraph F talks about how scientists are working on making robots interact with people in a more natural way. It mentions creating a 'face robot' that can understand and show emotions through 'facial expressions' so that 'people feel comfortable around' them. This focus on making robots behave and communicate in human-like ways, particularly for roles like in 'nursing homes,' directly explores the 'humanistic possibilities' of robotic technology. |
| Q20 | YES | Our factories hum to the rhythm of robot assembly arms. Our banking is done at automated teller terminals that thank us with rote politeness for the transaction. Our subway trains are controlled by tireless robo-drivers. Our mine shafts are dug by automated moles, and our nuclear accidents – such as those at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl – are cleaned up by robotic muckers fit to withstand radiation. Such is the scope of uses envisioned by Karel Capek, the Czech playwright who coined the term 'robot' in 1920 (the word 'robota' means 'forced labor' in Czech) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage first lists many ways robots are used now, such as in factories, for banking, driving trains, digging mines, and cleaning up nuclear accidents. Then, it says 'Such is the scope of uses envisioned by Karel Capek'. This means that all these modern uses of robots are what Karel Capek imagined or predicted would happen, showing he was right. Answer Explanation: The answer 'YES' means that the statement is true. It means Karel Capek did correctly guess how we would use robots today. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage states that the many ways robots are used now, like in factories or for cleaning up dangerous accidents, are exactly the 'scope of uses envisioned by Karel Capek'. This shows that his early ideas about robots match how we use them today, confirming his predictions were successful. |
| Q21 | NOT GIVEN | In 1994 a ten-foot-tall NASA robotic explorer called Dante, with video-camera eyes and with spiderlike legs, scrambled over the menacing rim of an Alaskan volcano while technicians 2,000 miles away in California watched the scene by satellite and controlled Dante's descent | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a NASA robot named Dante went inside a dangerous volcano. People controlled Dante from far away through a satellite. This part tells us what Dante did, but it does not say that anyone's life was saved by it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the passage does not tell us if the NASA robot, Dante, saved any lives. We cannot find this information in the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage describes the NASA robot, Dante, and its mission to explore an Alaskan volcano. It mentions that Dante helped keep 'people' (the technicians) from danger by allowing them to control it from 'long-distance'. However, the passage never says that Dante actually 'saved lives'. It only explains that the robot was used in a dangerous place while people stayed far away, implying a reduction in risk for those people, but not specific instances of saving lives. |
| Q22 | YES | They have built robots that can recognise the misalignment of a machine panel by a fraction of a millimeter in a controlled factory environment | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that robots are made to see if a part of a machine is not lined up correctly, even if it's only a very, very small mistake (a fraction of a millimeter). This means robots can see tiny details and make a judgment about them. It happens in a 'controlled factory environment', which means a specific and unchanging place. Answer Explanation: The answer means 'yes', robots are good at seeing small details and making decisions based on them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage clearly states that robots have the ability to make very precise visual checks. For example, it mentions that robots can identify small errors, like a machine part not being perfectly straight, even if the error is tiny. This demonstrates their capability for 'fine visual judgments'. |
| Q23 | NO | What they found, in attempting to model thought, is that the human brain's roughly one hundred billion neurons are much more talented – and human perception far more complicated - than previously imagined The most advanced computer systems on Earth can't approach that kind of ability, and neuroscientists still don't know quite how we do it |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that when scientists tried to copy how the brain thinks, they learned that the human brain is much smarter and more complex than they thought. It also says that even the best computers cannot do what the human brain can, and scientists don't know how the brain does it. This means robots cannot copy the brain's internal work. Answer Explanation: The answer is NO. This means that robots cannot copy or make a perfect working version of the human brain inside themselves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage explains that scientists have tried to make robots behave like the human brain but have found it much harder than expected. The passage states that the human brain is 'much more talented' and 'far more complicated' than they first thought, and that even the 'most advanced computer systems' cannot do what the human brain does, like quickly understanding a complex scene and ignoring unimportant things. This indicates that the internal workings of the brain cannot be replicated by robots, at least not yet. |
| Q24 | NOT GIVEN | This is particularly important in Japan, where the percentage of elderly citizens is rapidly increasing. So experiments at the Science University of Tokyo have created a 'face robot' – a life-size, soft plastic model of a female head with a video camera imbedded in the left eye – as a prototype | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that robot research is important in Japan because there are many old people. It talks about a specific robot project at the Science University of Tokyo: they made a 'face robot' that looks like a female head. This shows what robot work is happening in Japan, but it doesn't say if these are the *most advanced* robots overall. Answer Explanation: The answer 'NOT GIVEN' means that the passage does not tell us if Japan has the best or most advanced robot systems compared to other places. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage talks about specific robot research and experiments happening in Japan, especially related to making 'face robots' that can understand and show emotions. It mentions why this is important in Japan due to an 'increasing' number of 'elderly citizens'. However, the passage never says that Japan's robot systems are the *most advanced* in the world. It describes what Japanese scientists are trying to achieve but does not compare their overall advancement level to other countries. |
| Q25 | video camera | a life-size, soft plastic model of a female head with a video camera imbedded in the left eye – as a prototype | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the robot's head has a 'video camera' placed inside its left eye. This 'video camera' is how the robot sees what people are doing, similar to how we use our eyes to see. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'video camera'. This means the robot uses a special device that records moving pictures to see people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'video camera' because the passage explains how the Japanese 'face robot' prototype observes people. It states that the robot has a 'video camera' inside its head, specifically in its left eye, which it uses to look at people and understand their feelings. The provided text, 'with a video camera imbedded in the left eye', directly supports this. |
| Q26 | database | It compares those configurations with a database of standard facial expressions and guesses the emotion | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the robot looks at the person's face and then checks this information against a 'database' which holds many examples of what normal or 'standard facial expressions' look like. This helps the robot guess how the person is feeling, like if they are happy or sad. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'database'. This is like a big collection of stored information. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'database' is found in paragraph F, which describes how the Japanese 'face robot' works. The passage explains that the robot compares the a person's facial expressions with a 'database of standard facial expressions' to understand their feelings. The word 'database' perfectly fits the blank in the summary, which asks what the robot refers to for 'typical looks'. |
| Q27 | tiny pressure pads / small pressure pads / pressure pads | The robot then uses an ensemble of tiny pressure pads to adjust its plastic face into an appropriate emotional response | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the robot has many 'tiny pressure pads'. It uses these pads to 'adjust its plastic face', which means it can change its face to show feelings, so it can 'respond' in a suitable way. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'tiny pressure pads'. These are like little soft buttons that the robot uses. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'tiny pressure pads' because the passage explains how the Japanese 'face robot' changes its own face to show emotions. It says the robot uses these pads for 'adjusting' its face. The phrase 'adjust its plastic face' means the robot changes its facial expression. |