Walking Robot Carries a person

　　1. The robot that unveiled on Friday in Tokyo, Japan

　　Walking Robot Carries a person

　　The first walking robot capable of carrying a person unveiled on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Its creators at Waseda University in Tokyo and the Japanese robotics company Tmsuk hope their two-legged creation will one day enable wheel-chair users to climb up and down stairs and assist the movement of heavy goods over uneven¹(=bumpy²)terrain³.

　　1. The robot that unveiled on Friday in Tokyo, Japan

　　A. has two legs and is able to carry a person.

　　B. surprised visitors from Waseda University.

　　C. enables wheel-chair users to climb up and down stairs.

　　D. can transport heavy goods over uneven terrain.

　　「答案」：A

　　2. Which of the following about how the robot works is NOT correct?

　　The battery-powered robot, code-named WL-6, is essentially⁴ an aluminum⁵ chair mounted on two sets of telescopic poles(自由伸缩杆). The poles are bolted to flat plates(金属托盘) which act as feet. WL-6 uses 12 actuators(传动装置) to move forwards, backwards⁶ and sideways while carrying an adult weighing up to 60 kilograms (130 pounds). The robot can adjust its posture⁷ and walk smoothly⁸ even if the person it is carrying shifts in the chair. At present it can only step up or down a few millimeters, but the team plans to make it capable of dealing⁹ with a normal flight of stairs.

　　2. Which of the following about how the robot works is NOT correct?

　　A. The robot is battery-powered.

　　B. The robot has two sets of poles mounted on flat plates.

　　C. The robot uses actuators to move about.

　　D. The robot can carry an adult of up to 60 kilograms.

　　「答案」：B

　　3. What does Ron Arkin think of WL-6?

　　“I believe this bipedal robot, which I prefer to call a two-legged walking chair rather than a wheel-chair, will eventually enable people to go up and down the stairs,” said Atsuo Takanishi, from Waseda University.

　　“We have had strong robots for some time but usually they have been manipulators(操作机器人), they have not been geared to carrying people around,” says Ron Arkin, at the Georgia Institute of Technology and robotics consultant¹⁰ for Sony. “But I don't know how safe and how user-friendly(用户容易学会使用的) WL-6 is.”

　　3. What does Ron Arkin think of WL-6?

　　A. He thinks the robot is user-friendly.

　　B. He thinks it is another kind of manipulator.

　　C. He is not sure if the robot can carry people safely.

　　D. He doubts if the robot is strong enough to climb stairs.

　　「答案」：C

　　4. Which of the following description about WL-16 is true?

　　Tmsuk chief executive Yoichi Takamoto argues that bipedal or multi-legged robots will be more useful than so-called “caterpillar¹¹ models(履带式机器人)” for moving over uneven ground.

　　WL-6's normal walking stride measures 30 centimetres, but it can stretch its legs to 136cm apart. The prototype is currently radio-controlled, but the research team plans to equip it with a stick-like controller for the user in future, Takanishi said, it will take “at least two years” to develop the WL-6 prototype into a working model.

　　4. Which of the following description about WL-16 is true?

　　A. It is a ground-hugging robot.

　　B. It is a caterpillar model.

　　C. It needs time to be developed into a working model.

　　D. It is going to be radio-controlled.

　　「答案」：C

　　5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

　　Smaller, ground-hugging robots(紧贴地面行走的机器人) have been developed to pass across tricky¹² terrain. One maggot-like device(像蛆一样的机器人) uses a magnetic fluid(磁流体) to pulse(脉冲) its way along, while another snake-like robot uses smart software to devise new movement strategies if the landscape takes its toll(造成损坏) on any one part. One ball-shaped robot even uses a leap-and-bounce approach to travel over bumpy territory. But none of these are big or strong enough to carry a person too.

　　5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

　　A. Different shapes of robots perform different functions.

　　B. Many kinds of robots have been developed to walk over tricky terrain.

　　C. Robots, big or small, perform almost the same function.

　　D. None of the four kinds of robots are strong enough to carry people around.

　　「答案」：D