It is widely believed that robots will star(担任主角) in human’s future life. But how soon will it be before robots become so intelligent that they will be able to do things, such as teaching languages or looking after patients in hospital? Some experts believe this will happen within twenty years while others disagree.
One London company, UAS(University Automated Systems) has already developed machines that can be used as “home helps” for old people unable to look after themselves and those who are living on their own or in special homes. These machines can now do such things as cooking eggs and cleaning the floor, and the company says that future models still accept simple voice instructions and can be controlled by a “brain” that is the equivalent (替代品) of the latest IBM microcomputer. The director of UAS, Mr Henry Jeffries, believes that in the next five to ten years companies will have developed even more sophisticated (复杂的) robots for use in industry. By that time, it is likely that they will also have begun to sell new forms of these machines into ordinary homes. Robots could do a wide range of household tasks, such as preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and so on. By then, the price of such machines may have come down to as little as $1,000.
But Dr Sandra Lomax, who has done research into artificial intelligence at Sussex University and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), believes we have a long way to go before we can develop truly intelligent machines.
Preparing an omelet (煎蛋) may seem easy enough. But suppose one of the eggs has gone bad, even the most “intelligent” robot would probably still use it. If something slightly unusual needs doing something that requires even a little of ordinary human imagination, a robot is useless. They need programming for even the simplest of tasks and are not able to learn from experience. And teaching a robot how to recognize a bad egg is more difficult than teaching it to prepare the omelet, Dr Sandra Lomax says.
21. A London company called UAS has already developed a machine which________.
A. can teach languages and care for the patients in hospital
B. can help old people do certain jobs in the house
C. is controlled by microcomputer “brain”
D. can accept simple voice instructions
22. The director of UAS believes that in the next five to ten years new forms of machines will________.
A. be able to “think” with their own brains and do anything with imagination
B. cost less than $1,000
C. be used more in ordinary homes than in industry
D. do more housework
23. Dr Sandra Lomax thinks that________.
A. no robot will ever be able to prepare an omelet
B. a robot will soon be able to do unusual housework people can’t do
C. we can program a robot to learn from experience
D. making an omelet is easier for a robot than recognizing a bad egg