Wanna hear a joke? This nifty(俏皮的) little robot’s got a few---and it can tell if you’re interested.
Recently the Japanese company Hitachi has invented a robot that has its own sense of humor and the ability to understand when someone else doesn’t share it.
The red-and-white robot is known as EMIEW2. It stands at 80 centimeters---no taller than a small child---an is equipped with a pair of roller skates that allow it to quickly move around. The robot is programmed to recognize key words in a sentence, such as “how many”, in order to understand what sort of question it’s being asked.
The little robot is further programmed to understand a wide range of human responses, such as shrugs or nods. It has the ability to carry on a short conversation with a human---
without being given a script (剧本) and it allows the robot to work out whether or not the person it’s talking to understands its joke. For example, the robot is asked how many people work at the Hitachi lab, and it answers, “We has two swans.” When its human conversation partner appears puzzled, the robot says, “You got it? I’m kidding. We have about 800 people working here.”
“Maybe EMIEW2’s sense of humor needs a lot of work,” said Hitachi’s Hisashi Ikeda, “its ability to understand human reactions was an important step forward.” “The new technology makes it possible for a robot to understand what a human means, even if they gesture,” he said.
EMIEW2 is short for Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as a Workmate(具有卓越的灵活性和交互性的工作伴侣). Hitachi hopes to have EMIEW2 provide company to people, serving as a house-pet or even a receptionist or caregiver.
61. How does the robot move around?
A. By a pair of roller skates. B. By its two legs
C. By human beings D. By electricity
62. The robot can do the following things EXCEPT ____________.
A. having a talk with humans B. making gestures
C. telling jokes D. recognizing whether you understand its jokes
63. We know from the reading that _________________.
A. the robot determines if you’ve got the “joke” it has just told by asking you questions
B. the robot tells perfect jokes
C. the robot can answer whatever questions you ask
D. the robot will be a perfect house or office helper in the future