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Lesson 16 - The Future
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This page: Read an article about robots.

robot dog

"Robots"
Reading Lesson

Key Words

Below you will find a list of key vocabulary you need to know to understand the lesson. Click on each word to hear it and practice its pronunciation.

already
happening or existing before now
variety
many different types of something
home
the place where you live
lawn
the grassy area around a house
mow
to cut the grass
yard
the outdoor area around a house
maneuver
to move or steer around things
grass
the green plants that grow on the ground
while
during the time something else is happening
vacuum cleaner
a machine that sucks up dirt from floors
furniture
things like tables, chairs, and beds in a house
nap
a short sleep
even
used to show something surprising
pet
an animal you keep at home for companionship
understand
to know what something means
command
a spoken order telling someone or something what to do
flash
to give quick, bright light
patrol
to walk or move around an area to check for problems

 

Practice - Key Words

Select the word that is described.

1. the place where you live  
   

2. the outdoor area around a house  
   

3. the grassy area around a house  
   

4. to cut the grass  
   

5. many different types of something  
   

6. happening or existing before now  
   

7. things like tables, chairs, and beds in a house  
   

8. the green plants that grow on the ground  
   

9. to move or steer around things  
   

10. a machine that sucks up dirt from floors  
     

11. a short sleep  
     

12. during the time something else is happening  
     

13. to walk or move around an area to check for problems  
     

14. to know what something means  
     

15. a spoken order telling someone or something what to do  
     

16. an animal you keep at home for companionship  
     

17. used to show something surprising  
     

18. to give quick, bright light  
     

 

Reading

Robots

robot butler

When will we have robots? We already have many kinds of robots! Industries use a variety of robots and now robots are becoming more common in the home.

The Husqvarna company makes the Auto Mower, a lawn mowing robot. The robot has sensors which detect where objects are in the yard and it maneuvers around them. The robot can cut the grass while you relax on the patio with a glass of lemonade! Also, Eureka now makes a robotic vacuum cleaner. Like the robot lawn mower, the vacuum cleaner automatically detects where the furniture is and vacuums around it.

Cars are becoming robots now that many cars have GPS (Global Positioning Systems) on them. A car with a GPS system can give you directions on how to go somewhere, tell you where the closest gas station is, and, some day in the future, will drive itself. You will take a nap or read while the car drives itself to your destination.

We even have robotic pets now. The Sony company makes a robotic dog named Aibo that can sit, stand, and walk like a regular dog but can also communicate and take pictures! Aibo understands certain commands, like a dog does, such as "Sit down", "Stand up", "Turn right", etc. If you ask Aibo a question such as "How old are you?", its eyes will flash the number of years old it is. Aibo is also a great guard dog. He can patrol the yard and take pictures with a built in camera of anything suspicious.

► Listen to the reading

 

Practice

Select "True" or "False" for each sentence based on what you learned from the article.

1. We have many kinds of robots now.
    True
    False

   

2. The Auto Mower is a robot that vacuums.
    True
    False

   

3. The Auto Mower has sensors that detect where objects are.
    True
    False

   

4. Cars with GPS systems can give you directions.
    True
    False

   

5. In the future cars will drive themselves automatically.
    True
    False

   

6. Aibo is a robotic cat.
    True
    False

   

 

Writing

Describe what you think the future will be like. What devices will we have? What will cars, houses, schools, jobs, etc., be like?

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Pronunciation Review

 

Beginning English - Lesson 16 - The Future
Vocabulary - Grammar - Listening - Dialogue - Reading - Pronunciation - Dictation - Game

 

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