Man or Machine Reading Answers

Jan 5, 2023

Man or Machine Reading Answers contains a write up about the development of robots and its comparison with humans. Man or Machine Reading Answers contains a total of 6 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. To answer the questions provided in the IELTS Reading passage,Applicants must attentively read each passage. Man or Machine Reading Answers Man or Machine Reading Answers comprises two types of questions: Complete the sentence and Choose the correct option.

Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. The questions are based on the robotic information given in the paragraphs. Candidates to complete the sentence must grasp the concept and skim the passage for key terms. The sentence should be complete or should not exceed more than two words. To choose the correct information, the paragraphs must be read thoroughly with an understanding of each. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Man or Machine Reading Answers

During July 2003, the Museum of Science in Cambridge, Massachusetts exhibited what Honda calls ‘the world’s most advanced humanoid robot’, ASIMO (the Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility). Honda’s brainchild is on tour in North America and delighting audiences wherever it goes. After 17 years in the making, ASIMO stands at four feet tall, weighs around 115 pounds and looks like a child in an astronaut’s suit. Though it is difficult to see ASIMO’s face at a distance, on closer inspection it has a smile and two large ‘eyes’ that conceal cameras. The robot cannot work autonomously – its actions are ‘remote-controlled’ by scientists through the computer in its backpack. Yet watching AIMIO perform at a show in Massachusetts it seemed uncannily human. The audience cheered as ASIMO walked forwards and backwards, side to side and up and downstairs. After the show, a number of people told me that they would like robots to play more of a role in daily life – one even said that the robot would be like ‘another person’.
While the Japanese have made huge strides in solving some of the engineering problems of human kinetics and bipedal movements, for the past 10 years scientists at MIT’s former Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab (recently renamed the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, CSAIL) have been making robots that can behave like humans and interact with humans. One of MIT’s robots, Kismet, is an anthropomorphic head and has two eyes (complete with eyelids), ears, a mouth, and eyebrows. It has several facial expressions, including happy, sad, frightened and disgusted. Human interlocutors are able to read some of the robot’s facial expressions, and often change their behavior towards the machine as a result – for example, playing with it when it appears ‘sad’. Kismet is now in MIT’s museum, but the ideas developed here continue to be explored in new robots.
Cog (short for Cognition) is another pioneering project from MIT’s former AI lab. Cog has a head, eyes, two arms, hands and a torso – and its proportions were originally measured from the body of a researcher in the lab. The work on Cog has been used to test theories of embodiment and developmental robotics, particularly getting a robot to develop intelligence by responding to its environment via sensors, and to learn through these types of interactions.
MIT is getting furthest down the road to creating human-like and interactive robots. Some scientists argue that ASIMO is a great engineering feat but not an intelligent machine – because it is unable to interact autonomously with unpredictabilities in its environment in meaningful ways, and learn from experience. Robots like Cog and Kismet and new robots at MIT’s CSAIL and media lab, however, are beginning to do this.
These are exciting developments. Creating a machine that can walk, make gestures and learn from its environment is an amazing achievement. And watch this space: these achievements are likely rapidly to be improved upon. Humanoid robots could have a plethora of uses in society, helping to free people from everyday tasks. In Japan, for example, there is an aim to create robots that can do the tasks similar to an average human and also act in more sophisticated situations as firefighters, astronauts or medical assistants to the elderly in the workplace and in homes – partly in order to counterbalance the effects of an aging population.
Such robots say much about the way in which we view humanity, and they bring out the best and worst of us. On one hand, these developments express human creativity – our ability to invent, experiment, and to extend our control over the world. On the other hand, the aim to create a robot like a human being is spurred on by dehumanized ideas – by the sense that human companionship can be substituted by machines; that humans lose their humanity when they interact with technology; or that we a little more than surface and ritual behaviors, that can be simulated with metal and electrical circuits.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-6

Reading passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once

different ways of using robots

Answer: E
Supporting Statement: Creating a machine that can walk, make gestures and learn from its environment is an amazing achievement. And watch this space: these achievements are likely rapidly to be improved upon. Humanoid robots could have a plethora of uses in society, helping to free people from everyday tasks.
Keywords: Walk, make gestures, plethora of uses
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: The accomplishment of building a machine that can walk, make gestures, as well as learn from its surroundings is demonstrated in paragraph E. And keep an eye out because it's possible that these accomplishments will be quickly improved upon. Humanoid robots could be used for a variety of purposes in society, freeing individuals from routine tasks. So, the correct answer is E.

a robot whose body has the same proportion as that of an adult

Answer: C
Supporting Statement: Cog (short for Cognition) is another pioneering project from MIT’s former AI lab. Cog has a head, eyes, two arms, hands and a torso – and its proportions were originally measured from the body of a
researcher in the lab.
Keywords: Cog, Measured from the body
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been clearly mentioned that Cog is a machine who has the proportion same as that of an adult. It has a head, body, arms, legs just like a human. So, the correct answer is C as per the explanation provided.

the fact that human can be copied and replaced by robots

Answer: F
Supporting Statement: On the other hand, the aim to create a robot like a human being is spurred on by dehumanized ideas – by the sense that human companionship can be substituted by machines; that humans lose their
humanity when they interact with technology; or that we a little more than surface and ritual behaviors, that can be simulated with metal and electrical circuits.
Keywords: Humans lose their humanity
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: These sentences imply that human creativity is reflected through these advancements, and paragraph F makes reference to the idea that people can be replicated and replaced by robots. So, The correct answer is F.

a comparison between ASIMO for Honda and other robots

Answer: D
Supporting Statement: Some scientists argue that ASIMO is a great engineering feat but not an intelligent machine – because it is unable to interact autonomously with unpredictabilities in its environment in meaningful
ways, and learn from experience.
Keywords: ASIMO, great engineering
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: According to the second line of paragraph D, some scientists contend that ASIMO is an impressive engineering achievement but not an intelligent machine because it is unable to meaningfully interact autonomously with unpredictable environmental variables and gain knowledge from experience. In paragraph D, the author compares ASIMO to Honda and other robots. The solution is hence D.

the pros and cons of creating robots

Answer: F
Supporting Statement: Such robots say much about the way in which we view humanity, and they bring out the best and worst of us. On one hand, these developments express human creativity – our ability to invent,
experiment, and to extend our control over the world. On the other hand, the aim to create a robot like a human being is spurred on by dehumanized ideas
Keywords: Best, worst
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: Dehumanizing ideas in paragraph F the notion that machines can take the place of human companionship, that people lose their humanity because once they interact with technology, or that humans are a little more than surface and ritual behavior patterns that can be simulated with metal as well as electrical circuits are what motivate efforts to build robots that resemble humans. These sentences highlight the benefits and drawbacks of robot development. The solution is F, thus.

a robot that has eyebrows

Answer: B
Supporting Statement: One of MIT’s robots, Kismet, is an anthropomorphic head and has two eyes (complete with eyelids), ears, a mouth, and eyebrows. It has several facial expressions, including happy, sad, frightened
and disgusted.
Keywords: Eyebrows, MIT’s Robot
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: One of MIT's robots, Kismet, features an anthropomorphic head, two eyes (complete with eyelids), ears, a mouth, and eyebrows, as shown in paragraph B. From these lines, it may be inferred that Kismet is an anthropomorphic head with two eyes, brows, a mouth, and ears. The solution is B as a result.

Questions 7-13

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage 1.

Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet.

In 2003, Massachusetts displayed a robot named ASIMO which was invented by Honda, after a period of 7……………………… in the making. The operating information is stored in the computer in its 8……………………… so that scientists can control ASIMO’s movement. While Japan is making great progress, MIT is developing robots that are human-like and can 9………………………. Humans. What is special about Kismet is that it has different 10……………………… which can be read by human interlocutors. 11……………………… is another robot from MIT, whose body’s proportion is the same as an adult. By responding to the surroundings through 12……………………., it could develop its 13…………………………

Question 7)

Answer: 17 years
Supporting Statement: Honda’s brainchild is on tour in North America and delighting audiences wherever it goes. After 17 years in the making, ASIMO stands at four feet tall, weighs around 115 pounds and looks like a child
in an astronaut’s suit.
Keywords: 17 years, making
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: As stated in the fourth sentence of paragraph A, ASIMO, which took 17 years to create, is four feet tall, weighs around 115 pounds, and resembles a little child in an astronaut suit. From these words, we might infer that Massachusetts showcased ASIMO, a robot that weighs around 115 pounds, is 4 feet tall, and resembles a young child. After 17 years, Honda created it. The answer is therefore 17 years.

Question 8)

Answer: Backpack
Supporting Statement The robot cannot work autonomously – its actions are ‘remote-controlled’ by scientists through the computer in its backpack.
Keywords: computer, backpack
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: According to paragraph A, the robot is unable to function independently since scientists "remotely control" it using the computer in its backpack. These lines show that the robots are unable to work independently and that scientists remotely control them using a computer carried in their backpack. As a result, the computer in its backpack is where the operating information is kept. The backpack is the solution.

Question 9)

Answer: Interact With
Supporting Statement: While the Japanese have made huge strides in solving some of the engineering problems of human kinetics and bipedal movements, for the past 10 years scientists at MIT’s former Artificial
Intelligence (AI) lab (recently renamed the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, CSAIL) have been making robots that can behave like humans and interact with humans.
Keywords: interact with humans, robots
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: According to the first sentences of paragraph B, the Japanese have made significant progress in finding engineering solutions to various issues relating to human kinematics and bipedal movements. The Computer Science as well as Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), formerly known as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory at MIT, has been producing robots that can interact and behave like humans for the past ten years. Therefore, interaction is the solution.

Question 10)

Answer: Facial Expression
Supporting Statement: One of MIT’s robots, Kismet, is an anthropomorphic head and has two eyes (complete with eyelids), ears, a mouth, and eyebrows. It has several facial expressions, including happy, sad, frightened
and disgusted. Human interlocutors are able to read some of the robot’s facial expressions, and often change their behavior towards the machine as a result.
Keywords: Facial Expression, human interlocutors
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: One of MIT's robots, Kismet, has an anthropomorphic head with two eyes (complete with eyelids), ears, a mouth, and eyebrows, as indicated in paragraph B. It exhibits a range of facial emotions. Kismet, one of MIT's robots, is understood to have a number of expressive face features that set it apart from other robots. Human interlocutors are capable of reading these expressions. Therefore, facial expressions are the solution.

Question 11)

Answer: Cog
Supporting Statement: Cog (short for Cognition) is another pioneering project from MIT’s former AI lab. Cog has a head, eyes, two arms, hands and a torso – and its proportions were originally measured from the body of a researcher in the lab.
Keywords: Cog, pioneering project
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: According to the opening sentences of Paragraph C, "Cog" (short for cognition) is yet another ground-breaking initiative from MIT's previous AI lab. These lines make it clear that Cog/cognition is yet another ground-breaking endeavor from MIT's erstwhile AI lab, whose bodily proportions are identical to those of adults. The answer is therefore cognition/cog.

Question 12)

Answer: Sensors
Supporting Statement: The work on Cog has been used to test theories of embodiment and developmental robotics, particularly getting a robot to develop intelligence by responding to its environment via sensors, and to learn through these types of interactions.
Keywords: sensors, cog
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: As paragraph C clearly states that there have been researches conducted to enable the robot to develop intelligence by responding to its surroundings and environment via sensors. So, the correct answer is sensors.

Question 13)

Answer: Intelligence
Supporting Statement: The work on Cog has been used to test theories of embodiment and developmental robotics, particularly getting a robot to develop intelligence by responding to its environment via sensors, and to
learn through these types of interactions.
Keywords: sensors, cog
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: As paragraph C clearly states that there have been researches conducted to enable the robot to develop intelligence by responding to its surroundings and environment via sensors. So, the correct answer is intelligence.

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