A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans. Robots are programmed and controlled by a computer.

Toy robots

characters in stories

Entertainment robots

Industrial robots

household robots

The robot which can play football.

Read the text quickly and complete its main idea. The text is mainly about a robot, Tony, who not only helped Claire do __________, but also helped her create a new ________. image housework

CharactersWho are they? Larry Belmont Claire Tony Gladys Claffern worked for a company that makes robots Larry’s wife, a housewife a household robot to be tested out a woman that Claire envies

Read the text carefully and fill in the blanks. Charact eristics of Tony ● tall and handsome ● his 1. ________________ never changed ● 2. ________ hair ● a deep 3. ________ ● soft and warm 4. ________ facial expression smooth voice skin

Things Tony did ● gave Claire a new 5. ________ and changed her makeup ● wrote out a(n) 6. ____ of items for Claire to buy ● spoke to the clerk in a(n) 7. ______________ to make him change his 8. ________ haircut list jewellery shop attitude

Things Tony did ● 9. _______ Claire to invite her friends to the house ● worked steadily on the improvements of the house ● succeeded in catching Claire when she fell off a ladder ● opened the curtains, 10. ________ Claire and expressed his feelings to her advised hugged

Claire’s feelings toward Tony changed as the story developed. Fill in the occasions when Claire had these feelings.

OccasionClaire disliked him was alarmed felt embarrassed Before he arrived When he arrived When he offered to help her dress

OccasionClaire admired him called him a dear felt his warmth When he offered to help her improve her house and herself When he helped her with the salesman When she fell off a ladder and was caught by Tony

OccasionClaire felt being envied cried all night When she heard Gladys whispering to another woman that she had never seen anyone so handsome as Tony She remembered Tony was just a machine

1. We can infer that when Claire first saw Tony, she felt alarmed by his cleverness. 2. Claire bought the items from the shop because Tony wanted herself and the house changed. appearance.

3. Tony opened the curtains to let other women see everything and envy Claire. 4. As a result, the experiment shows Claire and Tony fell in love with each other. Tony had to be rebuilt.

1. Why did Tony open the curtains? He wanted Claire’s guests to see him and Claire together so that she would be envied by the women guests.

2. What did Tony do to prevent Claire from being harmed? Tony prevented Claire from being harmed by making her feel good about herself. He helped her make her and her home elegant so that she would not feel like a failure.

3. Why did Tony have to be rebuilt? 4. How would you feel if you had a robot like Tony in your house? Tony had to be rebuilt because the company felt that they could not have women falling in love with a robot.

5. Claire spent three weeks with Tony in her house. What sentences in the story show that she kept forgetting and then remembering that he was a machine? How absurd, she thought. He was just a machine. He held her firmly in his arms and she felt the warmth of his body.

She screamed, pushed him away and ran to her room for the rest of the day. Then she remembered-Tony was just a machine. She shouted “Leave me alone” and ran to her bed.

I. In groups, list Tony’s characteristics that were similar to and those that were different from those of a human being. Characteristics SimilarDifferent Physical Mental

Charact eristics SimilarDifferent Physical Looks like a human being. Body and skin soft and warm. Hair and fingernail realistic. Voice like a human’s. Facial expressions never change. Quicker reactions (She fell off a ladder and even though Tony was in the next room, he managed to catch her in time.)

Charac teristics SimilarDifferent Mental Able to make suggestions and predictions. Able to make a plan and follow it through. Has good communication skills. Behaviour not appropriate (Tony brought her breakfast and then asked her whether she needed help dressing.)

II. Choose the best answer. 1. Why did Claire buy the items from the shops? A. Because her husband was to return. B. Because Tony was to leave. C. Because Tony wanted to transform the house. D. Because she thought she needed them. C

2. What do we know from the text? A. Tony was a typical machine. B. Claire was envied by her guests in the end. C. Tony was a gift from Claire’s husband. D. Claire’s husband was not satisfied with Tony’s report. B

Can you make up an end for the story?

1. Remember the characteristics of science fiction. 2. Surf the internet to learn more about robots and science fiction. 3. Surf the internet to learn about Isaac Asimov.