Paired Passage: Smart Machines & Getting Ready for the Robots

Which of these sentences from "Smart Machines" explains why robots may look more like animals than people?

• In fact, for many tasks, it's bad for a robot to have a human form.

• Robots that look like jellyfish float just beneath the water's surface.

• Land-Based robots also have many animal-like forms, looking like crabs that crawl and snakes that slither

• Some robots look like little boats, powered by the Sun.

What is the meaning of repetitive?

• Somehting that takes a long time to finish

• SOmehting that is done many times

• Something that is very difficult

• Something that is dangerous

Which detail from "Smart Machines" best supports the idea that robots are able to do jobs that humans would get hurt doing?

• But a robot doesn't get weary, and it won't get sick from toxic fumes

• Since 1961, robots have been used in factories worldwide

• True, humans can swim, but we're not built for it

• Land-bound robots travel on wheels

What reason does the author of "Smart Machines" use to suppor tthe idea that people should not worry about robots taking over their jobs?

• The only jobs being replaced by robots are ones no one wants

• Driverless trucks will be able to drive more safely than humans

• Robots help people avoid danger and learn about the world

• Many robots that do human jobs look like animals

Which of these sentences from "Getting Ready for the Robots" shows that automation changed AMerican farming from 1850 through 1910?

• In 1850, 80 percent of workers in the US worked on Farms, using either human or animal power to plow bields, harvest crops and feed animals

• Tractors and other farm machines began to do the work of many people in much less time

• Today only about 2 percent of US workiers make their livings on farms

• Put simply, the history of automation tells us that many jobs that are common today wont be around in a few decades

Which detail in "Getting Ready for the Robots" best shows that robots will change the transportation idnustry?

• Tractors and machines are eidely used in the agriculture industry

• Economists are trying to predict what jobs robots will take

• Companies are developing vehicles that can drive themselves

• Robots are being designed to work behind the counter of gas stations

According to "Getting Ready for the Robots" what was an effect of the increase in automation in farming?

• THe number of newspapers decreased because people had less time to read

• the number of people buying farms increased because more work could be done with fewer people

• the number of stores decreased because people lacked the money to buy goods

• the nujmber of shipping jobs increased because there was more food to transport

According to the author of "Getting Ready for the RObots," What will prevent robots from replacing certain jobs?

• Only jobs that are too hard for people will be replaced with robots

• People will always create new jobs to replace those lost to robots

• Robots need more coordination to perform highly skilled work

• robots are too expensive to be used for some types of work

According to "Getting Ready for the RObots" people mahy fear the future of automation, but there is no argument about machines being good at their jobs. Which detail from the text supports the main idea that machines are better than humans at some jobs?

• Tractors and other farm machines began to do the work of many people in much less time

• These are cars, vans, busses, and semitrailers that can travel along highways and through cities entirely by themselves

• while robots are good at organizing information, they cant dream up new ideas

• preparing for hte future means finding and developing the skills robots ant perform

HOw is the strucure of "Smart Machines" similar to the structure of "Getting Ready for the Robots"?

• BOth passages compare and contrast the work of robots and humans

• Both passages introduce the topic of robots by describing how thay have been portrayed in sotries

• Bothe passages describe a proplem with the design of robots and how it was solved

• Both passages outline the negative effects of using robots in the transportation industry