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Japanese show robot news readers (28th June, 2014)

The Reading / Listening - Level 3

Japanese scientists have created the world's first news-reading robots. They really look and act like human beings. The android newscaster even sounded human and had a sense of humour. The scientists showed two robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". This word joins the Japanese for child, "kodomo," with the English word "android". The other robot is called "Otonoaroid" – the combination of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first pieces of news read by the robots were on an imaginary earthquake in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a leading robotics professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would read the news for real.

Robots are big business in Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on research and development to make robots better and better. The Japanese have a very positive image of robots. They think they are both helpful and cute. In the West, people think of them as a little scary. They worry that robots will take over the world one day and control us. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important. He said: "We will have more and more robots in our lives in the future." He added that robots are now not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming affordable - no different from owning a laptop," he said.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2

Sources

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/world-android-newscasters-deliver-news-japan-article-1.1844180
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2667093/Can-tell-difference-Worlds-robotic-broadcasters-lifelike-read-news-recite-tongue-twisters.html

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. ROBOTS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about robots. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

scientists / robots / androids / sense of humour / newscaster / piece of news / robotics / big business / research / development / positive image / scary / everyday life / laptop

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. HELPFUL: How could robots help with these things? Complete this table and share what you wrote with your partner(s). Change partners often.

	How?	How much would you want this?
Homework
Driving
Cooking
Being a friend
Ironing
Reading

4. POSITIVE: Students A strongly believe robots are good; Students B strongly believe they are bad. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. THE FUTURE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best uses for robots of the future at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• performing surgery

• robot rock bands

• android Olympics

• piloting airplanes

• cooking

• being a friend

• security guards

• police officers

6. SCIENTIST: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "scientist". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Robots are reading the news on Japan's most popular news program.	T / F
b.	The news-reading robots do not look at all human.	T / F
c.	The robots can people laugh with what they say.	T / F
d.	The creator of the robots is actually a real newscaster.	T / F
e.	Japanese people generally think robots are cute.	T / F
f.	People in the West tend to have a not-so-positive view of robots.	T / F
g.	A robotics professor said robots would not be so important for us.	T / F
h.	Robots are now about the same price as a laptop computer.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	created	a.	favourable
2.	human beings	b.	top
3.	joins	c.	frightening
4.	pieces	d.	combines
5.	leading	e.	more and more
6.	big	f.	made
7.	positive	g.	costly
8.	scary	h.	items
9.	expensive	i.	people
10.	increasingly	j.	huge

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	They really look and	a.	earthquake
2.	had a sense	b.	of everyday life
3.	an imaginary	c.	over the world
4.	a leading	d.	business in Japan
5.	robots would read the news	e.	of humour
6.	Robots are big	f.	affordable
7.	research	g.	robotics professor
8.	robots will take	h.	for real
9.	increasingly becoming a part	i.	and development
10.	Robots are now becoming	j.	act like human beings

GAP FILL

Japanese scientists have (1) ____________ the world's first news-reading robots. They really look and (2) ____________ like human beings. The android newscaster even sounded human and had a (3) ____________ of humour. The scientists showed two robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". This word joins the Japanese for child, "kodomo," with the English word "(4) ____________ ". The other robot is called "Otonoaroid" – the combination of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first (5) ____________ of news read by the robots were on an (6) ____________ earthquake in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a (7) ____________ robotics professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would read the news for (8) ____________.

android
real
act
imaginary
created
leading
sense
pieces

Robots are (9) ____________ business in Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on (10) ____________ and development to make robots better and better. The Japanese have a very positive (11) ____________ of robots. They think they are both helpful and cute. In the West, people think of them as a little (12) ____________. They worry that robots will take over the world one day and (13) ____________ us. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important. He said: "We will have more and more robots in our lives in the (14) ____________." He added that robots are now not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a part of (15) ____________ life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming affordable - no different from (16) ____________ a laptop," he said.

control
owning
future
research
big
image
everyday
scary

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	They really look and act like ______
	a. human beans b. humane beings c. human beings d. humane beans
2)	The android newscaster even sounded human and had a ______
	a. sense of humour b. sense of hue more c. sense for humour d. sense of humus
3)	the combination of the Japanese word for adult ______
	a. within "android" b. with an "android" c. with the "android" d. with "android"
4)	The robots' creator is a leading ______
	a. robotic professor b. robot ticks professor c. robotics professor d. robo-ticks professor
5)	He did not say when robots would read the ______
	a. news for real b. news for really c. news for reality d. news for realism
6)	Many companies spend a lot of money on research ______
	a. and develop mint b. and develop meant c. and development d. and developmental
7)	The Japanese have a very positive ______
	a. image of robots b. image for robots c. image off robots d. image of robot
8)	In the West, people think of them ______
	a. as a little scarier b. as a little scariest c. as a little scary d. as a little scared
9)	We will have more and more robots in our ______
	a. life is in the future b. bibs in the future c. hives in the future d. lives in the future
10)	Robots are now becoming affordable - no different from ______
	a. owning a laptop b. owning a lab top c. owning a lap top d. owning a lab dot

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Japanese scientists have created the world's first (1) ___________________. They really (2) ___________________ human beings. The android newscaster even sounded human and had a sense of humour. The scientists showed two robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". (3) ___________________ Japanese for child, "kodomo," with the English word "android". (4) ___________________ called "Otonoaroid" – the combination of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first pieces of news read by the robots were on (5) ___________________ in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a leading robotics professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would (6) ___________________.

Robots (7) ___________________ Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on research and development to make robots better and better. The Japanese have a (8) ___________________ of robots. They think they are both helpful and cute. In the West, people think (9) ___________________ scary. They worry that robots will take over the world one day and control us. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important. He said: "We will have more and more robots (10) ___________________ future." He added that robots are now not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a (11) ___________________ life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming affordable - (12) ___________________ owning a laptop," he said.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	Who created the news-reading robots?
2.	What do the robots have a sense of?
3.	What English word is part of the names of the two robots?
4.	What imaginary event in Tokyo did the robots read about?
5.	When did a professor say the robots would read the news for real?
6.	What do companies in Japan spend a lot of money on?
7.	What image do Japanese people have of robots?
8.	What do Westerners think robots might take over one day?
9.	What did professor Ishiguro say we will have more of in the future?
10.	What did the professor compare owning a robot to?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	Who created the news-reading robots?	6.	What do companies in Japan spend a lot of money on?
	a) Nintendo hardware technicians b) Panasonic managers c) Sony software engineers d) Japanese scientists		a) workers' bonuses b) research and development c) bento lunches d) bonsai trees
2.	What do the robots have a sense of?	7.	What image do Japanese people have of robots?
	a) fashion b) humour c) taste d) smell		a) an old-fashioned one b) an outdated one c) a futuristic one d) a positive one
3.	What English word is part of the names of the two robots?	8.	What do Westerners think robots might take over one day?
	a) spaceman b) astronaut c) android d) cyborg		a) the world b) the controls c) the Internet d) the airwaves
4.	What imaginary event in Tokyo did the robots read about?	9.	What did professor Ishiguro say we will have more of in the future?
	a) an earthquake b) the soccer World Cup Final c) an alien invasion d) robots taking over the world		a) headaches b) fun c) robots d) time
5.	When did a professor say the robots would read the news for real?	10.	What did the professor compare owning a robot to?
	a) 2020 b) the Thursday after next c) he didn't d) next week		a) a horror movie b) a laptop c) having a 5-day weekend d) retiring

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Cooking

You think cooking is the best use for robots in the future. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): being a friend, being police officers or piloting airplanes.

Role B – Piloting airplanes

You think piloting airplanes is the best use for robots in the future. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): cooking, being police officers or being a friend.

Role C – Police officers

You think being police officers is the best use for robots in the future. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): being a friend, cooking or piloting airplanes.

Role D – Being a friend

You think being a friend is the best use for robots in the future. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): being police officers, piloting airplanes or cooking.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'positive' and 'image'.

positive

image

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

created
sense
child
other
imaginary
real

big
positive
scary
more
so
laptop

ROBOTS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about robots in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

ROBOTS DISCUSSION

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'robot'?
c)	What do you think of robots?
d)	Would you like a robot in your house?
e)	What kinds of robots are there?
f)	Is there anything about robots to be afraid of?
g)	What robot movies do you like?
h)	What do you think of the idea of news-reading robots?
i)	What will happen if robots become more intelligent than us?
j)	Do robots need to look and sound human?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
b)	What uses might robots have in our houses?
c)	What's the difference between a robot and an android?
d)	Why do people in the West have a less-than-positive image of robots?
e)	What would happen if robots took over the world?
f)	Would you like robots to do everything for you?
g)	Would you buy a robot or a laptop computer?
h)	What do you think of the idea of an android Olympics?
i)	Will people be less lonely with robots in their house?
j)	What questions would you like to ask professor Ishiguro?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

Japanese scientists have created the world's first news-reading robots. They really look and (1) ____ like human beings. The android newscaster (2) ____ sounded human and had a sense of humour. The scientists showed two robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". This word (3) ____ the Japanese for child, "kodomo," with the English word "android". The other robot is called "Otonoaroid" – the (4) ____ of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first (5) ____ of news read by the robots were on an imaginary earthquake in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a (6) ____ robotics professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would read the news for real.

Robots are big business in Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on (7) ____ and development to make robots better and better. The Japanese have a very positive image of robots. They think they are (8) ____ helpful and cute. In the West, people think of them as a little (9) ____. They worry that robots will take over the world one day and control (10) ____. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important. He said: "We will have more and more robots in our lives in the future." He added that robots are now not so expensive and so are (11) ____ becoming a part of everyday life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming (12) ____ - no different from owning a laptop," he said.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	actioned	(b)	acted	(c)	acts	(d)	act
2.	(a)	event	(b)	evens	(c)	ever	(d)	even
3.	(a)	joints	(b)	joins	(c)	rejoins	(d)	rejoining
4.	(a)	fusion	(b)	partition	(c)	combination	(d)	gluing
5.	(a)	places	(b)	pasts	(c)	pieces	(d)	pastes
6.	(a)	leading	(b)	loading	(c)	lauding	(d)	laden
7.	(a)	conservation	(b)	research	(c)	preservation	(d)	founding
8.	(a)	both	(b)	all	(c)	too	(d)	two
9.	(a)	scarred	(b)	scary	(c)	scares	(d)	scars
10.	(a)	them	(b)	we	(c)	us	(d)	all
11.	(a)	upping	(b)	heightened	(c)	increasingly	(d)	highly
12.	(a)	affords	(b)	affording	(c)	afford	(d)	affordable

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	Japanese sicettinss
2.	look and act like human gsnieb
3.	a sense of uomhur (UK) / uohmr (USA)
4.	the mnabictoino of the Japanese word for…
5.	an imaginary rataehquek in Tokyo
6.	a leading robotics sosprfoer
Paragraph 2
7.	Robots are big eiusnbss in Japan
8.	rcerhsae and development
9.	have a very pvioiest image of robots
10.	in the uertuf
11.	not so iepvxenes
12.	Robots are now becoming afoeaflrdb

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	Robots are big business in Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on research and development
( )	not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a part of everyday
( )	for child, "kodomo," with the English word "android". The other robot is called "Otonoaroid" – the combination
( )	of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first pieces of news read by the robots were on an
( )	imaginary earthquake in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a leading robotics
( )	and cute. In the West, people think of them as a little scary. They worry that robots will take
( )	to make robots better and better. The Japanese have a very positive image of robots. They think they are both helpful
( )	robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". This word joins the Japanese
( )	"We will have more and more robots in our lives in the future." He added that robots are now
( )	over the world one day and control us. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important. He said:
( )	professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would read the news for real.
( 1 )	Japanese scientists have created the world's first news-reading robots. They really look and act like human
( )	life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming affordable - no different from owning a laptop," he said.
( )	beings. The android newscaster even sounded human and had a sense of humour. The scientists showed two

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	the world's first news - reading robots . Scientists have created
2.	look beings and act They like really human.
3.	robots first news the The of by pieces read.
4.	robotics creator professor is a The leading robots'.
5.	the real when read for Say would news robots.
6.	companies lot on Many a money spend of research.
7.	positive robots Japanese very of The a image have.
8.	day one world the over take will Robots us control and.
9.	have more and more robots in our lives We will.
10.	of part a becoming Increasingly life everyday.

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

Japanese scientists have created / creating the world's first news-reading robots. They really look and action / act like human beings. The android newscaster even sounded / heard human and had a sense of humour. The scientists showing / showed two robots to reporters in Tokyo. One of them is called "Kodomoroid". This word joins / joints the Japanese for child, "kodomo," with the English word "android". The other / another robot is called "Otonoaroid" – the combination / termination of the Japanese word for adult with "android". The first pieces / places of news read by the robots were on an imagines / imaginary earthquake in Tokyo and a raid by the FBI. The robots' creator is a leading robotics professor, Hiroshi Ishiguro. He did not say when robots would read the news for really / real.

Robots are big / large business in Japan. Many companies spend a lot of money on research and developing / development to make robots better and best / better. The Japanese have a very positive image / imagination of robots. They think they are both helpful / helpless and cute. In the West, people think of them as a little scared / scary. They worry that robots will take over the world one day and control us / them. Professor Ishiguro told reporters that robots are very importance / important. He said: "We will have more and more robots in our lives on / in the future." He added that robots are now not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life in Japan: "Robots are now becoming afforded / affordable - no different from owning a laptop," he said.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

J_p_n_s_ sc__nt_sts h_v_ cr__t_d th_ w_rld's f_rst n_ws-r__d_ng r_b_ts. Th_y r__lly l__k _nd _ct l_k_ h_m_n b__ngs. Th_ _ndr__d n_wsc_st_r _v_n s__nd_d h_m_n _nd h_d _ s_ns_ _f h_m__r. Th_ sc__nt_sts sh_w_d tw_ r_b_ts t_ r_p_rt_rs _n T_ky_. _n_ _f th_m _s c_ll_d "K_d_m_r__d". Th_s w_rd j__ns th_ J_p_n_s_ f_r ch_ld, "k_d_m_," w_th th_ _ngl_sh w_rd "_ndr__d". Th_ _th_r r_b_t _s c_ll_d "_t_n__r__d" – th_ c_mb_n_t__n _f th_ J_p_n_s_ w_rd f_r _d_lt w_th "_ndr__d". Th_ f_rst p__c_s _f n_ws r__d by th_ r_b_ts w_r_ _n _n _m_g_n_ry __rthq__k_ _n T_ky_ _nd _ r__d by th_ FB_. Th_ r_b_ts' cr__t_r _s _ l__d_ng r_b_t_cs pr_f_ss_r, H_r_sh_ _sh_g_r_. H_ d_d n_t s_y wh_n r_b_ts w__ld r__d th_ n_ws f_r r__l.

R_b_ts _r_ b_g b_s_n_ss _n J_p_n. M_ny c_mp_n__s sp_nd _ l_t _f m_n_y _n r_s__rch _nd d_v_l_pm_nt t_ m_k_ r_b_ts b_tt_r _nd b_tt_r. Th_ J_p_n_s_ h_v_ _ v_ry p_s_t_v_ _m_g_ _f r_b_ts. Th_y th_nk th_y _r_ b_th h_lpf_l _nd c_t_. _n th_ W_st, p__pl_ th_nk _f th_m _s _ l_ttl_ sc_ry. Th_y w_rry th_t r_b_ts w_ll t_k_ _v_r th_ w_rld _n_ d_y _nd c_ntr_l _s. Pr_f_ss_r _sh_g_r_ t_ld r_p_rt_rs th_t r_b_ts _r_ v_ry _mp_rt_nt. H_ s__d: "W_ w_ll h_v_ m_r_ _nd m_r_ r_b_ts _n __r l_v_s _n th_ f_t_r_." H_ _dd_d th_t r_b_ts _r_ n_w n_t s_ _xp_ns_v_ _nd s_ _r_ _ncr__s_ngly b_c_m_ng _ p_rt _f _v_ryd_y l_f_ _n J_p_n: "R_b_ts _r_ n_w b_c_m_ng _ff_rd_bl_ - n_ d_ff_r_nt fr_m _wn_ng _ l_pt_p," h_ s__d.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

japanese scientists have created the world's first news-reading robots they really look and act like human beings the android newscaster even sounded human and had a sense of humour the scientists showed two robots to reporters in tokyo one of them is called "kodomoroid" this word joins the japanese for child "kodomo" with the english word "android" the other robot is called "otonoaroid" – the combination of the japanese word for adult with "android" the first pieces of news read by the robots were on an imaginary earthquake in tokyo and a raid by the fbi the robots' creator is a leading robotics professor hiroshi ishiguro he did not say when robots would read the news for real

robots are big business in japan many companies spend a lot of money on research and development to make robots better and better the japanese have a very positive image of robots they think they are both helpful and cute in the west people think of them as a little scary they worry that robots will take over the world one day and control us professor ishiguro told reporters that robots are very important he said "we will have more and more robots in our lives in the future" he added that robots are now not so expensive and so are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life in japan "robots are now becoming affordable - no different from owning a laptop" he said

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Japanesescientistshavecreatedtheworld'sfirstnews-readingro
bots.Theyreallylookandactlikehumanbeings.Theandroidnewscas
terevensoundedhumanandhadasenseofhumour.Thescientistssh
owedtworobotstoreportersinTokyo.Oneofthemiscalled"Kodomor
oid".ThiswordjoinstheJapaneseforchild,"kodomo,"withtheEnglis
hword"android".Theotherrobotiscalled"Otonoaroid"–thecombi
nationoftheJapanesewordforadultwith"android".Thefirstpiecesof
newsreadbytherobotswereonanimaginaryearthquakeinTokyoan
daraidbytheFBI.Therobots'creatorisaleadingroboticsprofessor,H
iroshiIshiguro.Hedidnotsaywhenrobotswouldreadthenewsforrea
l.RobotsarebigbusinessinJapan.Manycompaniesspendalotofmon
eyonresearchanddevelopmenttomakerobotsbetterandbetter.Th
eJapanesehaveaverypositiveimageofrobots.Theythinktheyareb
othhelpfulandcute.IntheWest,peoplethinkofthemasalittlescary.T
heyworrythatrobotswilltakeovertheworldonedayandcontrolus.Pr
ofessorIshigurotoldreportersthatrobotsareveryimportant.Hesai
d:"Wewillhavemoreandmorerobotsinourlivesinthefuture."Headd
edthatrobotsarenownotsoexpensiveandsoareincreasinglybecom
ingapartofeverydaylifeinJapan:"Robotsarenowbecomingafforda
ble-nodifferentfromowningalaptop,"hesaid.

FREE WRITING

Write about robots for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

Write about three good things and three bad things about robots.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about robots. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. ROBOTS: Make a poster about robots. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. ROBOT NEWS READERS: Write a magazine article about robots reading the news on TV. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on robots. Ask him/her three questions about robots. Give him/her three of your ideas on how they can help us. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

F

c

T

d

F

e

T

f

T

g

F

h

T

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	created	a.	made
2.	human beings	b.	people
3.	joins	c.	combines
4.	pieces	d.	items
5.	leading	e.	top
6.	big	f.	huge
7.	positive	g.	favourable
8.	scary	h.	frightening
9.	expensive	i.	costly
10.	increasingly	j.	more and more

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	Japanese scientists
2.	Humour
3.	Android
4.	An earthquake
5.	He didn't say
6.	Research and development
7.	A positive one
8.	The world
9.	Robots
10.	A laptop (computer)

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

d

2.

b

3.

c

4.

a

5.

c

6.

b

7.

d

8.

a

9.

c

10.

b

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Japanese show robot news readers (28th June, 2014)

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