The Reading / Listening - Go Grand Champion - Level 2

A world champion retired because he decided humans cannot beat computers at the game of Go. His name is Lee Se-Dol from South Korea. Mr Lee is the only person in the world to ever beat Google's AlphaGo computer algorithm. This is a special A.I. computer program created to play Go. Mr Lee, an 18-time world champion, told reporters that: "Even if I become the number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated. With the debut of A.I. in Go games, I've realized that I'm not at the top." Some people compare Go to chess.

Go originated in China 3,000 years ago. Today, it is played in 75 different countries. It is the oldest board game in the world. The International Go Federation said over 46 million people worldwide knew how to play it. Mr Lee started playing at the age of five and turned professional when he was 12. He played five games against Google's AlphaGo and lost four of them. He said his only victory was because of a "bug". The bug did not know what to do when Mr Lee made a "tricky" move. Today's Go programs are much more powerful than the one that beat Mr Lee.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Go Grand Champion - Level 0 Go Grand Champion - Level 1   or  Go Grand Champion - Level 3

Sources
  • https://japantoday.com/category/tech/go-grandmaster-says-computers-cannot-be-defeated
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/27/go-game-master-quits-saying-machines-cannot-be-defeated
  • http://www.koreatimesus.com/go-master-lee-says-he-quits-unable-to-win-over-ai-go-players/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A world
  2. humans cannot beat
  3. This is a special A.I.
  4. an 18-time
  5. Even if I become the
  6. With the debut of A.I. in
  7. I've realized that I'm not
  8. Some people compare
  1. number one
  2. world champion
  3. Go to chess
  4. Go games
  5. at the top
  6. champion retired
  7. computer program
  8. computers

Paragraph 2

  1. Go originated
  2. the oldest board
  3. 46 million people
  4. turned
  5. his only victory was
  6. Mr Lee made a "tricky"
  7. Today's Go programs are much
  8. the one that beat
  1. Mr Lee
  2. move
  3. professional
  4. more powerful
  5. in China
  6. game in the world
  7. because of a "bug"
  8. worldwide

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A world champion retired (1) ___________________ humans cannot beat computers (2) ___________________ of Go. His name is Lee Se-Dol from South Korea. Mr Lee is (3) ___________________ in the world to ever beat Google's AlphaGo computer algorithm. This is a special A.I. computer program (4) ___________________ Go. Mr Lee, an 18-time world champion, told reporters that: "Even if I become (5) ___________________, there is an entity that cannot be defeated. With the debut of A.I. in Go games, I've realized that I'm not (6) ___________________." Some people compare Go to chess.

Go (7) ___________________ 3,000 years ago. Today, it is played in 75 different countries. It is the oldest (8) ___________________ the world. The International Go Federation said over 46 million people worldwide (9) ___________________ play it. Mr Lee started playing at (10) ___________________ five and turned professional when he was 12. He played five games against Google's AlphaGo (11) ___________________ of them. He said his only victory was because of a "bug". The bug did not know what to do when Mr Lee made a "tricky" move. Today's Go programs are much more powerful than (12) ___________________ beat Mr Lee.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aworldchampionretiredbecausehedecidedhumanscannotbeatcomp
utersatthegameofGo.HisnameisLeeSe-DolfromSouthKorea.MrLeei
stheonlypersonintheworldtoeverbeatGoogle'sAlphaGocomputeralg
orithm.ThisisaspecialA.I.computerprogramcreatedtoplayGo.MrLee,
an18-timeworldchampion,toldreportersthat:"EvenifIbecomethen
umberone,thereisanentitythatcannotbedefeated.WiththedebutofA.
I.inGogames,I'verealizedthatI'mnotatthetop."Somepeoplecompar
eGotochess.GooriginatedinChina3,000yearsago.Today,itisplayedin
75differentcountries.Itistheoldestboardgameintheworld.TheIntern
ationalGoFederationsaidover46millionpeopleworldwideknewhowto
playit.MrLeestartedplayingattheageoffiveandturnedprofessionalwh
enhewas12.HeplayedfivegamesagainstGoogle'sAlphaGoandlostfou
rofthem.Hesaidhisonlyvictorywasbecauseofa"bug".Thebugdidnotk
nowwhattodowhenMrLeemadea"tricky"move.Today'sGoprogramsa
remuchmorepowerfulthantheonethatbeatMrLee.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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