The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Robots will be more intelligent than humans by 2029. Google's Director of Engineering, Ray Kurzweil, said computers will learn just like us. They will tell jokes and stories. In 1999, scientists said computers would be very intelligent in hundreds of years. Today, they say computers will be one billion times smarter than us.

Many years ago, people thought Kurzweil's ideas were crazy. Now everyone has changed. His ideas are not crazy any more. High-tech things we use, see or read about every day make us think computers are intelligent. The iPhone and Google's self-driving cars show us a computer's intelligence.

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Sources
  • http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/23/business/computers-to-top-humans-by-2029/


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 Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

Robots will be more

a.

be very intelligent

2.

by

b.

just like us

3.

Google's Director

c.

2029

4.

computers will learn

d.

of years

5.

They will tell

e.

intelligent than humans

6.

scientists said computers would

f.

smarter than us

7.

in hundreds

g.

of Engineering

8.

one billion times

h.

jokes and stories


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Many years

a.

has changed

2.

people thought Kurzweil's

b.

are intelligent

3.

Now everyone

c.

ideas were crazy

4.

His ideas are not

d.

ago

5.

High-

e.

driving cars

6.

things we use, see or read

f.

crazy any more

7.

make us think computers

g.

tech

8.

Google's self-

h.

about every day

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________ intelligent than humans by 2029. Google's (2) ___________________, Ray Kurzweil, said computers will (3) ___________________. They will tell jokes and stories. (4) ___________________, scientists said computers would be very intelligent in (5) ___________________. Today, they say computers will be one billion (6) ___________________ us.

Many years (7) ___________________ Kurzweil's ideas were crazy. Now (8) ___________________. His ideas are not crazy any more. (9) ___________________ we use, see or read about every (10) ___________________ think computers are intelligent. The (11) ___________________ self-driving cars show us a (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Robotswillbemoreintelligentthanhumansby2029.Google'sDirectorofEng
ineering,RayKurzweil,saidcomputerswilllearnjustlikeus.Theywilltelljoke
sandstories.In1999,scientistssaidcomputerswouldbeveryintelligentinhu
ndredsofyears.Today,theysaycomputerswillbeonebilliontimessmarterth
anus.Manyyearsago,peoplethoughtKurzweil'sideaswerecrazy.Nowever
yonehaschanged.Hisideasarenotcrazyanymore.High-techthingsweuse
,seeorreadabouteverydaymakeusthinkcomputersareintelligent.TheiPho
neandGoogle'sself-drivingcarsshowusacomputer'sintelligence.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about robots for 10 minutes. Read and talk about your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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