Japanese show robot news readers

The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Robots are big business in Japan. Companies spend a lot of money on them. They try to make robots better. Japanese people like robots. They think they are helpful and cute. Westerners think robots are scary and worry they will take over the world. A professor said: "We will have more and more robots in our everyday lives in the future." He added: "Robots are now [cheaper and are] no different from owning a laptop".

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 0, Level 2 or Level 3

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 Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	the world's first news-	a.	earthquake in Tokyo
2.	They look, sound and	b.	English word "android"
3.	The scientists showed	c.	say when
4.	The names use the	d.	reading robots
5.	the Japanese words	e.	on television
6.	an imaginary	f.	two robots to reporters
7.	The robots' creator did not	g.	act like humans
8.	read the news	h.	for child and adult

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.	Robots are big	a.	better
2.	Companies spend a lot	b.	and more
3.	They try to make robots	c.	over the world
4.	helpful and	d.	business in Japan
5.	Westerners think robots	e.	owning a laptop
6.	they will take	f.	cute
7.	We will have more	g.	of money on them
8.	no different from	h.	are scary

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Japanese scientists (1) ___________________ world's first news-reading robots. They look, (2) ___________________ humans. The scientists showed two (3) ___________________. One is called "Kodomoroid," the other is "Otonaroid". The names use the English word "android" (4) ___________________ words for child and adult. They (5) ___________________ imaginary earthquake in Tokyo. The robots' creator (6) ___________________ robots would really read the news on television.

Robots (7) ___________________ Japan. Companies spend a lot of money on them. They try to (8) ___________________. Japanese people like robots. (9) ___________________ helpful and cute. Westerners think robots are scary and worry they will (10) ___________________. A professor said: "We will have more and more robots in (11) ___________________ in the future." He added: "Robots are now [cheaper and are] no different from (12) ___________________ ".

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Japanesescientistshavemadetheworld'sfirstnews-readingrob
ots.Theylook,soundandactlikehumans.Thescientistsshowedtwor
obotstoreporters.Oneiscalled"Kodomoroid,"theotheris"Otonaroi
d".ThenamesusetheEnglishword"android"withtheJapaneseword
sforchildandadult.TheyreadnewsonanimaginaryearthquakeinTo
kyo.Therobots'creatordidnotsaywhenrobotswouldreallyreadthe
newsontelevision.RobotsarebigbusinessinJapan.Companiesspe
ndalotofmoneyonthem.Theytrytomakerobotsbetter.Japanesepe
oplelikerobots.Theythinktheyarehelpfulandcute.Westernersthin
krobotsarescaryandworrytheywilltakeovertheworld.Aprofessors
aid:"Wewillhavemoreandmorerobotsinoureverydaylivesinthefut
ure."Headded:"Robotsarenow[cheaperandare]nodifferentfromo
wningalaptop".

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

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

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

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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