The Reading / Listening - Xenobots - Level 2

Scientists say a new kind of robot can create baby robots. This is science fiction becoming science fact. The scientists are from universities in the USA. In 2020, they created the world's first "living" robots, called "xenobots". They came from the stem cells of an African frog. The xenobots are less than one millimetre wide. They can move, work together in groups and repair themselves. They are not what we imagine robots to be. The scientists say they are technically robots. They are a machine-animal hybrid. They are "an entirely new life-form".

The scientists said the bots reproduce because of their shape. Researchers tested billions of body shapes. The result was a C-shaped robot. The inside of the "C" became the xenobot's mouth. It gathered small cells in its mouth. These cells became a new, "baby" xenobot. The xenobots are very early technology. However, they could change science, medicine, the environment and the way we live. They could repair damage to our organs, attack micro-plastics in our oceans, and clean up oil spills. Despite the benefits, some people are worried about robots that can reproduce.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Xenobots - Level 0 Xenobots - Level 1   or  Xenobots - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/xenobots-self-replicating-robots-scn/index.html
  • https://inews.co.uk/news/scientists-create-worlds-first-reproductive-robots-1325805
  • https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/11/xenobots-reproduce/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a new kind of robot can
  2. science
  3. they created the world's first
  4. the stem cells of
  5. xenobots are less than one
  6. work together
  7. They are not what we imagine
  8. They are a machine-
  1. in groups
  2. an African frog
  3. animal hybrid
  4. fiction
  5. robots to be
  6. "living" robots
  7. millimetre wide
  8. create baby robots

Paragraph 2

  1. the bots reproduce because
  2. Researchers tested billions
  3. The result was a C-
  4. The inside of the "C" became
  5. they could
  6. the way
  7. repair damage
  8. clean up oil
  1. the xenobot's mouth
  2. shaped robot
  3. spills
  4. change science
  5. of their shape
  6. to our organs
  7. of body shapes
  8. we live

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists say a (1) ___________________ robot can create baby robots. This (2) ___________________ becoming science fact. The scientists are from universities in the USA. In 2020, they created the world's (3) ___________________, called "xenobots". They came from the (4) ___________________ an African frog. The xenobots are less than one millimetre wide. They can move, work together in (5) ___________________ themselves. They are not what we imagine robots to be. The scientists say they are technically robots. They are a (6) ___________________. They are "an entirely new life-form".

The scientists said the bots reproduce because (7) ___________________. Researchers tested billions of body shapes. The (8) ___________________ C-shaped robot. The inside of the "C" became the xenobot's mouth. It gathered small cells in its mouth. These (9) ___________________ new, "baby" xenobot. The xenobots are very early technology. However, they could change science, medicine, the environment and the (10) ___________________. They could repair damage to our organs, attack micro-plastics in our oceans, and clean (11) ___________________. Despite the benefits, some (12) ___________________ about robots that can reproduce.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistssayanewkindofrobotcancreatebabyrobots.Thisissciencefi
ctionbecomingsciencefact.ThescientistsarefromuniversitiesintheUS
A.In2020,theycreatedtheworld'sfirst"living"robots,called"xenobots
".TheycamefromthestemcellsofanAfricanfrog.Thexenobotsarelesst
hanonemillimetrewide.Theycanmove,worktogetheringroupsandrep
airthemselves.Theyarenotwhatweimaginerobotstobe.Thescientists
saytheyaretechnicallyrobots.Theyareamachine-animalhybrid.The
yare"anentirelynewlife-form".Thescientistssaidthebotsreproduceb
ecauseoftheirshape.Researcherstestedbillionsofbodyshapes.There
sultwasaC-shapedrobot.Theinsideofthe"C"becamethexenobot'smo
uth.Itgatheredsmallcellsinitsmouth.Thesecellsbecameanew,"baby"
xenobot.Thexenobotsareveryearlytechnology.However,theycouldc
hangescience,medicine,theenvironmentandthewaywelive.Theycoul
drepairdamagetoourorgans,attackmicro-plasticsinouroceans,an
dcleanupoilspills.Despitethebenefits,somepeopleareworriedaboutr
obotsthatcanreproduce.

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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