A robot is a machine designed to do

jobs that are usually performed by

humans. Robots are programmed and

controlled by a computer.

Toy robots

characters

in stories

Entertainment

robots

Industrial

robots

household

robots

The robot which

can play football.

Read the text quickly and complete its

main idea.

The text is mainly about a robot, Tony,

who not only helped Claire do __________,

but also helped her create a new ________. image

housework

Characters Who are they?

Larry Belmont

Claire

Tony

Gladys Claffern

worked for a company that makes robots

Larry’s wife, a housewife

a household robot to be tested out

a woman that Claire envies

Read the text carefully and fill in the blanks.

Characteristics of Tony

● tall and handsome ● his 1. ________________ never changed ● 2. ________ hair● a deep 3. ________ ● soft and warm 4. ________

facial expression

smoothvoice

skin

Things

Tony

did

● gave Claire a new 5. ________

and changed her makeup

● wrote out a(n) 6. ____ of items

for Claire to buy

● spoke to the clerk in a(n) 7.

______________ to make him

change his 8. ________

haircut

list

jewellery shop

attitude

Things

Tony

did

● 9. _______ Claire to invite her

friends to the house

● worked steadily on the

improvements of the house

● succeeded in catching Claire

when she fell off a ladder

● opened the curtains, 10.

________ Claire and expressed

his feelings to her

advised

hugged

Claire’s feelings toward

Tony changed as the story

developed. Fill in the

occasions when Claire

had these feelings.

Occasion Claire

disliked him

was alarmed

felt embarrassed

Before he arrived

When he arrived

When he offered to

help her dress

Occasion Claire

admired him

called him a dear

felt his warmth

When he offered to help her improve her house and herself

When he helped her with the salesman

When she fell off a ladder and was caught by Tony

Occasion Claire

felt being envied

cried all night

When she heard Gladyswhispering to another woman that she had never seen anyone so handsomeas Tony

She remembered Tony was just a machine

1. We can infer that when Claire first

saw Tony, she felt alarmed by his

cleverness.

2. Claire bought the items from the shop

because Tony wanted herself and the

house changed.

appearance.

3. Tony opened the curtains to let other

women see everything and envy Claire.

4. As a result, the experiment shows

Claire and Tony fell in love with each

other.

Tony had to be rebuilt.

1. Why did Tony open the curtains?

He wanted Claire’s guests to see him and Claire together so that she would be envied by the women guests.

2. What did Tony do to prevent Claire

from being harmed?

Tony prevented Claire from being

harmed by making her feel good

about herself. He helped her make

her and her home elegant so that she

would not feel like a failure.

3. Why did Tony have to be rebuilt?

4. How would you feel if you had a robot

like Tony in your house?

Tony had to be rebuilt because the

company felt that they could not have

women falling in love with a robot.

5. Claire spent three weeks with Tony in

her house. What sentences in the story

show that she kept forgetting and then

remembering that he was a machine?

How absurd, she thought.

He was just a machine.

He held her firmly in his arms and

she felt the warmth of his body.

She screamed, pushed him away and

ran to her room for the rest of the day.

Then she remembered-Tony was just

a machine.

She shouted “Leave me alone” and

ran to her bed.

I. In groups, list Tony’s characteristics

that were similar to and those that were

different from those of a human being.

Characteristics Similar Different

Physical

Mental

Characteristics

Similar Different

Physical Looks like a human being. Body and skin soft and warm. Hair and fingernail realistic. Voicelike a human’s.

Facial expressions never change. Quicker reactions (She fell off a ladder and even though Tony was in the next room, he managed to catch her in time.)

Characteristics

Similar Different

Mental Able to make suggestions and predictions. Able to make a plan and follow it through. Has good communication skills.

Behaviour not appropriate (Tony brought her breakfast and thenasked her whether she needed help dressing.)

II. Choose the best answer.

1. Why did Claire buy the items from

the shops?

A. Because her husband was to return.

B. Because Tony was to leave.

C. Because Tony wanted to transform

the house.

D. Because she thought she needed

them.

C

2. What do we know from the text?

A. Tony was a typical machine.

B. Claire was envied by her guests in

the end.

C. Tony was a gift from Claire’s

husband.

D. Claire’s husband was not satisfied

with Tony’s report.

B

Can you make up an

end for the story?

1. Remember the characteristics

of science fiction.

2. Surf the internet to learn more

about robots and science fiction.

3. Surf the internet to learn about

Isaac Asimov.