遗失了故人modern robot is programmed with varying degrees of artificial intelligence—that is, a robot contains a computer program that tells it how to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, drawing conclusions, and learning from past experience.
A robot does not possess a human shape for the simple reason that a two-legged robot has great difficulty remaining balanced. A robot does, however, move from place to place on wheels and axles that roll and rotate. A robot even has limbs that swivel and move in combination with joints and motors. To find its way in its surroundings1, a robot utilizes various built-in sensors. Antennae attached to the robot’s base detect anything they bump into. If the robot starts to teeter as it moves on an incline, a gyroscope or a pendulum inside it senses the vertical differential. To determine its distance from an object and how quickly it will reach the object，the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path2. These and other sensors constantly feed information to the computer, which then analyzes the information and corrects or adjusts the robot’s actions. As science and technology advance, the robot too will progress in its functions and use of artificial-intelligence programs.
词汇： envision v. 想象，预想 device n. 装置 accentuate v. 强调，重读
artificial intelligence n. 人工智能 limb n. 臂 antennae n. 天线 incline v. 倾斜
pendulum n. 钟摆 ultrasonic adj. 超声的 metallic adj. 金属的 monotone n. 单调的 humanoid adj. 像人的 axle n. 轮轴 rotate v. 旋转 swivel n. 旋转 teeter v. 摇晃 gyroscope n. 陀螺仪，回转仪 vertical n. 直立的
注释： 1.To find its way in its surroundings...：为了在周围找到路……
2.the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path：机器人发射激光束和超声波，反射到障碍物上(以此来探知路径)。
练习：
1.Another good title for this passage would be
A Robots: Taking the Place of Humans. B Artificial Intelligence Programs.
C Today’s Robots and How They Function. D Modern-Day Sensors.
2.Artificial intelligence is
A the unnatural way in which robots move.
B a voiceless, box-shaped machine that performs repetitive tasks.
C sensors such as antennae and a gyroscope.
