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ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

ROBOT OR
HUMAN?
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1 Warm up

Look at the images below. What can you see? What can robots do? How do you use robots? Can
robots do things better than humans?

Picture 1 Picture 2

Look at the items in the box below. Who does this better: humans or robots? Why? Can you think of
any examples?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match each word or phrase to its correct definition.

1. advance (n) a. done without a person controlling it

2. appropriately (adv.) b. a large glass container used to keep fish

3. automatically (adv.) c. a person who controls equipment or a machine

4. aquarium (n) d. progress or development in something

5. operator (n) e. done in a suitable or correct way

II

1. unforgettable (adj.) a. the people who are available for work or the people
who work for an organisation
2. entirely (adv.) b. a long thin piece of metal used to connect things or
carry electricity
3. workforce (n) c. in every way possible, completely

4. appliance (n) d. certain to be remembered forever

5. wire (n) e. a machine that is designed to do something such as

preparing food, heating or cleaning

Part B: Write some of the words or phrases from Part A in each sentence.

1. The special effects made the film absolutely . They were wonderful.

2. There are lots of animals to see and also a huge with sharks and other big fish.

3. The whole are refusing to do their jobs until pay is improved.

4. There are many high-tech machines in factories these days, but each needs an experienced
.

5. Should I cut the black or the red one? Maybe it’s better to call someone who can
help with these lights.

6. My car was covered in snow this morning. It took ages to clean it off.

7. The we have made in technology in the last twenty years have been amazing.

8. The number of we have in the home keeps growing with most in the UK now
having things such as dishwashers and microwaves.

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Pronunciation Tip: Adverbs

• Adverbs often end with the suffix -ly such as entirely and appropriately. The sound /li:/
and the suffix -ly is added directly to the adjective to create the adverb.
• When adjectives use -ic such as automatic, we add -ally to create the adverb but the
sound we add is the same: /li:/. Try saying these words with a classmate:
• automatically / basically / typically / specifically / musically / romantically / historically
/ magically / academically

Part C: Discuss these points with a classmate and use the phrases in bold in your answer.

1. Do you have an aquarium in your house? Would you like one?

2. What do you think has been the biggest technological advance in the last 10 years?
3. Tell a classmate about an unforgettable holiday you’ve been on.

3 Reading

You are going to read an article about robots. Look at three possible titles. What do you think the
article will be about? Discuss each title with a classmate.

a. Can we rely on robots? Which jobs always need a human touch?

b. Robot or Human? Do you always know the difference?

c. Where do robots work now? Where will robots work in the future?

Read the article and choose the most appropriate title.

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Title:
The difference between a robot and a human used to be easy to notice, but advances in *robotics in
recent years mean that any differences are becoming less obvious. It is also said that by 2030 most
companies will have started to replace some human staff with robots. Let’s take a look at some of the
places where this is already happening.

A. Visitors to Disney theme parks in California look up as Spider-Man flies over their heads, jumps and turns in the
air, and climbs down buildings. There are no wires involved. Spider-Man’s moves are fantastic, and the visitors
love him. But these stunts aren’t being performed by a human, it’s a robot.

B. Over the next few years, robots will be used more and more in theme parks. They will have conversations with
visitors, help you if you are lost, and even play games with you. Disney says it’s important that kids aren’t scared
by the robots, so they use things like soft bodies and real-looking eyes that look straight at people.

C. But, it’s not only theme parks where robots are replacing humans. Robot staff have already found their way into
many different workplaces, from museums to train stations. These intelligent machines do all kinds of tasks from
cleaning to acting like animals.

D. Robots are becoming part of everyday life. One seafood restaurant in Shanghai, appropriately called Robot, uses
apps to take orders and moving robots, including *robotic arms, to deliver food to people’s tables. The only human
part of the team is the cooks although robots are replacing many cooking appliances in the kitchen, too. Another
café in Tokyo is managed by people working at home and controlling the robots who serve the guests.

E. In the FlyZoo Hotel in Beijing, guests check in automatically, and then robots show them to their rooms. *Artificial
intelligence (AI) controls the room’s heat, curtains and TV. Guests can also use their voices to order drinks or fresh
towels. Many hotels across the world are planning to use this technology in the near future.

F. In an aquarium in China, people can even swim with robot dolphins, controlled by a human operator. This could
help keep sea creatures in the sea and free from captivity as well as creating an unforgettable experience for
visitors.

G. The Robot Science Museum in Seoul is being built entirely by robots and *drones and its first exhibition will be
its own construction. It will be in the shape of a ball and have three floors, with an exhibition space, shops and
offices. The museum walls will be 3D printed. South Korea also has a park called Robot Land, all about intelligent
robotics.

H. Using robots instead of humans doesn’t always work perfectly, though. One hotel in a Japanese theme park
had almost all robot workers, many of which looked like dinosaurs. However, it had to fire over half of its robot
workforce and hire people because the robots were creating too much work for the human staff members.

I. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have started to move much quicker in the last few years and
many theme parks, museums, zoos and aquariums are planning to make better use of robots. The next time you
are in one of these places, it might be a good idea to check who you are speaking to.

Sources: The Independent, blooloop.com

Glossary:
artificial intelligence (n) - computer systems that can copy human behaviour
robotics (n) - the science of designing and operating robots
robotic (adj.) - connected with robots or acting like one
drone (n) - an aircraft without a pilot which is operated from the ground

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Read the text again and decide if the following statements are true (T), false (F), or not given (NG).
Talk to a classmate and give reasons for your answers.

1. It’s more difficult to know whether someone is human than it used to be.

2. Spiderman is attached to something to stop him from falling.

3. Disney gives their robots soft bodies so children won’t get frightened.

4. Robots work as cleaners in some train stations.

5. People in Beijing are able to swim with dolphins in the ocean.

6. The Robot Museum in Seoul has an exhibition on 3D printed buildings.

7. A hotel in Japan had to replace most of its robots with human staff.

8. Expect to see more robots in theme parks soon.

Answer the following questions.

1. Where do you think we will see more robots in the future? Is that a good or a bad thing?
2. Would you feel equally as comfortable taking an English lesson from a robot teacher, or would
you prefer a human? Why is that?
3. Write down three jobs that you think robots will be doing in 10 years’ time.

4 Focus on language: Future Perfect

We can use the Future Perfect to say that something will be completed by a particular time in the
future or to talk about one event in the future that happens before another.

Future Perfect:

will (or another modal verb such as might or should) + have + past participle

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Look at the sentence below. What are the two events? Which event happened first?

We can also invert this type of sentence:

Look at another example below. In this sentence from the article, the author was writing about one
thing in the future that happens before a specific time. What preposition is often used to refer to a
specific time?

Discuss these questions about the future with a classmate and use the Future Perfect.

1. What will have changed in the world by 2030?

2. What will you have done by the time you are 25?
3. Where might you have been by 2030?
4. Who will you have met by the time you are 30?

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5 Listening for general understanding

You are about to hear two teenagers talking about robots. What good things and bad things might
they say about robots? What do Ahmed and Brooklyn like and dislike about robots?

Look at the statements below. Who made these points? Brooklyn? Ahmed? Neither of them?

a. I’m not really into robots but this show might be worth going to. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

b. Robots will improve our lives. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

c. I’ve played sport with a robot. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

d. Robots will create more jobs for people. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

e. I’m worried that robots will become too powerful. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

f. Robots might become as creative as humans. Brooklyn/Ahmed/Neither

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6 Vocabulary in context: extra practice

Look at the word or phrase in bold from the audio and choose the correct definition.
1. Ahmed: Why? They’re amazing. Let me show you a video of a jump one of them can do! It’s so
realistic! There are loads of clips on YouTube. Look at this.
a. involving difficult acts or movements of the body
b. representing something in the same way as it is in real life

2. Ahmed: Well, they can also make them look cute, too. Robots are here to stay – they’re going to
make our world a better place.
a. pretty and attractive
b. having a nice taste or smell

3. Brooklyn: I’m really not sure about that. They can jump well and give you terrifying dreams but
what else can they do?
a. frightening
b. lovely

4. Ahmed: That is a good point, but that’s what happened in the industrial revolution, too.

a. the period in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe when machines began to be used to do
work, and industry grew rapidly
b. the period in the 18th century in France when the country became a republic

5. Ahmed: Machines saved people a lot of work. A farmer was able to do the work of ten men with
a new tractor.
a. an animal that is often used on farms to carry heavy things
b. a large vehicle that is used to pull farm machines

6. Brooklyn: And also, I know this is a bit like a science fiction story, but I am slightly concerned that
robots will take over, do you know what I mean?
a. to become more important
b. to gain control and power

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7 Speaking: roleplay

Robots can be very helpful but sometimes things can go wrong. Read your role card and work with a
classmate to create a funny dialogue that you can share with the rest of the class.

8 Supplementary writing

Write a short essay (150-200 words) about the advantages and disadvantages of using robots.

You could write about:

• robots in the workplace

• robots in the home
• robots at school
• robots in shops

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