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|
A ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT
Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the words from the box:
| animal scientific vehicles humans risk |
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no (1) __________ on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make (2) __________ research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and lower (3) __________ factors. In addition, some planetary destinations such as Venus or the vicinity of Jupiter are too hostile for human survival, given current technology. Outer planets such as Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic probes are the only way to explore them.
The first space mission, Sputnik 1, was an artificial satellite put into Earth orbit by the USSR on 4 October 1957. On 3 November 1957, the USSR orbited Sputnik 2, the first to carry a living (4) __________ into space – a dog.
The USA achieved its first successful space probe launch with the orbit of Explorer 1 on 31 January 1958.
Only a few other countries have successfully launched orbital missions using their own (5)__________ : France (1965), Japan (1970), China (1970), the United Kingdom (1971), India (1981), Israel (1988).
Read the seven texts (1 -7) above again and decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F):
| The word ‘robot’ was introduced by Karel Čapek. | T | F | |
| Before 1848 a serf had to work for his lord for half a year. | T | F | |
| We can’t use the word ‘robot’ when we speak about software programs. | T | F | |
| Different countries have different definitions of a robot. | T | F | |
| Japanese government is very interested in the development of technological research of robots. | T | F | |
| The number of spheres where robots are used is rather small. | T | F | |
| Robotic arm can be used in our own homes as well as in industry. | T | F | |
| There is no danger for people in the process of robot development. | T | F | |
| A roboticist is a person who needs inter-disciplinary knowledge. | T | F | |
| Russia was the first to launch a robotic spacecraft. | T | F |
Part III
(… адрес интернет-странички с видеороликами…)
WHAT IS ROBOTIC ENGINEERING ?
(01:27)
PRE-LISTENING
2. What is a robot?
3. Why do people design robots?
4. What is a simple robot made of?
5. Study the following words:
“manipulator”, “to hide/hid/hidden”, “underneath”, “customer”, “mine”.
WHILE-LISTENING
Watch the video-track and answer the following questions:
5. What do robotic engineers do?
6. What type of a robot is spoken about in the track?
7. What does such kind of robots consist of?
8. Where is the controller of this robot?
9. What functions must a robotic engineer perform?
10. What are possible applications of robots that are mentioned by the speaker?
11. How does the speaker characterize possible applications of robots? What adjective does he use?
POST-LISTENING
12. What is robotic engineering? Use the answers to the questions above and make a small text about robotic engineering.
INDUSTRIAL ROBOT
(01:28)
PRE-LISTENING
1. What is ‘industrial robot’?
2. What tasks can an industrial robot perform?
3. Do you know the following words? Study their meaning:
“dexterity” = skill at doing things, especially with your hands;
“appliance” = a piece of equipment for a particular purpose in the house.
WHILE-LISTENING
Watch the video-track and answer the following questions:
4. What are the main types of industrial robots that are mentioned in the text?
5. What are the advantages of using a robot instead of manual welding?
6. What can robotic welding provide?
7. What is the result of robotic welding?
8. Where are industrial robots mostly used?
POST-LISTENING
9. Why are industrial robots becoming so popular in modern manufacturing? Use the answers to the questions above to answer this question.