你愿意被机器人照顾吗？

Would You Want to Be Cared for by a Robot?

常速 | 六级 | 758词 | 4min59s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What does the author say about the world’s population of over-60s?

A. It has doubled since 1980 and will double again by 2050.

B. It has tripled since 1980 and will double by 2050.

C. It has remained stable since 1980.

D. It will decrease significantly by 2050.

Q2. What function does the exoskeleton serve for the elderly according to the passage?

A. It helps them walk faster than normal people.

B. It gives them full control of their mobility.

C. It completely replaces human carers.

D. It automatically chooses walking routes.

Q3. What can the robot Clara do according to the passage?

A. Cook meals according to dietary needs.

B. Tell jokes to improve your emotional well-being.

C. Detect changes in your mood and physical state.

D. Clean rooms and maintain the gardens.

Q4. What can be inferred about using robots in care homes from the passage?

A. Robots will completely replace human carers soon.

B. Most elderly people will refuse robot care.

C. It has been widely accepted by society.

D. It raises complex ethical and legal issues.

Q5. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To describe features of various care robots.

B. To argue for replacing humans with robots.

C. To explore possibilities and concerns of robot care.

D. To prove that robot care is better than human care.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Would You Want to Be Cared for by a Robot?

It’s Saturday night in the year 2100, and you’re at the quiz night in a care home. The Saturday night quiz is serious business. While the residents battle it out, a team of carers quietly ensures the smooth running of the home. Luna announces the questions. Zach serves dinner and drinks, and Qi-Young administers evening medications. But Luna, Zach, and Qi-Young aren’t human. They’re robots. And one day, they could be your retirement companions.

battle it out 拼搏一场

One in three people born today will live until they’re 100. (Q1) The world’s population of over-60s has doubled since 1980 to around a billion, and it’s projected to double again by 2050. That’s a lot of people who may one day need additional support to live fulfilling and comfortable lives. Assistive intelligent robots could relieve pressure in understaffed care homes. So what would being looked after by robots actually feel like?

Imagine – you’re woken up by your favorite song played by a music robot. Luna, a humanoid, is ready with your perfect brew, milk and sugar selected with precision. (Q2) Luna helps you choose your outfit for your morning walk and assists you into your exoskeleton, an aid that gives you full control of your mobility.

humanoid n. 人形机器人

exoskeleton n. 外骨骼（装置）

You take a stroll around the gardens with your human carer, Dan. You choose your own route, and your exoskeleton responds to your subtle movements and commands, which it picks up via smart wearables, so you’re fully in control. Along the way, you see robots maintaining the beautifully manicured grounds, alerting carers to any potential hazards. You stop to chat to a friend, and if your conversation is cut short, a robot attendant will remember what you were talking about and set up another time for you to chat.

manicured adj. 修剪整齐的

When you return to your room, it’s been cleaned by a team of housekeeping robots. Unburdened by time-consuming routine tasks, your human carer, Dan, can take his time chatting to residents, giving everyone his full attention. You then enjoy a sumptuous communal breakfast with the other residents and staff. Bruno, the kitchen robot, serves up a feast customized to your personal dietary requirements, allergies, and he doesn’t forget that you hate mushrooms. (Q3) Clara, a humanoid robot with soft silicone skin and a calming voice, assists you with medication. Her senses can immediately detect changes in your mood, walking pattern, or skin temperature. Prakash, a robot designed for emotional well-being, tells you a joke. His AI adapts to each resident’s personality and allows him to keep up to date with their interests, likes, and dislikes.

sumptuous adj. 豪华的；丰盛的

communal adj. 公共的；共用的

customize v. 定制

While this scenario may sound idyllic, it’s not without serious considerations. Take, for example, logistics. This vision would mean extensive building redesigns to accommodate robot carers. Care homes of the future would need to take into consideration how robots navigate rough terrain, shared spaces, and moving around one another, all while ensuring that they don’t themselves become mobility hazards for residents. (Q4) And on an ethical and legal level, there’s a ton of complexities with no easy answers.

idyllic adj. 田园诗般的；宁静美好的

ethical adj. 伦理的；道德的

Imagine a scenario where a robot makes a mistake, perhaps administering the wrong medication or failing to alert staff during an emergency. Who or what would be held responsible? And what are the privacy implications of sharing all your personal health data with a robot? And what will all of this mean in terms of maintaining the skills and jobs of human care workers? And then there’s, of course, the question at the heart of what it means to give and receive care. Empathy, emotional support, and human contact are essential for all of us, particularly when we’re at our most vulnerable.

implication n. 可能的影响（或后果）

While robots may be able to help out with physical caring, health monitoring, and even limited companionship, could they ever be a true substitute for the humans currently doing those jobs? This leads us to perhaps our most important question. Would we have the right to refuse robot care? And how might we be empowered to do so? These aren’t just questions for engineers or policymakers. They’re for all of us. What do we want our care to look like in the future?

empower v. 赋予权力；使自主

Today’s research looks at how robots can make their own decisions using data from their sensors, other robots, and tech worn by residents and carers. By 2100, robots will be far more capable than they are today. (Q5) If they can allow for more time and attention from human carers and empower our older selves to live safe, dignified, and fulfilled lives, perhaps it’s not a question of if they should be used, but how.

dignified adj. 有尊严的

Part III. KEY

Q1. A.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“The world’s population of over-60s has doubled since 1980 to around a billion, and it’s projected to double again by 2050.”。 意为：“自1980年以来，全球60岁以上人口数量翻了一番，达到约10亿，预计到2050年将再翻一番。”因此正确答案为A。

Q2. B.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“Luna helps you choose your outfit for your morning walk and assists you into your exoskeleton, an aid that gives you full control of your mobility.”。 意为：“Luna会帮你挑选晨间散步的穿搭，并帮你穿上外骨骼装置，这种装置能帮你完全掌控自己的行动能力。”因此正确答案为B。

Q3. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“Clara, a humanoid robot with soft silicone skin and a calming voice, assists you with medication. Her senses can immediately detect changes in your mood, walking pattern, or skin temperature.”。 意为：“克拉拉是一个拥有柔软硅胶皮肤和平静声音的人形机器人，能协助你服药。她的传感器能即时察觉你的情绪变化、步态异常或皮肤温度波动。”因此正确答案为C。

Q4. D.【解析】推理题。题目出处为：“And on an ethical and legal level, there’s a ton of complexities with no easy answers.”。 意为：“在伦理和法律层面上，存在着大量错综复杂的问题，且没有简单的答案。”文章随后进一步讨论了如果机器人犯错谁该负责的问题、个人健康数据的隐私问题、对人类护工就业的影响等。由此可以推断，正确答案为D。

Q5. C.【解析】主旨题。题目出处为全文，尤其是结尾段落：“If they can allow for more time and attention from human carers and empower our older selves to live safe, dignified and fulfilled lives, perhaps it’s not a question of if they should be used, but how.”。 意为：“如果机器人能让人类护工有更多时间和精力陪伴老人，并能让我们年老时能够安全、有尊严、充实地活着，那么问题或许不在于是否应该使用机器人，而在于如何使用。”文章从未来场景设想出发，既介绍了机器人辅助养老的可能性，也讨论了伦理、法律、隐私等担忧，因此正确答案为C。

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