Kanda really doesn't like to walk alone. The scientist from a research institute of intelligent robots finds the experience so boring that he'd rather drive — even though he lives close to his lab and knows that walking is healthy. “I enjoy walking with someone, like with my wife, with my daughter，” Kanda said. “But they are not always available.”
So Kanda, who specializes in humanlike robots, developed a robotic walking partner that could make small talk based on its surroundings, which, he hopes, might motivate people to get out and exercise more. The robot rests on a person's shoulder like a boxy parrot. It weighs about a pound and a half and sits roughly 8.5 inches high, 3.5 inches wide, and 10 inches long. A microphone, a speaker, and an internal camera allow it to communicate. It's even equipped with a smile.
Kanda and his team collected video from five different locations, including a garden and a shopping mall, and created a data set of small talk topics related to each location. Then they programmed the robot to associate visual cues with specific topics. A special speech software provided the robot with a voice. Near a group of parked cars, for example, it might say, “In a big parking lot sometimes I forget where I parked.”
They tested the robot on 15 volunteers, 10 males and 5 females, who were paid and averaged about 26 years old. “Have you ever blown a puff of dandelion (蒲公英) seeds into the air？” The robot asked a participant who smiled and responded, “Yes, I often did that when I was a child.” Although several participants noted the robot's weight, Kanda was surprised that no one considered the experience strange or funny. “I guess people enjoy new technologies，” he said.
Just like a human partner, Kanda's robot isn't perfect. It's not able to go for walks in heavy rain and, while the robot can make expressions, it can't really hold a conversation, about which Kanda is most worried. Despite its limits, Kanda was comforted by the robot's presence. “I felt a kind of sense of being with someone，” he said, “particularly when it spoke.”
本文主要讲述了科学家Kanda因不喜欢自己一个人走路，需要有人陪伴而产生灵感，发明了可以陪人走路的机器人。这个机器人还可以根据场合的不同说出简单的句子，让人有种被陪伴的感觉。
1．Why does Kanda have the idea of developing a robotic walking partner?
A．Because he wants someone to accompany him while walking.
B．Because he has never developed a robot like a parrot.
C．Because his family are unwilling to walk with him.
D．Because he is crazy about developing robots.
答案：A
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段Kanda的自述说自己喜欢家人的陪伴，不喜欢自己一个人走路，到第二段中“So Kanda, who specializes in humanlike robots, developed a robotic walking partner that could make small talk based on its surroundings, which, he hopes, might motivate people to get out and exercise more.”可知，Kanda是希望有人陪伴自己走路，才有了发明这种机器人的想法。故选A。
2．What characteristic does the robot have?
A．It can “speak” and “see”．
B．It can walk like a human being.
C．It can communicate with people freely.
D．It is much more humorous than a real person.
答案：A
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句“A microphone, a speaker, and an internal camera allow it to communicate.”以及第三段“A special speech software provided the robot with a voice. Near a group of parked cars, for example, it might say, ‘In a big parking lot sometimes I forget where I parked.’”可知，这个机器人可以“说话”也可以“看”。故选A。
3．What is necessary for the robot to function?
A．A small size.
B．A boxy shape.
C．A human partner.
D．A speech software.
答案：D
解析：细节理解题。根据最后一段中“‘I felt a kind of sense of being with someone，’ he said, ‘particularly when it spoke.’”可知，当机器人说话的时候最能让人有陪伴感，所以他的声音系统是必不可少的。故选D。
4．What is Kanda most likely to do about his robot next?
A．To make it more convenient to carry.
B．To improve its conversational skills.
C．To enable it to walk in heavy rain.
D．To better its sound system.
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。根据最后一段中“while the robot can make expressions, it can't really hold a conversation, about which Kanda is most worried”可知，不能进行对话是Kanda最担心的事情，所以他接下来会改进这一方面。故选B。
