1 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Thảo luận các câu hỏi.)

1 When do you think the first humanoid robot appeared in Viet Nam?

2 To what extent do you think this robot resembles a human?

2 Read the text. Check your answers in exercise 1. What do you find most impressive about Sophia?

(Đọc văn bản. Kiểm tra câu trả lời của bạn ở bài tập 1. Bạn thấy điều gì ấn tượng nhất về Sophia?)

Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, was first activated on Valentine's Day in 2016. One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia's trip to Viet Nam in 2018, she addressed the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo.

Sophia the Robot is the latest humanlike robot created by a Hong Kong-based company whose combined efforts in Al research, engineering and design have given birth to robots. Undoubtedly, Sophia together with other Hanson robots represents the rapid advancement in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. She has been designed to assist humans in healthcare, customer support and education.

Sophia's physical appearance is inspired by both the famous actress Audrey Hepburn and the creator's wife. She has cameras for eyes and microphones for ears, allowing her to see and hear like a human. But what makes her more lifelike than other robots is the patented artificial skin called Frubber, which has the feel and flexibility of human skin.

Sophia amazes the world with her ability to communicate naturally. The Sophia Intelligence Collective, which is a combination of AI and human input, and other sophisticated perception techniques enable Sophia to recognise human faces and identify human emotions and gestures. Equipped with machine learning algorithms, Sophia can understand human speech and interact with people. Questions and jokes are pieces of cake to her whereas sarcasm is intelligible. What distinguishes Sophia from other humanlike robots is her social behaviour, i.e. her facial emotions, hand movements and conversation skills, and most importantly, her learning capability. Sophia is programmed to learn from experiences and adapt to new situations.

3 Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F. Correct the false sentences.

(Đọc văn bản một lần nữa. Những câu sau đúng hay sai? Viết T hoặc F. Sửa các câu sai.)

1 Sophia has been introduced at different places around the world.

2 Sophia is the one and only humanlike robot developed by the Hanson Robotics.

3 Sophia shows how much robotics and Al have progressed.

4 Sophia has been designed to give support to humans.

5 Sophia understands whatever a person says.

4 Write a short summary of the text from the following phrases.

(Viết một bản tóm tắt ngắn của văn bản từ các cụm từ sau đây.)

born in 2016

visit many countries

be granted citizenship

show the rapid development of Al

aid humans in various fields

have artificial skin

engage in conversations

recognise people's faces

respond to new situations

6 Listen again. Choose the correct answers (a–c).

(Lắng nghe một lần nữa. Chọn câu trả lời đúng (a–c).)

1 At the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo in Viet Nam, Sophia

a is displayed on the stage.

b is interviewed by journalists.

c is dressed in her favourite clothes.

2 Minh is most  impressed by

a Sophia's ability to carry on conversations.

b Sophia's responses in fixed situations.

c Sophia's pronunciation and fluency.

3 Sophia is designed to

a identify criminals at police stations.

b help shoppers at department stores.

c take care of the old at home.

4 Sophia believes that

a robots can be better than humans.

b robots can conquer humans.

c robots and humans can cooperate.

5 In certain films, humans

a can easily defeat robots.

b are served by humanlike robots.

c are controlled by powerful robots.

7 SPEAKING If you were to programme Sophia to speak Vietnamese, what would be the first words or phrases you would key in? What aspect of Vietnamese do you think would be most challenging to Sophia?

(Nếu bạn lập trình cho Sophia nói tiếng Việt, bạn sẽ nhập từ hoặc cụm từ đầu tiên nào? Bạn nghĩ khía cạnh nào của tiếng Việt sẽ là thách thức nhất đối với Sophia?)

8 PROJECT Work in groups. Search the internet for information about humanlike robots. Present your favourite robot to the class.

(Làm việc nhóm. Tìm kiếm trên Internet thông tin về robot giống con người. Trình bày robot yêu thích của bạn trước lớp.)