During a pandemic (流行病), for many reasons, there are lots of poor parents who are isolated (隔离) with their kids, or roommates who are stuck together in an apartment. But what about the people who have nobody to talk to?
It is common that people feel lonely. However, during the pandemic, this situation can be much worse for experiences like long-time hospital stays or being unable to move due to poor health, disability or age.
Recently, a friendly robot named Robin got a test run in the children’s treatment center of the Wigmore Clinic in Yerevan. About as tall as an 8-year-old child, Robin’s plastic body and square head may not put you in mind of a human partner, but its face screen containing two big eyes and expressive brows (眉毛) is attractive, which can help children forget their stress for a while.
A hospital can be very stressful for anybody. And the time of treatment, and recovery might seem tiresomely long to an adult stuck in a hospital bed. For a child who can’t play with his or her friends or sometimes even family, the long course and boring atmosphere seen unbearable. That’s where Robin comes in. It can recognize facial expressions and use the mood of a talk to build personalized, natural conversations and dialogues with a lonely child in the way another child might use. Robin also plays games, tells stories, and makes children take part in various other activities.
According to Expper Technologies, the makers of Robin, during the program with Wigmore Clinic, Robin improved the experience of children in the hospital by 26 percent over those who did not have the chance to play with Robin, and reduced their stress levels by 34 percent during their hospital stay. Mary, whose son was one of those users, said, “Thanks to Robin, my son became happy every day during this pandemic. ”John Smith, a father of a five-year-old girl in the clinic, told a reporter, “Robin is a great partner. It brings big smiles to my daughter’s face. ”
8. Why does the author mention the experiences of people having difficulty moving?
A.To encourage people to fight against the pandemic bravely. |
B.To call on people to care for those in need. |
C.To draw people’s attention to healthy living. |
D.To point out people’s loneliness during the pandemic. |
9. What can we learn about robot Robin from Paragraph 4?
A.Its functions need further tests. |
B.Its design is based on some children’s ideas. |
C.It can cheer up children with great communication skills. |
D.It is quite difficult to operate for the young patients. |
10. What’s the young patients’ parents’ attitude towards the application of robot Robin?
A.Objective. | B.Supportive. |
C.Doubtful. | D.Worried. |
11. What could be the best title for the text?
A.Robots Have Been Used to Treat Patients in Hospital |
B.Robots Have Brought Both Benefits and Challenges |
C.Robot Robin Is Introduced into People’s Daily Life |
D.Robot Robin Helps Make Sick Children’s Life Easier |