1LearningEnglishinaNewEnvironmentIwasalittleshyabouttalkingtopeoplewhenIfirstarrivedinAmerica，butIhadastrongdesiretobroadenmyhorizonsandmeetnewpeople．OnceIgatheredthecouragetostartconversationswithpeople，Ifoundhoweasyitwastomakenewfriends．Everyday，IheardenoughnewEnglishexpressionstomakemyheadspin．IfoundthatwhenIwashonestandaskedaboutthemeaningsofunfamiliar1expressions，Americanswereveryhelpfulandtookpainstoexplainthemtome．NativespeakersofEnglishtendtospeakveryfast，andatfirstIwasjuststunned2andlookedatthemwithadazedexpressiononmyface．Isolvedthatproblembyaskingpeopletospeakmoreslowly．broaden?开阔，拓宽horizon?眼界，视野courage?勇气spin?晕头转向takepainstoexplain煞费苦心地解释tendtospeak倾向于说stunned?惊愕地dazed茫然地在新的环境中学习英语第一次到美国，与人说话时我总有些害羞，但是我非常渴望能够开阔视野，结识新朋友。当我鼓起勇气开始与人交谈，我发现原来结交新朋友是多么容易的事啊。每天耳边出现的繁多的新英语表达法把我弄得晕头转向。我发现当我诚实地向美国人询问那些不熟悉的说法的意思时，他们非常乐于助人，并煞费苦心地向我解释。以英语为母语的人说话一般很快，一开始我只能惊愕地一脸茫然地看着他们。我让他们说得慢一些，这样我就解决了这个问题2TooDifficultToSpellApolicemanreturnedtohispolicestationoneeveningandreportedtothesergeant1thathehadfoundanoldcarwithnolicenseplates．“Wherewasit?”askedthesergeant．“InEcclesiastesStreet，beyondthebridge，”answeredthepoliceman．Thesergeantopenedthereportbookandbegantowrite．Heaskedthepolicemanhowtospellthenameofthestreet，buthewasnotsurewhetherthespellingwascorrect．Atlasthedecidedthenamewastoodifficultforhimtospell．Soheorderedthepolicemantowritethereport．Thepolicemanalsotriedtospellthenameofthestreet，buthecouldn't，either．Thenthepolicemanputhishelmetonandbegantowalkoutslowly．“Whereareyougoing?”thesergeantasked．“BacktoEcclesiastesStreet，”answeredthepoliceman．“I'mgoingtopushthecarroundthecornerintoGreenStreet．”sergeant?警官license2plate汽车牌照helmet?头盔太难拼写一天傍晚，一个警察回到警察局，向警官报告说他发现了一辆没有牌照的旧汽车。“车在哪里？”警官问。“在Ecclesiastes大街，在桥的那边。”警察回答。警官打开报告本开始记录。他问警察如何拼写那条大街的名字，但是他吃不准他的拼写是否正确。最后他觉得这个名字太难，他拼不出来。所以，他命令警察来写报告。警察拼了半天，也拼不出来。警察戴上他的头盔，慢慢地往外走。“你到哪里去？”警官问。“回到Ecclesiastes大街去，”警察回答，“我要把那辆车推到Green大街的拐角上去。”3WhereDoestheWord“Robot”ComeFrom？ThewordrobotcomesfromtheCzechwordrobota，meaningheavylabour．Arobotisamachinethatworksautomatically．Robotscandoawidevarietyoftasks．Theyareespeciallysuitablefordoingjobstooboring，difficult，ordangerousforhumanbeings．Robotsefficiently1carryoutsuchroutinetasksaswelding，drillingandpaintingautomobile2bodyparts．Theyalsoproduceplasticfoodcontainersandwrapicecreambars．Someindustrialrobotscanevenmakeelectronicequipmentandwatches．Thescienceandtechnologythatdealswithrobotsiscalledrobotics．Atypicalrobotperformsataskbyfollowingasetofinstructionsthattellsitexactlywhatmustbedonetocompletethejob．Theseinstructionsareenteredandstoredintherobot's“brain”ofacomputerorpartofacomputer．efficiently?有效率地routine?日常的，例行的weld焊接drill?钻孔electronic?电子的“Robot”（机器人）是如何得此名字的？机器人(Robot)来源于捷克语Robota一词，意思是“累人的活”。机器人就是一种能自动操作的机器。机器人可以做许...
