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A baby seal robot from Japan has come to the U.S. It's been sold in Japan for several years, but now the company has created a Florida-based unit, Paro Robots U.S. Inc, to sell the creature to places like nursing homes and hospitals. The robot, named Paro, is marketed as a therapeutic(治疗的)device that can help comfort people who have problems that can lead to social isolation(隔离).
Takanori Shibata, a Japanese engineer, invented Paro. He says the robot, which weighs about 6 pounds, is able to respond to touch, light, and sound.
Shibata says he tried making robotic cats and dogs, but people didn't find those convincing. “They expected too much,” he says, and would compare the robot to real animals they had known. Few people have ever seen a live baby seal, so they aren't likely to draw comparisons between the robot and the real thing. So they accept Paro as a cute little companion.
The Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean held a recent event to showcase the robot and Virginia Long slowly came into the activity room. When a nurse put the robot on her lap, it began to shake slightly, and Long talked to it gently. “Why are you shaking? Are you cold?” she asked. The robot made a high sound, and Long laughed. She said she used to have a cat, but somebody stole him. “Petting a seal is unusual,” she said, “but a lot of people have strange animals.”
But some experts say a robot is no replacement for a real animal. “One of the things that we've learned is that it is the unexpected and natural behavior of the living creature that adds so much value to people's experience. Any kind of newness can get the attention of people who are lonely and bored, but that doesn't necessarily help them live a meaningful life. It doesn't solve the problem that is really causing their lack of enjoyment of life,” says Bill Thomas, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
1.What is the role of Paro?
A.To give relief to patients.
B.To look after baby seals.
C.To replace home-raised pets.
D.To provide medical examinations.
2.What was Long's reaction to Paro?
A.She refused to get close to it.
B.She showed it much affection.
C.She regarded it as her new cat.
D.She was frightened to talk to it.
3.What do Bill Thomas's words suggest about Paro?
A.It is of great value to people.
B.It fails to catch older people's interest.
C.It can take the place of a living creature.
D.It is not of great use in solving real problems.
