Dawn Of The Robots IELTS Reading Answers: Boost Your Score!

The IELTS Reading section includes three passages that progressively increase in complexity, testing a wide range of reading skills. One of the frequently featured passages in the exam is "Dawn of the Robots." This passage explores the evolution of robotics and artificial intelligence, focusing on how far robot technology has come, from crashing in early DARPA challenges to navigating real-world environments with minimal errors. 

This article provides the Dawn Of The Robots IELTS Reading Answers along with a set of sample questions supported by a clear reference and explanation. Go through the complete article to familiarise yourself with the question types and answer strategies. You’ll also find frequently asked questions at the end to help you understand the passage more deeply and prepare better for your IELTS Reading test.

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IELTS Reading Passage: "Dawn of the Robots" Answers

The passage below, "Dawn Of The Robots," is a very common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. Read the passage to answer questions 1—13, which are given below.

Dawn Of The Robots

1. At first glance, it appeared to be a typical suburban road accident. A Land Rover approached a Chevrolet Tahoe estate car that had stopped at a curb; the Land Rover drove out and attempted to pass the Tahoe just as it started off again. There was a crack of the fender and the sound of paint being scraped, the kind of minor accident that occurs tens of thousands of times a day on the roads. Typically, drivers exit their vehicles, gesticulate, exchange insurance information, and then drive away. In November’s DARPA (U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) Urban Challenge, both the Tahoe and the Land Rover were being driven by computers.

    

2. It’s mind-boggling to think that machines could perform to such high levels. Driving is a complex task that takes a long time for humans to master. Nonetheless, each car had its on-board computer loaded with a digital map and route plans, and was instructed to navigate busy roads, distinguish between pedestrians and stationary objects, determine whether other vehicles were parked or moving off, and handle various parking maneuvers, all of which robots proved to be surprisingly adept at. The fact that the only scrape in the entire tournament was between the robot Land Rover developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Tahoe outfitted by Cornell University Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts was even more striking. However, only three years ago, at DARPA’s previous driverless car competition, every robot contender – assigned to traverse over a length of the open desert – crashed or seized up before reaching the finish line.

    

    

1. It is a stunning transition with obvious implications for the future of automobiles. Bill Gates, the CEO of Microsoft and an ardent supporter of robots and AI, has emphasized the significance of the advancements made in robotics and AI over the previous several years. He argues that the robotics sector is evolving similarly to the computer industry 30 years ago. As he points out, electronic corporations produce increasingly sophisticated gadgets that imitate pets and youngsters. Gates states, “I can envision a future in which robotic technologies would become practically ubiquitous in our daily lives.” We may be on the cusp of a new era in which the PC will leave the desktop and enable us to see, hear, touch, and operate objects in locations where we are not physically present.

    

2. What is the near-future potential for robots and computers? We have a long way to go before real robots catch up to their science fiction counterparts which is a fact, said Gates. Then, what are the stumbling blocks? One crucial challenge is teaching robots their proper location. This has nothing to do with etiquette or class but it is only a matter of location. Humans orient themselves with ease in relation to other objects in a room. Robots find the task to be nearly impossible. “Even something as simple as distinguishing between an open door and a window might be difficult for a robot”, according to Gates. This relegated robots to very immobile and cumbersome roles until recently.

    

3. Researchers tried to get around the problem a long time ago by mimicking the visual processing that occurs in the human cortex. However, this problem has proven to be extremely difficult and complex. “We have gotten substantially more pragmatic in our work,” says Nello Cristianini, professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Bristol in England and associate editor of the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research. “We’re not trying to duplicate human functions anymore.” Instead, we’re searching for simpler options, such as using basic electronic sensors.’ Vacuuming robots like the Electrolux Trilobite are good examples of this strategy. The Trilobite scuttles around houses, producing ultrasonic signals that produce room maps that are saved for future cleaning. This form of technology, according to philosopher Ron Chrisley, chairman of the Centre for Research in Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex in England, is currently changing the face of robots.

    

4. Last year, Robot Kitchen, a new Hong Kong eatery, opened with two sensor-laden humanoid machines directing clients to their seats. Each one has a touch-screen where orders may be entered. After that, the robot returns with the proper dishes. Researchers from the University of Tokyo recently demonstrated a kitchen ‘android’ that could do things like wash dishes, make tea, and cook a few simple meals. The ultimate goal is to give robot house aides to the sick and elderly, which is a major problem in Japan, where 22% of the population is 65 or older. Over a billion dollars is spent each year on research into robots that can care for the elderly. ‘Robots must first learn basic skills, such as how to manoeuvre around a house without colliding with objects. Then we can consider teaching them how to communicate with humans,’ Chrisley explained. These machines lead academics into the topic of socialised robotics, which focuses on how to make robots behave in a way that does not terrify or offend people. ‘We need to figure out how robots should interact with people and how they should look.’ Chrisley says, “That is likely to be a significant topic for future research.”

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Dawn Of The Robots IELTS Reading Answers

Questions 1-6

The text has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings (i-ix) below.

List of headings

i. Tackling the issue using a different approach

ii. A significant improvement from last time

iii. How robots can save human lives

iv. Examples of robots at work

v. Not what it seemed to be

vi. Why timescales are impossible to predict

vii. The reason why robots rarely move

viii. Following the pattern of an earlier development

ix. The ethical issues of robotics

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E
6. Paragraph F

Questions 7-10

Look at the following statements (Questions 7-10) and the list of people below. Match each statement with the correct person A, B, or C. 

You may use any letter more than once. 

1. Bill Gates
2. Nello Cristianini
3. Ron Chrisley
4. An important concern for scientists is to ensure that robots do not seem frightening.
5. We have stopped trying to enable robots to perceive objects as humans do.
6. It will take a considerable time for modern robots to match the ones we have created in films and books.
7. We need to enable robots to move freely before we think about trying to communicate with them.

Questions 11-13

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage. 

The robot features DARPA race cars

(11)…………………………provides maps and plans for a route, Electrolux trilobite: builds an image of a room by sending out (12)……………………….. Robot kitchen humanoids: have a (13)……………………………..to take orders.

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IELTS Reading Answers: Dawn Of The Robots

1. Paragraph A

• Answer: v. Not what it seemed to be
• Answer Location: First paragraph
• Reference: Describes what appears to be a typical car accident, later revealed to involve robot-driven vehicles
• Explanation: The paragraph sets up a surprising scenario, contrasting initial perceptions with the reality of autonomous cars

2. Paragraph B

• Answer: ii. A significant improvement from last time
• Answer Location: Second paragraph
• Reference: Compares current robot driving performance with that of the previous DARPA challenge where all robots failed
• Explanation: Highlights how far robot performance has improved in a short span

3. Paragraph C

• Answer: viii. Following the pattern of an earlier development
• Answer Location: Third paragraph
• Reference: Bill Gates compares the development of robotics to the early computer revolution
• Explanation: Emphasizes a historical parallel in technological progress

4. Paragraph D

• Answer: vii. The reason why robots rarely move
• Answer Location: Fourth paragraph
• Reference: Mentions robots struggle to understand spatial location and differentiate doors from windows
• Explanation: Discusses why mobility has been a major challenge for robots

5. Paragraph E

• Answer: i. Tackling the issue using a different approach
• Answer Location: Fifth paragraph
• Reference: Researchers abandon trying to replicate human functions and use simpler solutions like sensors
• Explanation: Explains the shift in approach to solving robotic vision problems

6. Paragraph F

• Answer: iv. Examples of robots at work
• Answer Location: Sixth paragraph
• Reference: Mentions Robot Kitchen, Tokyo android, elderly care robots
• Explanation: Provides real-world examples of robots performing human-like tasks

Questions 7–10: Match the statement with the correct person

7. An important concern for scientists is to ensure that robots do not seem frightening

• Answer: C. Ron Chrisley
• Answer Location: Final paragraph
• Reference: “...how to make robots behave in a way that does not terrify or offend people.”
• Explanation: Chrisley talks about designing robots for comfortable human interaction

8. We have stopped trying to enable robots to perceive objects as humans do

• Answer: B. Nello Cristianini
• Answer Location: Fifth paragraph
• Reference: “We’re not trying to duplicate human functions anymore.”
• Explanation: Cristianini explains the shift in strategy to more practical methods

9. It will take a considerable time for modern robots to match the ones we have created in films and books

• Answer: A. Bill Gates
• Answer Location: Fourth paragraph
• Reference: “We have a long way to go before real robots catch up to their science fiction counterparts.”
• Explanation: Gates notes that fictional portrayals are far ahead of current reality

10. We need to enable robots to move freely before we think about trying to communicate with them

• Answer: C. Ron Chrisley
• Answer Location: Final paragraph
• Reference: “Robots must first learn basic skills… then we can consider teaching them how to communicate...”
• Explanation: Chrisley emphasizes mobility as a precursor to social interaction capabilities

Questions 11–13: Complete the notes using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS

11. The robot features DARPA race cars

• Answer: On-board computer
• Answer Location: Second paragraph
• Reference: “Each car had its on-board computer loaded with a digital map and route plans…”
• Explanation: The system that controls the car and navigates its route

12. Electrolux trilobite: builds an image of a room by sending out

• Answer: Ultrasonic signals
• Answer Location: Fifth paragraph
• Reference: “...producing ultrasonic signals that produce room maps...”
• Explanation: The sensors help the robot map the cleaning area 

13. Robot kitchen humanoids: have a

• Answer: Touch-screen
• Answer Location: Sixth paragraph
• Reference: “Each one has a touch-screen where orders may be entered.”
• Explanation: Used for customer interaction and order placement

Read more about: Tips For Reading in IELTS Exam | IELTS Academic Reading | IELTS Reading Tips And Tricks | IELTS General Reading Test |

Conclusion

The 'Dawn Of The Robots' passage in IELTS Reading is designed to test your understanding of complex texts, scanning techniques, and inference skills. 

With proper IELTS practice and the right guidance, you can confidently tackle these questions and improve your chances of scoring Band 8+.

Still unsure about your preparation strategy? Connect with upGrad IELTS experts for 1:1 mentorship, personalized feedback, and access to top-quality study resources.