TEST 1

Read the following passage about the rise of robots and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer
sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 1 to 10.
[I]As kids, our grandparents frequently scared us by talking about how difficult life was when they were
growing up. [II] .They mentioned walking miles to school in the snow or doing hours of manual labour for
little pay [III] . In fact, with the help of robots, we soon might have to do much at all. But is this a good
thing? [IV]
By 2030, it’s estimated that robotics will be a $10 billion business worldwide. Companies are already
starting to integrate them into the workforce. The electronics manufacturer Foxconn is drawing up plans to
launch a factory within the next 10 years that’s completely staffed by robot workers. Meanwhile, an
American company Briggo has invented a robot that serves gourmet-quality coffee to customers. With the
push of a button, it will crush coffee beans, measure exact quantities of water, and even wave a steam wand
to ensure customers get the perfect cream on top. Unlike human baristas, it can serve multiple drinks at once
and work all day and night without a break.
Robots are also invading our homes. The Roomba is a mini-robot that vacuums rooms automatically
according to a schedule. The Robomow is a device that will cut the grass for you while you sit in the shade.
Then there’s the Nanda Clocky, an alarm clock that makes sure that even the deepest sleepers get up on time.
The clock is attached to a pair of wheels and will randomly move around the room. Once you finally catch it,
you’re probably too awake to hit the snooze button.
Although these early home robots are somewhat basic, they will likely become more capable as time
goes on. Although robots certainly help us to eliminate tedious tasks, many people are concerned about a
future filled with robots. Some fear that humanity will start to decline if machines do everything for us.
Others have even warned about the robot rebellion, in which robots become so smart that they may decide to
turn on their masters. These ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but there are certainly lots of questions
that need to be answered before everyone opens up to the idea of a robotic future.
(Adapted from Developing skills for the TOEFL Ibt intermediate)
Question 1: Where in paragraph 1 does the following sentence best fit? Life has changed greatly since
then, and it seems to get easier year by year.
A. [I] B. [II] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 2: The phrase with the help of in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by _______.
A. assisted by B. in spite of C. in addition to D. along with
Question 3: What does the word it in paragraph 2 refer to ________.
A. the robot B. the button C. the coffee D. the factory
Question 4: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT an advantage of robots?
A. they can work without breaks B. they can serve multiple drinks at once
C. they can create jobs for humans D. they can perform tasks efficiently
Question 5: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. Home robots are increasingly capable, providing convenience for daily chores.
B. Early home robots are not yet efficient and require human intervention.
C. Advanced robots are essential for modern life, reducing the need for human effort.
D. The effectiveness of robots in homes varies based on their design and function.
Question 6: The word far-fetched in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. believable B. exaggerated C. rational D. creative
Question 7: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Robots are expected to eliminate all human jobs by 2030.
B. The concerns about robots mainly revolve around their potential for rebellion.
C. All robots currently in use are highly advanced and efficient.
D. Many people welcome the idea of robots taking over daily tasks.
Question 8: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?
A. While the idea of a robotic future may seem strange, it deserves serious consideration.
B. Although many fears about robots are exaggerated, they raise important questions.
C. The possibility of robots turning against humans is unlikely but worth discussing.
D. It is important to explore concerns regarding the increasing presence of robots in our lives.
Question 9: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The integration of robots will lead to significant job losses across all sectors.
B. Robots may improve efficiency but could lead to ethical dilemmas in society.
C. Human creativity will thrive in an automated world, as machines handle tasks.
D. People will likely accept robots as essential helpers in the near future.
Question 10: Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. As robots take over more tasks, there are both advantages and challenges that society must face in
adapting to this change.
B. The rise of robots is inevitable, promising efficiency but also raising significant concerns about human
dependency.
C. With the expected growth in robotics, society needs to prepare for the changes in workforce dynamics and
daily living.
D. The future of robotics holds great potential for enhancing daily life, but it is essential to consider the
possible repercussions on humanity.
TEST 2
[I] Go is a game that has been around for 3000 years. It is widely accepted as the most challenging
strategy game that exists. [II] It takes years of playing for several hours every day to master the game. In
other words, even though it has simple rules, it is not a simple game to excel at. Surprise! DeepMind
managed to create a machine that could master the game, without being programmed with explicit rules and
without being taught by a professional Go player.[III]. At its core, it learned like a human learns, by looking
at the board, evaluating the options, making moves, and learning from mistakes - it just did it a lot faster than
any human can. [IV]
This is extremely exciting because, at its core, what it means is that computer scientists have had all the
tools they needed to do this for years. Neural networks have been known about and discussed since the
middle of the last century. All it really took was simply getting creative with them, applying them in new
ways. AlphaGo beating the world's best Go player proves that AI has the potential to do anything. It can
learn anything and understand anything, and from that learning and understanding it can accomplish what
humans can accomplish in a much shorter period of time.
You're probably wondering what this all means. We're much closer to the dream of an AI best friend
than most of us would have dared to imagine a few years ago. AlphaGo can learn the most complex,
intuition and creativity-based logic game known to man and it didn't do so through a finite database
or search trees alone. It learned from practice and experience, just like we do, and the ability to create
amazing new solutions to ancient puzzles suggests a realm of digital creativity never before fathomed.
AlphaGo is not like other game-playing AIs that have come before it. It is the future of intelligent and
intuitive machines, one that we plan to turn toward more than just board games. From practical applications
to that friend you've been hoping for, AlphaGo is sure to be the first of a new generation of self-learning
intuitive AIs that go above and beyond the limited calculating capacities of its older siblings and
contemporaries. The AI winter is over.
(Adapted from https://medium.com)
Question 1: Where in paragraph 1 does the following sentence best fit?
AlphaGo mainly played against itself and learned from this self-play
A. [I] B. [II] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 2: The phrase explicit in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by _______.
A. graphic B. specific C. implicit D. positive
Question 3: The word they in paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A. tools B. ways C. neural networks D. scientists
Question 4: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a characteristic of
AlphaGo?
A. It learned by playing against itself. B. It was programmed with specific rules.
C. It can accomplish tasks faster than humans. D. It understands complex logic.
Question 5: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. AlphaGo is a unique AI that learns like a human and can solve complex problems creatively.
B. AlphaGo has limitations that make it less effective than human players.
C. The future of AI lies in games rather than practical applications.
D. AlphaGo has proven that traditional programming methods are sufficient for AI development.
Question 6: The word realm in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. chaos B. sphere C. domain D. zone
Question 7: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. AlphaGo’s success was based solely on human training.
B. Neural networks have been utilized for decades in various fields.
C. The potential of AI is limited to gaming applications.
D. AlphaGo is just like previous AI systems used in games.
Question 8: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?
A. AlphaGo's ability to create innovative solutions to old challenges indicates unprecedented digital
creativity.
B. AlphaGo can only solve simple puzzles and lacks true creativity.
C. The digital realm is not ready for creative AI solutions.
D. AlphaGo’s success suggests that traditional approaches to problem-solving are outdated.
Question 9: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. AI will soon surpass human intelligence in all areas.
B. Future AI will not focus on games but on real-world applications.
C. AlphaGo represents a significant breakthrough in self-learning technology.
D. The complexity of Go makes it unsuitable for AI learning.
Question 10: Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. AlphaGo’s mastery of Go illustrates the potential of AI to learn and innovate, marking a new era for
intelligent machines beyond traditional limitations.
B. The success of AlphaGo shows that AI can only excel in games and has little relevance to other fields.
C. The development of AlphaGo highlights the importance of human instruction in AI learning processes.
D. AI technology remains stagnant due to its inability to surpass human capabilities.