The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Elon Musk has opened a gym for robots, called OpenAI Gym. Mr Musk founded the companies Tesla Motors and PayPal. OpenAI Gym is free for code writers to test their work on robots and share their algorithms. These are special computer programs that can solve problems and deal with lots of information.

Mr Musk explained why OpenAI Gym is free. He said: "Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole." It is like when a dog gets a treat for learning something new. If an algorithm does well in the gym, it gets a reward. If it fails, it doesn't. Musk wants algorithms to multi-task.

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Sources
  • http://thescienceexplorer.com/technology/elon-musk-launches-ai-gym-make-robot-brains-versatile-our-own
  • http://www.computerworld.com/article/3063674/emerging-technology/elon-musk-opens-virtual-gym-to-train-your-robots.html
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3564752/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. opened a gym
  2. Mr Musk founded
  3. OpenAI Gym is free
  4. test their work
  5. share
  6. computer
  7. solve
  8. deal with lots
  1. programs
  2. on robots
  3. problems
  4. their algorithms
  5. of information
  6. the companies
  7. for robots
  8. for code writers

Paragraph 2

  1. Mr Musk explained
  2. Our goal is to
  3. most likely to benefit
  4. as a
  5. when a dog
  6. learning something
  7. If an algorithm does well in the gym,
  8. Musk wants algorithms
  1. gets a treat
  2. whole
  3. it gets a reward
  4. humanity
  5. why OpenAI Gym is free
  6. to multi-task
  7. new
  8. advance digital intelligence

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Elon Musk (1) ___________________ gym for robots, called OpenAI Gym. Mr Musk (2) ___________________ Tesla Motors and PayPal. OpenAI Gym (3) ___________________ writers to (4) ___________________ on robots and share their algorithms. These are (5) ___________________ programs that can solve problems and deal with (6) ___________________.

Mr Musk (7) ___________________ OpenAI Gym is free. He said: "Our (8) ___________________ digital intelligence in the way that (9) ___________________ to benefit humanity as a whole." It is like when a dog (10) ___________________ learning something new. If an algorithm (11) ________________ gym, it gets a reward. If it (12) ___________________. Musk wants algorithms to multi-task.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ElonMuskhasopenedagymforrobots,calledOpenAIGym.MrMuskfoun
dedthecompaniesTeslaMotorsandPayPal.OpenAIGymisfreeforcode
writerstotesttheirworkonrobotsandsharetheiralgorithms.Theseares
pecialcomputerprogramsthatcansolveproblemsanddealwithlotsofin
formation.MrMuskexplainedwhyOpenAIGySWmisfree.Hesaid:"Ourgoal
istoadvancedigitalintelligenceinthewaythatismostlikelytobenefithu
manityasawhole."Itislikewhenadoggetsatreatforlearningsomething
new.Ifanalgorithmdoeswellinthegym,itgetsareward.Ifitfails,itdoesn
't.Muskwantsalgorithmstomulti-task.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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