The Reading / Listening - Go Grand Champion - Level 0

An 18-time world champion, Lee Se-Dol, retired because humans cannot beat computers at Go. Mr Lee is the only person to beat Google's AlphaGo. This is a computer program that plays Go. Mr Lee said: "Even if I become the number one, there is [something] that cannot be defeated."

Go started in China 3,000 years ago. Today, 46 million people play it in 75 countries. Mr Lee started playing at the age of five. He turned professional when he was 12. He won just one game against AlphaGo. He said it was because of a "bug" in the computer program. Today's Go programs are more powerful than AplhaGo.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Go Grand Champion - Level 1,  Go Grand Champion - Level 2   or  Go Grand Champion - Level 3

Sources
  • https://japantoday.com/category/tech/go-grandmaster-says-computers-cannot-be-defeated
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/27/go-game-master-quits-saying-machines-cannot-be-defeated
  • http://www.koreatimesus.com/go-master-lee-says-he-quits-unable-to-win-over-ai-go-players/


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. An 18-time
  2. humans cannot
  3. the only
  4. beat Google's
  5. a computer
  6. Even if I become
  7. there is
  8. cannot
  1. person
  2. something
  3. be defeated
  4. beat computers
  5. world champion
  6. the number one
  7. AlphaGo
  8. program

Paragraph 2

  1. Go started in China
  2. people play it
  3. Mr Lee started playing at
  4. He turned professional
  5. He won just
  6. He said it because
  7. computer
  8. more powerful
  1. one game
  2. the age of five
  3. program
  4. in 75 countries
  5. than AplhaGo
  6. when he was 12
  7. 3,000 years ago
  8. of a "bug"

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An 18- (1) ___________________, Lee Se-Dol, retired because (2) ___________________ computers at Go. Mr Lee (3) ___________________ person to beat Google's AlphaGo. This is (4) ___________________ that plays Go. Mr Lee said: "(5) ___________________ become the number one, there is [something] that (6) ___________________."

Go (7) ___________________ 3,000 years ago. Today, 46 million (8) ___________________ in 75 countries. Mr Lee started playing at the (9) ___________________. He turned professional when he was 12. (10) ___________________ one game against AlphaGo. He said it because (11) ___________________ in the computer program. Today's Go programs are (12) ___________________ AplhaGo.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

An18-timeworldchampion,LeeSe-Dol,retiredbecausehumanscanno
tbeatcomputersatGo.MrLeeistheonlypersontobeatGoogle'sAlphaGo
.ThisisacomputerprogramthatplaysGo.MrLeesaid:"EvenifIbecomet
henumberone,thereis[something]thatcannotbedefeated."Gostarte
dinChina3,000yearsago.Today,46millionpeopleplayitin75countries.
MrLeestartedplayingattheageoffive.Heturnedprofessionalwhenhew
as12.HewonjustonegameagainstAlphaGo.Hesaiditbecauseofa"bug"
inthecomputerprogram.Today'sGoprogramsaremorepowerfulthan
AplhaGo.

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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