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In China, there was a special race with both people and robots running together. This happened on April 19, 2025, in Beijing. The race was a half-marathon, which is 21 kilometers long. The robots looked like humans and couldn’t use wheels; they had to run like people.
One robot, called Tiangong Ultra, did really well and finished the race in two hours and 40 minutes. The fastest human runner finished much quicker, in just one hour and two minutes. Tiangong Ultra was special because it had long legs and a smart computer program that helped it run like a human. The people who made Tiangong Ultra were very proud and said it was better than any robots from other countries.
During the race, the robots had some problems. One robot fell at the start, and another bumped into a railing. People helped the robots when they needed it. Some robots wore running shoes, and one even had boxing gloves and a headband that said “Bound to Win” in Chinese. This race showed how China is getting really good at making robots and using them in new ways.
Original news source: China hosts world’s first half-marathon race between humans and robots (Sky News)
π§ Listen:
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π Vocabulary:
| 1 | marathon | A very long running race |
| 2 | kilometers | A way to measure distance, like miles |
| 3 | railing | A barrier or fence to keep people safe |
| 4 | program | A set of instructions for a computer |
| 5 | proud | Feeling happy about something you did well |
| 6 | countries | Different places in the world |
| 7 | problems | Things that go wrong or cause trouble |
| 8 | bumped | Hit or knocked into something |
| 9 | boxing gloves | Soft padded coverings for hands used in a sport |
| 10 | headband | A band worn around the head to keep sweat away |
| 11 | special | Not like others, unique or different |
| 12 | human | A person, not a robot or animal |
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out words or phrases related to the article (e.g., “robot,” “running,” “marathon”). The other groups will guess what they are acting out.
– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Ask students to express their opinions about robots in sports. Pose questions like “Do you think robots should compete with humans?” or “Would you like to race against a robot?” Students can walk around the classroom to ask their classmates for their opinions and then summarize the results.
– SKETCH IT
Instructions: Give students a few minutes to draw a robot participating in a race, inspired by the article. Afterward, have them share their drawings with a partner and explain what features they included and why.
– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: In pairs, have students come up with a catchy headline for the article about the race between humans and robots. Afterward, each pair can share their headline with the class, and the class can vote on the most creative one.
– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “What do you think is the future of robots in sports?” Have students think individually for a minute, then pair up to discuss their thoughts. Finally, invite some pairs to share their ideas with the whole class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
1. What kind of race was held in Beijing on April 19, 2025?
2. How long is a half-marathon in kilometers?
3. What is the name of the robot that ran in the race?
4. How long did Tiangong Ultra take to finish the race?
5. What special features did Tiangong Ultra have that helped it run?
6. What problems did some robots have during the race?
7. What did one robot wear that made it look unique during the race?
Go to answers β©
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
In China, there was a (1)______ (2)______ with both people and (3)______ running together. This happened on April 19, 2025, in Beijing. The race was a half-marathon, which is 21 kilometers long. The robots looked like humans and couldn’t use wheels; they had to run like people.
One (4)______, (5)______ Tiangong Ultra, did really well and finished the race in two hours and 40 (6)______. The fastest human runner finished much quicker, in just one hour and two minutes. Tiangong Ultra was special because it had long legs and a smart computer program that helped it run like a human. The people who made (7)______ Ultra were very (8)______ and said it was better than any robots from (9)______ countries.
During the race, the robots had some problems. One robot fell at the start, and another bumped into a railing. People helped the robots when they needed it. Some robots wore (10)______ shoes, and one even had boxing gloves and a headband that said “Bound to Win” in Chinese. This race showed how (11)______ is getting really good at (12)______ robots and using them in new ways.
Go to answers β©
π¬ Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a robot?
2. Do you like running? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you saw a robot running in a race?
4. Do you think robots can be good runners? Why or why not?
5. What is your favorite sport?
6. How would you feel if you had to help a robot that fell down?
7. Do you think it is fun to watch races? Why?
8. What is a marathon? Have you ever run one?
9. Do you think robots will be better than humans at sports in the future? Why?
10. How would you feel if you had a robot friend?
11. Do you like the idea of robots wearing clothes or shoes? Why or why not?
12. What do you think is the coolest thing about robots?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. marathon
2. kilometers
3. railing
4. program
5. proud
6. countries
7. problems
8. bumped
9. boxing gloves
10. headband
11. special
12. human
Meanings:
(A) Things that go wrong or cause trouble
(B) A person, not a robot or animal
(C) Different places in the world
(D) A set of instructions for a computer
(E) A very long running race
(F) A barrier or fence to keep people safe
(G) A way to measure distance, like miles
(H) A band worn around the head to keep sweat away
(I) Hit or knocked into something
(J) Not like others, unique or different
(K) Feeling happy about something you did well
(L) Soft padded coverings for hands used in a sport
Go to answers β©
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Where did the special race take place?
(a) Shanghai
(b) Beijing
(c) Guangzhou
(d) Hong Kong
2. What type of race was it?
(a) Half-marathon
(b) Full marathon
(c) Sprint
(d) Relay
3. How long is a half-marathon in kilometers?
(a) 10 kilometers
(b) 5 kilometers
(c) 42 kilometers
(d) 21 kilometers
4. What was the name of the robot that did well in the race?
(a) Robo Runner
(b) Tiangong Ultra
(c) Speedy Bot
(d) Fast Machine
5. How long did Tiangong Ultra take to finish the race?
(a) One hour and 30 minutes
(b) Three hours
(c) Two hours and 40 minutes
(d) Two hours
6. What special feature did Tiangong Ultra have?
(a) Wheels for fast running
(b) A jetpack for flying
(c) Long legs and a smart computer program
(d) A big engine
7. What did some robots wear during the race?
(a) Skates
(b) Sandals
(c) Boots
(d) Running shoes
8. What did one robot wear that said “Bound to Win”?
(a) A headband
(b) A cape
(c) A helmet
(d) A belt
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π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
1. The slowest human runner completed the race in just one hour and two minutes.
2. The race took place on April 19, 2025, in Beijing.
3. There was a race in China where people and robots ran together.
4. All robots wore special running shoes and one had boxing gloves.
5. A robot named Tiangong Ultra completed the race in two hours and 40 minutes.
6. The race was a half-marathon, which is 21 kilometers long.
7. The race showed that China is becoming very good at making robots.
8. The robots in the race resembled humans and hopped on their legs.
Go to answers β©
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!
1. Where did the special race with people and robots take place?
2. How long was the race in kilometers?
3. What was the name of the robot that did really well in the race?
4. What problems did some robots have during the race?
5. Why were the people who made Tiangong Ultra proud of it?
β Answers
π€β Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What kind of race was held in Beijing on April 19, 2025?
A special race with people and robots running together.
2. How long is a half-marathon in kilometers?
A half-marathon is 21 kilometers long.
3. What is the name of the robot that ran in the race?
The name of the robot is Tiangong Ultra.
4. How long did Tiangong Ultra take to finish the race?
Tiangong Ultra finished the race in two hours and 40 minutes.
5. What special features did Tiangong Ultra have that helped it run?
Tiangong Ultra had long legs and a smart computer program.
6. What problems did some robots have during the race?
Some robots fell or bumped into things during the race.
7. What did one robot wear that made it look unique during the race?
One robot wore boxing gloves and a headband that said “Bound to Win.”
Go back to questions β§
π§βοΈβ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) special
(2) race
(3) robots
(4) robot
(5) called
(6) minutes
(7) Tiangong
(8) proud
(9) other
(10) running
(11) China
(12) making
Go back to questions β§
ππβ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. marathon
Answer: (E) A very long running race
2. kilometers
Answer: (G) A way to measure distance, like miles
3. railing
Answer: (F) A barrier or fence to keep people safe
4. program
Answer: (D) A set of instructions for a computer
5. proud
Answer: (K) Feeling happy about something you did well
6. countries
Answer: (C) Different places in the world
7. problems
Answer: (A) Things that go wrong or cause trouble
8. bumped
Answer: (I) Hit or knocked into something
9. boxing gloves
Answer: (L) Soft padded coverings for hands used in a sport
10. headband
Answer: (H) A band worn around the head to keep sweat away
11. special
Answer: (J) Not like others, unique or different
12. human
Answer: (B) A person, not a robot or animal
Go back to questions β§
π‘β Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Where did the special race take place?
Answer: (b) Beijing
2. What type of race was it?
Answer: (a) Half-marathon
3. How long is a half-marathon in kilometers?
Answer: (d) 21 kilometers
4. What was the name of the robot that did well in the race?
Answer: (b) Tiangong Ultra
5. How long did Tiangong Ultra take to finish the race?
Answer: (c) Two hours and 40 minutes
6. What special feature did Tiangong Ultra have?
Answer: (c) Long legs and a smart computer program
7. What did some robots wear during the race?
Answer: (d) Running shoes
8. What did one robot wear that said “Bound to Win”?
Answer: (a) A headband
Go back to questions β§
π΅οΈβ True or False Answers:
1. The slowest human runner completed the race in just one hour and two minutes. (Answer: False)
2. The race took place on April 19, 2025, in Beijing. (Answer: True)
3. There was a race in China where people and robots ran together. (Answer: True)
4. All robots wore special running shoes and one had boxing gloves. (Answer: False)
5. A robot named Tiangong Ultra completed the race in two hours and 40 minutes. (Answer: False)
6. The race was a half-marathon, which is 21 kilometers long. (Answer: True)
7. The race showed that China is becoming very good at making robots. (Answer: True)
8. The robots in the race resembled humans and hopped on their legs. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions β§
