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:
π Vocabulary:
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:
A special race with people and robots running together.
A half-marathon is 21 kilometers long.
The name of the robot is Tiangong Ultra.
Tiangong Ultra finished the race in two hours and 40 minutes.
Tiangong Ultra had long legs and a smart computer program.
Some robots fell or bumped into things during the race.
One robot wore boxing gloves and a headband that said "Bound to Win."
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
In China, there was a with both people and 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 , Tiangong Ultra, did really well and finished the race in two hours and 40 . 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 Ultra were very and said it was better than any robots from 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 shoes, and one even had boxing gloves and a headband that said "Bound to Win" in Chinese. This race showed how is getting really good at robots and using them in new ways.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
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:
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Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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