We live a life surrounded by robots. Nearly every robot has been made in some way1 up to a certain level or temperature. The machine will wait for “feedback” about the water2or temperature before it begins the washing cycle. In this way, a washing machine has been patterned after humans. We depend on  3from our five senses to find out what is happening around us and then make decisions about our actions.

Of course, some machines perform functions like humans, but much 4 than we do, such as calculators. A pocket calculator works faster than a human, never makes mistakes, and doesn’t get  5or bored.

Other robots are very similar to humans in their ability6 new things. In factories, robots can learn to do many different tasks, as they are shown by a human operator. For example, in a car factory, a person will guide a robot’s “arm” and “  7” through the steps of the new job. The robot’s electronic “brain” will   8the information away, memorizing the steps so the next time it9can repeat the   movements without a human operator. When the robot must be moved to a new job, its memory is 10so it is ready to learn the next job. Of course, at any time if there is anything  11in the process, different from the original task, the robot cannot 12 with it. It will signal for an engineer to come for repairs.

Some robots are considered very intelligent because they have more human abilities than others, such as “seeing” 13 cameras for eyes or “feeling” with metal fingers that can14shapes and even temperatures. However, no machine has   15been able to copy the complexity of the simplest, most common person.

            Exams affect the whole family. As teenagers bury themselves in textbooks, parents have to behave like saints(圣人), ignoring doubts—is he actually studying up there, or just playing online games? Forget any practical help around the house.  “He’s sitting at the kitchen table reading the TV guide，” says the mother of a 15-year-old boy. “But when I ask if he can take the rubbish out, he looks very angry and says, ‘But I’m revising’．” Chloe, 16, comes from a large family and finds it is hard to revise. “I become angry easily，” Chloe says.“I camplain to my mum that there’s too much noise and too much mess.”

            Beyond these practical  considerations, parents are confused about how much they should get involved. Some call for expert help. Others buy lots of practice exam papers. But you may use your skills to spur your children. Anne, 18, admits that the greatest driving force for revision is being in competition with her twin sister. My mother always says my sister is better than me.
            Bribery(行贿)is not unknown.“Some parents offer their children material or cash rewards，” says Mike Evans, the author of How To Pass Your Exams.  “This may achieve the required result in some cases, but I think it does nothing for the longer-term aim, which I believe is to encourage them to take responsibility for their own personal development.”

            “I deal with exam stress all the time，” says an experienced teacher.  “Basically, the pupils and I have an  agreement to convince the parents that all is going well. Then  the parents back off and everything gets better.” Her fantasy  solution would keep parents away for six weeks so that they don’t pass on pre exam stress to their children.