ROBOTS

B2 - Вариант 2

Missing headings

You are going to read a text about robots. Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A–H)
for each part (1–6) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
0: The Japanese model
The most sophisticated Japanese robots, which have vision systems and work at very high speeds, are still based on American designs. Studies of robots, particularly computer control software, are considered to be generally less advanced in Japan than in America or Europe.

1:
Although industrial robots were originally developed as devices for simply handling objects, today their commonest uses are for more skilled work like welding, spray painting and assembling components.

2:
In Britain, robot sales appropriately peaked in 1984, but have been declining ever since. This is partly because British wage rates are too low to make robots financially attractive and partly because engineers now have more experience with robots and are more aware of the difficulties of introducing them effectively.

3:
Another problem is that it is sometimes better to use people to do the job. It has been calculated that a robot uses on average about 100 times more energy than a human to do an equivalent.

4:
According to other statistics it is estimated that 20% of all comic book heroes in Japan are robots. This is an enormous number because comics are so popular that they make up a third of all material published in Japan.

5:
M.T.B.F. or mean time between failures is a robot measurement unit. This has risen from about 250 hours in the mid 70s to about 10, 000 hours today (equivalent to working 18 hours a day for two years). One way in which robot manufacturers have increased reliability is to test every single component they buy, instead of the normal procedure of just testing a small sample.

6:
The biggest single benefit of introducing robots claimed by Japanese companies is that they increase quality control. Once programmed, their output is more accurate and consistent than humans, who can get tired and bored.