A Little Coaching

I always felt nervous about the running race. I was too thin to be an athlete. So when our class needed a1in the two-mile race around the lake, l hoped 2would notice me.

I hid under a3when our teacher Bronto called the names of the runners. I got more nervous when I heard, "Noah! Where's Noah? He's in this race!"

He saw me under the tree and shouted, "Noah, we 4 a boy to run the two-mile race. "He pushed me to the starting line. I pleaded(恳求)with him. ""I don't know the way around the lake!"

"It's not a problem. Just5Craig and you'll know the way. "Bronto smiled. Craig was the fastest runner in our class. Then Bronto said, "For the last hundred meters, 6throw your head back and run."

l stood next to Craig and trembled (颤抖). Then I heard the gun and sixteen of us started to run. I ran 7behind Craig.

But gradually (渐渐地), the distance between Craig and me became wider.

It was8. I felt very tired. My energy was spent. I was about. to9. But then I looked ahead and10only three boys were in front of me. The crowd was shouting, but I could hear Bronto shouting, "Run!"

l threw my head back and told my legs to go. I never looked ahead and I never looked back for those last hundred meters. I felt11. Nobody was telling me what I was, or what I wasn't. My legs were running a race against my brain and I was winning!

I didn't know when I crossed the finish line. Bronto caught me and shouted," You flew! You flew, man!12! You passed two boys!"

However, the best prize that I got was 13. That year I discovered I could do a lot of things14I believed in myself and put my energy into them.

I never got to say goodbye to Bronto right after the race. But later, I saw him over the lake. He was coaching another kid. I had no15that the kid was also going to win.

In our daily life, robots are often found to do work that is too dangerous, boring, difficult, or dirty. And we often see kids play with toy robots.

But what exactly is a robot? There are some important characteristics (特征)that a robot must have. These characteristics might help you to decide what is and what is not a robot. It will also help you to decide what you will need to build into a machine before it can be considered as a robot. A robot has these important characteristics:

Sensing First of all, your robot would have to be able to sense the environment around it. Give your robot sensors(传感器): light sensors (eyes), touch sensors (hands), chemical sensors (nose), hearing sensors(ears)and taste sensors(tongue).

Movement A robot needs to be able to move around its environment. It can move on wheels, walk on legs or be driven by small engines(发动机). A robot can move either the whole body or just parts of it.

Energy A robot needs to be able to power itself. Some robots might power itself with sunlight; some might with electricity, while others with the battery(电池). The way your robot gets its energy will depend on what your robot needs to do.