When we talk about table tennis, China may be the first country that comes to your mind. 【小题1】 But do you know how this beautiful game was first created (创造)?

In the 1870s, people in England loved to play lawn (草地) tennis. 【小题2】 People wanted to enjoy the sport indoors, so they started a new kind of tennis. They played it on their dining tables. 【小题3】 Later, more table tennis lovers brought table tennis to other countries. In 1904, it was introduced (引进) to China. Chinese people quickly fell in love with the game. 【小题4】

Thanks to an Englishman, Ivor Montagu, China was able to be a member of International Table Tennis Federation (国际乒乓球联合会). In 1959, China won the World Championship (世锦赛) for the first time. In 1988, table tennis became an Olympic sport. 【小题5】 They won four gold medals and three silvers!

Robots as we know them started out as science fiction. But how are they changed from fiction into fact? Let’s take a short tour down the development of robots.

A Shakey start

In 1954, Unimate, a large robotic arm, became the world’s first industrial robot. For a long time, robots were only found in factories or laboratories. Shakey, developed between 1966 and 1972, was the world’s first mobile intelligent robot. Shakey’s software has since led to robotic cleaners and self-driving cars.

Helping hands

Eventually, robots found their way into homes and classrooms. In 1999, the Japanese company Sony released a robotic pet dog called Aibo. Then, in 2006, a French company introduced a robot called NAO, which is used by schools around the world to help teachers with lessons.

Out of this world

Robots have become an important part of space missions. Recently, the Curiosity Rover robot from a space agency is exploring the surface of Mars. The International Space Station has a human-like robot called Robonaut 2 (R2) that performs a series of repair tasks so that the astronauts (宇航员) have more time to focus on scientific research.

Into the future

Some people fear that robots will take too many jobs away from humans, which is called automation. According to studies, up to 20 million factory jobs worldwide could be taken by robots in the next 10 years. However, some experts think that the use of robots will allow businesses to create more jobs than have been lost. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic (新冠肺炎) has shown how robots and humans can work together. In Singapore, a robotic dog called Spot has been used to help enforce social distancing. Looking ahead, whether it’s in education, entertainment or space research, robots will play a big part in the future of humanity.

A world-famous Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device (装置), the LongPen.

After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts(专家) and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The writer writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet (手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The writer and fan can talk with each other through webcams (网络摄像机) and computer screens.

Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement (地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The inventing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here, Atwood organized two transatlantic(横渡大西洋的) book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications(应用). It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“It’s really fun,” said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the writer, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”

However, not all the people like the invention. Atwood has received disagreement from some writers who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you were never sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”