Editorial Development: Bonnie Brook Communications

SKILL PRACTICE
Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
 1. European pastas are different from Asian pastas 
because European pastas 
.
A 
can be fried
B 
are served to share
C 
use cheese as a filling
D 
are made in different shapes
 2. Which country has been enjoying pasta
the longest?
A 
Japan
B 
Italy
C 
Russia
D 
China
 3. Which countries have the most similar names for 
their filled pastas?
A 
Italy and China
B 
Turkey and Afghanistan
C 
Korea and Poland
D 
Russia and Japan
 4. According to the passage, how are kreplach and 
wontons similar? 
A 
They are both deep-fried.
B 
They are both from China.
C 
They are both often served in a liquid.
D 
They are both usually filled with vegetables.
STRATEGY PRACTICE
Why do you think the author chose this way of organizing the passage?
 
Compare and Contrast
3458.indb 60
10/31/12 7:34 AM

---

© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3458 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
61
Name: 
WEEK 9
DAY 3
READ THE PASSAGE
Use clues from the passage and what you know to make inferences.
A Robot in the House 
The world’s first real-life, walking, talking robot, ASIMO, was unveiled to the world in 2003, when its 
makers took it on a two-year tour of the United States and Canada. Everywhere it went, people lined up to 
get a glimpse of this polite, 119-pound, four-foot-tall mechanical helper that could easily be mistaken for a 
child in a white, plastic spacesuit. The idea of human-like robots is not unique throughout history, but only 
in modern times has technology caught up with science fiction enough to allow scientists and engineers to 
make robots a reality.
ASIMO has been in the works since 1986. Its inventors at the Japanese company Honda wanted to 
design a robot that could move like a human in order to have it interact with people and help them in 
multiple ways. They have largely succeeded. ASIMO can walk backward and forward on two legs, climb 
stairs, dance, and kick. With its human-like hands, it can open and close doors, turn light switches on and 
off, carry trays, and even greet a person with a handshake. ASIMO can recognize faces and answer 
simple questions. It can obey hand signals and verbal commands, and it can also be programmed to give 
information. ASIMO even once guest-conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the 
song “The Impossible Dream.”
ASIMO’s makers hope that its abilities may someday enable ASIMO to assist disabled people and 
senior citizens. The robot would deliver medicines and meals, help people in and out of chairs or beds, 
and call for help if needed. It may also be able to perform simple jobs in offices and other businesses. So 
far, ASIMO has one major drawback. Unlike a human, it cannot work an eight-hour shift. After only 60 
minutes, it has to walk over to its wall-mounted battery charger and dock itself for at least three hours.