A
A tablewaiting robot cat built by a Chinese technology firm can carry plates of food, navigate a restaurant, miaow (喵喵叫) at diners — and even react to having its ears stroked.
Making its debut at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the socalled BellaBot was built for Chinese restaurants lacking enough waiters.It is the brainchild (智慧结晶) of the Chinese robotics and artificial intelligence firm PuduTech.
It features four shelves in the center of its towerlike body to carry plates.Having been loaded up with meals by its human colleagues, the catthemed robotic waiter miaows when it delivers food to diners to encourage them to take their plates.If customers thank BellaBot by stroking its ears, it will initially respond with a look of pleasure on its onboard screen, which displays animations of a cat's face.“The owner's hand is so warm，” BellaBot has been programmed to respond.
However — much like a real cat — the robot's reaction soon changes if it is petted for too long.“It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job，” the designers introduced.
The BellaBot waiter robot is a more personalityrich update to PuduTech's previous model, which featured a more utilitarian (实用主义的) design and user interface.Both BellaBot and its predecessor were designed with a particular mind to Chinese restaurateurs which are often short of waiting staff.
In a realworld foodservice setting, however, BellaBot may find it difficult to operate at peak times.Nevertheless, restaurants are expected to increase their trust on automation — whether in the form of robotic waiting staff or otherwise.
Furthermore, the technology improvements of robotic waiters designs will be grown steadily, especially better at communicating with humans and tackling new activities.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了深圳科技公司推出的拥有猫咪外形的餐饮机器人。
1．Why did the technology firm create the BellaBot?
A．The restaurant can react to it.
B．It is the brainchild of the Chinese robotics and AI firm.
C．The Chinese scientists want to show their talent to the world.
D．It is can be used when Chinese restaurants are short of enough waiters.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句和第五段第二句可知，创造出BellaBot是为了弥补饭店服务员的短缺。
2．When do the robotic waiters deliver the food to diners?
A．The customers touch the robotic waiters' ears.
B．The customers are encouraged to take their plates.
C．The human colleagues have loaded up the meals on robotic waiters.
D．The robotic waiters display animations of a cat's face on their onboard screen.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句可知，人类同事把饭菜放在机器人服务员的架子上后，它会把食物送到顾客那里。
3．What can we infer from the robot's reaction changes?
A．It wants to remind you to get mad.
B．It wants to remind you to pet it again.
C．It wants to remind you not to help its work.
D．It wants to remind you not to stop its work.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据第四段“It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job”可知，机器人的反应变化是想提醒人们不要阻断它的工作。
4．What is the author's attitude to the robotic waiters?
A．Doubtful. B．Positive.
C．Negative. D．Ambiguous.
解析：选B 观点态度题。根据最后一段可知，机器人服务员的技术改进会稳步提高，尤其在跟人类交流和开展新活动方面会更好。由此推断出作者对机器人服务员持积极态度。
