Estate agents, traffic wardens and car salesman could all be replaced by artificially intelligent robots within the next 50 years, according to leading British scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Dr Aderin-Pocock polled 2,000 people about which jobs they thought would be the first to be taken over by machines. Almost two thirds (65 per cent) said traffic wardens, 40 per cent said estate agents and 33 per cent said car salesman. Overall, 48 per cent admit that advances in technology made them fear for their job.

Dr Aderin-Pocock agreed that rapid advances in technology over the course of this century are expected to continue at an astonishing rate. “All this may seem the stuff of science fiction, but actually when you look more closely, science fiction has often led the way for technology development," she said. "Look at Captain Kirk’s communicator(Star Trek) and tell me that it’s not a mobile phone – and his system probably did less than the latest smartphones we have today.”

For service sector jobs, she predicts that therapeutic care for the elderly could be taken over by robots. Artificial intelligence (AI) in the caring sector is already being tested, with therapeutic robots that respond to the user’s tone and facial expressions. “You might prefer to be in the hands of – an overworked, underpaid, disenfranchised(没有公民权利的) worker doing long hours for least or no pay, or a therapeutic robot designed to respond to your every need." said Dr Aderin-Pocock.

Once people become comfortable with the use of AI technology in the home, attitudes towards its more general use may be transformed. Dr Aderin-Pocock suggests that the technology could extend to childcare, for example.

Further advances in technology could also lead to people investing in android companions. Some scientists believe that these companions could eventually lead to a decline in populations, with artificial relationships replacing human ones.

"I can see the adverts now: ‘He won’t leave the seat up'!" she joked. "We are unlikely to see this sort of thing in our lifetimes if it happens at all, but it is interesting to imagine the possibilities."

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1.What message did Dr Aderin-Pocock’s poll convey?

A People feared that they would lose jobs due to the advances of technology.

B People were enthusiastic that many jobs could be done by intelligence robots.

C People were glad that some service jobs could be done by intelligence robots.

D People were sure that in the near future the world would be filled with robots.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第二段Overall, 48 per cent admit that advances in technology made them fear for their job可知，人们对于科技发展持恐惧态度，因为这会威胁到他们的工作。

2.What is the purpose of the author by mentioning Captain Kirk in the passage?

A To tell us that his communicator was the origin of smartphones.

B To emphasize the topic of the passage is focused on science fiction.

C To prove that science fiction leads the way of technology development.

D To compare the communicator and the system of a mobile phone.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据文章第三段可知，作者说科技发展速度很快，引用《星际迷航》中Kirk船长的对讲机（并联系到了现在的智能手机）是为了证实科幻对于科技技术发展具有引领和推动作用。

3.What makes one prefer to have a therapeutic robot at home?

A One can make it work long hours but pay it less.

B One can make it take care of little children at the same time.

C It doesn’t ask for the rights of a citizen.

D It is designed to respond to all the need of the owner.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第四段可知，智能机器人之所以受到青睐，原因在于它是为满足用户的所有需求而设计的。

4.What does the underlined sentence most probably mean in the passage?

A It is helpful and never makes trouble.

B It is a good companion and won’t leave you alone.

C It is so busy that it doesn’t even have a rest.

D It uses the bathroom and won’t push the seat up.

解析：选B。B 猜测句意题。根据上文的android companions与artificial relationships可知，人们设计生产机器人伙伴，将会减少人口出生率，人与机器人的关系也会得到发展。由此判断，机器人在做护理陪伴工作时非常负责，对主人非常忠诚，与主人寸步不离。leave the seat up意为“站起”，因此该句意为“它是个好伙伴，一刻也不会离开的”。