雅思大作文如何巧妙地进行对比
雅思大作文中适当使用对比，不但可以突出主题，还能更好论述自己的观点。那么雅思大作文如何巧妙地进行对比呢?赶紧跟着文都国际教育小编来学习下
吧!
第一种方法：对比两个事物的利弊
Those who believe in the measure say that students benefit a lot from traveling or working for a year before their formal university education. First, they can more broadly acquainted themselves with the society, deepen their understanding of the outside world, and thus better coordinate their objectives of learning with the needs of the society. In contrast, by immediate entrance to university they cannot steer the direction of their study well and may display a poor combination of the theory with practice.Second, study at high school is really exhausting, especially when to win college admission. So it is necessary to grant these children a relatively long period of relaxation or buffer, say, traveling or working for a year, to loosen the chords of their brain, so that when they go back to school later again, they can become completely refreshed and rejuvenated.
这篇雅思大作文写作的内容是关于上大学前是否应该用一年的时间来旅游或者工作进行论证。此段的主题是学生在进入大学学习之前花一年时间进行旅游或工作的话，会让他们受益匪浅。对比点是：进入大学之前一年进行旅游或工作有利于让学生广泛了解社会，加深他们对外界的理解，因此能让他们更好地协调好学习目标和社会的需要。应用这样的雅思大作文写作方法，相对比之下，直接进入大学学习的话，他们不能够把握学习的方向，而且有可能会产生理论和实践相脱节。通过此番对比，旅游或工作一年对于即将步入大学的学生们的好处是显而易见，段落的主题句得到有力的论证。
第二种方法：从正反两面来对比
Then, since the transportation system is the lifeline of a country’s economic activities, its paralysis wouldlead to the disintegration of the economy, either industry of farming or day life. Suppose all the means of transportation were halted for lack of oil, factories with insufficient raw materials would have to close, workers would be out of work, and ripe farm crops would have to stay in the fields at the mercy of rain and storms. People would try to store food and the price of all commodities would go up. If we take those power stations run by oil into account, situations would become even worse. In this sense, oil decides the fate of the whole economy and that of the government.
通过假设得出了一系列的可怕的后果，最后再得出结论，这样的结论是发人深省，当然也是最能引起人们广泛重视的，这样的雅思大作文写作方法是最容易给人留下深刻印象的。不过需要注意的是，很多烤鸭对于虚拟语态的把握不是很好，这样的写法比较容易出现语法错误。所以在使用“假设”的时候，一定要注意自己的语法语态是否正确，否则得不偿失哦!
以上就是小编分享的两种在雅思大作文中巧妙使用“对比”的手法，希望对各位烤鸭的写作有所帮助!最后，预祝大家考出理想的成绩。
文章来源于文都国际教育：https://www.doczj.com/doc/5118405915.html,/kaopei/20170720/10588.shtml
动物： 1. Some people hold that we should spend money and time on the protection of wild animals while others suggest that the money should be spent on populations living in the poorest areas of the world. What is your opinion? [Sample]: In these years, animal protection has become a subject of ongoing scientific research and an issue of concern.People take different views/attitudes toward the enormous spending （that is）required by wildlife conservation. It is suggested that the spending should be diverted to helping human populations, especially those living below poverty line, because human life is more valuable than animal life. In my opinion, the investment in animal conservation is worthwhile. Poor adj needy poverty n. Needy rewarding 。。。has attracted the public’s attention Protection /conservation/ preservation animal /wildlife Animals, as a significant part of an ecosystem, have profound impacts on the sustainability of an ecosystem and on the well-being of humanity. All animals are connected in one way or another in food chains. For this reason, It would disable vegetation from purifying water, recycling nutrient and pollinating crops.We humans are eventually affected. Justified fair pure Sustainable development Another justification for animal protection is that animals play a significant role in the development of industries, as an important natural resource. People derive substances and materials from animals for different purposes. A typical example is that animals provide essential that designers and Draw upon/on 借鉴 Draw inspiration from =turn to sb/sth for inspiration ….is a case in point. On account of those benefits, wildlife protection is a significant strategy that has far-reaching effects on the future of human. However, when (the strategy is)implemented/performed, this strategy should be adopted in different contexts. It should be noted that spending money simply on animals is not the approach that promises/guarantee the best outcomes in all circumstances. For example, in those regions where inhabitants struggle with weak economies and have few job sources, direct spending on any animal program would not stop people from hunting and trading animals for a living. An alternative strategy is creating jobs or providing subsidies,lift ing these regions out of poverty.
雅思写作的论证方法 一方面，对于绝大多数考生而言，完成议论文正文的论证部分并不容易：他们的作文明显表现出论证单薄﹑内容空洞等问题。另一方面，写作的评分标准中有两项针对考生论证实力的检测，分别为写作任务的完成度和表达的连贯统一性。因此，如何全面掌握和正确使用各种论证方法是考生写作备考中亟待解决的问题。接下来介绍一些议论文的主要论证方法以及考生应该如何使用这些方法。 一．举例论证 举例论证是最有利于增强论述的可靠性与说服力的方法，同时，也是考官建议考生使用的。在雅思考题下方总会有这样一句话：“Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.” 1. 常见表达方式 ①关联词 优势：关联词能够较为方便的引出例子，主要是因为用这种方法引出的例子多是独立的句子，语法上的束缚少些。 关联词：as a proof, as an illustration, as an example, for example, for instance, in particular, just as, namely, specifically, to illustrate, to demonstrate. ②句型 优势：句型引出例子，能够保证表达的书面度与学术性。但是在使用时，考生需要特别注意语法正确。 句型：A good case in point is that …. A typical example can be found in …. Take … for example. …, which may include …. 2. 使用注意事项 ①选择典型的例子
同意与否文体 There is no denying that the specific issue of srh./ 或接*whetker 从句has become controlersial. Howoer, in spite of those who are against-' for ?“ I approve ■wholeheartedK- of/ 或I strongly object to the idea that ??? Those who hold negach e/ positive aniiude co^ ards ??. "belie1e chsu ... mayexen ad^erse/ significant effect on us. ... isal^\ ays top of the list of their argument. Fnr nampl^...（滴用举洌子的方法*軽）.Rxirlz, rhnw crirics/ ad vncar^^ alm claim that ...（就处写第二个原因〉for the reason dial …. It is often the case lhat…（此处总结上段反方提出的几个观点）。But when it comes to .... .... and…：（此处先总结写你所支持的几个锂由户an increasing number of people inducing me are com-inc ed that.. .For one thing ... ? The ev idence rec ent h presented in research journah av a liable to the public confhmw tha.t ???it 处写谓查结果■通过敎字来证明自己所列举的理由1。Stnulariy.. should also deserve our special attention In other words, ...（^种说法解⑥。If .not ..（S过来在说一o Last but not least.... ObY?u$ly t ir is hard for both sides to coiue to an agreement on this coKuplicaced issue, butl srill commit to the notion that <..（HI申你的立场）。
雅思G类大作文话题范文：教育话题 Evaluation of teachers You should spend about 40 minutes onthis task. Some people think that high schoolstudents should be given the freedom to evaluate and even criticize theirteachers, while others claim that this practice will disrupt the order inclassroom and lead to disrespect for teachers. What is your opinion? Write at least 250 words. Education: Sample Introduction Whether high school students should begiven the freedom to evaluate and criticize their teachers is a challengingissue in education. Some people support this practice while others believe thatit will be hard for the teachers to maintain classroom order and gain students’respect. Personally, I agree to the latter opinion, which is based on thefollowing three reasons. Main Body 1 First of all, it is difficult for highschool students to adopt a completely objective attitude towards their teacherswhen they are
雅思写作十大话题万能分类题库 一、教育 1. 教育应该包括哪些内容？ 母题：It is generally believed that education is of vital importance to the development of individuals and the well-being of societies. What should education consist of to fulfill both these functions? (050312) 提示：本题围绕教育的两大功能来展开（个人与社会），准备好这篇文章，即可应付教育类话题中的最大分支—教育的功能，做到以不变应万变。对于社会角度，可以从促进经济发展、增加社会流动性(social mobility)、维护社会稳定这几个方面 来展开，对于个人，可以写改变思维模式、有利于就业和便利生活来写。 子题：大学应当教授理论知识还是实践技能？大学的是应当把学生培养成吅格的公民还是让他们自己得益？准备未来职业最好的方法是上大学还是尽快离校积累工作经验？大学要不要扩招？中学阶段应当提供通才教育还是专才教育？要不要延长义务教育年限？要不要让农村地区的学生更容易上学？老师要教学生如何判断是非吗？ 2. 学校的科目谁来选择？ 母题：Some people think that the government should decide which subjects students should study at the university, while others think that students should be allowed to apply for the subject they prefer. Discuss the two views and give your opinion. (060916) 提示：这类题目采取的策略就是“双批判”，因为题目中提供的两种选择往往都是错误的。 子题1：政府选课or 老师选课？学生选择所有的科目or根据兴趣自行选择？ 子题2：只有学术科目重要，体育和音乐这样的课不重要，你同意吗？要不要学国 际新闻？要不要学历史？要不要中学阶段就学习外语？要不要学数学哲学这类的科目？ 提示：子题2与母题联系不大，需要准备这些科目各自的优点。 3. 什么样的教学方式最好？ 母题：Many people use distance-learning programmes (study material post, TV, Internet, etc.) to study at home, but some people think that it cannot bring the benefit as much as attending college or university. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? (041113, 081023, 100515) 提示：远程教育最大的好处，就在于三个any：anybody, anywhere, any time. 缺点 是缺乏师生之间以及学生之间的interaction, 缺乏教师的moral guidance, 因为没有 体育课且久坐电脑前，会引发健康问题。 子题：私立学校好不好？留学好不好？要不要分快慢班？小组学习还是单独学习好？ 4. 谁来为学费买单？
雅思大作文-----主体段的论证方法 对于考生来说，对于某一话题说出一两个分论点并不是难点，而对这些分论点进行论述的展开部分（extend and support main ideas) 却是一个必修的部分。 在议论文中常用的论证方法主要有四种。 一，举例论证法 二，因果论证法 三，对比论证法 四，反证法 一，举例论证法 例如，你想证明一个事情的坏处，可以把这些坏处罗列出来。 However, there are certainly dangers in taking time off at that important age. Young adults may end up never return to their studies or finding it difficult to re-adapt to an academic environment. They may think that it is better to continue a particular job or perhaps they may do something completely different from a university courses. 常用引导词 for example, for instance, ...as follows such as that is to say just as including in particular, to be specific, 练习1： Only under the supervision of a teacher can students study effectively. To be specific, a teacher always tries to draw students' attention during class and assign them homework to do after school. Generally teachers keep in touch with the parents in order to ensure that proper learning is taking place.
雅思考试大作文题目素材运用范例(5) 科技类： Some people think that museums are getting less important, when people can have access to information on the Internet, to what extent do you agree or disa gree? 有人认为博物馆不重要，我们可以在网络上获得信息(参观博物馆)，是否认同? 相关提问： Now, people can use Internet to see historic objects freely. People think w e don’t need museum in the future. To what extend do you agree or disagree. (2 010年12月4日) Some people claim that public museums and art galleries will not be needed because people can see historic objects and works of art by using a computer. D o you agree or disagree with this opinion? (2007年6月7日) 很多人使用网络免费欣赏文物，有人认为在未来我们不再需要博物馆，是否同意? 有人认为我们可以用网络欣赏文物和艺术品，博物馆和艺术馆在未来不在被需要，是否认同? 老师思路拓展： 让步段： 1. 对于短时内没有时间，没有钱去博物馆和美术馆的人来说，可以先在电脑上一饱眼福，间接的欣赏也会很有乐趣的。 2. 对于可以去亲自参观的人来说，可以用计算机去收集一些博物以及美术馆的信息，去目的地的时候，印象更加深刻。 反驳段：
雅思作文题目必备的十个雅思话题 一、教育类别 1. 教育会囊括一些什么内容？ 母题：It is generally believed that education is of vital importance to the development of individuals and the well-being of societies. What should education consist of to fulfill both these functions? (050312) 提示：本题围绕教育的两大功能来展开（个人与社会），准备好这篇文章，即可应付教育类话题中的最大分支—教育的功能，做到以不变应万变。对于社会角度，可以从促进经济发展、增加社会流动性(social mobility)、维护社会稳定这几个方面来展开，对于个人，可以写改变思维模式、有利于就业和便利生活来写。 子题：大学应当教授理论知识还是实践技能？大学的是应当把学生培养成合格的公民还是让他们自己得益？准备未来职业最好的方法是 上大学还是尽快离校积累工作经验？大学要不要扩招？中学阶段应 当提供通才教育还是专才教育？要不要延长义务教育年限？要不要 让农村地区的学生更容易上学？老师要教学生如何判断是非吗？ 2. 学校的科目谁来选择？
母题：Some people think that the government should decide which subjects students should study at the university, while others think that students should be allowed to apply for the subject they prefer. Discuss the two views and give your opinion. (060916) 提示：这类题目采取的策略就是“双批判”，因为题目中提供的两种选择往往都是错误的。 子题1：政府选课or 老师选课？学生选择所有的科目or根据兴趣自行选择？ 子题2：要不要学国际新闻？要不要学历史？要不要中学阶段就学习外语？要不要学数学哲学这类的科目？ 3. 什么样的教学方式最好？ 母题：Many people use distance-learning programmes (study material post, TV, Internet, etc.) to study at home, but some people think that it cannot bring the benefit as much as attending college or university. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? (041113, 081023, 100515) 提示：远程教育最大的好处，就在于三个any：anybody, anywhere, any time. 缺点是缺乏师生之间以及学生之间的interaction, 缺乏
年雅思大作文题目汇总
————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：
2013年1月10日 The most important thing of people's life is his or her work. Without a satisfying career, the life is meaningless. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 2013年1月12日 Children spend long time studying in school and after school. What are the positive or negative effects on children and the society as a whole? 2013年2月2日 Some people think watching TV every day is bad for children. Others think it is good for developing children as they grow up. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. 2013年2月14日 Some people believe young people should be free to choose his or her job, but others think they should be realistic and think about their future. Discuss and give your opinion. 2013年2月16日 Some people think all lawbreakers should be put into prison, others believe that there are better alternatives. Discuss and give your opinion. 2013年2月23日 Not enough students choose science subjects in university in many countries. What are the reasons? What are the effects on the society? 2013年3月2日 More and more people tend to accept education through the internet, and therefore, face-to-face communication is decreasing. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? 2013年3月9日 Some people believe that studying in a college or university is the best way for students to prepare for their future career. Others think they should leave school as soon as possible to develop their career through work experience. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. 2013年3月14日 It is more important for a building to focus on its function. Architects should not worry about its looks. Do you agree or disagree?
大作文地题目类型以及写作策应地不同 总体分为两种：说明文和议论文 说明文： ( .)个人收集整理勿做商业用途 议论文： .个人收集整理勿做商业用途 个人收集整理勿做商业用途 说明文一般描述地是关于社会现象或者问题，包括了或者是一个趋势地优点或者是缺点，这类 文章通常都是以描述为主，基于事实描述，比较客观，不代有任何地特殊性. 就是一般我们这个社会都能够接受地论点.个人收集整理勿做商业用途 议论文一般针对地是题目中地一个话题 ( )，以及部分人对这个话题地想法( , , 有些人认为... 当另外一些人认为)，然后要求你是不是同意或者是发表你自己地看法（ ; ）. 这类题目通常会在题目中引述一个观点，然后要求你针对那个观点，进行写作. 议论文比较基于主观事实描述，一般来说，文章地主体是以为什么而展开，，作者需要通过解释，论证从而达到一个比 较合理地能够具有说服力地一个层次. 作者要展开自己地想法，并要通过论证，让读者认为你 所写地是正确地，合理地.个人收集整理勿做商业用途 议论文通常只有两种问法： ?? (你从多大程度上同意这个观点)个人收集整理勿做商业用途 》》》题目中一部分人只会提出对于某个问题所产生地一个看法.作者所要进行论证就是你是 否同意这么一个看法 无论是采取同意地，还是不同意地写作手法，再论述地过程中必须从不同角度去验证你为什么 同意或者不同意地理由. （正面论证，反面论证，假设论证，比较论证，例子论证，数据论 证）个人收集整理勿做商业用途 正面论证： . 比较论证： ; .个人收集整理勿做商业用途 假设论证： , .(如果没有电脑，人们找需要地信息将会是十分困难地)个人收集整理勿做商业用途 例子论证： . 数据论证： .个人收集整理勿做商业用途 反面论证：: . . 举例子常用地词汇：句子；句子 短语；短语
解读雅思大作文之问题解决类论证方法 在雅思写作中我相信，考生在遇到问题解决类题目时，如果只是想到原因，却提不出任何解决策略，那么这篇文章即使有了大体结构也终会散架。今天，前程百利小编为大家解读如何论证解读雅思大作文中的问题解决类题目。 问题解决类常见论证方法有两种，大体框架为：问题+原因+措施。 第一种段落框架： 第一段：背景句+引出话题 第二段：原因1+措施1 第三段：原因2+措施2….可以有更多段落 第四段：总结建议+预测 第二种段落框架： 第一段：背景句+引出话题 第二段：原因1;原因2;原因3 第三段：措施1;措施2;措施3….可以有更多段落 第四段：总结建议+预测 第一种结构条理较为清晰，提出原因后紧随着解决措施，而第二种是提出全部原因后再提出各自的解决方法。如果考生逻辑性不强的话，很容易混淆。因此，考生要
结合自身实际情况采取不同的写作方法。 备考雅思大作文之问题解决类需要考生在平时多积累一些相关素材，以免在考试中没有思路，无从下手。 接下来就让我们来练一练吧！ 例：It is said that people’s life now is becoming more and more stressful. What are the causes and how to solve it? 题目中的关键词为stressful。不管是学生还是职场人，或多或少都会有一定的压力，这就要看我们在面对压力的时候如何解决了。 因此，我们可以从以下角度去考虑原因以及解决策略。 Causes： 1. people's living rhythm has been promoted 2. social competition deprives their spare time 3. people have to shoulder the responsibility Solutions: 1. go in for some sports games 2. communicate with others frequently 3. find a balance between money and health
最近考试高频的十八个写作话题思路分析与素材汇总！只有7页，共18个话题，中英双语结合给出了关键思路和素材，给出了关键的高分词汇与表达！老是在考试时理不清思路、想不出素材的同学，看了一定会有帮助的！大家加油加油！ ----------------------------------------------我是分割线--------------------------------------------------- 一、跳槽的原因及解决办法 1、相关词汇： fierce competition heavy pressure job-hopping is looked upon to move upward quickly keep skill fresh and up to date acclimatize themselves to the rapidly changing society 2、原因： （1）社会压力大，人们的竞争意识增强，不断改变以适应社会的变化。 （2）处于个人发展的需要，寻求升职，更新知识。 （3）金钱的诱惑，不在乎在哪儿工作，做什么职业，只要挣钱多。 （4）家庭原因，spouse工作地点改变或孩子去其他地方上学。 3、解决方法： （1）要理性看待，一般来说，stability equals success。
（2）chronic job-hopper将被questioned integrity and loyalty ，not reliable。 （3）政府和mass media应该鼓励人们扎根一个地方，扎扎实实干事业，并且尽可能提高welfare，改善城市和community的环境，留住人才。 （4）公司应该提高工资待遇，给employee创造一个良好的工作环境，在保证企业利润的同时要考虑员工个人发展，增加培训，扩充员工的知识。 二、大学是否应该根据就业教授学生知识，大学的主要功能是什么 平衡写： 1、认为应该提供实际知识的： （1）大学生毕业就要找工作，因此要培养学生掌握future job的技能。 （2）有人甚至声称理论没用，不是每个大学生都要做科学家。 2、反对方： （1）It will definitely be shortsighted to…目光短浅理论知识非常重要，理论指导实践，大学的职责不仅是教会学生一门技术，更重要的是教授一种方法。 （2）不学理论只学实际知识，会使学生变成utilitarian，narrow-minded，lack of imagination，如果学生要学的只是生存的技能，那就去vocational school。 3、总结 总之，我认为大学的功能是versatile的，促进学生all-around development，培养学生具有creative mind in some special field，而不只是教授该领域的实际知识，可以通过一些part-time job来获得。 三、个人不能对环境保护做不了什么，同意不同意 This is just an excuse for the ignorance of environmental protection. 1、分析环境恶化原因是缺乏环保意识。 2、给出解决办法。 四、维持博物馆是否是浪费金钱？ 1、提出自己的观点（反对）。 政府应该spend a lot of money to enrich the collection of museums to cater for different tastes or needs of different people．有的人认为是浪费钱，我认为是很有必要的。 2、博物馆很重要（博物馆的作用）。 （1）illuminate the culture，history and arts of the world. 比如，世界上最大的British Museum provide visitors with all-round knowledge about the world culture and arts,collections in it trace the development of civilization throughout the history of mankind. Definitely a heartquake！ （2）shoulder the responsibility to preserve and carry forward a country‘s traditional culture. （3）serve as a significant mean of adolescent education,benefit both the present and future generation. 教育学生什么是美，purify their heart，也可以作为第二课堂，提供教学参考
题目 Many people use distance-learning programs to study at home, but some people think that it cannot bring the same benefits of attending college or university.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion？ 作文 Education is one of the most important chances to change one's destiny or the world.However,whether use distance-learning programs to study at home can bring the same benefits compared to study at school is a controversial issue. My view is that student at school have more benefits than that at home through distance-learning programs. It is obvious that students can learn how to communicate with others at school and develop thinking critically and critically.This is because a school is society in miniature,which can help students' physical ,intellectual and emotional development.It also can help foster in the young the morally sound values and outlook on the world and life. Moreover,learning at school can help students develop career prospect.For example,with the development of society,the knowledge is always updating. The teachers can change their teaching plans and aims according to the society needs.So,studying at school can help students attend universities or find jobs easily.
作文范文之雅思大作文提问方式
雅思大作文提问方式 【篇一：雅思大作文写作方法】 雅思大作文写作步骤指导 雅思写作部分有2篇作文，要求考生在一小时内完成至少400字的写作任务。由于时间比较短，不少考生因未能合理安排时间，结果没有有效完成任务要求或是未能充分展现自己的英语写作水平。 写作部分两篇文章的字数要求是不一样的。大作文必须完成250字以上写作任务，而小作文150字以上。根据这一指令，从机械地写字速度来看，考生较为合理的时间分配为大作文40分钟，小作文20分钟。另外，大作文占写作总值的60%，小作文为40%，从这分值的权重来看，时间上2：1的分配也是相当合理的。所以，要想成功完成大作文任务一定要把时间控制在40分钟左右，前后不超出5分钟。 那么如何充分利用这40分钟，完成一篇基本令人满意的文章呢？ 步骤一：审题（3 分钟） 审题是有效完成任务的第一步，也是最关键的一步。从评分标准看，审题的正确与否与task response有着直接的联系。而在当前模板泛滥，文章千篇一律的大环境下，有效审题是突破六分的一条准绳。不少考生在审题时，要么蜻蜓点水、草草一读，要么只关注题目中词的同义转换。如此读题，都有可能对之后的文章撰写方向造成偏差。而有效的读题方法应为： 通读题目，了解大意。 细读题目，分析句子间的逻辑关系。 再读题目，辨别关键词，区分主题词和限定词，推测考官的出题意图。
由于大部分考生只作到了读题的第一步，所以出现离题或部分离题的可能性很大。现以2008年11月15日的考题为例： there are more workers to work from home and more students to study from home. this is because the computer technology is more and more easily accessible and cheaper. do you think it is a positive or negative development?（题目为考生回忆，与原题可能有少许出入） 通读题目，了解大意。 当前有越来越多的工人在家里工作，有越来越多的学生在家里学习。这是因为电脑技术越来越容易获得，也越来越便宜了。你认为这是个正面的还是负面的发展趋势？ 备注：题中的accessible有不少考生不理解，对审题的准确性会造成一定影响。细读题目，分析句子间的逻辑关系。 要把握题目中的句子间逻辑关系，关键是能读懂代词this; it的具体指代。this是指第一句话。 it可理解为前两句所呈现的这一现象。为了使文章写作方向更为明确，这里可把it 概括为：the wider usage of computer technology in working or studying from home 再读题目，辨别关键词，区分主题词和限定词，推测考官的出题意图。主题词：computer technology in working or studying from home 限定词：positive or negative 不容忽视的词：easily accessible and cheaper 题目信息解构： (topic) positive （benefits)
1、Some people think that robots are very important to human’s future development. Others think that they are dangerous and have negative effects on society. Discuss both opinions and give your personal view. ROBOTS came into the world as a literary device whereby the writers and film-makers of the early 20th century could explore their hopes and fears about technology, as the era of the automobile, telephone and aeroplane picked up its reckless jazz-age speed. From Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” and Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” to “WALL-E” and the “Terminator” films, and in countless iterations in between, they have succeeded admirably in their task. Since moving from the page and screen to real life, robots have been a mild disappointment. They do some things that humans cannot do themselves, like exploring Mars, and a host of things people do not much want to do, like dealing with unexploded bombs or vacuuming floors (there are around 10m robot vacuum cleaners wandering the carpets of the world). And they are very useful in bits of manufacturing. But reliable robots—especially ones required to work beyond the safety cages of a factory floor—have proved hard to make, and robots are still pretty stupid. So although they fascinate people, they have not yet made much of a mark on the world. That seems about to change. The exponential growth in the power of silicon chips, digital sensors and high-bandwidth communications improves robots just as it improves all sorts of other products. And, as our special report this