Unit10-Part2-Reading

Casper, the friendly robot.

A hospital can be a frightening place for children,

but some hospitals have friendly robots for them.

For example, a hospital in Portugal has a cute robot.

It helps the children have fun and laugh.

Its job is to amuse the young patients.

This is a friendly robot named Casper.

It has big blue eyes and a broad smile on its face.

Casper slowly wanders around the children's section of the hospital every day.

Casper provides entertainment for the kids, a dance or a game perhaps.

Doctors say that entertainment is important for young patients,

because happy children recover faster after treatment.

Casper can do several things for the children.

It can walk, dance, play games, or give kids a high five.

Some children spend one hour with the robot every day.

Others spend two or three minutes at any time.

Boys and girls between the ages of four and eight are the most interested,

and many of these children visit Casper also in its room when it is charging its batteries.

If Casper comes across one of these kids in another section of the hospital,

it turns its head, greets the child with a friendly ola,

the Portuguese word for hello, and suggests playing a game together.

If the two of them play tag, the robot tries running away.

If the child can catch the robot and touch one of its arms,

the robot says parabens, meaning good job or congratulations in English.

Casper doesn't just play with the kids or dance.

It can also carry out small tasks in the hospital's classroom,

such as assisting the teacher while she is teaching.

Casper can also say a few comforting words to the parents of the young patients,

because they are always nervous and worried about their children's illness.