Read in LevelsRead in Levels
two ping pong paddles and a ping pong ball on a blue table

Photo by Inkiipow on Unsplash

Robot Beats Humans at Table Tennis

technologyApril 24, 2026·139 words·1 min read

This is a A2 (elementary) English article about robot beats humans at table tennis. Read the article below, then check the key words and test your understanding with 5 exercises. You can also listen to the audio and tap any word to see its meaning.

Read & Listen

0:00 / 1:00
Robot Beats Humans at Table Tennis
A robot can play table tennis very well. The robot is called Ace. A big company from Japan, Sony, made it. Ace played against very good players. It won three of five games. The games used real rules. One player said Ace hit a ball in a way he thought was impossible.
Ace uses cameras to see the ball. The cameras watch how the ball moves and spins. Ace learned to play by practising 3,000 hours on a computer. Sony made sure Ace plays fair. It does not hit the ball too fast.
Some people are excited about this robot. It is the first time a robot plays a sport this well. But some experts say the cameras give Ace an unfair advantage. Humans only have two eyes. Players also say it feels strange to play against a machine.

Key Vocabulary

v.
to turn round and round fast
v.
to do something many times to get better
n.
something that helps you win
n.
a person who knows a lot
adj.
cannot be done
adj.
the same for all, not bad for one side
Vocabulary Translations· 6 words · 12 languages

Every definition is context-aware — translated based on how the word is used in this article, not a dictionary.

spinv.

to turn round and round fast

旋转girarxoaygirar回転するdönmek회전하다يدورdraaienkręcić sięвращаться
practisev.

to do something many times to get better

练习practicarluyện tậppraticar練習するalıştırma yapmak연습하다يتدربoefenenćwiczyćтренироваться
advantagen.

something that helps you win

优势ventajalợi thếvantagem有利な点avantaj이점ميزةvoordeelprzewagaпреимущество
expertn.

a person who knows a lot

专家expertochuyên giaespecialista専門家uzman전문가خبيرdeskundigeekspertэксперт
impossibleadj.

cannot be done

不可能的imposiblekhông thểimpossível不可能なimkânsız불가능한مستحيلonmogelijkniemożliwyневозможный
fairadj.

the same for all, not bad for one side

公平的justocông bằngjusto公平なadil공정한عادلeerlijkuczciwyсправедливый

Check Your Understanding

Question 1: True or False

1

The robot learned to play by practising on a computer.

2

Some people think the cameras give the robot an unfair help.

3

The robot won all five games against the players.

4

The robot hits the ball as fast as it can.

Question 2: Multiple Choice

How does the robot see the ball?

Question 3: Multiple Choice

What did one player say about the robot?

Question 4: Matching

Tap a word, then tap its meaning.

Question 5: Fill in the Blank

The robot ______ for 3,000 hours on a computer before playing real games.

Dictation Practice

Sentence 1 / 170/8 words

Memorize Practice

Sentence 1 / 17

Read at Other Levels