The Robot Factory | The Blue Journey

1. The robot factory

Rain runs down the windows of the robot factory. Outside, pink and green neon signs shine above a crowded street filled with robots. Inside, the air smells of hot metal and oil. Nobody knows why the factory only opens after midnight.

A huge boiler stands in the middle of the hall. Steam escapes from a copper pipe above it. A robot with dark goggles watches a pressure gauge while another robot turns a large red valve. Under the floor, something knocks three times. Neither robot looks down.

Along one wall, unfinished robots move slowly on a conveyor belt. Some have brass faces and glass eyes. Others have six thin arms or wheels instead of feet. Mechanical arms lift their metal bodies into place. A robot technician connects wires inside an open chest, then closes it with a small silver key.

At a nearby workbench, a robot with velvet gloves is sorting tiny gears. Beside it, a robot inspector examines a metal bird. The bird opens its beak and speaks in the inspector’s metallic voice: “Everything is working perfectly.” Its left wing falls off.

Behind a glass screen, three robots are waiting for their final test. One makes tea for robots that are not there. Another collects shadows in empty jars. The third looks exactly like the factory’s chief robot. It is wearing the same long black coat.

At the loading bay, two large robots push wooden crates towards a driverless delivery van. Every crate has the same label: HANDLE WITH CARE. One of them whispers, “Please.”

Explore the factory

Answers

When does the factory open?
What is escaping from the copper pipe?
How do the unfinished robots move along the wall?
What is the robot with velvet gloves sorting?
What happens to the metal bird?
Which robot resembles someone who works at the factory?

2. Vocabulary focus

Around the factory

Term	Explanation
boiler	A large closed container that heats water to produce hot water or steam.
pipe	A long, hollow tube that carries water, gas or steam.
valve	A device that controls the movement of liquid or gas through a pipe.
pressure gauge	An instrument that shows the pressure inside a pipe or container.
conveyor belt	A moving belt that carries objects from one place to another.
workbench	A strong table used for making or repairing things.
loading bay	A place where goods are put into or taken out of vehicles.
assembly line	A series of work stations where a product is built in stages.

Materials and parts

Term	Explanation
brass	A yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc. The robot has a brass face.
copper	A reddish-brown metal often used for pipes and electrical wires.
steel	A strong metal made mainly from iron. The frame is made of steel.
gear	A wheel with teeth that fit into another part to transfer movement.
wire	A thin piece of metal, often covered in plastic, that carries electricity.
spring	A curved or coiled piece of metal that returns to its shape after being pressed or stretched.
joint	A place where two parts meet and can often move. The robot’s elbow joint is stiff.
frame	The structure that supports the other parts of an object.
steam	The hot gas produced when water boils.
oil	A thick liquid used to help machine parts move smoothly.

People and equipment

Term	Explanation
technician	A person with practical skills who works with equipment or machines.
inspector	A person who checks that something meets the required standard.
operator	A person who controls a machine.
goggles	Special glasses that protect your eyes.
gloves	Pieces of clothing that cover your hands.
wrench	A tool used to turn nuts and bolts; usually called a spanner in British English.
screwdriver	A tool used to turn screws.

Actions

Term	Explanation
assemble	Put separate parts together to make something.
connect	Join things so that they can work together.
tighten	Make something firmer or less loose.
loosen	Make something less tight.
inspect	Look at something carefully to check its condition.
replace	Remove something and put another thing in its place.
leak	Allow liquid or gas to escape through a hole or gap.
sort	Put things into groups according to their type or another feature.

3. Look closer: the mechanical cat

Listen to the description of a small workshop at the back of the factory.

In a small workshop at the back of the factory, a robot is building a mechanical cat. Tiny metal paws, silver whiskers and two pointed ears lie on a wooden table. Under a yellow lamp, the robot carefully connects thin wires inside the cat’s body. A long copper tail hangs over the edge of the table.

The robot attaches the final paw and presses a small green button behind the cat’s ear. Two bright blue eyes suddenly light up. The cat stretches its metal legs, shakes its head and makes a strange electronic sound. Then it jumps off the table and disappears under a cupboard. The robot looks down. Something is scratching the floor.

Building the mechanical cat

Term	Explanation
paw	The foot of an animal such as a cat or dog.
whiskers	Long, stiff hairs near an animal’s mouth. The mechanical cat has silver whiskers.
pointed	Having a narrow, sharp end. The cat has pointed ears.
tail	The part that extends from the back of an animal’s body.
wire	A thin piece of metal, often covered in plastic, that carries electricity.
attach	Fix or join one thing to another. The robot attaches the final paw.
light up	Begin to shine or give off light. The cat’s eyes light up.
stretch	Extend part of the body to make it longer or straighter.
cupboard	A piece of furniture with doors, used for storing things.
scratch	Rub or scrape a surface with something sharp, such as claws.

Find and match

Find the six terms in the passage and match them to definitions A–F.

A. The foot of an animal such as a cat or dog.
B. Fix or join one thing to another.
C. Begin to shine or give off light.
D. Long, stiff hairs near an animal’s mouth.
E. Extend part of the body to make it longer or straighter.
F. Rub or scrape a surface with something sharp.

Answers

Whiskers.
Paw.
Attach.
Stretch.
Scratch.
Light up.

4. Finding the right word

Build, assemble or repair?

Term	Explanation
build	Make something, often through several stages. The factory builds robots.
assemble	Put ready-made parts together. A technician assembles the hand.
repair	Make something work again after it has been damaged or broken. She repairs the broken hand.

Build and assemble can describe the same job from different points of view. Repair means that something already exists and needs fixing.

Broken, damaged or faulty?

Term	Explanation
broken	Not working, or separated into pieces. The broken clock has stopped.
damaged	Harmed in some way, although it may still work. The damaged case has a dent.
faulty	Not working correctly because something is wrong with it. The faulty gauge always shows zero.

These words sometimes overlap. Faulty focuses on incorrect operation; damaged focuses on harm to the object.

Choose the best fit

Answers

The technician puts six separate pieces together to make a hand. She is ______ it. (assembling / sorting)
The gauge looks new, but its readings are always wrong. It is ______. (padded / faulty)
The robot’s arm stopped working. An engineer makes it work again. She ______ it. (repairs / replaces)
The case still protects the disc, but its surface has a deep dent. It is ______. (damaged / spare)
The technician removes the old wire and fits a new one. She ______ the wire. (inspects / replaces)

5. Words that go together

Term	Explanation
tighten a bolt	Turn a bolt until it holds parts firmly together. The technician tightens a bolt in the robot’s knee.
connect the wires	Join electrical wires. She connects the wires inside its chest.
check the pressure	Find out how much pressure there is. The operator checks the pressure on the gauge.
pass a test	Complete a test successfully. Every robot must pass a test before delivery.
fail a test	Not meet the requirements of a test. The bird fails its flight test.
a loose screw	A screw that is not firmly fixed. A loose screw falls onto the workbench.
a steam leak	Steam escaping where it should not. The operator reports a steam leak.
spare parts	Parts available for replacing others. The drawers are full of spare parts.

Complete the combinations

Use each word once: bolt, loose, parts, pressure, test, wires.

Answers

Check the ______ on the gauge.
Connect the ______ inside the robot’s arm.
Tighten the ______ that holds the frame together.
This screw moves when I touch it. It is ______.
The robot works correctly, so it should pass the ______.
We keep spare ______ in those drawers.

6. In context: the wrong memory

Inspector: Unit Nine, tell me your job.

Robot: I repair umbrellas. I also remember a garden beside the sea.

Inspector: That isn’t part of the test. Technician, which disc did you put in?

Technician: The one marked UMBRELLA REPAIRS. It came from the top drawer.

Robot: There was a woman in the garden. She had your voice.

Inspector: Switch it off, please.

Technician: The switch is off already. Look. Its eyes are still glowing.

Inspector: Then check the small battery behind its left ear.

Technician: You’re right. There is a second battery. Shall I take the disc out?

Inspector: First disconnect both batteries. Then replace the disc and check the label against the order form.

Robot: Can I keep the garden?

Phrasal verbs

Term	Explanation
switch on / off	Start or stop electrical equipment using a switch. Switch the robot off. Switch it off.
take out	Remove something from inside something else. Take the disc out. Take it out.
break down	Stop working because of a fault. The conveyor belt breaks down.

With switch off and take out, an object pronoun goes between the verb and the particle: switch it off, take it out.

Understand the problem

Answers

What job is Unit Nine supposed to do?
What unexpected memory does it describe?
Where did the technician find the disc?
What explains why the robot is still active after its switch is turned off?
What must the technician do before replacing the disc?
Does the conversation establish whose memory is on the disc?

Use the phrasal verbs

Complete the sentences with switch off, take out or break down. Use the correct form and word order.

Answers

The machine stops unexpectedly every night. It often ______.
The lamp is too bright. Please ______ it ______.
This is the wrong disc. Disconnect the power, then ______ it ______.
The conveyor belt has stopped working. It has ______.

7. Follow the clues

Return to the opening description. Separate what the text tells you from what you imagine.

True, false or not stated?

Not stated means the description does not give enough information to decide.

Answers

The factory operates during the night.
All the robots have feet.
The inspector deliberately breaks the bird’s wing.
One robot collects shadows.
The real factory manager is inside the whispering crate.

Which detail makes the factory feel strangest to you? Explain your choice in one or two sentences. There is no single correct answer.

8. Build the scene

Complete the description

Use each word once: brass, conveyor belt, gauge, inspector, steam, wires.

Answers

A robot with a yellow ______ face moves along the ______. A technician connects two ______ inside its chest. Nearby, hot ______ rises from a pipe. An operator reads the pressure on a ______, while an ______ checks the finished robots.

Describe actions in progress

Make sentences in the present continuous. Example: a worker / sort / gears → A worker is sorting gears.

Possible answers

a technician / tighten / a bolt
two robots / carry / a wooden crate
an inspector / examine / a damaged hand
steam / escape / from a copper pipe
an operator / check / the pressure

9. Final task: a machine with a strange purpose

Imagine another corner of the factory. Describe it in 100–130 words, then explain your robot’s purpose aloud without reading your whole description.

Include:

a robot with an unusual job;
at least two materials and three machine parts or tools;
two people or robots doing different things;
at least three action verbs and two combinations from the unit;
one small fault or unexpected detail.

Plan your description: Where are we? What does the robot do? What is happening? What is strange or wrong?

Model

Behind the loading bay, a technician is assembling a robot that repairs forgotten dreams. Its frame is made of steel, but its hands are soft and its face is made of brass. An operator is checking the pressure beside a small boiler. On the workbench, there are three gears, a screwdriver and a box of spare parts. The technician tightens a bolt and connects the wires inside the robot’s chest. Everything seems ready, but the machine fails its first test. Instead of repairing a dream, it describes tomorrow’s rain. The operator reaches for the switch. Before she can switch it off, the robot asks for an umbrella.

Check that your reader can picture the place, understand the actions and identify what makes your machine unusual.

1. The robot factory

Explore the factory

2. Vocabulary focus

Around the factory

Materials and parts

People and equipment

Actions

3. Look closer: the mechanical cat

Building the mechanical cat

Find and match

4. Finding the right word

Build, assemble or repair?

Broken, damaged or faulty?

Choose the best fit

5. Words that go together

Complete the combinations

6. In context: the wrong memory

Phrasal verbs

Understand the problem

Use the phrasal verbs

7. Follow the clues

True, false or not stated?

8. Build the scene

Complete the description

Describe actions in progress

9. Final task: a machine with a strange purpose

Model

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