Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, (18) ______. One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA, and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia’s trip to Vietnam in 2018, she ...

Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, (18) ______. One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA, and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia’s trip to Vietnam in 2018, she addressed the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo.

Sophia the Robot is the latest humanlike robot created by a Hong Kong-based company (19) ______. Undoubtedly, Sophia together with other humanlike robots represents the rapid advancement in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. (20) ______.

Sophia’s physical appearance is inspired by both the famous actress Audrey Hepburn and the creator’s wife. (21) ______. But what makes her more lifelike than other robots is the patented artificial skin called Frubber®, which has the feel and flexibility of human skin.

Sophia amazes the world with her ability to communicate naturally. The Sophia Intelligence Collective, which is a combination of AI and human input, and other sophisticated perception techniques enable Sophia to recognise human faces and identify human emotions and gestures. Equipped with machine learning algorithms, (22) ______.

(Adapted from Friends Global)

Read the following passage about humanoid robots and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.