VOA慢速英语:A Soft Body, but the Mind of a Robot

短语讲解：

1. Today, we tell about soft-bodied robots -- robots that can move more easily than those made of metal.

make of用…做成
例句：The table is made of wood.
桌子是木制的。

2. The team based the design of its robot on sea creatures without hard shells or skeletons.

base on使建立在…基础上,立足
例句：We must base ourselves on the interests of the people.
我们一定要从人民的利益出发。

3. The United States Department of Defense paid for the project.

pay for为…付钱
例句：How much did you pay for the book?
那本书你付了多少钱?

4. It is able to roll up into a ball shape and move itself forward.

roll up卷起; 卷成圆筒形〔球形〕
例句：The hedgehog rolled itself up.
刺猬把身子蜷缩成一团。

5. The World Health Organization says malaria was responsible for seven hundred eighty-one thousand deaths in two thousand nine.

be responsible for为…负责,形成…的原因
例句：Heavy rains were responsible for the shortage of vegetables.
大雨是蔬菜短缺的原因。

6. Malaria control efforts currently depend on things like chemically treated bed nets and spraying against mosquitoes.

depend on 依赖, 依靠
例句：All living things depend on the sun for their growth.
万物靠太阳生长。

7. So instead of picking out one or two or three genes, you have the potential for what we call breadth -- generating an immune response that would be broad rather than narrower.

instead of (用…)代替…, (是…)而不是…, (用…)而不用…
例句：We went to the Biology class instead of attending the English lesson.
我们去上生物课而不去上英语课。
pick out挑选, 选择; 选拔
例句：They have picked out the best items on the menu.
他们从菜单上选出最好的菜。

8. But no one knew either if the weakened sporozoites would activate the immune system to protect against malaria.

protect against保护, 保卫
例句：You need warm clothes to protect you against the cold.
你需要暖和的衣服来御寒。

9. The man, or woman, who lives and works in the White House must be able to deal with problems twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

deal with应付, 处理; 对待
例句：He must deal with many difficulties.
他必须应付许多困难。

10. So he examined the lives of the thirty-four American presidents who died of natural causes.

die of死于
例句：People are dying of cancer more and more often.
死于癌症的人越来越多了。