The topic of technology and the replacement of humans in various fields is always a hot-button issue, and “Invasion of the Robot Umpires” is a fascinating IELTS Reading passage that explores this aspect within the sport of baseball. This article from ECE English provides a comprehensive guide to help you analyze the text in depth, answer every question, and learn key vocabulary from the passage.
Reading Passage
Invasion of the Robot Umpires
A few years ago, Fred DeJesus from Brooklyn, New York became the first umpire in a minor league baseball game to use something called the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), often referred to as the ‘robo-umpire’. Instead of making any judgments himself about a strike*, DeJesus had decisions fed to him through an earpiece, connected to a modified missile-tracking system. The contraption looked like a large black pizza box with one glowing green eye; it was mounted above the press stand.
Major League Baseball (MLB), which had commissioned the system, wanted human umpires to announce the calls, just as they would have done in the past. When the first pitch came in, a recorded voice told DeJesus it was a strike. Previously, calling a strike was a judgment call on the part of the umpire. Even if the batter does not hit the ball, a pitch that passes through the ‘strike zone’ (an imaginary zone about seventeen inches wide, stretching from the batter’s knees to the middle of his chest) is considered a strike. During that first game, when DeJesus announced calls, there was no heckling and no shouted disagreement. Nobody said a word.
For a hundred and fifty years or so, the strike zone has been the game’s animating force—countless arguments between a team’s manager and the umpire have taken place over its boundaries and whether a ball had crossed through it. The rules of play have evolved in various stages. Today, everyone knows that you may scream your disagreement in an umpire’s face, but you must never shout personal abuse at them or touch them. That’s a no-no. When the robo-umpires came, however, the arguments stopped.
During the first robo-umpire season, players complained about some strange calls. In response, MLB decided to tweak the dimensions of the zone, and the following year the consensus was that ABS is profoundly consistent. MLB says the device is near-perfect, precise to within fractions of an inch. “It’ll reduce controversy in the game, and be good for the game,” says Rob Manfred, who is Commissioner for MLB. But the question is whether controversy is worth reducing, or whether it is the sign of a human hand.
A human, at least, yells back. When I spoke with Frank Viola, a coach for a North Carolina team, he said that ABS works as designed, but that it was also unforgiving and pedantic, almost legalistic. “Manfred is a lawyer,” Viola noted. Some pitchers have complained that, compared to a human’s, the robot’s strike zone seems too precise. Viola was once a major-league player himself. When he was pitching, he explained, umpires rewarded skill. “Throw it where you aimed, and it would be a strike, even if it was an inch or two outside. There was a dialogue between pitcher and umpire.”
The executive tasked with running the experiment for MLB is Morgan Sword, who’s in charge of baseball operations. According to Sword, ABS was part of a larger project to make baseball more exciting since executives are terrified of losing younger fans, as has been the case with horse racing and boxing. He explains how they began the process by asking fans what version of baseball they found most exciting. The results showed that everyone wanted more action: more hits, more defense, more baserunning. This type of baseball essentially hasn’t existed since the 1960s, when the hundred-mile-an-hour fastball, which is difficult to hit and control, entered the game. It flattened the game into strikeouts, walks, and home runs—a type of play lacking much action.
Sword’s team brainstormed potential fixes. Any rule that existed, they talked about changing—from changing the bats to changing the geometry of the field. But while all of these were ruled out as potential fixes, ABS was seen as a perfect vehicle for change. According to Sword, once you get the technology right, you can load any strike zone you want into the system. “It might be a triangle, or a blob, or something shaped like Texas. Over time, as baseball evolves, ABS can allow the zone to change with it.”
“In the past twenty years, sports have moved away from judgment calls. Soccer has Video Assistant Referees (for offside decisions, for example). Tennis has Hawk-Eye (for line calls, for example). For almost a decade, baseball has used instant replay on the base paths. This is widely liked, even if the precision can sometimes cause problems. But these applications deal with something physical: bases, lines, goals. The boundaries of action are precise, delineated like the keys of a piano. This is not the case with ABS and the strike zone. Historically, a certain discretion has been appreciated.”
I decided to email Alva Noë, a professor at Berkeley University and a baseball fan, for his opinion. “Hardly a day goes by that I don’t wake up and run through the reasons that this [robo-umpires] is such a terrible idea,” he replied. He later told me, “This is part of a movement to use algorithms to take the hard choices of living out of life.” Perhaps he’s right. We watch baseball to kill time, not to maximize it. Some players I have met take a dissenting stance toward the robots too, believing that accuracy is not the answer. According to Joe Russo, who plays for a New Jersey team, “With technology, people just want everything to be perfect. That’s not reality. I think perfect would be weird. Your teams are always winning, work is always just great, there’s always money in your pocket, your car never breaks down. What is there to talk about?”
Questions 27 – 32
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Questions 33 – 37 Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-H, below.
Calls by the umpire
Even after ABS was developed, MLB still wanted human umpires to shout out decisions as they had in their 33 . The umpire’s job had, at one time, required a 34 about whether a ball was a strike. A ball is considered a strike when the batter does not hit it and it crosses through a 35 extending approximately from the batter’s knee to his chest.
In the past, 36 over strike calls were not uncommon, but today everyone accepts the complete ban on pushing or shoving the umpire. One difference, however, is that during the first game DeJesus used ABS, strike calls were met with 37
A. pitch boundary B. numerous disputes C. team tactics D. subjective assessment
E. widespread approval F. former roles G. total silence H. perceived area
Questions 38 – 40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
38. What does the writer suggest about ABS in the fifth paragraph?
39. Morgan Sword says that the introduction of ABS
40. Why does the writer include the views of Noe and Russo?
Summary of the Reading Passage
The article discusses the introduction and impact of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or “robo-umpires,” in baseball.
- Origins and Operation: The article begins by describing the first game featuring a robo-umpire, where the human umpire merely acted as a conduit for the system’s decisions.
- Controversy and Acceptance: Initially, the system sparked controversy and player complaints, leading MLB to tweak the “strike zone.” However, it later gained recognition for its high level of consistency and precision.
- Underlying Purpose: The adoption of ABS was not solely for accuracy; it was part of a broader project to make baseball more exciting and attract a younger generation of fans.
- Philosophical Debate: The article questions whether absolute accuracy is the best thing for sports. Many, from coaches to professors and players, argue that the human element, subjective judgment, and even the controversy itself are the soul and appeal of the game, reflecting the imperfections of real life.
Key Vocabulary
- Umpire (n): an official who enforces the rules in sports like baseball or tennis.
- Heckling (n): the act of interrupting or harassing with aggressive comments or mockery.
- Example: “During that first game, when DeJesus announced calls, there was no heckling and no shouted disagreement.“
- Animating force (n.p): the driving force or spirit that gives something life and energy.
- Example: “…the strike zone has been the game’s animating force…“
- Consensus (n): general agreement.
- Example: “…the following year the consensus was that ABS is profoundly consistent.“
- Unforgiving (adj): harsh, relentless, or not showing mercy.
- Example: “…he said that ABS works as designed, but that it was also unforgiving and pedantic…“
- Pedantic (adj): overly concerned with minor details or rules; rigid.
- Delineated (adj): described or portrayed precisely; having clearly defined boundaries.
- Example: “The boundaries of action are precise, delineated like the keys of a piano.“
- Discretion (n): the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.
- Example: “Historically, a certain discretion has been appreciated.“
- Dissenting stance (n.p): a position of disagreement or opposition.
- Example: “Some players I have met take a dissenting stance toward the robots too…“
Answer Key & Detailed Explanations
- 27. NO
Evidence: “Instead of making any judgments himself about a strike, DeJesus had decisions fed to him through an earpiece…“
Explanation: The text clearly states that DeJesus did not make any judgments himself but only received decisions from the system. This contradicts the idea of “shared decision-making.”
- 28. YES
Evidence: “During the first robo-umpire season, players complained about some strange calls. In response, MLB decided to tweak the dimensions of the zone…“
Explanation: “Players complained” corresponds to “criticisms were received from players,” and “MLB decided to tweak” corresponds to “considered it necessary to amend.”
- 29. NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The passage mentions that MLB praises the accuracy of ABS, but it does not mention any justification for the costs incurred to improve the system.
- 30. NO
Evidence: “This type of baseball essentially hasn’t existed since the 1960s, when the hundred-mile-an-hour fastball… entered the game. It flattened the game into strikeouts, walks, and home runs—a type of play lacking much action.“
Explanation: The text states that this high-speed pitch “flattened” the game, making it lack action, which is the opposite of “more exciting.”
- 31. NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The passage mentions that Sword’s team discussed changing the bats, but there is no information about whether a “fierce debate” took place.
- 32. YES
Evidence: “According to Sword, once you get the technology right, you can load any strike zone you want into the system. ‘It might be a triangle, or a blob, or something shaped like Texas…‘”
Explanation: The ability to load any shape of strike zone into the system shows that ABS makes changing the shape of the zone “feasible.”
- 33. F. former roles
Evidence: “…MLB still wanted human umpires to announce the calls, just as they would have done in the past.“
- 34. D. subjective assessment
Evidence: “Previously, calling a strike was a judgment call on the part of the umpire.” (“judgment call” is synonymous with “subjective assessment”).
- 35. A. pitch boundary
Evidence: “…a pitch that passes through the ‘strike zone’ (an imaginary zone about seventeen inches wide…)” (“strike zone” is an area with boundaries).
- 36. B. numerous disputes
Evidence: “…countless arguments between a team’s manager and the umpire have taken place over its boundaries…” (“countless arguments” is synonymous with “numerous disputes”).
- 37. G. total silence
Evidence: “During that first game, when DeJesus announced calls, there was no heckling and no shouted disagreement. Nobody said a word.“
- 38. B – It may reduce some of the appeal of the game.
Evidence (Paragraph 5): This paragraph compares the “over-precision” of the robot with the “dialogue” and “rewarded skill” of human umpires. Coach Frank Viola suggests that ABS is “unforgiving and pedantic.” This implies that removing the human element may diminish the appeal and interaction of the game.
- 39. D – was an attempt to ensure baseball retained a young audience.
Evidence (Paragraph 6): “According to Sword, ABS was part of a larger project to make baseball more exciting since executives are terrified of losing younger fans…“
- 40. C – to indicate that accuracy is not the same thing as enjoyment.
Evidence (Paragraph 9): Noë calls the idea “terrible,” and Russo says that “perfect would be weird” and asks “what is there to talk about?” Both suggest that pursuing absolute accuracy through technology might strip away the imperfections, arguments, and human elements that make life and sports interesting to discuss and enjoy.
Conclusion
The article “Invasion of the Robot Umpires” is not just a reading comprehension test but also opens a profound discussion about the role of technology in sports and life. It shows that sometimes, absolute accuracy is not the ultimate goal, and it is precisely the “human errors” that create appeal and emotion. For IELTS candidates, this passage is an excellent opportunity to practice distinguishing between the author’s perspective and the views of the individuals quoted.
Khai giảng Khóa học Hè cực HOT.
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