You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit;now meet AGNES—the old person suit.
AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(換位體驗) System” and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old.“The business of old age demands new tools,”said Joseph Coughlin,director of the AgeLab.“While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants,young marketers never get that‘Ah ha!’moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car.That’s what AGNES provides.”
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise.Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance,while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility.Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists,and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones.A helmet with straps(帶)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱),and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer's step.
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker.By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person.Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies,car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer.
“AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said.“She is a badly behaved lady who didn't eat and exercise very well.A secondary benefit we’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health.”
【小題1】AGNES has been developed to       

A.make the users more comfortable
B.1et us understand old people better
C.help old people move more quickly
D.produce new tools for the old-age business
【小題2】“An updated walker”(underlined)most likely refers to    
A.someone who travels a lot
B.a(chǎn) physically limited old person
C.some equipment that helps old people walk
D.a(chǎn) company whose service involves old people
【小題3】Which may be a fact resulting from the “secondary benefit” of AGNES?
A.Young people respect old people.
B.Old-age business improves their service
C.Old people eat and exercise well.
D.Young people eat and exercise well.


【小題1】B
【小題2】C
【小題3】D

解析

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C.something made of bloody white materials?
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When difficult people expresses themselves orally, they generally want at least two things: they’ve been heard and they’ve been understood. As a good communicator should be a good listener, five steps are advocated toward good listening.
The first step is cooperating. How does a difficult person know that you’re listening and understanding? In fact, it’s through the way you look and sound while he is talking. You may help him to fully express his thoughts and feelings. You do this by nodding your head in agreement, making certain sounds of understanding.
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【小題1】   
Listen to understand
Reason
Difficult people hope they have been heard and【小題2】   when they express themselves.
【小題3】    towards listening
◆【小題4】   in agreement and make some sounds of understanding while a difficult person is speaking.
◆Repeat some【小題5】     that you have heard.
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◆Give a 【小題7】   of what the person has said.
◆Confirm that the person gains【小題8】   from speaking his thoughts.
Result
A difficult person will be【小題9】   to cooperate with if understanding is achieved.
【小題10】  
You may unlock the doors to difficult people’s minds after you listen and understand.
 

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