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 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 attached to it presses the spine ,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 .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." 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
B
The National Geographic Channel has unearthed a time capsule buried by late Apple chairman and co-founder Steve Jobs thirty years ago. The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa" ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. ' Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts that are still being catalogued. "When the end came off .literally things just poured out ."noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there." "They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in plastic bags." Saylor said ."I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside." Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall. The best title for the passage might be _ . A) The "Lost" Steve Jobs Time Capsule B) The Mystery of Steve Jobs Speech Solved C) Steve Jobs' 1983 Time Capsule Recovered D) Co-founder & Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs
C
Q: Toddler Teacher About the Job November 16, 2011 TITLE: Toddler Teacher LOCATION: Sinton & Falfurrias, TX . REQUIREMENTS: Must have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Development. Must have a valid driver's license and a safe driving record. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability is preferred. Three years of prior employment experience in a pre-school program is required. Computer skills, including the use of word processing software, are preferred. Must be able to pass a pr -employment physical, a criminal background check and fingerprint clearance. Since the toddlers are very young,, the teachers should be very patient and help them. GENERAL DUTIES: Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and operation of the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Apply At: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O. Drawer 1820 Alice, Texas 78332 Teacher About the Job Location: Falfurrias & Hebbronville, TX Requirements: An Associate or Baccalaureate degree in early childhood or a related field and three years of teaching experience in a licensed public school setting at a grade level no higher than elementary school. If employed with an Associate degree, must obtain a Baccalaureate degree within four years of employment. Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred. Good communication skills, in written and oral forms, are necessary. General Duties: Children here are older than toddlers. Their ages are from 4 t0 5. So the teacher will provide activities that support the growth and development of each child in the assigned classroom. Application Deadline: Open Until Filled Send Application to: Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O- Drawer 1820 Smith, Texas 78333 It is better but not a must that one, applying for the Toddler Teacher, can _ .. A) pass fingerprint clearance B) have a valid driver's license C) pass a criminal background check D) speaks both English and Spanish
A: D
The area south of the Thames at Greenwich has a long history. Throughout time different buildings have been constructed on the same site. The Palace of Placentia, an English Royal Palace built in 1447, no longer exists apart from a few remains under the present buildings. The grand buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, most famous for St. Paul's Cathedral. The buildings were finally completed in 1745, although some parts started to be used as early as 1705. They're now part of a university -- having served as a naval hospital and a naval college and the setting for several cinemas. But the buildings stand on a site which has a much longer history, of which now only a part remains that is below the ground. For nearly two hundred years, from around 1450 to 1650, Greenwich was one of the main royal palaces of England. Some of the most famous English rulers, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, not only lived there, but also were born there. Henry VIII put an armory there, and there were also gardens, a great fountain and a mass of buildings. The Palace was also in a strategic location, because at the time either side of Greenwich on the Thames were important Royal Dockyards . Eventually, though, the Palace fell into disrepair. In 1664, the King at the time, Charles II, decided to replace it with completely new buildings in a modern style. Only a cellar from the former Royal Palace now remains, under one of the new buildings. Its red brick, typical of the 16th century, contrasts sharply with the white stone above it. Would you like to join us to have a good view of Greenwich? The buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich now _ . A) are in need of repair B) differ from those in the 16th century C) were designed in the style of Elizabeth I D) have a history of more than half a century
B