IELTS Listening Section 4 is arguably the most difficult part of the listening test. A single speaker delivers a talk or a lecture, and all ten questions have to be answered without a break.
Listen to a talk on robots as carers for the elderly and answer the questions. Fill in the gaps with one word or a number!
Why do we need robots to care for the elderly?
The population of the world is increasing.
Healthcare systems cannot cope with the increasing numbers of old people.
Elderly people not only need help with physical problems, they also need help with mental illnesses such as dementia
Robots currently under development
1. Nadine
Nadine has been under development for 3 years.
Nadine can..
..monitor patients.
..alert doctors in case of emergency
..talk to patients.
..read stories
..play games.
Nadine cannot..
..understand accents well.
..coordinate well.
2. Mera
Mera is being developed by IBM.
Mera can..
..watch a video of a patient’s face to monitor their heart and breathing.
..alert carers if a patient falls
The Internet of things
Networked gadgets can..
..detect physical changes in patients.
..detect changes in a patient’s environment
..enable carers to give patients more privacy
Robo-pets – Paro
Paro, a robotic seal, was developed in Japan.
Paro knows when a patient touches it, and is designed to look patients in the eye.
In clinical trials, Paro helped to control symptoms including depression, anxiety and stress.
Paro can also be programmed to treat other psychological symptoms.
Disadvantages
Elderly people may become even more isolated if human carers are replaced by robots.
Robots need to be programmed with personal information.
Leave a Reply