The ekso. Unseen module g

Write your name and last name here: Read the text and answer the questions which follow. A NEW BREED OF ROBOTS(line 1) When 17-year-old Joey Abicca pokes a metal crutch into the ground with his right arm, tiny motors start whirling around his left leg, lifting it and moving it forward. When he does the same with his left arm, the motors come to life again and his right leg takes a step. Joey is essentially wearing a robot, a bionic suit that consists of a (line 5) pair of mechanical braces wrapped around his legs and electric muscles that do much of the work of walking. The suit, called the Ekso, is controlled by a computer on Joey’s back and a pair of crutches held in his arms. (line 8) Since an accident damaged his spinal cord three years ago, Joey has been unable to walk on his own – but the Ekso is an effort to change that. 1) In lines 1-9, the writer gives the example of Joey in order to show (-). how robots walk what modern computers can do what disabled people think of the Ekso how robots help the disabled walk 2) According to lines 8-9, is Joey able to walk on his own now? Yes No I don't know Read the next paragraph and answer question 3: (line 10) The name Ekso is taken from the word “exoskeleton”, meaning a skeleton that is on the outside of the body. With a frame of lightweight aluminum and titanium, the battery-powered suit weighs about 50 pounds. Originally developed for the military, the Ekso is now being used in physical therapy to get people out of wheelchairs and using their lower bodies so that their muscles do not deteriorate. However, the Ekso is not yet at the point where it can be used independently by a disabled person: Its batteries last three hours, at which point a physical therapist must replace them. (line 18) Supervision is also necessary to ensure that a patient does not fall over; the company says that hundreds of people have walked in the suit, and none have fallen. 3) In lines 10-18, the writer explains (-). who invented the Ekso why the military invented the Ekso how the Ekso is used today how the military uses the Ekso Read question 4 (do not answer yet) and then read the next paragraph: 4) Why is the latest version of the Ekso better than previous ones?COMPLETE THE SENTENCE ACCORDING TO LINES 19-28.It encourages the patient... (Line 19) The Ekso is already going beyond just helping people walk again. The latest version encourages patients to take charge of their own rehabilitation by offering walking modes at three different levels of difficulty. In the first mode, when a patient is first learning to walk with the suit, a physical therapist sets the step length and speed and presses a button on a computer to trigger each step. In the second mode, the patient can trigger a step with buttons on the crutches. And in the third, most advanced mode, (line 25) once the patient has learned to maintain her balance in the suit, she can trigger the suit to take a step just by shifting her weight. “Patients learn to walk in the robotic suits surprisingly quickly,” said Eythor Bender, chief executive of the company that manufactures the Ekso. Now answer the question:4) Why is the latest version of the Ekso better than previous ones?COMPLETE THE SENTENCE ACCORDING TO LINES 19-28.It encourages the patient .... Read the following paragraph and then answer the questions below: (line 29) Yoky Matsuoka, the former head of innovation at Google, said the time was right for exoskeletons to graduate from science-fiction fantasy to commercial reality. Battery technology has improved significantly, materials like plastic and carbon fibers have gotten more lightweight and durable, and robotic systems have become easier to control, she explained. “In the last 10 years, the evolution of some of those materials and technologies allows us to make robots that stay human-safe and human-friendly.” Russ Angold, a founder and the chief technology officer of the company that produces the Ekso, predicted that exoskeletons, like today’s smartphones, would slim down and get more powerful and affordable, becoming part of everyday life. “The dream at the end of the day is to be able to walk into a sporting goods (line 39) store and pick up an exoskeleton,” Mr. Angold said. “They’re like the jeans of the future.” 5) From lines 29-39 we learn why robots like the Ekso (-). are practical today exist mainly in science fiction are designed by university graduates are easy to control 6) Why wasn’t a robot like the Ekso possible 20 years ago? (lines 29-39)Give ONE reason. 7) What does Mr. Angold mean by saying, “They’re like the jeans of the future”? (line 39)He means that exoskeletons will (-). (i) become fashionable (ii) become cheaper (iii) be used in sports (iv) become commonplace Now answer question 8 based on the whole text:8) Name ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of the Ekso. Take each one from a different paragraph. Write:Advantage...Disadvantage... The Ekso