It's only relatively recently that designers have become aware of the need to be inclusive when designing products. But what does that mean exactly? Well, it simply means designing products that span economic, social and cultural barriers. It means making sure products are accessible, so that as many different types of people as possible can use them, without any type of adaptation【Q31】 having to be made to the original design.
Inclusive design is often linked with universal design, although they are not quite the same thing. Universal design aims to make products that work for everyone and that includes considering the needs of people who have cognitive【Q32】 difficulties, which can present quite a challenge.
Today examples of successful inclusive design can be seen all around us. In workplaces it is common to see desks【Q33】 which can be adjusted to suit people of different heights or for wheelchair users This still isn't always the case, however, and is one reason why office workers often suffer from back or neck problems.
You'll find another example in the public toilets of countless hotels, airports and offices. Taps【Q34】 that you activate by sensor require no pressing or twisting movements. These are not only more hygienic, they're also easier for people with dexterity or mobility issues.
The tech industry has been criticised in the past for focusing too much on young consumers, but this is changing. Many products are now designed with the elderly in mind. For example, it's well known that vision declines with age and that we also become worse at distinguishing between similar colours, in particular shades of blue【Q35】, which is why software designers rarely create interfaces with this colour. Motor skills also decline with age and some people have difficulty doing everyday things like picking up a cup or opening a door. This can also affect their ability to use a mouse or keyboard. So voice【Q36】 access is now a routine way of making commands.
It's worth looking at the problems non-inclusive designs cause when not enough consideration is given to a range of users, as it can have a serious impact on people's lives. Access is one obvious example because it has such a huge impact on disabled people's independence. Not being able to access public transport because buses or trains are not wheelchair means many disabled people can go out unless someone goes with them.
Safety is another issue. Inexplicably, most cars are still crash-tested using a dummy based on an average-sized male. This has safety implications for all women, particularly those who are pregnant【Q37】, as the seatbelts worn by the dummy are not adapted to accommodate them.
Over the past 100 years, workplaces in the UK have, on the whole, become considerably safer. Employers are legally required to provide well-maintained personal protective equipment, or PPE, anything from goggles to full bodysuits, to workers who need it, free of charge. But most PPE is designed to fit men.
A recent report found that employers often think that when it comes to female workers, all they need to do to comply with this legal requirement is to buy jackets, for example, designed for a small man. The problem with this is that women can be tall and still have much smaller shoulders【Q38】 than the average man. Ill-fitting PPE such as high-vis jackets, vests and body armour can put women at risk. The report found that 95% of women said that their PPE often hampered their work and that this problem was worst in the emergency services. particularly the police【Q39】.
Another problem is related to comfort at work. A very common scenario in offices in summertime is to see women wrapped in blankets or wearing sweaters while the air conditioning is on high. Meanwhile, the men are in shorts and T-shirts. This is due to differences in metabolic rates for men and women. There is a standard setting for air conditioning to be at a temperature【Q40】 of 21 degrees designed to suit men and in most modern offices it is not possible to turn the air conditioning up or down. This means that many offices which mainly employ women are wasting energy by having the air conditioning set too high.
As you can see from the examples I've just mentioned, there are serious consequences for designs which don't consider the needs of all users. This is ...
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
听前预测：定位词为 products、a diverse range of people，提示词为 without the need for any，此处应填名词，内容为产品特点。
题目解析：本题定位词 products 原词出现后，通过设问提示文本推动，先展开描述一番，要耐心去听。继续听，注意到 accessed 在原文中被替换为 accessible，a diverse range of people 在原文中被替换为 many different types of people，without the need for 在原文中被替换为 without any type of，旁边搭配 adaptation 即为答案词。本题词汇较为抽象，注意听后跟读，结合语境积累。
听前预测：定位词为 universal design、for everyone，提示词为 people with、problems，此处应填名词或形容词，修饰人们面临的问题。
题目解析：本题定位词 universal design 原词出现，随后听到提及 for everyone，对应题干信息。之后听到 considering the needs of people who have cognitive difficulties，意为 “考虑那些有认知障碍群体的需求”，其中 difficulties 对应题干中的 problems，此处的 cognitive 为答案词。本题词汇较为抽象，注意听后跟读，结合语境积累。
听前预测：定位词为 back、neck problems，提示词为 are，此处应填复数名词，内容为避免背部或颈部问题的可调节设计对象。
题目解析：小标题中的 examples 先原词出现，提示文本推动，注意关注听懂信息内有否符合目标值的内容。先听到“In workplaces it is common to see desks which can be adjusted to suit people of different heights or for wheelchair users.”，意为“在工作场所，常见可调节高度的办公桌，以适应不同身高人士或轮椅使用者的需求”， 其中 desks 符合预判方向，先待定。随后继续听，听到“This still isn't always the case, however, and is one reason why office workers often suffer from back or neck problems.”，意为“然而这种情况仍未完全普及，这也是为什么很多办公室工作人员背部或颈部经常出现问题的原因之一”，呼应题干后半句 avoiding back or neck problems，故进一步确认答案为 Desks。
听前预测：定位词为 public toilets，提示词为 are，此处应填复数名词，内容为公共厕所里方便使用的对象。
题目解析：听到原文提及 another example，代表逻辑推动，注意关注听懂信息内有否符合目标值的内容。随即马上听到 in the public toilets of countless hotels, airports and offices，意为“在无数酒店、机场和办公室的公共厕所里”，对应题干的定位词 public toilets。继续听，听到“Taps that you activate by sensor require no pressing or twisting movements.”，意为“感应式水龙头无需按压或旋转即可启动”，其中 Taps 符合命题要求，故填写。题干中的 easier to use 在原文后文进一步补充：easier for people with dexterity or mobility issues，可进一步确认答案为 Taps。
听前预测：定位词为 elderly、designers、interfaces，提示词为 avoid using，此处应填名词，内容为设计师在交互界面避免使用的对象。
题目解析：本题定位词 elderly 原词出现后，听到举例，“For example, it's well known that vision declines with age, and that we also become worse at distinguishing between similar colours; in particular, shades of blue, which is why software designers rarely create interfaces with this colour.”，意为“举例来说，众所周知，人的视力会随着年龄增长而衰退，而我们对于相似颜色的分辨能力也会下降，尤其是对不同蓝色调的区分会变弱，这就是为什么软件设计师很少采用这种颜色来设计交互界面”。注意听时不要翻译命题找对应信息做，而是要通过识别文本重点信息，尝试适配命题，本句中名词搭配设计师避免使用的对象合理的有 similar colours，但是词数超了。继续听 blue 也合适，随后听到 why software designers rarely create interfaces with this colour 对应题干中的 avoid using，进一步确认答案为这种颜色，即 blue。
听前预测：定位词为 mouse、keyboard，提示词为 or their，此处应填名词，内容为除鼠标、键盘外发出指令的方式。
题目解析：本题定位词在原文中以 mouse or keyboard 出现，随即马上听到“So voice access is now a routine way of making commands.”，意为“因此，语音控制现如今已经成为一种常规发出指令的方式”，其中 voice 可搭配命题表述，故填写。
听前预测：定位词为 safety、seatbelts、women，提示词为 problematic for、women，此处应填名词或形容词，内容为修饰女性的信息。
题目解析：本题与上一题题干距离较远，注意耐心听。听完关于残障人士的例子后，听到“Safety is another issue.”，意为“安全性则是另一项问题”，不论从逻辑推动还是内容上判断，都要准备识别本题信息。注意识别对女性描述的信息。先听到描述男性 an average-sized male，意为“标准体型的男性”，继续听，听到“This has safety implications for all women, particularly those who are pregnant, as the seatbelts worn by the dummy are not adapted to accommodate them.”，意为“这为所有女性，尤其是孕妇，带来安全隐患，因为假人佩戴的安全带并没有针对她们的体型进行适配调整”，其中 pregnant 符合命题叙述方向，故填写。注意本题 题干 seatbelts 在答案词后出现，所以不要等到完整题干出现再判断答案，有时候会偏晚，容易导致错过答案。
听前预测：定位词为 PPE jackets，提示词为 size of women's，此处应填名词，内容为搭配 size of women's 的信息。
题目解析：本题定位词 PPE 先原词出现，注意耐心识别搭配题干用词的信息。先听到 female workers，但没有符合 size 的信息，继续听。听到“The problem with this is that women can be tall and still have much smaller shoulders than the average man.”，意为“问题在于，即便女性身材高挑，其肩宽仍可能远小于男性平均水平”，其中 shoulders 符合命题表达，故填写。
听前预测：定位词为 emergencies、worst，提示词为 female、officers，此处应填名词或形容词，内容为搭配 female 和 officers 的信息。
题目解析：本题和上一题距离较近，注意填完上一题听符合该题用词搭配的信息。听到 “The report found that 95% of women said that their PPE often hampered their work and that this problem was worst in the emergency services, particularly the police.”， 意为“报告显示，95% 的女性表示她们的个人防护装备常常妨碍工作，而这一问题在应急服务部门，尤其是警察系统中，最为严重”。其中 emergency services 对应题干信息 emergencies，而强调的信息 police 搭配题干信息为 police officers， 意为“警官”，故填写。注意文本中并没有直接出现 officers 一词，要通过用词搭配填写，不要等到完全找到题干再填写。
听前预测：定位词为 workplace、offices，提示词为 the，此处应填名词，内容为搭配 in offices、too low for women 的信息。
题目解析：听到 another problem，注意逻辑推动，准备识别符合本题预判方向的信息。先听到提及 comfort at work，意为“职场的舒适性”，对应题目小标题 comfort in the workplace。继续听，听到“A very common scenario in offices in summertime is to see women wrapped in blankets or wearing sweaters while the air conditioning is on high.”，意为“在夏季，办公室里可以看到一个十分常见的景象：空调温度调得很低，女性员工裹着毯子或穿着毛衣工作”，其中 air conditioning is on high中的 air conditioning 和命题表达 too low 搭配会产生不同语义。air conditioning 指空调装置，搭配 air conditioning is too low 一般意为空调位置太低了，而非温度设定太低，且英文 air conditioning 超过词数要求，故不能填写。目前没有直接用词搭配的内容，但信息方向很明确了，继续听，要识别到原文原词才能填写。“Meanwhile the men are in shorts and T-shirts. This is due to differences in metabolic rates for men and women. There is a standard setting for air conditioning to be at a temperature of 21 degrees”，意为“与此同时，男性员工却穿着短裤和 T 恤。这种现象源于男女代谢率的差异。空调温度通常默认设定在 21 摄氏度”，其中 temperature 一词搭配 too low 这一表达，原文 21 degrees 为 too low 的具象化替换，内容符合论述方向，故填写。注意本题定位信息和答案词距离较远， 要耐心识别文本内容重点和用词搭配的信息。
