Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
The market for products designed specifically for older adults could reach $30 billion by next year, and startups (初创公司) want in on the action. What they sometimes lack is feedback from the people who they hope will use their products. So Brookdale, the country’s largest owner of retirement communities, has been inviting a few select entrepreneurs just to move in for a few days, show off their products and hear what the residents have to say.
That’s what brought Dayle Rodriguez, 28, all the way from England to the dining room of Brookdale South Bay in Torrance, California. Rodriguez is the community and marketing manager for a company called Sentab. The startup’s product, SentabTV, enables older adults who may not be comfortable with computers to access email, video chat and social media using just their televisions and a remote control.
“It’s nothing new, it’s nothing too complicated and it’s natural because lots of people have TV remotes,” says Rodriguez.
But none of that is the topic of conversation in the Brookdale dining room. Instead, Rodriguez solicits residents’ advice on what he should get on his cheeseburger and how he should spend the afternoon. Playing cards was on the agenda, as well as learning to play mahjong (麻将).
Rodriguez says it’s important that residents here don’t feel like he’s selling them something. “I’ve had more feedback in a passive approach,” he says. “Playing pool, playing cards, having dinner, having lunch,” all work better “than going through a survey of questions. When they get to know me and to trust me, knowing for sure I’m not selling them something—there’ll be more honest feedback from them.”
Rodriguez is just the seventh entrepreneur to move into one of Brookdale’s 1,100 senior living communities. Other new products in the program have included a kind of full-body blow dryer and specially designed clothing that allows people with disabilities to dress and undress themselves.
Mary Lou Busch, 93, agreed to try the Sentab system. She tells Rodriguez that it might be good for someone, but not for her. “I have the computer and FaceTime, which I talk with my family on, ”she explains. She also has an iPad and a smartphone. “So I do pretty much everything I need to do.”
To be fair, if Rodriguez had wanted feedback from some more technophobic (害怕技术的) seniors, he might have ended up in the wrong Brookdale community. This one is located in the heart of Southern California’s aerospace corridor. Many residents have backgrounds in engineering, business and academic circles.
But Rodriguez says he’s still learning something important by moving into this Brookdale community: “People are more tech-proficient than we thought.”
And besides, where else would he learn to play mahjong?
51. What does the passage say about the startups?
A) They never lose time in upgrading products for seniors.
B) They want to have a share of the seniors’ goods market.
C) They invite seniors to their companies to try their products.
D) They try to profit from promoting digital products to seniors.
52. Some entrepreneurs have been invited to Brookdale to
A) have an interview with potential customers
B) conduct a survey of retirement communities
C) collect residents’ feedback on their products
D) show senior residents how to use IT products
53. What do we know about SentabTV?
A) It is a TV program catering to the interest of the elderly.
B) It is a digital TV which enjoys popularity among seniors.
C) It is a TV specially designed for seniors to view programs.
D) It is a communication system via TV instead of a computer.
54. What does Rodriguez say is important in promoting products?
A) Winning trust from prospective customers.
B) Knowing the likes and dislikes of customers.
C) Demonstrating their superiority on the spot.
D) Responding promptly to customer feedback.
55. What do we learn about the seniors in the Brookdale community?
A) Most of them are interested in using the Sentab.
B) They are quite at ease with high-tech products.
C) They have much in common with seniors elsewhere.
D) Most of them enjoy a longer life than average people.
答案解析：
由题干中的关键词“startups”定位到第一段。第一段提到“The market for products designed specifically for older adults could reach $30 billion by next year, and startups (初创公司) want in on the action”，意思是专为老年人设计的产品的市场到明年可能达到300亿美元，初创公司想参与进来分一杯羹，即他们想在老年人用品市场分得一杯份额，所以选B。
由题干中的关键词“Some entrepreneurs have been invited to Brookdale”定位到第一段。第一段提到“So Brookdale, the country’s largest owner of retirement communities, has been inviting a few select entrepreneurs just to move in for a few days, show off their products and hear what the residents have to say”，即Brookdale邀请一些企业家住几天，展示他们的产品并听取居民的意见，也就是收集居民对他们产品的反馈，所以选C。
由题干中的关键词“SentabTV”定位到第二段。第二段提到“The startup’s product, SentabTV, enables older adults who may not be comfortable with computers to access email, video chat and social media using just their televisions and a remote control”，说明SentabTV是一种通过电视而不是电脑来进行交流的系统，能让不熟悉电脑的老年人使用电视和遥控器访问电子邮件、视频聊天和社交媒体，所以选D。
由题干中的关键词“Rodriguez say is important in promoting products”定位到第五段。第五段提到“When they get to know me and to trust me, knowing for sure I’m not selling them something—there’ll be more honest feedback from them”，即当居民了解并信任他，知道他不是在推销东西时，会给出更诚实的反馈，说明赢得潜在客户的信任在推广产品中很重要，所以选A。
由题干中的关键词“seniors in the Brookdale community”定位到最后一段。最后一段提到“People are more tech-proficient than we thought”，结合前文可知这里说的是Brookdale社区的老年人，即他们对高科技产品相当驾轻就熟，所以选B。
