For many older people in China, the hardest part of the day is not the illness itself. It is getting out of the door. A man in Beijing named Li is 77 years old and has Parkinson’s disease. His legs are stiff, and his wife is too old to hold him up. In the past, the stairs kept him at home, and he could hardly see the blue sky.
Now things are changing. In his neighbourhood in Xicheng District, there is a service centre for older people. Workers come to his home, help him sit on a special machine, and ride it down the stairs. The machine moves slowly on a track, and in less than ten minutes he is at the door of the building. One trip costs 40 yuan for the first three floors, and ten yuan more for each extra floor.
Stairs are only one problem. In many cities, new tools such as exoskeletons, smart wheelchairs and electric scooters are helping older people walk further. Some care centres also use smart devices at home. A small radar can tell whether a person has fallen, and a night light turns on when someone gets up. With one button, an older person can call for help.
However, technology is not a magic answer. Many products are still expensive, and some do not fit real needs. Reports say that most robots on the market can only talk or give simple care. Machines that help people turn over in bed, move from a bed to a chair, or use the toilet are still rare. Families and care homes also worry about the cost.
Still, the direction is clear. Good technology should not take over an older person’s life. It should appear when help is needed and step back when it is not. The goal is simple: to let older people live on their own, with dignity, for as long as possible.
Words to know:
- stiff (僵硬的)
- exoskeleton (外骨骼)
- wheelchair (轮椅)
- scooter (轻便电动车，代步车)
- radar (雷达)
- dignity (尊严)
- rare (稀少的)
- fit (适合，契合)
长难句拆解 · 定语从句与省略
① Machines that help people turn over in bed, move from a bed to a chair, or use the toilet are still rare. 主干：Machines are still rare（这类机器仍然很少见）。that help people … use the toilet 是定语从句修饰 Machines；从句里是 help sb. do sth. 结构，带三个并列的不定式短语（turn over / move / use）。turn over in bed 指卧床翻身，move from a bed to a chair 指床椅转移。 直译：能帮人卧床翻身、从床上挪到椅子上、或者如厕的机器，仍然很少见。
② It should appear when help is needed and step back when it is not. 主干：It should appear … and step back …（它应当出现，也应当退场）。两个 when 引导时间状语从句；第二个 when it is not 后面省略了 needed，这是英语里常见的省略写法，理解时要把它补回来。 直译：需要帮助时它应当出现，不需要时它应当退到一边。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
同一个意思换一种说法，是雅思阅读最常见的出题手法。先遮住右边，试着说出替换表达。
- hardly see → barely see / almost never see（几乎看不到）
- getting out of the door → leaving the house / going outside（出门）
- in less than ten minutes → within ten minutes / in under ten minutes（不到十分钟）
- fit real needs → meet real needs / match what people need（契合真实需求）
- rare → uncommon / hard to find（稀少，难找）
- take over → take charge of / control（接管，主导）
- live on their own → live independently / look after themselves（独立生活）
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断题（T / F / NG）：In Xicheng District, the stair machine service is free for people over 70.
- 简答题：According to the text, what kind of care robots is still hard to find on the market?
- 选词填空（从 dignity / radar / stiff 中选一个）：A small ______ in the home can tell whether an older person has fallen.
参考答案与解析
- F。原文说三层以内 40 元、超过三层每多一层加 10 元，是收费预约服务，并非免费；选项凭空添了「70 岁以上免费」，属于无中生有。
- 能帮人卧床翻身、床椅转移或如厕的护理机器人。原文用 still rare 直接给出答案，注意别被「陪伴类机器人很多」这条相反信息带走。
- radar。对应原文 A small radar can tell whether a person has fallen；dignity（尊严）与 stiff（僵硬）虽然在文中出现，但都和「检测是否摔倒」无关，是典型的同场词干扰。
中文译文
对中国的许多老人来说，一天中最难的部分并不是疾病本身，而是走出家门。北京有位 77 岁的李叔叔，患帕金森综合征多年。他的双腿僵硬，老伴也年事已高，扶不动他。过去，台阶把他困在家里，他几乎看不到蓝天。
现在情况正在改变。在他所住的西城区，有一家养老驿站。工作人员会来到他家，扶他坐上一种专门的机器，再带着他一级一级下楼。机器沿着轨道缓慢移动，不到十分钟，他就到了单元门口。一次服务，三层以内 40 元，超过三层每多一层加 10 元。
上下楼只是其中一个问题。在许多城市，外骨骼、智能轮椅、电动代步车等新工具，正帮助老人走得更远。一些照护中心还把智能设备装进老人家中。一个小型雷达可以判断老人是否摔倒，人起身时夜灯会自动亮起。按下按钮，老人就能一键呼救。
不过，技术并不是万能答案。许多产品价格依然偏高，有些产品也并不契合真实需求。有报道说，市面上大多数机器人只能聊天或提供简单照护。能帮人卧床翻身、从床上挪到椅子上、或者如厕的机器，仍然很少见。家庭和养老机构也都在为成本发愁。
但方向是清楚的。好的技术不该接管老人的生活，而应当在需要帮助时出现、不需要时退到一边。目标很简单：让老人尽可能长久地独立生活，并且活得有尊严。