节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-10-11
难易度:High
关键字:obesity, platform, diabetic, lifestyle, USB port
Hello, friends.
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
Traditionally, technology is developed with the purpose of saving us time and
energy.
For example, the washing machine.
Have you ever washed clothes by hand?
Well, then you would know what a blessing it is to have one.
The television remote control is another good example.
That little electronic device saves us the effort of getting off our couches to
change the TV channel.
So then we ask: Is technology ever used for the purpose of making us use more
energy?
The answer to that is yes.
It's technology that's designed to get kids off the couch.
Let's read about it on page 25.
(Music).
Gaming for Health.
Getting Kids Off the Couch.
Obesity among youth is another problem that has inspired HopeLab.
In order to encourage kids to be more active, the company developed Zamzee, a
gaming platform centered on player movement.
Players purchase a Zamzee meter, a small motion-sensing device, and then clip it
onto their belts or place it in a pocket.
At the end of the day, they stick the meter into their computer's USB port and
upload the information to their personal accounts.
The more players move, the more points they receive.
(Music).
Hello, friends.
Thank you for joining us.
My name is Ryan.
And my name is Kaylah.
And today we're back in our TECHNOLOGY article looking at, well, video games.
Now I'm not a huge fan of video games, Ryan.
But here we're seeing how video games can be helpful for people who have health
issues.
Yeah, Kaylah. Maybe you might change your mind about how much you actually don't
like video games with this because there are some video games that can help
people,
especially patients that have an illness or an issue with their body.
Now yesterday we talked specifically about a game called Re-Mission that helps
youth that are battling cancer.
They get to go through a virtual human body and kill cancer cells.
And this helps inspire them to keep up, to stick to their health treatment
medical schedules.
Yes. So really this game is able to help these, especially younger kids, stay on
task with their cancer treatment.
And that helps them to be healthier in the long run.
But that's just cancer.
How else can video games help people?
OK. The next thing we're going to talk about takes a more literal way of
helping.
The cancer game Re-Mission helps encourage and inspire.
Now getting kids off the couch is a more actually tangible thing.
It actually happens.
The kids do work to help their body stay healthy that also relates to the game,
which is not true in the cancer game.
That's true.
Kaylah, I know many people don't exercise because sometimes they think exercise
isn't fun.
Maybe video games can change that.
They can make it fun.
Now we have this phrase "getting kids off the couch." Now I don't know about
you,
but when you are feeling lazy, you like to just sit down on the couch and do
nothing.
And often as a child, maybe you sit down with a game controller in your hand and
do nothing but sit, eat and play video games.
Ever since video games have been invented, this has been the most common way to
play them - you sit down,
you hold something in your hands and you push all the buttons.
Well, maybe that can change.
It's time to get the kids off the couch, to get them out and bout because
obesity among youth is another problem.
And thankfully, it has inspired this company called HopeLab.
That's right.
The same company that developed a game to help cancer patients is working on
this one too, to help people with obesity problems.
"Obesity" means you are extremely overweight and unhealthy.
That's right.
It means you're not just a little bit but very far overweight, and it's
affecting your entire body's health.
So what do they do?
They've been inspired, Ryan.
What do they do?
OK. In order to do that, this company encourage kids to be more active by
developing Zamzee, which is a gaming platform centered on player movement.
Now friends, you might experience other games that encourage movement.
For example, if you use a Wii, you can move around.
But this is a different idea.
This game does not keep you just in front of the TV or a computer screen.
It uses a different kind of platform.
That's right.
And when we're talking about computers or technology or video games, the word
"platform" is referring to the type of device used.
Usually we think of the word platform meaning a surface that you put something
on.
But for computers, that means a certain device that you can use.
So it's actually not like the platform that you might use in the Wii, the
step-up pad for the Wii Sport that you use.
Instead players purchase a Zamzee meter.
Now it's a small motion-sensing device.
And then they clip it to either their belts or put it in a pocket.
OK, so this is a small device you can clip.
And if you clip something on, that means it attaches kind of like how you attach
a camera or a phone to your belt sometimes.
And at the end of the day, they can stick this little meter into their
computer's USB port and upload their information online.
That's right.
So they use the USB port.
Now friends, I'm sure you use them.
Ryan, do you use those?
Oh, all the time.
If you own a computer, you've probably used a USB port.
"USB port" stands for universal serial bus.
And that means you can plug in mice, keyboards hard drives, even those little
USB thumb drives that hold information.
OK. So it's made as one of these USB port sticks.
They put it in there.
It's been measuring their movement all day.
And then the players put it into their online account, into their personal
accounts.
The more the players move, the more points they earn.
So this is how the game is played.
OK. Now we saw before this is a motion-sensing device.
Something that is motion-sensing means that it can sense motion.
It knows how you move.
Now Ryan, I think if I was playing this game as a kid, I'd probably sit at my
desk at school and just move my hips back and forth trying to get extra points.
Well, I don't think I would do that because I'm not very good at dancing like
you are.
Well, it'd be fun.
It's a fun way to get kids up and moving.
And at the end of the day when they get home to use their computers, they get
points for moving around.
OK. So this can help obese people lose weight because it encourages them to move
a little bit.
OK. Well, friends, we have another game to look at.
But first, let's see today's skit.
Now, who wants to get healthy?
Not me.
Who wants to fight depression?
Not me.
Who wants to lose weight?
Not me.
Hmm.
Who wants to play video games?
Video games?
I do! I do...
I thought so.
Now look, I bought some great new video games.
New video games?
Yes.
These games are designed to keep you entertained.
Ooh. Hooray!
Yes, and to add a dose of fun to medical treatment.
Oh, look! I'm zapping cancer cells with my nanobot.
(Background Noise).
Yes, yes. That is exciting.
Yeah. I'm on a mission, and I'm going through the human body! Zap...
Well, this is great fun, isn't it?
Yes!
Now, here is another game.
This game is fun.
It's got a Zambee meter.
A Zambee whater?
What's that?
No, no, no. A Zambee meter.
It's a motion-sensing device right here.
Oh.
Wow! OK.
You clipped it on.
Yes.
Now what?
Well, right now all you need to do is put in a USB, which I have right here, and
all your information will be on there.
You can track everything.
Wow! That's great.
It's a wonderful game.
Oh, and here's another game.
You play this game on Facebook.
Facebook? Wow!
So all my friends can help me win?
That's right.
So all of your friends can help you win.
You can help each other and play with each other.
Now junior, aren't these games fun?
Yeah, Dad. They're great.
Thanks.
They're great.
They're fun, and they're good for your health.
What did you say?
Oh, nothing,son.