Question

    For people, who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.

Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. He pulls out a special device, points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device(LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.

For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming(哼唱) a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine, a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine or point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.

Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights(聚光灯) are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in on targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.

1.What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD?

A.It causes temporary hearing loss.

B.It slows down a running man.

C.It makes it easy to identify a suspect.

D.It keeps the suspect from hurting others.

2.The Silence Machine is a device specially designed to ________.

A.silence the people around you

B.remove the sound of commercials

C.block the incoming sound waves

D.stop unwanted sound from affecting you

3.What feature do spotsounds and spotlights share?

A.They travel in circles.

B.They clear the atmosphere.

C.They can be transformed into energy.

D.They can be directed onto a specific area.

4.Directed sound can be used for ________.

A.creative designs of restaurant menus

B.ideal sound effects on the theater stage

C.different choices of music for businesses

D.strict control over any suspicious customer

5.What does the passage focus on?

A.How professionals invented sound products.

B.Inventions in the field of sound technology.

C.The growing interest in the study of sound.

D.How sound engineers work in their studios.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.D

4.C

5.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一些声音技术领域的发明创造，包括声音可以用作武器的远程声学设备、用来阻止有害声音影响你的静音机以及定向音响技术。

1.

推理判断题。根据第二段中的“It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.”可知它发出震耳欲聋的声音，这种声音令人如此痛苦以至于它会使人暂时丧失能力。LRAD发出的噪音像光线一样被引导，只进入那个人的耳朵，但不会致命。由此可推知，LRAD会导致暂时性听力损失。故选A。

2.

细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.”可知，它的功能是通过分析传入声音的波，并产生第二组传出的波。这两组波会相互抵消。只要打开机器对准目标，你的宁静就会回来。由此可知，静音机是一种专门设计用来阻止有害声音影响你的设备。故选D。

3.

细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in one targeted area.”可知，聚光灯只能照亮舞台的一个部分；类似地，一个“spotsound”在一个目标区域创建一个声音圈。由此可知，spotsounds和聚光灯的共同特性是它们可以被定向到一个特定的区域，故选D。

4.

细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly,”spotsound” creates a circle of sound in on targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choice on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining.”可知，聚光灯只能照亮舞台的一个部分；类似地，一个”spotsound”在一个目标区域创建一个声音圈。这对餐馆和商店等企业很有用，因为它提供了一种吸引顾客的新方式。餐厅可以提供音乐选择与菜单上的各种食物选择，让顾客更多地控制气氛，在他们用餐。由此可知，定向音响可以用于不同的商业音乐选择。故选C。

5.

主旨大意题。根据第一段中的“In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today's sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.”可知，在过去，音响工程师在录音室的后室工作，但今天的许多音响专业人士正在与其他领域的专业人士分享他们的知识和经验，以我们所谓的声音现象为基础创造新产品。结合下文具体内容可知，本文着重论述了声音技术领域的发明创造。故选B。