Music to Your Gears

英语自学网

　　Unit 7
        　　Music
        　　In-Class Reading
        　　Music to Your Gears
        　　I. Word List
        　　Directions: Memorize the following words and phrases before class. You will benefit from your effort when you get the passage from your teacher and read it in class.
        　　Proper Names
        　　Chopin
        　　(男子名)肖邦(1810-1849，波兰作曲家、钢琴家)
        　　Mantovani
        　　(男子名)曼陀瓦尼
        　　Philips
        　　飞利浦(荷兰一公司名)
        　　Robert West
        　　(男子名)罗伯特.韦斯特
        　　Rover
        　　罗孚(英国一汽车制造公司)
        　　Shirley Fisher
        　　(女子名)雪利.费希尔
        　　Simon
        　　(男子名)西蒙
        　　Sweden
        　　瑞典
        　　ZZ Top
        　　(乐队名)ZZ托普(美国一支流行乐队)
        　　New Words
        　　accelerate *
        　　v. start to go faster 加快
        　　e.g. He accelerated the car to overtake the bus.
        　　aerospace
        　　n. 航空及航天空间
        　　ambient
        　　adj. surrounding 周围的;包围着的
        　　bat *
        　　n. 蝙蝠
        　　belligerent
        　　adj. very hostile and unfriendly 寻衅的
        　　blast *
        　　v. make a loud harsh noise 发出响亮刺耳的噪音
        　　e.g. Dance music blasted from the stereo.
        　　bracket *
        　　n. something that is inside a particular range 分类，档次
        　　e.g. age bracket 年龄段
        　　brake *
        　　v. & n. (an equipment that can) stop a car 刹车
        　　e.g. I ) Remember to have your brakes tested regularly.
        　　II ) He braked sharply to avoid the dog.
            
            

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        　　commission *
        　　v. formally ask someone to do a piece of work 委托
        　　e.g. The newspaper commissioned a series of articles on drug trafficking.
        　　engine *
        　　n. 发动机
        　　fatigue *
        　　n. very great tiredness 疲乏，疲倦
        　　e.g. Steve was pale with fatigue after two sleepless nights.
        　　hazard *
        　　n. something that may be dangerous, cause accidents, etc. 危险
        　　e.g. Ice on the road is a major hazard at this time of the year.
        　　haze
        　　n. the feeling of being very confused and unable to think clearly 迷糊
        　　hell *
        　　n. place of eternal punishment 地狱
        　　high-tech *
        　　adj. using high technology 高技术的
        　　horrific
        　　adj. causing extreme shock and fear 令人恐惧的，可怕的
        　　e.g. a horrific accident/murder/attack
        　　inattention
        　　n. lack of attention or carelessness 不注意，疏忽
        　　induce *
        　　v. bring about; cause 产生;造成
        　　e.g. Working at home often induces a sense of isolation.
        　　lethal
        　　adj. causing death 致死的，能致命的
        　　lull
        　　v. make someone feel calm or sleepy 使安静，使人静下入睡
        　　e.g. The movement of the train generally lulled him to sleep.
        　　motorway
        　　n. (BrE) highway 高速公路
        　　navigation *
        　　n. 航海，航空，驾驶
        　　overtake *
        　　v. (overtook, overtaken) come level with and pass (especially a moving person or vehicle) 追上，超越
        　　e.g. The British runner was overtaken on the final lap by the Kenyan.
        　　pedal *
        　　n. 踏板，脚蹬子
        　　qualify *
        　　v. pass an examination or reach the standard of knowledge or skill that one needs in order to do something 使具有资格，使胜任
        　　e.g. The training program qualified him for the job.
        　　radar *
        　　n. 雷达
        　　rev
        　　v. make (an engine) go faster 发动机旋转，加快速度
        　　spectrum *
        　　n. range or scope 范围，系列;光谱，频谱
        　　tempo *
        　　n. the speed at which music is played or should be played (音乐)速度
        　　vehicle *
        　　n. (especially formal) car, truck, bus, motorcycle, etc. 机动车辆
        　　e.g. Motor vehicles include cars, buses and trucks, but not bicycles.
        　　vibration *
        　　n. 振动，颤动
        　　Music to Your Gears
        　　1 Music may soothe the savage breast but it can also damage your health when you are at the wheel. Recent research suggests that loud music seriously affects a driver's concentration and psychologists have warned that such music, blasting away inside a car, can be dangerous, especially in traffic queues or on motorways.
        　　2 There are two extremes in music, both of which can result in risk. Heavy metal, with its strong beat, leads to aggressive driving while, at the other end of the spectrum, soothing, melodious music relaxes a driver beyond a safe limit of awareness and into a sleepy haze of inattention.
        　　3 The British Automobile Association, which is concerned with road safety, commissioned research into the relationship between serious accidents and music. It found that men in the 17 - 25 age bracket were the most dangerous and accident-prone group. It also found that this group listens to music seventy percent of the time it is on the move.
            
            

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        　　4 Up tempo, or heavy metal music, played loudly, can bring on a belligerent attitude. The driving style becomes aggressive and the driver is more apt to take risks. The pace of the driving is governed by the pace and beat of the music.
        　　5 In trials, volunteer drivers subjected to loud music said that, although they didn't necessarily feel inclined to drive faster, they did find themselves making faster gear changes, accelerating more quickly and braking more abruptly. The same drivers, when subjected to slow ballads, admitted that they often found their attention wandering and, during a long motorway journey, at least two of the participants found themselves unconsciously wandering across lane markings.
        　　6 The comments made by the volunteer drivers, some of whom were newly qualified, were very revealing. Simon, eighteen, told the AA, "The fast rock track out of Bat Out of Hell is potentially lethal. I found myself going faster and faster without even realizing it."
        　　7 Another volunteer, who had been listening to ZZ Top's greatest hits, said, "I was speeding along singing at the top of my voice and didn't see or hear the fire engine that was trying to overtake me."
        　　8 Other comments included: "I get lost in my own thoughts... ", "It's possible to suffer a dulling of the senses...", "Not hearing other vehicles is a problem..." and "I was revving the engine in time to the beat."
        　　9 Slower, more ambient tracks like Chopin stimulate a change in a person's brain pattern, encouraging Alpha waves and inducing a feeling of well-being. A state of relaxation might be good for us at most other times, but not at the wheel of the car. Psychologist Professor Shirley Fisher warned: "The greatest danger is fatigue at the wheel. Some music can lull you into concentration loss, or even mini-sleep, which can cause horrific accidents."
        　　10 "It's a matter of selecting your music to suit the conditions. Stimulating music can be useful on long, boring roads but when traffic conditions are difficult, or traffic is heavy, it can distract you."
        　　11 There is, however, an up side, as AA psychologist Dr Robert West pointed out: "If some music affects our ability to drive safely, then the reverse is also true. Carefully selected tracks may improve our driving, particularly in the high risk groups. For instance, if we could get young male drivers to listen to Mantovani, they would probably slow down. Sadly, I don't think I could persuade many of them to listen, though."
        　　12 As well as the type of the music affecting road safety, the very fact that we have high-tech music systems built into our cars also causes accidents. A recent traffic and road safety report showed that almost forty percent of minor road accidents were caused by people taking their eyes off the road to change a cassette or disc!
        　　13 Whatever our taste in music, or driving style, it looks as if safe driving habits are forced on us in the future. Rover, British Aerospace, Philips and Sweden's Road and Traffic Research Institute have combined to produce a car intelligence system that they have named ARIADNE (Application of Real-Time Intelligent Aid for Driving), a sophisticated electronic combined navigation-carphone-collision avoidance system that takes advantage of radar to warn the driver when a collision is possible. If the car ceases to be at a safe braking distance from the one in front, ARIADNE sends a vibration through the accelerator pedal to warn the driver to slow down. The vibration becomes more and more severe the closer the car gets to the vehicle in front until, if the warnings go unheeded, the engine cuts out and the hazard warning lights go on.
        　　14 So remember, if music be the food of love, do it slowly, especially if you're driving, then we can all "play" on. (788 words)
        　　Time taken: __________ minutes
        　　Phrases and Expressions
        　　at/behind the wheel
        　　be the driver 在驾驶
        　　e.g. I never feel safe with Richard at/behind the wheel.
        　　bring on
        　　cause to occur, induce 引起
        　　e.g. I ) Whatever has brought this on? Have I upset you somehow?
        　　II ) Bob died of a heart attack, brought on by his lifestyle.
        　　cut out
        　　suddenly stop working 停止，中断
        　　e.g. The engine cut out halfway across the lake.
        　　result in
        　　cause, bring about 导致
        　　e.g. Environmental pollution is resulting in the forests dying.
        　　slow down
        　　become slower or make something slower; reduce speed 减速
        　　e.g. I ) Motorists should slow down and take extra care in foggy conditions.
        　　II ) There is no cure for the disease, although drugs can slow down its rate of development.
        　　take advantage of
        　　make good use of 利用(时机、他人的弱点等)
        　　e.g. He took advantage of this week's low prices to buy furniture.