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Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the
loudness of advertisements. However. federal rules forbid the practice of making
ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate
at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one
NBC executive. no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and
programming. Given this information. whydo commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its
peak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness
through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived
loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during
a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large
range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak
levels.
Other "tricks of the trade" are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can
mask higher frequency sounds. advertisers filter out any noises that may drown
out the primary message. In addition, the human voice hasmore auditory (听觉的)
impact in che middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice
sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to
write the script so that lots of consonants(辅音) are used, because people are
more aware of consonants than vowel (元音) sounds. Finally, advertisers try to
begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the
programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted
to the type of sounds coming from programming. a dramatic change in sound
quality draws viewer attention. For example. notice how many commercials begin
with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing
one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set.
They may totally ignore the programming. However. when a commercial comes
on.their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound
quality.1. According to the passage, the maximum intensity of sound coming from
commercials________.
A) does not exceed that of programs
B) is greater than that of programs
C) varies over a large range than that of programs
D) is less than that of programs
2. Commercials create che sensation of loudness
because____________________.
A) TV stations always operate at the highest sound levels
B) their sound levels are kept around peak levels
C) their sound levels are kept in the middle frequency ranges
D) unlike regular programs their intensity of sound varies over a wide
range
3. Many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some kind
because_________________.
A) pop songs attract viewer attention
B) it can increase their loudness
C) advertisers want to make them sound different from regular programs
D) advertisers want to merge music with commercials
4. One of the reasons why commercials are able to attract viewer attention
is that_____________.
A) the human voices in commercials have more auditory impact
B) people like cheerful songs that change dramatically in sound quality
C) high-frequency sounds are used to mask sounds that drown out the primary
message
D) they possess sound qualities that make the viewer feel that something
unusual is happening
5. In the passage, the author is trying to tell us________________.
A) how TV ads vary vocal sounds to attract attention
B) how the loudness of TV ads is overcome
C) how advertisers control the sound properties of TV ads
D) how the attention-getting properties of sounds are made use of in TV
ads
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发表于 2016-12-4 13:30:25