新编大学英语阅读部分第二册Unit7-1

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.

aerospace¹
n. 航空及航天空间

ambient
adj. surrounding 周围的；包围着的

bat *
n. 蝙蝠

belligerent²
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.

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

fatigue³ *
n. very great tiredness 疲乏，疲倦
e.g. Steve was pale with fatigue after two sleepless⁴ 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.

haze⁵
n. the feeling of being very confused and unable to think clearly 迷糊

hell *
n. place of eternal punishment 地狱

high-tech⁶ *
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 isolation⁷.

lethal⁸
adj. causing death 致死的，能致命的

lull⁹
v. make someone feel calm or sleepy 使安静，使人静下入睡
e.g. The movement of the train generally lulled¹⁰ him to sleep.

motorway¹¹
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 qualified¹² him for the job.

radar¹³ *
n. 雷达

rev¹⁴
v. make (an engine) go faster 发动机旋转，加快速度

spectrum¹⁵ *
n. range or scope 范围，系列；光谱，频谱

tempo¹⁶ *
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.

vibration¹⁷ *
n. 振动，颤动

Music to Your Gears

1 Music may soothe¹⁸ the savage¹⁹ 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 motorways²⁰.
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, soothing²¹, melodious²² music relaxes a driver beyond a safe limit of awareness²³ and into a sleepy haze of inattention.
3 The British Automobile²⁴ 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.
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 abruptly²⁵. The same drivers, when subjected to slow ballads²⁶, 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 revving²⁷ the engine in time to the beat."
9 Slower, more ambient tracks like Chopin stimulate²⁸ a change in a person's brain pattern, encouraging Alpha waves and inducing a feeling of well-being²⁹. A state of relaxation³⁰ 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. Stimulating³¹ 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 pointed³² 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 minor³³ 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 halfway³⁴ 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.

1 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

2 belligerent   

adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者

参考例句：

• He had a belligerent aspect.他有种好斗的神色。
• Our government has forbidden exporting the petroleum to the belligerent countries.我们政府已经禁止向交战国输出石油。

3 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

4 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

5 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

6 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

7 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

8 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

9 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

10 lulled   

vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• They lulled her into a false sense of security. 他们哄骗她，使她产生一种虚假的安全感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The movement of the train lulled me to sleep. 火车轻微的震动催我进入梦乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 motorway   

n.高速公路，快车道

参考例句：

• Our car had a breakdown on the motorway.我们的汽车在高速公路上抛锚了。
• A maniac driver sped 35 miles along the wrong side of a motorway at 110 mph.一个疯狂的司机以每小时110英里的速度在高速公路上逆行飙车35英里。

12 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

13 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

14 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

15 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

16 tempo   

n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度

参考例句：

• The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
• They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。

17 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

18 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

19 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

20 motorways   

n.高速公路( motorway的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most of Britain's motorways radiated from London. 英国的大多数公路从伦敦向四方延伸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cuba is well served by motorways. 古巴的高速公路四通八达。 来自辞典例句

21 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

22 melodious   

adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的

参考例句：

• She spoke in a quietly melodious voice.她说话轻声细语，嗓音甜美。
• Everybody was attracted by her melodious voice.大家都被她悦耳的声音吸引住了。

23 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

24 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

25 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

26 ballads   

民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴

参考例句：

• She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening. 她整晚一个接一个地大唱民谣和乡村小调。
• She taught him to read and even to sing two or three little ballads,accompanying him on her old piano. 她教他读书，还教他唱两三首民谣，弹着她的旧钢琴为他伴奏。

27 revving   

v.（使）加速( rev的现在分词 )；（数量、活动等）激增；（使发动机）快速旋转；（使）活跃起来

参考例句：

• The team are revving up for next week's game. 这个队伍对下周的比赛跃跃欲试。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Since the introduction of new techniques, the production has been revving up. 自从新技术的引进，产量一直都在增加。 来自互联网

28 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

29 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

30 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

31 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

32 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

33 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

34 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。