英国新闻听力 伦敦机场音乐缓解安检气氛

It’s been provided for us or indeed inflicted¹ on us for years now, music seems to be everywhere, in crowded lifts, in shopping centers, on the phone, but so far, it hasn’t always accompanied the bing bong announcements to be found in the arrivals and departure terminals of British airports. Well it seems that’s now changing.

Our correspondent Sarah Campbell has been to City Airport in London to find out whether passengers are finding the experience harmonious² or horrendous³.

As shoes are removed, toes are visibly tapping to the sound of Adele. The airport now has a sound track for security area with 500 specially⁴ chosen songs on the playlist. Billy Shallow whose job is to improve the experiences of passengers says finding the right music has been a challenge.

So what difference can a certain song make? Airport staff consulted a music psychologist from the University of Sheffield, Dr. Stephanie Bramley.

It might act as a positive distraction⁵ so it might distract us from when we are waiting to be searched. It might actually also make us feel a little bit calm or relaxed just when we are going through the process of being searched in a security environment.

Background music can be an irritation⁶ to some, but passengers today were overwhelmingly in favour.

I do like it. It’s very calming.

It creates a very nice sort of ambiance as you come through the security system.

And people will soon be able to go online and pick the music they prefer to queue to.

Sarah Campbell reporting from City Airport.

The Indian government has put forward plans to ban commercial surrogacy, the practice of onewoman bearing a baby for others. If approved by parliament, the law will also block foreigners, people of Indian origin, single parents and homosexuals from having children in India through surrogacy. Infertility⁷ groups have criticized the proposed law saying it could lead toan illegal surrogacy industry.

For years, civil society groups have been calling for a total ban on commercial surrogacy because they argue that the system has been misused⁸. For example, the women, they don’t getenough money will rent their wombs. And number two, if the child is born like disabled or you know, handicapped with some deformity, what happens to the child, do they leave the child back in India or they take those children with them, these foreigners who come to India?

1 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

2 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

3 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。

4 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

5 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

6 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

7 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

8 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》