#0654 – Talking About Sound and Volume, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF

#0654 – Talking About Sound and ...

#0654 – Talking About Sound and Volume, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 654 – Talking About Sound and Volume
GLOSSARY
to turn (something) up/down
– to increase or decrease the volume, especially
of music or television
* Could you please turn the TV up? I can’t hear what the reporter is saying.
ear-splitting
– hurting one’s ears because something is extremely loud and/or
high-pitched
* When Raffi heard an ear-splitting scream in the middle of the night, he
immediately called the police.
to concentrate
– to focus all of one’s attention on one thing, without being
distracted by other things
* Patrizia is having a lot of problems in her personal life and that makes it difficult
for her to concentrate on her work.
to swear
– to insist that one is telling the truth; to very strongly state that one is
being honest
* I don’t know who ate the last piece of cake, but I swear it wasn’t me!
volume control
– a small dial or knob on a radio, stereo, television, or other
piece of electronic equipment, touched to make something louder or quieter
* This volume control is really sensitive, so even the gentlest touch makes a big
difference in how loud the music is.
decibel
– a measurement of how loud something is
* The noise in a typical library is around 40 decibels, but the noise created by a
jet airplane taking off is around 120 decibels.
high-pitched –
with a very high sound, more like a soprano woman’s voice than
like a bass man’s voice
* Why do so many cartoon characters have annoyingly high-pitched voices?
squeal
– a loud, high sound, often made when one is very happy or excited
* Their home is always filled with squeals of laughter.
speaker
– the part of a radio, stereo, or television set that produces noise
* We had a great time sitting right in front of the speakers at the concert last
night, but today my ears hurt and it’s hard to hear anything.
1
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2011). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 654 – Talking About Sound and Volume
grating
– making an annoying, unpleasant sound; irritating; bothering someone;
making someone angry and upset
* The beeping sound at the grocery store every time someone buys something is
really grating. I wouldn’t want to work there.
banging
– with a loud, heavy sound that lasts for a very short period of time,
usually produced when two objects hit each other, or when one object falls
* People say that bears are scared of banging noises, so it’s a good idea to hit
two sticks together when you’re walking alone in the woods.
hammer
– a tool with a wooden handle and a heavy metal top, used to hit nails
and push them into a wall or a piece of wood
* You’ll need a hammer and a screwdriver to assemble this bookcase.
thumping
– a loud, slightly muffled or distant noise caused when something falls
or when two heavy objects hit each other
* Whenever our neighbor practices the drums, we can hear the thumping noises
in our home, even though we live one block away!
to lift weights
– to try to build one’s strength and/or the size of one’s muscles by
lifting heavy objects many times
* Studies have shown that older people who lift weights a few times each week
are less likely to break their bones in a fall.
moderate
– of medium size or number; not too big and not too small; not too
loud and not too quiet
* We’ve seen a moderate decrease in the unemployment rate, but not as much
as people were hoping for
quiet as a mouse
– extremely quiet, not making any noise
* Everyone became as quiet as a mouse, waiting to hear the important
announcement.
2
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2011). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 654 – Talking About Sound and Volume
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Why does Delilah want Josh to lower the volume?
a) Because she doesn’t like his music.
b) Because she is getting a headache.
c) Because she needs to focus on something.
2. What does Delilah mean when she asks Josh to “keep the volume to a
moderate level”?
a) She wants him to make the music quieter.
b) She wants him to turn off the music.
c) She wants him to let her touch the volume control.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to turn (something) up/down
The phrase “to turn (something) up/down,” in this podcast, means to increase or
decrease the volume, especially of music or television: “Lincoln turns up the
volume on the radio when he drives on the freeway, because his car is really
loud at high speeds.” The phrase “to turn up” can also mean to arrive: “What
time did Katie turn up at work this morning?” The phrase “to turn (one’s) nose up
at (something)” means to not like or accept something because it isn’t good
enough for oneself: “After living in New York City for three years, James now
turns his nose up at our small town entertainment, like country fairs and rodeos.”
Finally, the phrase “to turn (something) upside down” means to look everywhere
for something, creating a mess as one does it: “He turned the house upside
down looking for his keys, but he still hasn’t found them.”
moderate
In this podcast, the word “moderate” means of medium size or number, not too
big and not too small, or not too loud and not too quiet: “They want to buy a
moderate-sized home on a quiet street.” Or, “The weather report says to expect
moderate rain today, so don’t forget to take your umbrella.” In politics,
“moderate” refers to beliefs and opinions that are not too liberal or too
conservative and can be accepted by most people: “Extreme candidates usually
get more media coverage than moderate candidates.” As a verb, “to moderate a
discussion/meeting” means to guide a group of people as they discuss
something, making sure that everyone gets an opportunity to speak, but that they
stay focused: “A good manager knows how to moderate staff meetings effectively
so that issues are discussed and decisions are made.”
3
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2011). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 654 – Talking About Sound and Volume
CULTURE NOTE
Most musicians are interested in producing the best, most “memorable” (easy to
remember) music, but others want to be known as the loudest band in the world.
There has been a lot of competition among bands for this “sought-after” (wanted
very badly by many people) “title” (label; honor). Many bands “proudly” (with a lot
of pride, feeling that one has done something well) claim to be the loudest band
in the world.
In 1972, The Guinness Book of World Records (discussed in English Café 89)
listed Deep Purple as the “loudest pop group” when its concert in London was
measured at 117 decibels. Three of the people in the audience actually became
“unconscious” (unaware of what is happening around oneself and appearing to
be asleep, often because one has hit one’s head).
Other bands “have since” (since then) made music with even higher recorded
decibel measurements, but the Guinness Book doesn’t award titles for “loudest
band” anymore because it doesn’t want to be responsible for “hearing damage”
(reductions in one’s ability to hear because one was exposed to very loud
noises).
Nevertheless, bands continue to try to get louder and louder. In 2009, the band
Kiss reached 136 decibels at a festival in Canada, but this was far above the
allowed “limit” (maximum amount). Neighbors complained about the noise, and
the band had to turn down the volume.
“Exposure to” (being in the presence of) loud noises can cause “severe” (very
bad and serious) hearing damage and can actually be “painful” (causing
discomfort). Bands know this, but they continue to play loudly anyway. In fact,
the band AC/DC used to be known for playing its music “painfully loud.”
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a
4
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2011). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 654 – Talking About Sound and Volume
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 654: Talking About
Sound and Volume.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 654. I am your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com. Go there!
This episode is called “Talking About Sound and Volume.” It’s a dialogue
between Delilah and Josh. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Delilah: Could you turn that down?
Josh: What?
Delilah: Could you turn your music down?
Josh: Oh, sure. Is there a problem?
Delilah: No, there’s no problem. I was just trying to do some reading and the
ear-splitting music coming from your room made it hard to concentrate.
Josh: Sorry. I didn’t think it was that loud. I didn’t turn it up, I swear. The
volume control is in the same place it always is, not one decibel higher.
Delilah: That may be true, but those high-pitched squeals coming out of your
speakers are really grating. And what was that banging sound?
Josh: Oh, I was just using this hammer to fix my chair. I’m done.
Delilah: And what was that thumping noise?
Josh: Thumping noise? Oh, I was lifting weights and dropping them back down
on the floor.
Delilah: I see. If you could please keep the volume to a moderate level, I would
appreciate it.
5
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2011). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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