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. Why do 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 has more auditory impact in the 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 are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel 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 the 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
问题1选项
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
问题2选项
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
问题3选项
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
问题4选项
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
问题5选项
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
第1题:A
第2题:B
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the passage, the maximum intensity of sound coming from commercials ________. 根据文章，电视广告中最高强度的声音________。
A. does not exceed that of programs A. 不会超过电视节目的声音
B. is greater than that of programs B. 比电视节目的声音要强
C. varies over a large range than that of programs C. 强度在一个比电视节目声音强度要广的范围里发生变化
D. is less than that of programs D. 比电视节目的声音要弱
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“the maximum intensity of sound”可以定位到文章第一段的第二句和第四句“However, federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming（联邦法规禁止广告声音比节目声音大的做法）”，“According to one NBC executive, no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming（NBC的一位高管表示，广告和节目的峰值声音水平没有差别）”从这两方面都可以知道，广告中的最大声音不会超过电视节目声音，因此A选项最符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“比电视节目的声音要强”，与原文内容表述相反，属于反向干扰；
C选项“强度在一个比电视节目声音强度要广的范围里发生变化”和D选项“比电视节目的声音要弱”在文章中没有提及，属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Commercials create the sensation of loudness because ________. 电视广告让人感觉声音很大是因为________。
A. TV stations always operate at the highest sound levels A. 电视台总是用最大的声音来播放节目
B. their sound levels are kept around peak levels B. 电视广告的声音被保持在最高峰值
C. their sound levels are kept in the middle frequency ranges C. 电视广告的声音被保持在中等波段
D. unlike regular programs their intensity of sound varies over a wide range D. 与一般的电视节目不同，电视广告的声音强度在一个很广的范围内变化
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“the sensation of loudness”可以定位到文章第二段的第一句和最后一句“The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its peak level（声音的感觉除了其最高水平外，还包括多种因素）”，“sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels（广告中的声音水平往往保持或接近峰值水平）”由此可知，最高峰值的声音是声音大的影响因素，同时广告中的声音基本保持在最高峰值，因此B选项最符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“电视台总是用最大的声音来播放节目”，与原文内容表述不一致。文章是说电视广告声音最高峰值，并不是说电视节目，属于张冠李戴；
C选项“电视广告的声音被保持在中等波段”，在文章中没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项“与一般的电视节目不同，电视广告的声音强度在一个很广的范围内变化”，而文中说的是“much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial（在一个商业广告中，声音水平的变化少得多）”属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some kind because ________. 许多商业广告以欢快的歌曲开始，是因为________。
A. pop songs attract viewer attention A. 流行歌曲吸引观众的注意
B. it can increase their loudness B. 这可以增大他们的声音
C. advertisers want to make them sound different from regular programs C. 广告商想让它们听起来不同于普通节目
D. advertisers want to merge music with commercials D. 广告商想把音乐和商业广告结合起来
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“a cheerful song”可以定位到文章第三段的最后两句“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（因为人们逐渐适应了节目中出现的声音类型，声音质量的巨大变化吸引了观众的注意力。比如，注意有多少商业广告是以欢快的歌曲开头的）”，由此可知，以欢快歌曲开头是为了吸引适应了声音变化的观众的注意。因此A选项最符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“这可以增大他们的声音”是播放欢快歌曲导致的结果，而不是原因，属于偷换概念； C选项“广告商想让它们听起来不同于普通节目”与D选项“广告商想把音乐和商业广告结合起来”在文中没有提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
One of the reasons why commercials are able to attract viewer attention is that ________. 广告能够吸引观众注意力的原因之一是________。
A. the human voices in commercials have more auditory impact A. 广告中的人声对听觉的影响更大
B. people like cheerful songs that change dramatically in sound quality B. 人们喜欢音质变化很大的欢快歌曲
C. high-frequency sounds are used to mask sounds that drown out the primary message C. 高频声音被用来掩盖主要信息的声音
D. they possess sound qualities that make the viewer feel that something unusual is happening D. 他们拥有的声音品质，使观众感到不寻常的事情正在发生
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“attract viewer attention”可以定位到文章第三段。第三段指出“advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried.（广告商试图在广告开始时使用与埋藏广告的节目截然不同的声音）”，以及“以欢快的歌曲开头吸引观众的注意力”由此可推断，人们被广告吸引是因为广告的声音品质与节目相比更独特，因而具有吸引力。因此D选项最符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“广告中的人声对听觉的影响更大”在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
B选项“人们喜欢音质变化很大的欢快歌曲”不能直接得出结论，因为文中虽有提及声音质量变化大会吸引观众，广告商以欢乐歌曲开头，但没有说是音质变化很大的欢乐歌曲。C选项属于混淆概念；
C选项“高频声音被用来掩盖主要信息的声音”与文中表述不符，文中是说高频声音会被低频声音掩盖，但并不是为了掩盖主要信息的声音。
第5题:
【选项释义】
In the passage, the author is trying to tell us ________. 在文章中，作者试图告诉我们________。
A. how TV ads vary vocal sounds to attract attention A. 电视广告如何改变声音来吸引注意力
B. how the loudness of TV ads is overcome B. 如何克服电视广告的音量
C. how advertisers control the sound properties of TV ads C. 广告商如何控制电视广告的声音属性
D. how the attention-getting properties of sounds are made use of in TV ads D. 如何在电视广告中利用声音吸引注意力的特性
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】文章一开始就提出为什么广告中声音大的疑问，并且从技术人员的角度分析广告中声音大的原因以及改变声音的目的，讲述广告商如何运用声音特性来吸引观众注意。因此，D选项“如何在电视广告中利用声音吸引注意力的特性”最符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“电视广告如何改变声音来吸引注意力”在文中只涉及到部分内容，除此之外还有声音大的原因分析等内容，属于以偏概全；
B选项“如何克服电视广告的音量”在文中没有提及要克服广告音量，属于无中生有；
C选项“广告商如何控制电视广告的声音属性”，文中没有提及如何控制声音，而是对声音的运用，属于偷换概念。
【文章来源】1998年英语六级真题
【参考译文】
每年电视台都会收到数以百计关于广告音量过大的投诉。然而，联邦法规禁止广告声音比节目声音大的做法。此外，出于效率的考虑，电视台总是在允许的最高音量下运行。NBC的一位高管表示，广告和节目的峰值声音水平没有区别。鉴于这一信息。为什么广告的声音这么大？
声音的感觉除了其峰值水平之外，还包括多种因素。广告商善于通过他们对这些因素的熟练运用来创造响亮的印象。导致人们认为广告声音大的一个主要原因是，在广告中出现的声音水平的变化要小得多。在常规节目中，声音的强度变化范围很大。然而，广告中的声音水平往往会保持或接近峰值水平。
其他的“交易技巧”也被使用。因为低频声音会掩盖高频声音，广告商会过滤掉任何可能淹没主要信息的噪音。此外，人的声音在中频范围有更多的听觉冲击。广告商通过电子手段改变声音，使其保持在这样一个频率范围内。另一种方法是写剧本时使用大量的辅音，因为人们对辅音比元音更敏感。最后，广告商试图用与埋藏广告的节目截然不同的声音来开始广告。因为人们逐渐适应了节目中出现的声音类型，声音质量的巨大变化会吸引观众的注意力。例如，注意有多少商业广告是以某种欢快的歌曲开始的。
通过观察恰巧在电视机旁玩耍的一到两岁的孩子，就可以看出广告吸引注意力的特性。他们可能完全无视节目。然而，当广告出现时，由于其戏剧性的音质，他们的注意力会立即被吸引过去。
