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• psychoacoustics – психоакустика
• range – диапазон
• installation – установка, инсталляция
• compose – составлять, компоновать
• approximately – примерно, приблизительно
• immersive – многонаправленный, с одновременным воздействием на человека посредством нескольких каналов восприятия (зрение, слух, осязание, обоняние); иммерсивный, создающий эффект присутствия
• sufficient – удовлетворительный
• the most common – наиболее употребляемый
• capability – способность
7. Scan the article and use the words in brackets to complete the statements.
1) By the early 1950s, the increasing popularity of the television became a… to the movies.
2) By the 1960s, home «hi-fi» schemes were all the rage. Stereo sound took the place of… as a standard.
3) In spite of being a progressive idea going ahead of its time, the usage of… failed, attacked by numerous technical, economic, and even aesthetic problems.
4) The 1970s featured intense development of both audio and…
5) By the mid – 1980s, …, which still remains the most widely used surround sound configuration, became a standard for 70 mm cinematic releases.
(5.1 system, real threat, video technologies, monaural, Quad)
8. Read the text in more detail and answer the questions.
1) What source of public entertainment threatened the cinema in the early 50s?
2) What did the film studios do in what seemed to be a losing battle with television? What technological advances were offered by audio engineers?
3) What sound system was accepted as a standard instead of the old one in the early 1960s?
4) What caused the first exploration into the consumer surround sound? What was its result?
5) When did the early digital audio devices appear at the marketplace?
6) What does «Dolby Stereo» consist of?
7) What does the». 1» stand for in the system 5.1?
9. Find the English equivalents for the following words and expressions in the text.
Основной источник в сфере развлечений; развитие (восхождение) телевидения; угроза кинематографу; прибыли в сфере киноиндустрии; одно техническое достижение за другим; уловки для привлечения зрителей; в конечном итоге преобразовались в значительные усовершенствования; достижение, которое стоит упомянуть; который располагался в зрительном зале; освоение этих технологий; скудные возможности систем с двумя динамиками; система объёмного звука для потребителя; идея, опережающая своё время; осаждённая многочисленными техническими, экономическими проблемами, и даже проблемами чувственного восприятия; конкурирующие, несовместимые форматы; набор задних колонок; динамический диапазон; кинематографические установки; приблизительно одна десятая частотного диапазона других каналов; определённая точка пространства.
Grammar revision: active and passive voice
We use the active voice to say what the subject of the sentence does:
In the 1970s, Dolby professionals made an introduction of a separate «boom» subwoofer channel, or so called the «LFE channel».
We use the passive voice to say that something happens to the subject:
However, mastering these technologies was limited by certain economic factors.
Here is some more information about the passive voice.
We use a passive verb
1) when what or who causes the action is unimportant, unknown or obvious from the context:
Two new studios have been built recently.
2) to sound more formal or more polite:
The letter hasn’t been sent. (Instead of: You haven’t sent the mail.)
3) when the action itself is more important than who or what does it (in technological processes, reports, newspaper headings, manuals, instructions, regulations etc.):
Dolby Stereo Digital was first encoded on the 1992 film Batman Returns.
4) to put more emphasis on the agent:
The new laboratory will be opened by the company president.
We form the passive voice with the verb to be and the past participle of the main verb:
be (is/was/have been etc.) + the past participle (made/ washed/done etc.)
10. Fill the gaps in the sentences with the verbs given. Use them in the correct tense either in the active or in passive voice.
Remain, influence, introduce, limit, evolve, fail, beset, receive, increase.
1) Some of these technological advances finally _______ into meaningful improvements.
2) The cinematic systems of that time were unable to produce loud low frequency signals without clipping, that’s why a subwoofer channel (also called the «LFE channel») _____ ______ by Dolby Laboratories.
3) Though the pioneering idea of the Quad installation______, it led to further exploration into consumer surround sound.
4) The acceptance of new technologies, especially since the expansion of television was making serious inroads into the profit margins of the cinematograph, _____ ______ by certain economic factors.
5) Until the early 1950s the dominance of the movie was obvious and it _______ the main source of public entertainment.
6) By the late 1970s, specialists at Dolby Laboratories started their development of the Dolby Stereo system, whereby information _____ _____ by three front speakers and a few rear speakers.
7) The invention of the «boom» subwoofer channel had an added advantage: it effectively ______ the dynamic range of theatrical installations.
8) The growing popularity of television certainly _______ the development of the film industry.
9) The analog four-channel arrangement Quad turned out to _____ _____ by a multitude of economic, technical, and aesthetic problems that eventually led to its failure.
Vocabulary work: adjectives and adverbs
A lot of adverbs are made from adjectives by adding —ly:
Quick-quickly, careful-carefully
Note that not all words, which end in —ly, are adverbs. There are some adjectives that have the —ly ending, too:
Friendly, lively, etc.
11. Transform the adjectives into adverbs using the pattern given below. Work out the meaning of the unknown words from the text.
Example: amazing – amazingly
Certain, real, meaningful, desperate, eventual, significant, great, progressive, complete, optical, separate, effective, approximate, sufficient, definite.
Use the words in sentences of your own.
TALKING AND DISCUSSING POINT
12. Make a plan to the article using your notes in exercise 5.
13. Write a key sentence for each point of your plan.
14. Make a summary of the article adding a few more sentences to each point of your plan. Use the key words.
15. Answer the «What do you think» questions.
1) Why did television threaten the cinema in the early 1950s?
2) Which of the two opponents —the movie or the television – has eventually won?
3) Why 3D glasses are called a gimmick in the text? What other «gimmicks» used to attract audience can you name?
4) Are there any economic, technical and aesthetic problems in the sphere of the sound production nowadays?
5) What technological advances in the surround sound will be achieved in the nearest future?
WRITING
16. Write a commentary that contains two arguments for and two arguments against the statement: «Society cannot do without technologies.» Write 120—180 words.
17. Write an essay commenting on the following statement (State Exam Writing).
Work is the most important thing in life.
Do you agree with the statement? What is your point of view?
Write 200—250 words.
Use the plan below:
– make an introduction (state the problem)
– express your personal opinion giving 2—3 reasons to support it
– express an opposing opinion giving 1—2 reasons for it
– explain why you do not agree with the opposing opinion
– write a conclusion restating your position
CHECK POINT
18. Complete the sentences choosing from the words in brackets. Use the information you have learnt from Unit 1, Part 2.
1) Though some advances introduced by the film studios in the 1950s were just … (gimmicks, failures, digital schemes) to attract viewers, other ones eventually developed into significant improvements.
2) The stereo recordings of a … (child, ping – pong ball, football) bouncing between speakers encouraged the growth of the modern consumer surround sound.
3) In the early 1970s, the … (research, experiment, record) into the consumer surround sound led to an analog four – channel configuration called Quad.
4) The «LFE channel» invented by Dolby specialists in the 1970s really (decreased, made, increased) dynamic range in cinematic configurations.
5) In the name «5.1» the». 1» stands for the LFE channel because it carries only approximately (one-third, one-fifth, one-tenth) of the frequency range of the other channels.
Text 3. Part 3. The 1990s – today
PRE-READING
1. Guess the meaning of the following words from the text.
Organization, information, communication, optimum, allocation, classical, material, effect, result, document, accompany, professional, standard, factual, industry, recommendation, modern, mix, method, equally, film, production, role, studio, number, laser, disc, encoded, industry, theater, mass, public, manufacturer, multitrack, component, console, monitor, integral, automobile, gadget, content, compromise.
2. Think of some more words or phrases to supplement the list above.
3. Think of some achievements in the sphere of sound production that have come in sight over the past 30 years. How have they influenced ordinary customers’ lives?
SUBJECT AND LANGUAGE STUDY
Reading
