NOISE

The world ought to be a quieter place. Anti-noise has hit the marketplace. It means, or e!ample, that rerigerators will no
longer whine, "acuum cleaners no longer roar, and washing machines no longer rumble. It ma# e"en soon be possible to
cancel out the low-requenc# throb o the teenage stereo blasting its bass through the wall rom the lat ne!t door. Alread#
Toshiba has introduced a silent rerigerator. $uilt into the ridge is a s#stem that silences the hum o the motor b# iring
anti-noise at it.
%hat is anti-noise& It is the e!act opposite o a particular sound. It peaks when the other sound dips, and dips when the
other sound wa"e peaks. The anti-sound is ired at the unwanted sound through a loudspeaker. The two wa"es cancel each
other out, like ripples meeting each other on a pond. The rest is silence.
There must, howe"er, be a perect match, otherwise #ou end up with double the din. Thus anti-noise has had to wait or
the microprocessor in order to be eecti"e. The microprocessor can monitor the unwanted sound and respond in
milliseconds.
A t#pical acti"e noise cancellation s#stem has been sold to a railwa# compan# in the 'nited States. The compan# unloads
grain rom trains b# using giant "acuum tubes. These tubes produce as much noise a (et taking o. Ater installing the
s#stem, the noise was reduced to the le"el o an air-conditioner)s hum. *ort# were installed, to the relie o Americans
li"ing near railwa# unloading points.
In the aircrat industr#, acti"e noise cancellation is contributing to a re"i"al in propeller-dri"en passenger aircrat, which
passengers disliked because o their noise. The irst test light with an anti-noise s#stem took o in +,-,. The s#stem has
now mo"e on rom research to commercial de"elopment, with passengers likel# to hear the beneits in a #ear or two.
In the car industr#, con"entional mulers generate back-pressure, which orces the engine to work harder. An acti"e noise
canceller remo"es the need or sound-absorbing chambers, and impro"es uel consumption b# as much as si! per cent.
*rom the point o "iew o sa"ing uel, car makers are keen to install the technolog#.
It won)t be long beore silent washing machines, ridges and "acuum cleaners are in the .igh Street shops. Electrolu! has
signed an agreement to manuacture the technolog# which should be on the market b# +,,/.
The trouble is, once #ou remo"e one noise, #ou become more aware o all the others. .ow will we be able to shut up the
sparrows at i"e in the morning&
+. %hich title best suits the passage&
A. Towards a 0uieter %orld
$. The Noise-$usters
1. A $etter 2ie
3. Anti-Noise
4. Ne!t #ear, silent de"ices will be
A. sold.
$. installed.
1. a"ailable.
3. consumed.
5. On a pop recording, the bass emits a loud low-requenc#
A. beat.
$. blast.
1. boom.
3. bang.
/. %hat anti-noise does is
A. compensate or noise.
$. react with noise.
1. camoulage noise.
3. neutralise noise.
6. Anti-noise works b# being on
A. the same wa"elength.
$. a completel# dierent wa"elength.
5:33 min.
1 - Vicky began snowboarding when she was 23.
Possible answers:
(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

2 - &he was 'isiing &wi(erland )or a com*eiion.

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(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

3 - &he has won many skiing com*eiions.

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(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

+ - &he hinks ha snowboarding is a di))ic,l s*or o learn.

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(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

5 - "orking hard )or her s*or is no a *roblem )or Vicky.

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(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

- - &he likes com*eiions more han anyhing else.

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(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

. - &he hinks yo, sho,ld ha'e a eacher i) yo, wan o learn snowboarding.
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(A) Righ
(!) "rong
(#) $oesn% say

/ 0 - &he says yo, can wear anyhing yo, like when yo, learn o snowboard.
/ Possible answers:
/ (A) Righ
/ (!) "rong
/ (#) $oesn% say