The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-oldchildren who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore theprogramming. However. when a commercial comes on.their attention is immediately drawn to itbecause of its dramatic sound quality.

　　每年電視臺(tái)都會(huì)接到上百個(gè)抱怨廣告聲音太響的投訴。[1]然而，聯(lián)邦法律禁止廣告聲音大于節(jié)目的聲音。此外，考虐到效率原因，電視臺(tái)經(jīng)常使用被許可的最大音量播出。[1]據(jù)國(guó)家廣播公司的-個(gè)官員稱，廣告和節(jié)目的最大音量并無(wú)區(qū)別。既然如此，為什么廣告聲音聽上去那么大呢?

　　[2]人們對(duì)聲音的感覺除受音量峰值影響外還受到很多因素的影響。廣告人通過(guò)嫻熟地運(yùn)用這些因素使人感覺廣告的聲音很大。能造成廣告這種高音錯(cuò)覺的一個(gè)主要的高招是使廣告中的音量變化極少。在普通節(jié)目中，聲音的強(qiáng)度在很大范圍內(nèi)變化。[2]而在廣告中，音量總是維持在最高或接近最高的峰值。

　　其他“獨(dú)門暗器”也被用上了。因?yàn)榈皖l聲音能蓋住音頻較高的聲音，廣告人把廣告中任何能蓋住基本信息的噪音都過(guò)濾掉。此外，人類的聲音對(duì)聽覺最有沖擊力的是中額區(qū)的聲音。廣告人通過(guò)電子手段改變聲音使其始終處于該頻段內(nèi)。再有一個(gè)方法就是撰寫的腳本中使用大量輔音，因?yàn)橄鄬?duì)元音人們更注意輔音。[4]最后，廣告人嘗試使用與節(jié)目明顯不同的聲音來(lái)播出淹沒在眾多節(jié)目中的廣告。[3]因?yàn)槿藗円呀?jīng)適應(yīng)了節(jié)目中傳來(lái)的那種聲音，所以聲音的強(qiáng)烈變化會(huì)吸引觀眾的注意力。例如，你會(huì)注意到有很多廣告是用某類歡快的歌曲開頭的。

　　[4]廣告具有引人注意的特性。這種特性可從在電視機(jī)旁玩耍的一兩歲大的孩子身上得到驗(yàn)證。他們完會(huì)不理會(huì)電視里的節(jié)目，[4]但是當(dāng)廣告開始的時(shí)候，孩子們的注意力立刻就被它那種夸張的音質(zhì)吸引過(guò)去了。

　　1. According to the passage, the maximumintensity of sound coming fromcommercials________.

　　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 che 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 kindbecause_________________.

　　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 isthat_____________.

　　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 ishappening

　　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