2018年6月英语四级听力美文：The Importance of Sound思维导图

TheImportanceofSound

Hearingcansootheandcomfort.

Thesnappingoflogsinthefireplace,thegossipywhisperofabroom,theinquisitivewheezeofadraweropening—allaresavoredsoundsthatmakeusfeelathome.

Inawell-lovedhome,everychairproducedadifferent,recognizablecreak,everywindowadifferentclick,groanorsqueak.

Thekitchenbyitselfisasourceofmanypleasingsounds.

Everyplace,everyeventhasasounddimension.

Thesenseofhearingcanperhapsberestoredtomodernmanifhebetterunderstandsitsworthandhowitworks.

Mostpeoplewouldbesurprisedtodiscoverhowfarthesensecanbepushedbycultivation.

Atafriend'shouserecently,mywifeopenedherpurseandsomecoinsspilledout,oneafteranother,ontothefloor.

“Threequarters,twodimes,anickelandthreepennies,”saidourhostashecameinfromthenextroom.

Andasanafterthought:“Oneofthequartersissilver.”

Hewasright,downtothelastpenny.

“Howdidyoudoit?”weasked.

“Tryityourself.”hesaid.

Wedid,andwithalittlepracticewefounditeasy.

Curiously,evidenceindicatesthatpeopleneedsound.

Whenwearelostinthought,weinvoluntarilydrumwithourfingersortapwithapencil—areminderthatwearestillsurroundedbyaworldoutsideourselves.

Justcuttingdownreflectedsoundcanproducesomeoddresults.

Thenearestthingonearthtothesilenceofouterspace,forexample,isthe“anechoicchamber”attheBellTelephoneLaboratoriesinBurrayHills,N.J.,whichislinedwithmaterialthatabsorbs99.98%ofallreflectedsound.

Menwhohaveremainedintheroomformorethananhourreportthattheyfeelnervousandoutoftouchwithreality.