English for Technical Students. Part 1

4. to attach	d) transducer
5. in response to	e) of video links
6. to record	f) capabilities
7. distortion and	g) low manufacturing cost
8. flexibility and	h) printers
9. to improve	i) into a lot of devices
10. sound	j) images
11. electro acoustic	k) an electrical audio signal
12. a telephone voice	l) reinforcement
13. the establishment	m) transmitter

8. Complete the tables. The necessary words are in the text. Translate all words.

Noun		Adjective			Noun	Verb
1		qualitative			8	transmit
dependence		2			recording	9
3		flexible			improvement	10
4		major			11	establish
5		voiceless			dependence	12
6		capable			13	distort
core		7			14	reinforce
					incorporation	15
					16	feature
					17	distort
9. Match the words with a similar meaning.
1. to permit				a) to reduce
2. response				b) device
3. to attach				c) to connect
4. apparatus				d) mobile phone
5. establishment				e) usual
6. reinforcement				f) to show
7. many				g) installation
8. cell phone				h) property
9. immediately				i) sphere
10. feature				j) at once
11. to abbreviate				k) a lot of
12. to display				l) to allow
13. field				m) intensification
14. common				n) answer

10. Match the words with an opposite meaning.

1. disadvantage	a) to disconnect
2. to improve	b) to restore
3. to attach	c) independent
4. dependent	d) advantage
5. more	e) small
6. quality	f) to deteriorate
7. response	g) less
8. to delete	h) quantity
9. huge	i) question
10. useful	j) useless

11. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.

core	distortion	records	main	majority
incorporated	flexibility	transducer	transmitter	quality

1.Digital cameras are … into a lot of mobile phones.

2.An electro acoustic … which produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input is a loudspeaker.

3.A peripheral doesn’t form part of the … computer architecture.

4.A digital camera is the … device used in the field of digital photography.

5.… is one of the disadvantages which scanners have.

6.Low manufacturing cost and … are the advantages of webcams.

7.The … of digital cameras can record moving video and photos.

8.The first microphone which was invented by Emile Berliner in 1876 was used as a telephone voice transmitter … .

9.Printers improve in performance and … therefore users can do a lot on their local ones.

10.A digital camera … images via an electronic image sensors.

Language Study. Compound Nouns.

Study these examples of compound nouns and their meaning. washing machine = a machine for washing clothes

volume control = a means for controlling volume

block diagram = a diagram which represents the circuit in blocks

handheld computer = a type of computer which you can carry in your hands or in your pocket

The last word in compound nouns is the main one, while other words can mean different things – purpose, material, place, person, etc. But the entire group denotes one thing.

When you explain what this or that noun mean, you can use for + -ing structure or relative clause with which, who, where, that.

A video cassette recorder is a device for recording video.

A video cassette recorder is a device which helps to record video.

11.Explain these compound nouns.

1)hearing aid

2)pointing device

3)battery life

4)desktop-replacement computer

5)image scanner

6)digital camera

7)multifunction printer

8)memory device

Writing.

12. Write the translation of the paragraph which your teacher will give you.

LESSON 7. SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION.

Lead-in.

1. Match the abbreviations, their full forms and the activities.

MIDI	Digital Versatile Disk	watching movies
MP3	Motion Picture Experts Group	composing music on a PC
DVD	MPEG Audio Layer 3	downloading music from the Internet
MPEG	Music Instrument Digital	using reference works like
	Interface	encyclopedias

Reading.

2. You are going to read an article about sound recording and reproduction. Make sure you know these words and phrases.

mechanical inscription	recreation
loudspeaker diaphragm	to convert
microphone diaphragm	digitization
graphic representation	to convey
electric guitar pickup	fidelity
binary numbers	playback
frequency response	deterioration
re-writeable discs	earphones
solid-state non-volatile flash memory	uncompressed
practicable	compressed
tracking	obsolescent
mixing	download
mastering	moderate
multitrack recording	demanding
headroom	podcasting
level balancing	editing
reverberation	to capture
equalization	flanging

3. Read the text and say about the main difference between analogue and digital recording of sound.

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and recreation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording. Acoustic analog recording is achieved by a small

microphone diaphragm that can detect changes in atmospheric pressure (acoustic sound waves) and record them as a graphic representation of the sound waves on a medium such as a phonograph (in which a stylus senses grooves on a record). In magnetic tape recording, the sound waves vibrate the microphone diaphragm and are converted into a varying electric current, which is then converted to a varying magnetic field by an electromagnet, which makes a representation of the sound as magnetized areas on a plastic tape with a magnetic coating on it. Analog sound reproduction is the reverse process, with a bigger loudspeaker diaphragm causing changes to atmospheric pressure to form acoustic sound waves. Electronically generated sound waves may also be recorded directly from devices such as an electric guitar pickup or a synthesizer, without the use of acoustics in the recording process other than the need for musicians to hear how well they are playing during recording sessions.

Digital recording and reproduction converts the analog sound signal picked up by the microphone to a digital form by a process of digitization, allowing it to be stored and transmitted by a wider variety of media. Digital recording stores audio as a series of binary numbers representing samples of the amplitude of the audio signal at equal time intervals, at a sample rate high enough to convey all sounds capable of being heard. Digital recordings are considered higher quality than analog recordings not necessarily because they have higher fidelity (wider frequency response or dynamic range), but because the digital format can prevent much loss of quality found in analog recording due to noise and electromagnetic interference in playback, and mechanical deterioration or damage to the storage medium. A digital audio signal must be reconverted to analog form during playback before it is applied to a loudspeaker or earphones.

The most recent and revolutionary developments have been in digital recording, with the development of various uncompressed and compressed digital audio file formats, processors capable and fast enough to convert the digital data to sound in real time, and inexpensive mass storage. This generated a new type of portable digital audio player. The minidisc player, using ATRAC compression on small, cheap, re-writeable discs was introduced in the 1990s but became obsolescent as solid-state non-volatile flash memory dropped in price. As technologies which increase the amount of data that can be stored on a single medium, such as Super Audio CD, DVD-A, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD become available, longer programs of higher quality fit onto a single disc. Sound files are readily downloaded from the Internet and other sources, and copied onto computers and digital audio players. Digital audio technology is used in all areas of audio, from casual use of music files of moderate quality to the most demanding professional applications. New applications such as internet radio and podcasting have appeared.

Technological developments in recording and editing have transformed the record, movie and television industries in recent decades. Audio editing became practicable with the invention of magnetic tape recording, but digital audio and

cheap mass storage allows computers to edit audio files quickly, easily, and cheaply. Today, the process of making a recording is separated into tracking, mixing and mastering. Multitrack recording makes it possible to capture signals from several microphones, or from different 'takes' to tape or disc, with maximized headroom and quality, allowing previously unavailable flexibility in the mixing and mastering stages for editing, level balancing, compressing and limiting, adding effects such as reverberation, equalization, flanging, and much more.

4.Answer the following questions.

1.How is analogue sound recording achieved?

2.What happens during analogue sound reproduction?

3.How is digital recording made?

4.How is digital sound reproduced?

5.In what way has digital recording technology improved?

6.What stages are included into the process of making a recording nowadays?

7.What effects can you add to a digital sound?

5.Choose the best answer for the following definitions.

1.Conversion of analogue information into digital information.

	A) reverberation	B) digitization	C) flanging
2.	The act of making a master recording from which copies can be made.
	A) mixing	B) equalization	C) mastering
3.	The persistence of sound after its sources has been stopped.
	A) tracking	B) flanging	C) reverberation
4.	Pressed together or into less volume or space.
	A) compressed	B) uncompressed	C) downloaded
5.	A device that converts electric signals into audible sounds.
	A) loudspeaker	B) earphone	C) synthesizer

6. To combine all of the audio components of a recording into a final soundtrack or mix.

A) flanging B) mixing C) level balancing

7. Audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20

milliseconds.
A) equalization	B) tracking	C) flanging
8. The act of reproducing recorded sound.
A) playback	B) editing	C) inscription

9. The degree to which an electronic system accurately reproduces the sound or

image of its input signal.
A) deterioration	B) equalization	C) fidelity

10. The capacity of a system to reproduce loud sounds without distortion. A) podcasting B) headroom C) frequency response

6. Match the following terms with their definitions.

1. multitrack recording		a) a number expressed in binary notation
2. frequency	response	b) distributing (multimedia files) over the
		internet for playback on a mobile device
		or a personal computer
3. podcasting		c) a disc that can be used again and again
4. re-writable disc		d) curve representing the output-to-input
		ratio of a transducer as a function of
		frequency
5. binary numbers		e) a method of sound recording that
		allows for the separate recording of
		multiple sound sources to create a
		cohesive whole.
Grammar.	Present Perfect.

We use Present Perfect to talk about actions which happened at some indefinite moment in the past. We are not interested in the time, but in the action itself. When we mention the time of the action we should use Past Simple.

1.I have been to Prague twice.

2.He has just completed his work on transducer.

7.Translate the following sentences from the text, paying attention to the translation of Present Perfect.

1.The most recent and revolutionary developments have been in digital recording…

2.New applications such as internet radio and podcasting have appeared.

3.Technological developments in recording and editing have transformed the record, movie and television industries in recent decades.

8.Use Present Perfect or Past Simple in the following sentences.

1.Our group leader … never … to Italy before. (be)

2.We … this program on our computer tree weeks ago, but it doesn’t work. (install)

3.After lessons he … to the library to complete his report. (go)

4.Hardly any students … the essay on Culture Science. (write)

5.She … programming but gave up because she didn’t find it interesting. (try)

6.I … to send my last article to Russian Physics Journal. (decide)

9. Write 6-7 sentences about your experience using Present Perfect or Past Simple forms of the verbs.

Technical reading.

10. Words and expressions to know.

to be audible to the human ear	to eliminate
to reduce	to include
to put on a website	to decode a file
sample	to route a signal
to create one’s own compilation	feature
compression	to randomize the selections
key difference	button
to achieve	desktop
to reproduce	interchangeable faceplates
discrete code	to rip
frequency	to incorporate

11.Look at the diagram and answer these questions.

1.What do you need to download mp3 files?

2.How can you transfer mp3 files to another user?

3.How is an mp3 file created?

4.Can you download an mp3 file directly from a site to your portable mp3 player?

5.What does a computer do with mp3 files?

12.Read the information below and translate it into Russian.

MP3 Files

The name comes from MPEG (pronounced EM-peg), which means the Motion Picture Experts Group. MPEG develops standards for audio and video compression. MP3 is actually MPEG Audio Layer 3.

MP3 completes with another audio file format called WAV1. The key difference is that MP3 files are much smaller than WAV files. An MP3 file can store a minute of sound per megabyte, while a WAV file needs 11 or 12 megabytes to hold the same amount. How does MP3 achieve this compression? CDs and audio files don’t reproduce every sound of a performance. Instead, they sample the performance and store a discrete code for each sampled note. A CD or WAV file may sample a song 44,000 times a second, creating a big mass of information.

Most people can’t hear all sounds, that’s why MP3 significantly reduces the information stored. For example, most people can’t hear notes above a frequency of 16kHz, so it eliminates them from the mix. Similarly, it eliminates quiet sounds masked by noise at the same frequency. The result is a file that sounds very similar to a CD, but which is much smaller.

An MP3 file can contain spoken word performances, such as radio shows or audio books, as well as music. It can provide information about itself in a coded block called tag. The tag may include the performer’s name, a graphic such as an album cover, the song’s lyrics, the musical genre, and a URL2 for more details.

Most machines today have enough processing power and memory to play MP3s immediately. Simply download an MP3 file like any other and click on it in Windows Explorer. The Windows Media Player will decode the file and route the signals to your soundcard and then to your speakers.

Other MP3 features include:

Players. To control what music you play, players let you group songs into playlists and randomize the selections. To control how the music sounds, they offer spectrum analyzers, graphic equalizers, and frequency displays.

Track info. A track info button gives you the information on the MP3 file’s tag. Other buttons may take you to a music library where you can organize your MP3 files by performer or genre.

Skins and themes. These programs are designed to change the appearance of the most popular players. They are like the wallpapers that change the look of the Windows desktop. With a skin, a player can become a jukebox or a car dashboard. Think of them as easily interchangeable faceplates.

Rippers and encoders. A ripper is a program that rips songs from a CD in your CD-ROM drive and turns them into WAV files. An encoder changes WAV files into MP3 files or vice versa. Many MP3 players incorporate rippers and encoders and can do both steps in one.

Recorders. With a writeable CD-ROM drive, a recorder program lets you create your own audio CDs.

WAV1 = Waveform Audio File Format

URL2 = Uniform Resource Locator

13. Answer the questions.

1.What does MP3 mean?

2.What is the difference between MP3 and WAV files?

3.How does MP3 achieve the compression?

4.What does MP3 eliminate?

5.What kind of information is included in the tag?

6.How do you play MP3 files?

7.What does the Window Media Player program do with an MP2 file?

8.What special features do players offer?

9.What information can you get by clicking on the track info button?

10.What does a skin enable you to do?

11.How do you play music from a CD-ROM on an MP3 player?

12.What hardware and software do you need to make your own audio CDs?

14. Explain how each of these actions happen. The explanations are available in the information above.

1.MP3 reduces the information stored.

2.You can alter the look of your MP3 player.

3.You can ‘rip’ the audio information from a CD.

4.You can convert a WAV file to MP3 format.

5.You can view the lyrics, notes and author data.

6.You can control how the music sounds.

7.You can access many free and legal music files for downloading.

8.You can play MP3 files through your sound system.

15. There are seven blanks. Complete them. Use the words from the box (Three of them are extra). Explain your choice.

	a) music
1. _____ / MP3 / WAV	b) button
2. encoders / _____	c) compilation
3. skins / themes / _____	d) rippers
4. album / _____ / single track	e) frequency
5. audio books / _____ / radio shows	f) frequency displays
6. album cover / _____ / song’s lyrics	g) wallpapers
7. _____ / graphic equalizers / spectrum analyzers	h) sample
	i) musical genre
	j) CD

16. Match the words from the two columns and translate the word combinations. All of them are from the information above.

1. discrete	a) the compression
2. writeable	b) to the human ear
3. achieve	c) a file
4. interchangeable	d) code
5. decode	e) songs