时间:2019-01-06 作者:英语课 分类:六分钟英语


英语课

 Alice:   Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English: the programme in which we talk about a story in the news and learn some vocabulary while we’re doing it. I’m Alice and joining me today is Rob. Hi there, Rob. 


Rob:  Hi Alice.  
Alice:  Now, Rob I have a question for you. Any idea what an ear worm is?  
Rob:  Eugh - an ear worm. It sounds like a nasty bug 1 that burrows 2 into your ear. 
Alice:   I think you’re thinking of an earwig. That’s a little black insect. I don’t think it necessarily burrows into people’s ears though thank goodness! 
Rob:  Well that’s a relief! So what’s an ear worm then? 
Alice:   It might help if I give you an example. Here’s one you may know. Excuse my singing. (Alice sings a tune 3) When I hear this little phrase of music it sticks in my head all day. 
Rob: I see. An ear worm is a tune, a piece of music you can’t get out of your head. That’s always happening to me. I hear a song on the radio and then I keep singing it all day! 
Alice: I know the feeling. And the tune I was singing - do you recognise it? It’s long been associated with the BBC World Service. But do you know what it’s called Rob? Is it: 
a) Lilliput 
b) Lillypad 
c) Lillibolero 
Rob:  I think I know what it’s called - but I don’t know why! And I’ll leave it to you, listeners, to make your own guesses. 
Alice:   And as usual we’ll find out what the answer is at the end of the programme. Now let’s find out more about ear worms. Psychologists have been doing some research into what makes a particular bit of music so catchy 4
Rob: Catchy - that’s a nice word. It means something that you can catch easily. Like the flu?  
Alice: Ha ha. Yes you can catch a cold or the flu, but a catchy piece of music means it is very easy to learn, and it sticks in your head for a long time. Here’s musician Terry Dobson with some good examples of catchy tunes 5
Musician, Terry Dobson:   
Even in the film industry - just a few notes, five notes - Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Jaws 6 and 007 - only a few notes but those notes, you’ve only to hear them played by any instrument and you know instantly what the tune is.  
Rob: Some great examples there of tunes which can become ear worms. You only need to sing about 5 notes of the James Bond theme and people will recognise the tune. And he also talked about the theme tune - that’s the main tune - for the films Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  
Alice: See if you can remember them, listeners. Musician Terry Dobson said you can hear those notes played by any musical instrument and you know exactly where the music comes from. In fact I noticed in the new James Bond film they only needed to play two notes before you recognise the music immediately! 
Rob:  Am I guessing - du duh.  
Alice:  Exactly! Now let’s look at some of the science behind ear worms. There are two features which seem to be common in catchy bits of music.  
Rob:  Let me guess - repetitive sounds. And easy to remember tunes? 
Alice:  Kind of. Long notes and spaces - what’s known as intervals 7 in music - spaces which are very close together. Dr Lauren Stewart of Goldsmiths University in London has been analysing the features of very common ear worms: 
Psychologist, Dr Lauren Stewart:  
A tune or a part of the tune that comes unbidden into the mind, and then goes on to repeat and it’s outside of your conscious control of it. Two features seem to be rather predictive of whether a song will get stuck - and that’s rather long notes and intervals that are very close together. So this is quite interesting because it obviously makes a song easy to sing. 
Alice:  Dr Lauren Stewart talked about those two features which make pieces of music very catchy. Long notes and intervals which are close together. It makes them easy to sing. 
Rob:  And she used the words conscious and unbidden. 
Alice:  Yes - conscious - you’re not aware, or conscious about trying to remember or sing a piece of music. It just sticks in your head without you wanting it to. It’s unbidden - not invited.  
Rob:  Maybe that’s what makes some ear worms so irritating. 
Alice:  Rather like an earwig climbing into your ear!  
Rob: But why are psychologists investigating ear worms? It seems a strange thing for them to research. 
Alice:  Dr Lauren Stewart says that ear worms have different effects on different people.  
Rob:  So what does it say about you if you can’t get the James Bond theme tune out of your head? 
Alice: I don’t know. Maybe that you unconsciously want to have a more exciting life! Now before we go - have you had a think about that ear worm that’s stuck in my head today? (Alice sings the tune) Is it called: 
a) Lilliput 
b) Lillypad 
c) Lillibolero 
Rob: I think it’s c) Lillibolero.  
Alice: Well done! Lillibolero, has long been used as the theme for the BBC World Service radio station. It’s actually a march - a tune used for soldiers to march to, believed to have been written by Henry Purcell in the seventeenth century inspired by an Irish jig 8.  
Rob: Well, don’t let it be said that you don’t learn anything on 6 Minute English! 
Alice: Now, time for a recap of some of the words we heard in today’s programme.  
Rob: They are:  
ear worm, stick in my head, can’t get out of your head, catchy, theme tune, note, conscious, unbidden 
Alice:   Join us again soon for more 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.  
Rob:  And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter. 
Alice: Bye for now. 
Rob: Bye. 




点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  






1
bug
5skzf
  
 


n.虫子;故障;窃听器;vt.纠缠;装窃听器


参考例句:





There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。












2
burrows
6f0e89270b16e255aa86501b6ccbc5f3
  
 


n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘(洞穴),挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 );翻寻


参考例句:





The intertidal beach unit contains some organism burrows. 潮间海滩单元含有一些生物潜穴。 来自辞典例句
A mole burrows its way through the ground. 鼹鼠会在地下钻洞前进。 来自辞典例句












3
tune
NmnwW
  
 


n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整


参考例句:





He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。












4
catchy
1wkztn
  
 


adj.易记住的,诡诈的,易使人上当的


参考例句:





We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号,旧的不够吸引人。
The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。












5
tunes
175b0afea09410c65d28e4b62c406c21
  
 


n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调


参考例句:





a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时,她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》












6
jaws
cq9zZq
  
 


n.口部;嘴


参考例句:





The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。












7
intervals
f46c9d8b430e8c86dea610ec56b7cbef
  
 


n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息


参考例句:





The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴,有阵雨。
Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。












8
jig
aRnzk
  
 


n.快步舞(曲);v.上下晃动;用夹具辅助加工;蹦蹦跳跳


参考例句:





I went mad with joy and danced a little jig.我欣喜若狂,跳了几步吉格舞。
He piped a jig so that we could dance.他用笛子吹奏格舞曲好让我们跳舞。













n.虫子;故障;窃听器;vt.纠缠;装窃听器
  • There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
  • The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。
n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘(洞穴),挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 );翻寻
  • The intertidal beach unit contains some organism burrows. 潮间海滩单元含有一些生物潜穴。 来自辞典例句
  • A mole burrows its way through the ground. 鼹鼠会在地下钻洞前进。 来自辞典例句
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
adj.易记住的,诡诈的,易使人上当的
  • We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号,旧的不够吸引人。
  • The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
  • a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
  • When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时,她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.口部;嘴
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息
  • The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴,有阵雨。
  • Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。
n.快步舞(曲);v.上下晃动;用夹具辅助加工;蹦蹦跳跳
  • I went mad with joy and danced a little jig.我欣喜若狂,跳了几步吉格舞。
  • He piped a jig so that we could dance.他用笛子吹奏格舞曲好让我们跳舞。
标签: Ear bbc
学英语单词
98
acidity
aerosol food
afghanistani
alloy irons
antibiolumphin
ashpan blower valve
automatic assembly
avi cable
bakeout degassing clamp
birchleaf pear
body-curved disease
bodywood
bottom relief map
Bozeman's position
bridge cloth
bullock blocks
bushing electric
call accepted signal
chondriomere
Cirbanal
close set
color constants
comebackers
commodity wastage
correptions
courier bag
Cunaxa
departmentation by process or equipment
electronic fire-control equipment
element name
encoded fields
end of astronomical evening twilight
engine pod
ensampling
epss network
featurism
ferret distemper virus
fiber-map
full electronic switching
gallucci
general-purpose diagnostic program
geographical north
geospatial engineering
glowfly
haberse
hardware stage
hexagonal mirror
hot penetration construction
Hudsonian godwit
Immobilon
interstitial distance (mather 1936)
investigation on audience
Krasnaya Polyana
layer-wound solenoid
leather loader
limestone neutralization treatment
maximal tubular excretory capacity
melanedema
natural rate of unemployment
nerr
non-coplanar transfer
norvasc
nosedives
OMR (optical mark reader)
optically positive
over bridges
partner with
Pashtunwali
patung series
paving stone degeneration of retina
permanent magnet moving coil meter
pivoted bucket carrier
plantar spaces
plunged into
prince fumimaro konoyes
prodan
psychoanalytical theory
Pterocles
pyrophoric lead
raw material of woodcharcaol
roller chamfer
schwab
Scythians
sequentially-lobed radar
signal smoke
signe de peau d'orange
slugft
So it goes
sp vol
spin space
Stackelberg decision theory
swansea
tandem electrostatic generator
terry swatch
the leaflets of the trifoliolate leaves
topochemical control
variable acceptance sampling
viscosity model
Warenford
weighing-appliance
zeomorphis