Film Studies と並んで、いつか作ってみたいと思っていた musicology の模擬TOEFL。誰もが何らかのデバイスで録音された音楽を聴いているが、では録音という技術は、いつ、どこで、誰に、どのように開発されたのだろうか？発明王トーマス・エジソンを思い浮かべる人が多そうだが、実はそれは誤り。Withtout further ado, enjoy!
Question 01
According to the professor, what is the most important theme to be pursued in the course?
(A) The future of musical instruments
(B) Physical features of sound
(C) The latest versions of portable music players
(D) Practical applications of acoustic science
Question 02
According to the lecture, which of the following is true about the phonautograph?
(A) It was developed in 1877.
(B) It was invented by a Frenchman.
(C) The phonograph came earlier than the phonautograph.
(D) The phonograph was patented before the phonautograph.
Question 03
(A) You understand correctly.
(B) You must be rich enough to buy one.
(C) You don’t seem to get it.
(D) You don’t say.
Question 04
In what ways was the phonograph different from the phonautograph? Choose two answers.
(A) It etched lines in soot.
(B) It spat out sheet music after recording.
(C) It cut grooves into tin foil.
(D) It could both record and play back sound.
Question 05
According to the lecture, why are the students expected to study physics in the course?
(A) To be able to appreciate the essence of sound and music
(B) To be able to design machines that produce sound physically
(C) To be able to explain why and how music is unique and intangible
(D) To be able to fill the science requirements in other courses
Audio Script
Listen to part of a discussion in a musicology class.
Professor:
Good morning, everyone. I’m Professor Gordon from the Department of Musicology. Welcome to Foundations of Acoustic Science. This is a 200-level course. Although there are no prerequisites for taking this class, you are expected to have a strong interest in music, physics, and even engineering. Why? Well, this course is designed to offer an overview of the historical advancements in acoustic science. You will explore the physics of sound, key technological innovations, and most importantly, their applications in real life. In this day and age, music is no longer separable from technology. For example, how do you enjoy listening to music? Jacob?
Male Student:
Oh, I use an MP3 player and headsets.
Professor:
I see. How about you, Zoey?
Female Student:
Same here. But there is nothing better than listening to live music, if you ask me.
Professor:
I’m totally with you there. However, live music is such a luxury. It was not something that people could appreciate casually. So, until relatively recently, it was an elusive dream for the general public to be able to listen to music and enjoy it at home at little to no cost. All right, so at the risk of boring those of you who might have learned about this in, say, a film studies class, let me ask you. What is the first device for recording sound? And who invented it?
Male Student:
Thomas Edison, right? And the machine’s name went like … phonegraph or something. Sorry, I only have a vague memory from last year’s class.
Professor:
Good attempt, Jacob. It was the phonograph that he invented. However, it was actually not the earliest sound recorder. There was an earlier one. That is, the phonautograph. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. However, the phonautograph was patented by Frenchman Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville in 1857. Now, let me explain how the phonautograph worked. It used a horn to collect sound waves. These waves would cause a thin membrane at the end of the horn to vibrate. A stylus, which is basically a thin needle, was attached to this membrane. As the membrane vibrated, the stylus would move, etching lines onto a rotating cylinder covered in soot. These lines represented the sound waves.
Female Student:
That is interesting, but it’s kind of hard to imagine. I’m picturing something like a phonograph with a lie detector needle. Do I have this right?
Professor:
Yes, Zoey. You’re on the money.
Male Student:
Professor. Does that mean that the phonautograph could record sound and play it back? It sounds like it was not just earlier, but also better than the phonograph.
Professor:
Well, actually, the phonautograph could only record sound, not play it back. It was mainly used for studying sound waves visually. Scientists could look at the patterns made by different sounds, but they couldn't hear them.
Male Student:
So, what was the point of inventing it in the first place?
Professor:
Good question, Jacob. While it seems limited to us now, the phonautograph was a crucial step in understanding how to capture sound. It showed that sound could be turned into a visible, physical form. That was one small step for science at the time, but one giant leap for future inventions.
Female Student:
Like Edison's phonograph?
Professor:
Exactly, Zoey. Edison's phonograph was indeed a big improvement. It used a similar principle to the phonautograph, but with two key differences. First, instead of etching lines in soot, it cut grooves into a tin foil cylinder. Second, and most importantly, it could both record and play back sound.
Male Student:
How did it play back the sound?
Professor:
The phonograph used a needle similar to the phonautograph's stylus. But instead of just etching grooves, this needle could also run along the grooves it had created. As it moved up and down in these grooves, it vibrated, recreating the original sound waves. These vibrations were then channeled and amplified through a horn attached to the phonograph, which produced audible sound.
Female Student:
Amazing! It must have been incredible for people to hear recorded sound for the first time.
Professor:
You're right. It sure was revolutionary. Imagine being able to hear a voice or a piece of music repeated exactly the same way, over and over. It changed how people experienced and thought about sound and music. Understanding these early innovations helps us appreciate the technology we use now. In this course, we'll be looking at how each new technology solved problems from previous ones, and how they sometimes created new challenges. For example, while the phonograph could play back sound, the quality wasn't great, and the recordings didn't last long. This led to further innovations in recording technology.
Female Student:
Erm, professor, how does this relate to the physics of sound that you mentioned earlier?
Professor:
Great question, Zoey. The physics of sound is at the heart of all these inventions. Why do we study it? Well, music is quite unique in that it is the only art form that is intangible. Unlike paintings or sculpture, you cannot touch music, because, in essence, sound is air that vibrates at a specific frequency. However, we, humans, have been fascinated by such physical phenomena since the dawn of history. Studying physics and engineering from musical perspectives will certainly help foster your sense of wonder and awe for music.
Correct Answers
Question 01 (D)
Question 02 (B)
Question 03 (A)
Question 04 (C), (D)
Question 05 (A)
声の出演
冒頭のディレクションとQuestion 03: TTSMP3のMatthew
Professor: ElevenLabs の David Castlemore
Male Student: ElevenLabs の Cody
Female Student: ElevenLabs の Laura
