Question

It may surprise bookworms, but apparently masterpieces such as Jane Eyre are lacking in something — sound effects. An electronic-book firm is adding background noises and music to the works of Charlotte Bronte, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Shakespeare in the hope of attracting younger readers. In one example, a description of rain lashing against a window in a Sherlock Holmes story will be “enhanced” with matching noises.

The first multimedia e-books — with sounds to accompany novels — will be available this Friday in the UK. The Booktrack releases are available to iPad users, with other tablet computer versions to follow. The concept is already in use in the U.S., where the classics come with added sound effects. Readers for example can hear the china cups chinking in Mr. Darcy’s garden as they read Pride And Prejudice.

A story by Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie will be released later in the year with a specially crafted orchestral score. Rushdie’s story In The South will be released with a soundtrack provided by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

The Power Of Six by Pittacus Lore, a novel for young adults, is one of the first to be tested with a soundtrack which builds in suspense in keeping with the plot. It works by timing the speed of each reader and the software measures the “turning” of a page and moves the music or sounds along accordingly. It has been created by Booktrack which synchronizes (使同步) music to each novel. It is funded by Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal.

Mr. Thiel said, “It’s always exciting to witness the creation of a new form of media. The technology promises to captivate readers in a different way.”

However, they have been greeted with horror by traditionalists, who say the technology takes away the pleasure of having one’s imagination stimulated by a story. They also raise the prospect (预期) of having to ask an overly eager reader to turn their book down. David Nicholls, whose bestseller One Day was recently turned into a film starring Anne Hathaway, said, “This sounds like the opposite of reading. It would be a distraction.”

1.What’s the purpose of the electronic-book firm adding sound effects to masterpieces?

A. To add some creative factors to the e-books.

B. To arouse interest of the readers.

C. To satisfy the readers’ great need.

D. To promote the technology progress.

2.Where was the idea that sounds are added to accompany novels first put forward?

A. Britain. B. Australia.

C. New Zealand. D. America.

3. The following should be done to make a soundtrack work, EXCEPT _________.

A. measuring how long each reader spends in reading

B. increasing the volume of the music or sounds

C. making out the reading speed

D. changing the music or sounds with pages turned

4. What’s Mr. Thiel’ attitude to the future of the new form of media?

A. Doubtful. B. Indifferent.

C. Hopeful. D. Pessimistic.

Answer 1