M7U1 reading and project回归教材与翻译

The evolution of video and sound devices

Part I Fill in the blanks and pay attention to the words or phrases underlined.

Early history of TV

The first public TV broadcasts 1.________(make)in the USA in 1925. Later, in 1928, the first long-distance TV broadcast was made between the UK 2._____ the USA. Regular public broadcasting followed 3._________(short) afterwards, first beginning on 11 May 1928 in New York and on 20 August 1929 in London.

Many different people contributed 4.______ the development of TV. Most early TV broadcasts were made using a system 5.__________(develop) by John Logie Baird in the UK. However, his system was very primitive and had many drawbacks. An American, Philo Farnsworth, made important breakthroughs in the development of TV in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Modern TVs use many of the 6._________(principle) first discovered by Farnsworth.

John Logie Baird constructed the first colour TV in 1928, 7._____ it was not until 1938 that the first color TV programme was broadcast. It took more than two decades, though, until 1951, for regular color TV broadcasts 8.________(begin) in the USA. Regular color TV broadcasts were delayed in the UK until 1967. 9.________, within a short time, nearly all TV broadcasts were made in color, and within five years more color TVs 10.______ black-and-white TVs were being used.

The modern age: satellite TV

Satellites were used 1.___________(broadcast) TV beginning in 1962. Satellites allow TV to be broadcast live over vast distances, with everyone receiving the same broadcast 2._____ the same time. They also make TV3.____________(access)to people who live far away from cities, and satellite dishes can often be seen distributed throughout the countryside and remote areas. Of course, only a small percentage of people own satellite dishes.However, most people still benefit4._______ satellite TV, as local TV companies broadcast the signals they get from satellite receivers to the population 5._________(live) nearby.

Early history of sound recorders

It all began in 1877, 6._____Thomas Edison made the first recording of a human voice on his invention, the record player. Early record players used round tubes to record on. However, in 1887, Emile Berliner, 7.______ German living in the USA, invented a record player 8.______ used discs as alternatives to tubes, and so the modern record player was born. The first record players had to

9._________(wind)up by hand and only played records that were two minutes long. Times

10._______(sure) have changed!

Sound and video recorders

In 1928, the first tape recorders used to copy sound were made in Germany. Most early recorders employed steel tape to record on, 1._____made them heavy and difficult to use, or paper tape, which was easier to use but often broke. It was not until the early 1950s2.______ most tape recorders began using plastic tapes as they do today. Meanwhile, electrical components 3.__________(eventual)became so small that, by the late 1960, portable cassette players were developed, along 4.______ video recorders which were used by TV stations. By the late 1970s, video recorders small and cheap enough for home use were introduced.

Sound and video go digital

In 1982, the first CDs were made available. CDs are often used for storing and playing music because they have a much 5._________(good) sound quality than traditional records and cassettes. In 1993, the VCD was born, and in 1995, the DVD 6._________(invent). The DVD is now the standard for recording and playing back video.

The future

7.______ the development of digital technology, sound and video can now be stored on a PC, on the internet, or using some form of portable 8._________(store). This will soon make records, cassette recorders, CDs, DVDs and even TVs things of the past. Technology now

9._____________(change) faster than most people can keep pace with. Who can foresee

10._______ the future will bring?