202 Useful Exercises for IELTS Side1-23-Ex3.3RadioItem6

         Narrator: Radio Item 6:

　　Welcome to 'Inventors' Corner'. This week we take a look at an invention that may well change the way in which you listen to your television set. Four years and twenty thousand pounds later, Susan Schofield of Cardiff, Wales,believes she has the answer to that nagging¹ problem of listening to advertisements at twice the volume of theprogram you are watching. Annoyed at having to reach for the remote control every time an advertisement comeson the screen simply to avoid being deafened², she came up with the idea of a small device that detects when anadvert is being shown, and automatically reduces the volume to a preset level. Why not cut out the soundcompletely? Well, that's possible if you wish, but too often, of course, the viewer misses the first few secondsof the show returning to the screen. Now, the volume is totally at your control.
Just how the device works is a patented secret, but together with her husband, a television repairman by trade,she was able to create an electronic box no bigger than your thumb that attaches to the back of the remote controlitself. The only drawback is the remote must always be pointed³ directly at the TV set. However, Susan doesn'tthink this will detract from its selling power, and Susan ought to know. It was she who invented that other best-selling gadget⁴ we featured on the show two years ago. I refer, of course, to the telephone answering machine thatautomatically answers with a message that changes depending on the voice of the caller. Looks like Susan's doneit again, with what she calls the 'Ad Subtractor'.

1 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 deafened   

使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 )； 使隔音

参考例句：

• A hard blow on the ear deafened him for life. 耳朵上挨的一记猛击使他耳聋了一辈子。
• The noise deafened us. 嘈杂声把我们吵聋了。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。