电视听音小妙招
You settle down to watch your favourite programme, but something is getting on your nerves. The music sounds clear, the sound effects are loud enough, yet the characters’ conversations seem muffled. So you reach for the remote and turn up the volume. Before you give up on the programme, there’s a sound setting worth trying.
Open your TV’s Settings menu and look under Sound or Audio. If you find a dialogue-enhancement option, switch it on and replay a scene that was difficult to follow. If the problem remains, experiment with two other settings.
Try night mode on and off. This reduces the difference between quiet dialogue and sudden, loud sounds. It can make the volume more consistent, but won’t necessarily make voices clearer. Compare both options during the same scene to see which works best.
Switch off virtual surround sound. Some TVs process audio to create a cinema-like effect. Consumer Reports, a US consumer group, suggests trying Stereo or Normal mode instead, as this may make dialogue clearer. Subtitles are another simple option when the soundtrack is particularly busy.
But if none of these settings helps, could it be a sign of hearing loss? Sometimes the television is the problem, but if you regularly struggle to understand speech, your hearing could also have changed.
Common signs of hearing loss include turning the TV up louder than other people prefer, struggling to follow conversations in busy restaurants, asking people to repeat themselves, finding phone conversations difficult, and feeling that other people are mumbling (咕哝).
If you recognise these signs, consider arranging a hearing test through a healthcare professional or a qualified hearing specialist. A hearing assessment can help establish whether you have hearing loss and whether you might benefit from further support. If your hearing suddenly deteriorates in one or both ears, seek urgent medical attention. Sudden hearing loss can require prompt treatment, so don’t wait for a routine appointment.
A small change to your TV settings might make your next evening in front of the screen much more enjoyable. But if you keep turning up the volume and the words remain unclear, it’s worth getting your hearing checked.
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1.1. What does the underlined word “muffled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A Hard to hear clearly.
B Too low in volume.
C Quite easy to follow.
D Loud and sudden.
解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。第一段前文说“The music sounds clear, the sound effects are loud enough”（音乐清楚、音效也够响），后面却说“the characters’ conversations seem muffled”，音乐清楚、音效够响，说明总音量并不低；yet 之后却出现转折，可见问题出在“清晰度”而非“响度”，所以 muffled 应与 clear、loud enough 相对，指“听不清楚”。B与“the sound effects are loud enough”矛盾；C与yet的转折方向相反；D把第三段夜间模式中的“sudden, loud sounds”移了过来，并不是第一段所指的内容。故选A。
2.2. What does the writer advise doing before giving up on a programme?
A Raising the volume again.
B Changing the sound settings.
C Playing the difficult scene again.
D Moving closer to the television.
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。第一段先说大家通常的做法——“So you reach for the remote and turn up the volume”，紧接着给出建议：“Before you give up on the programme, there’s a sound setting worth trying”，第二段又具体说“Open your TV’s Settings menu and look under Sound or Audio”。可见放弃之前该做的是调整声音设置。A只是文章开头描述的常见做法，并非作者的最终建议；C是第二步的动作（replay a scene），不是“放弃前的建议”；D文中根本没有提到。故选B。
3.3. What can night mode do?
A It keeps the volume more even.
B It makes the voices clearer.
C It removes all sudden loud sounds.
D It makes the music sound softer.
解析：选A。A 细节理解题。第三段讲夜间模式时明确说“It can make the volume more consistent, but won’t necessarily make voices clearer”——它缩小的是安静对话与突然巨响之间的落差，让音量更稳定。B与原文“won’t necessarily make voices clearer”正相反；C把“reduces the difference”夸大成“removes all”，程度不符；D只提到音乐，原文讨论的是对话与音量。故选A。
4.4. What should you do if your hearing suddenly gets worse?
A Wait for a routine appointment.
B See a doctor without delay.
C Book a test for next month.
D Change the TV settings first.
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。倒数第二段警告：“if your hearing suddenly deteriorates in one or both ears, seek urgent medical attention”，并特别强调“don’t wait for a routine appointment”。所以突然听不清时要立刻就医。A正是原文明确反对的做法；C把时间推到下个月，与“prompt treatment”冲突；D属于前文“先调设置”的做法，但此处的条件是听力突然下降，不属于设置问题。故选B。