Week 2 (3/2-3/6)
1. catchy /ˈkætʃ.i/
- pleasant and easy to remember; tricky; deceptive; misleading
From: He says that tunes, especially if they are catchy or repetitive, can affect the brain in the same way that histamines create an itch in the body.
2. consciousness /ˈkɒn.t ʃə.snəs/
- the state of understanding and realising something
From: It seems that music has a powerful effect on the human consciousness.
3. device /dɪˈvaɪs/
From: Sacks notes that these days, people listen to portable audio devices when they are driving, exercising, or doing homework.
4. familiar /fəˈmɪl.i.ər/
- easy to recognize because of being seen, met, heard, etc. before; to know something or someone well
From: If the person with the earworm starts humming the tune, people nearby who are also familiar with the tune can catch the earworm.
5. function /ˈfʌŋk.ʃən/
- the natural purpose (of something) or the duty (of a person)
From: In fact, Petr Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist who has studied music and the brain, says that music can function like a movie soundtrack.
6. get rid of /ɡet/ /rɪd/ /əv/
- to remove or throw away something unwanted; to sell an old or unwanted possession
From: In the story, Twain is able to get rid of the tune by passing it on to someone else.
7. hum /hʌm/
- to sing without opening your mouth
From: If the person with the earworm starts humming the tune, people nearby who are also familiar with the tune can catch the earworm.
8. infect
- to pass a disease to a person, animal or plant
From: Earworms can also infect other people.
9. invade
- to pass a disease to a person, animal or plant
From: It is entirely possible that some day consumers will need to defend themselves against music that seems to invade private mental space.
10. itch
- to have or cause an uncomfortable feeling on the skin which makes you want to rub it with your nails
From: According to James Kellaris, a consumer psychologist at the University of Cincinnati, an earworm is a sort of brain itch.
11. phenomenon /fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/
- something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc.,especially something which is unusual or interesting
From: However, today, this phenomenon of music stuck in the head is quite common and affects up to 99 percent of the population.
12. subjected
- to defeat people or a country and then control them againsttheir wishes and limit their freedom
From: Even without earbuds, people are subjectedto tuneson telephones, in elevators, and in offices, so it shouldn’tbe surprising that this supposedly harmless background noise attaches itself to their brains.
13. susceptible
- easily influenced or harmed by something
From: Kellaris says that musicians tend to be more susceptible to earworms, perhaps because of their sensitivity to music.
14. tune
- a series of musical notes, especially one which is pleasantand easy to remember; a melody
From: In the story, Twain is able to get rid of the tune by passing it on to someone else.
15. jingle
- a short song used in advertisements
From: In 1822, the American writer Mark Twain published a short story about an annoying jingle that kept repeating itself in his mind.
16. neurologist
- a person who studies the nervous system and its diseases
From: Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks suggests that earworms may be a product of modern life.
17. portable
- carried or moved easily
From: Sacks notes that these days, people listen to portable audio devices when they are driving, exercising, or doing homework.
18. earbuds /ɪə.bʌdz/
- small earphones inserted into the ears
From: Even without earbuds, people are subjectedto tuneson telephones, in elevators, and in offices, so it shouldn’tbe surprising that this supposedly harmless background noise attaches itself to their brains.
19. histamines
- chemical compounds that increase the flow of blood in your body and are involved in allergic reactions
From: He says that tunes, especially if they are catchy or repetitive, can affect the brain in the same way that histamines create an itch in the body.
20. soundtrack /ˈsaʊnd.træk/
- the recorded music from a movie
From: In fact, Petr Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist who has studied music and the brain, says that music can function like a movie soundtrack.
21. acoustic
- relating to sound or hearing
From: Amazgingly, the thief isn’t hurt because the officer hasn’t used the real gun, but rather something called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD).
22. activate
From: The officer pulls out a special device, points it at the suspect, and activates it.
23. beam
- a line of light that shines from a bright object
From: At the same time, the officer and bystanders are not affected because unlike regular sound that spreads in many directions, the noise from the LRAD is directed like a beam of light.
24. deafening
From: This device produces a deafening sound that is so painful that it temporarily disables a person.
25. frequency
- the number of times something happens within a particularperiod, or the fact of something happening often or a largenumber or times
From: Humans can’t hear the sound, but dogs, which can hear sounds in a much higher frequency than humans, hear it and hate it.
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