Loud mp3 players – answers
1 A boom (in the market). The interviewer shows an Australian accent in the word ‘market’.
2 That a boom in the market can mean a lot of booming inside the head. This wordplay uses both senses of the word ‘boom’ – as 1) a loud, deep resonant sound and 2) a period of great prosperity
3 The chance to get their mp3 player tested / She says they can get their mp3 player tested.
4 The Royal National Institute For Deaf People.
5 As a noise squad (the Royal National Institute For Deaf People Noise Squad). A squad is often a police term for a group dealing with or tackling a specific type of crime -eg the Fraud Squad, the Crime Squad. Here it is used to convey the idea of a team or organisation tackling a problem.
6 They plug into the yellow head which measures how loud the music they’ve been listening to is.
7 Creeping. The expert says they are seeing levels ‘creeping above’ 90 decibels.
8 As potentially risky.
9 Concerning.
10 That only one person they have tested so far was listening to an mp3 player at under the 85 recommended level. Everybody else’s levels were higher than that – ‘at times quite a long way above that’.
11 113 decibels.
12 About 45 seconds.
13 Listening to a volume that is 1) too loud and 2) for too long
14 A range of risks from ringing in the ears to permanent hearing loss.
15 Because he didn’t realise how much he could be damaging his hearing.
16 That even though many people have seen their volume levels are too high, they would still buy a louder player.
Amazingly = what is amazing is that …….eg Amazingly, he still works a 16-hour day.
17 In case he damaged his hearing by buying and listening to a louder mp3 player. (He would buy one, even though he has just been informed he is already damaging his hearing.) Note his Geordie accent!
18 The message couldn’t be louder.
The word message often means an important piece of communication. To get the message is to understand what is important or meant. To make sure the public gets the message = to ensure the public understands what is meant / important / serious.
The phrase ‘loud and clear‘ means very clear and easy to understand.
19 Quit while you’re ahead – i.e. stop doing something while you still have an advantage.
20 The play on words with ‘a head‘ (people have a head – often meaning a brain, also the testing device was in the shape of a head) and ‘ahead‘.To be ahead = to be in the lead, in advance of others; to get ahead – to do well.
A pun is a play on different meanings of a word, or the fact that there are words which sound the same but have different meanings.
A few notes on vocabulary to do with hearing