Do you know How compact discs(CD) works ? well, if you are ever interested how this little piece of plastic could "handle" so much songs and data so easily, then Studioclassroom Advanced have the answer.
Read the following ariticle, and write about anything you could thought of : )
How compact discs work
What exactly is a CD?
In 2007 it was the 25th anniversary for the CD, also known as the compact disc. In 25 years CDs have
become ubiquitous, to the point where we take them completely for granted. But inside a CD you find
an amazing amount of technology.
To understand just how profound the effect of the CD has been, it is helpful to look back at the two
reigning technologies in the early 1980s: the vinyl LP and the compact cassette. You may recall just
how bizarre the vinyl LP was. An aficionado would have a massive turntable with little black and
white markings along the edge to calibrate the speed of the turntable with a strobe light. The
turntable rested on big vibration- dampening pads to try to keep any spurious vibrations away from
the turntable. The tip of the tone arm was measured with a sensitive scale to minimize its pressure
in the record’s groove. The LP itself was sprayed with an anti-static gun to cut back on dust. And
even with all this technology, the first thing you heard from any vinyl disk was hiss. With the
cassette the story was the same: the tape stretched, it flaked, it broke, it jammed.
Enter the compact disc. Because of its digital nature, its sound quality was amazing compared to
vinyl or tape. It also eliminated hiss once and for all. Things like dust, and fingerprints and small
scratches didn’t matter. The sound did not degrade over time as it did with vinyl or tape. And
normal heat levels, as in a locked car on a hot summer day, didn’t cause any problems. And there was
an added bonus over time; compact discs became incredibly inexpensive to produce.
Vocabulary Focus
Take (something) for granted (v phr) --- to not appreciate or show that you are grateful for how much
you benefit from something
Aficionado(n) --- someone who is very interested in and enthusiastic about a particular subject
Vibration(n) --- the act of shaking slightly and quickly, in a way that is felt rather than seen
The story was the same (idiom) --- a situation that is similar to a previous one
Specialized terms
Strobe light (a phr) --- a light that quickly flashes on and off
rabbit - 23:31, 15/09/2008 - 1 replies
