iBT TOEFL Topic Vocabulary Breakthrough Unit 041

iBT TOEFL Topic Vocabulary Breakthrough Unit 041
Author: Li Xiaolai

41. The modern pianoforte has six major parts: & (1) The frame is usually made of iron. At the rear end is attached the string plate, into which the strings are fastened. In the front is the wrest plank, into which the tuning pins are set. Around these is wound the other end of the strings, and by turning these pins the tension of the strings is regulated. & (2) The soundboard, a thin piece of fine-grained spruce placed under the strings, reinforces the tone by means of sympathetic vibration. & (3) The strings, made of steel wire, increase in length and thickness from the treble to the bass. The higher pitches are each given two or three strings tuned alike. The lower ones are single strings made heavier by being overspun – that is, wound around with a coil of thin copper wire. & (4) The action is the entire mechanism required for propelling the hammers (wrapped with felt) against the strings. The most visible part of the action is the keyboard, a row of keys manipulated by the fingers. The keys corresponding to the natural tones are made of ivory or plastic; those corresponding to the chromatically altered tones, of ebony or plastic. & (5) The pedals are levers pressed down by the feet. The damper, or loud pedal, raises all the dampers so that all the strings struck continue to vibrate even after the keys are released. The use of these pedals can produce subtle changes in tone quality. & (6) According to the shape of the case, pianos are classified as grand, square, and upright. Grand pianos are built in various sizes, from the full concert grand, 2.69 m long, to the parlor or baby grand, less than 1.8 m long.

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