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Venice's Church of the Most Holy Redeemer has held a musical celebration every year since its construction in 1592. And recently, the church has inspired debate among historians: How could its echoing chambers² clearly portray³ the complicated music performed during the festival?

A New York University doctoral student named Braxton Boren decided⁴ to find out. He recorded a choir⁵ within a non-echoing chamber¹.

Next, he fed that audio into a computer simulation that he built based on the dimensions and materials of the church. The muddled⁶ reverberations matched actual acoustic⁷ measurements taken within the empty church, demonstrating that the simulation was accurate.

Finally, Boren recreated what the music sounded like when the church was filled with sound-absorbing tapestries⁸ and people. The new simulation reduced reverberations from seven seconds long to three and a half, making the music much clearer.

And so Boren settled the argument. Although to some historians he was preaching to the choir.

Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Sarah Fecht.

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1 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 chambers
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅
参考例句：
The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。来自《简明英汉词典》 Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。来自互联网

3 portray
v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)
参考例句：
It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。 Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

4 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 choir
n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

6 muddled
adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子
参考例句：
He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。 I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。来自《简明英汉词典》

7 acoustic
adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的
参考例句：
The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。 Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

8 tapestries
n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
The wall of the banqueting hall were hung with tapestries. 宴会厅的墙上挂有壁毯。来自《简明英汉词典》 The rooms were hung with tapestries. 房间里都装饰着挂毯。来自《简明英汉词典》