昝亚娟

The world’s most famous violins were hand-crafted by Antonio Stradivari， an Italian luthier who made some 1，200 violins and sold them only to the very rich. But even for those who dream of owning a violin of their own， the violin is too expensive. Now young musicians who want to possess a violin may be able to purchase an affordable 3D-printed version.

Designed as an award-winning web-based music education program for young violinists， the AVIVA Young Artists Program， the project has three goals. AVIVA Director Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Brown told EurekAler： “Our goals were to explore the new sound world created by using new materials and the new technology used in other fields and to make music education sustainable and accessible through the printing of more durable instruments.”

According to Interesting Engineering， the violin was built in two pieces using 3D printing. In simple terms， 3D printing is a manufacturing process in which a physical object is created from a digital design by combining together thin layers of material that are printed by the machine. The neck and fingerboard of the violin are printed in smooth plastic to provide a comfortable grip （紧握） for the musicians， while the violin’s body is made up of a plastic polymer substance and engineered to generate a resonant （共鸣的） tone.

Once it’s all put together， the instrument is said to produce a sound that’s darker and mellower than that of a traditionally-built violin. As an added bonus， the AVIVA violin is also less fragile than its traditional wooden cousins.

Although “budget” violins for children do already exist， reasonable-quality models are typically still quite pricey. By contrast， AVIVA’s 3D-printed violin will reportedly be priced in a much lower range and will include printing costs， with an additional charge to get the violin fully assembled.

The second part of the creation process involves purchasing and installing third-party non-3D printed parts such as strings， a chin rest， a tailpiece， and tuning pegs. Brown suggested that buying such components wholesale makes more sense than printing them all out for each build as it allows for a higher level of customization for each student.

（材料出自Goodnet网站，有删改）

1.Why were 3D-printed violins invented？

A.To make violins much stronger.

B.To change the tone of the violins.

C.To make violins reach more people.

D.To promote new technology in new areas.

2.What is paragraph 3 mainly about？

A.How a 3D-printed violin is made.

B.What a 3D-printed violin is like.

C.How a 3D-printed violin works.

D.Why a 3D-printed violin is better.

3.What is one advantage of the 3D-printed violin？

A.It is smaller in size.

B.It is not easily damaged.

C.It is convenient to carry.

D.It produces a better sound.

4.What is the purpose of writing the text？

A.To inform readers of the new 3D-Printed Violin.

B.To encourage readers to buy the New 3D-Printed Violin.

C.To illustrate the application of the 3D printing technology.

D.To compare the New 3D-Printed Violin with a hand-made one.

參考答案：1.C 2.A 3.B 4.A