Our sense of hearing is one of the most important means of knowing what is going on around us. We are warned of danger by sounds. The sounds of music please us. Sound has a waste product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing and it may get much worse before it gets any better.

Scientists, for several years, have been studying how noise affects people and animals and are alarmed by what they have learned.

Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise pollution is no joke. It is a threat that should be looked at carefully.

Sound is measured in units called decibels （分贝）. At a level of 140 decibels people feel pain in their ears.

Trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, and factories all make noise. This noise bothers not only our ears, but our minds and bodies as well.

There is a saying about "it is so noisy that you can't hear yourself think". Doctors who study noise believe that we must be able to hear ourselves think most of the time. If we don't, we may have headaches, other aches and pains, or even mental problems. Noise adds even more tension to a society which already faces too much stress.

49．The sense of hearing _______.

A．makes people feel angry   

B．makes people want to dance

C．helps people to know what is happening around them

D．is something harmful to people

50．When sound is turned into noise, _______.

A．people become ill                  B．it makes people forget the past

C．people don't know how to deal with it  D．it becomes a kind of pollution

51．Why does the passage say " Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find " ?

A．Sounds of over 140 decibels are common these days.

B．There are always wars going on in the world.

C．The world is making more and more noise.

D．All kinds of machines make noises.

52．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Scientists are warning people noise can be harmful.

B．It's possible for man to get rid of all noises.

C．Sounds under 140 decibels are not considered to be noise.

D．Society has become more lively because there is noise now. 

In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution（污染）and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too.
People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf（聋）. Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave（织）cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers in America could hear no better than 65-year-old persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and most of pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people's life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad.
It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels（分贝）can cause deafness. Now the governments in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels.
In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problems.
【小题1】 The text is mainly about _________ .

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works.

       Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another –traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options.

       The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints.

       The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer (缓冲) zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas.

       But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don't’ want the problem of road noise.

       I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated (减轻) if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.

46. According to the recent public meeting in Brisbane, what was the first step to take in order to reduce noise pollution?

A. Produce quieter air conditioners.

B. Provide better sound barriers around major roads.

C. Establish a noise complaints system.

D. Make stricter laws to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs.

47. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A. the Brisbane residents were satisfied with the present noise regulatory system

B. many people in Brisbane preferred to live near a pub to which they have easy  

access

C. nearly all the inhabitants in Brisbane were bothered by noise in one form or 

another

D. noise pollution is the most serious among pollution complaints in Brisbane

48. What does the word “run-round” (Para. 3) mean?

A. Unfair treatment.                                         B. Quick response.

C. Delaying action in response to a request.         D. Full attention.

49. How could noise from building sites be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving?

A. If daylight saving was adopted, the daytime would be prolonged and the night

would become quieter.

B. If daylight saving was adopted, the working hours during the daytime would be shortened while the night would be extended and thus quieter.

C. If daylight saving was adopted, the night would be shortened and thus quieter.

D. If daylight saving was adopted, both the daytime and the night would be shortened and the noise would be reduced.

50. What was the author’s attitude towards the industry awards for quieter equipment?

A. Suspicious.        B. Positive.            C. Enthusiastic.             D. Indifferent.

Every Friday we have a fire alarm test at nine o'clock sharp, and even though the sound is very noisy, I am so happy because when I heard that it reminded me today is Friday and tomorrow is weekend, it is the last working day of the week and I have two days off, it’s so excited!Sometimes we have a fire drill, when you hear the fire alarm, everybody have to run out through the fire exit.
One Monday at nine o’clock, the alarm was sounded and I was working behind the fish house and didn’t hear it. The department manager and staff were looking for me thoroughly, finally they found me and asked me to stop my job and follow them went out.
"I am busy, No problem! You leave, I work." I said.
"No, this is the law, everybody has to leave." The manager said.
I understood that if I insisted not to leave, they must carry me out. I went out with them together finally, no choice.
One afternoon, when I was working outside, the fire alarm cropped up（突然出现） sounding wildly, nobody knew what’s happening, some were standing and looking around, some were asking questions, some were running, I knew this wasn’t a test or drill, must be a real one. At that moment, one lady called me from a distance:"Jinglebell: leave your job, go out quickly."I joined the crowded flow of customers and staff going out. I asked somebody what's happened? And they told me this is a real one as there was some smoke on the shop floor.Finally I found out, actually there was no problem, that it was an electrician who used the equipment for the carpet and made a little smoke.
After that I asked somebody how to deal with the customer’s food in the restaurant in that case, because they went out to leave because of the fire, but hadn't finished their food. They told me that the customers who had bought food or drinks there could get a new one.
I don't understand, if in China, under that situation, everybody must carry a bucket（桶） or some other water containers to the fire spot, to fight the flames.
I agree with the English emphasis the human right, but maybe a very small problem could become a big problem while everybody had withdrawn from the shop, because the fire fighters could not come at once.
I was just thinking.
【小题1】Despite the noise from the fire alarm, the author still feels happy because _____.

We show an amazing tolerance for a form of pollution that is a growing problem: noise. Airplane traffic is increasing by five percent a year. Urban noise is doubling every ten years. By air, land and sea, we are facing an onslaught of noise that is threatening our ability to live in this world. We have granted ourselves the right to make noise. But what about our responsibilities? Have we developed a sense of acoustic responsibility?

The evidence suggests that we have not. Many people seem to believe they have an unlimited right to make noise with cars and motorbikes, and with loud music at home and in the street. In some countries measures have been taken to force people to make less noise. In Britain, for example, a law has been passed preventing people from disturbing their neighbors with music at night.

It is widely accepted that we should deal with our rubbish in a responsible way Noise is in reality a particularly insidious form of rubbish. It destroys community life, pursues us into our homes, keeps us from sleeping and is the cause of many stress-related illnesses, as well as hearing loss. Our acoustic environment belongs to all of us. Everyone has the right to use it, but no one has the right to abuse it. Let’s start using it responsibly.

The underlined word “acoustic” in the first paragraph probably means ________.

A. environment          B. pollution              C. sound             D. rubbish

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A. Nowadays everyone thinks it’s all right to make noise.

B. British law protects people from their neighbors’ music at night.

C. The level of noise produced in cities is twice as high now as ten years ago.

D. Noise can sometimes cause hearing loss.

The passage is probably written to _______.

A. introduce acoustic responsibility             B. call for people to make less noise

C. compare rubbish and noise                            D. describe people’s attitude to noise