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What are your ears hearing right now? Maybe the bustling sounds of a busy office, or your partner cooking dinner in the next room. Whatever the texture of the sonic landscape of your life may be, beneath it all is the same omnipresent din: the sound of cars. That might seem benign, or perhaps even endearing—the sound of the bustle of the big city. But the din of vehicles, along with transit and industrial activity, is making people sick. People forget that noise pollution is still pollution. And noise pollution is everywhere.
Unlike many other injuries, hearing damage is irreparable. It also functions differently. People tend to assume that hearing loss is akin to turning down the volume in one's head—that everything just sounds quieter. But it's more complex than that. Sound at certain frequencies just vanishes—birdsong, intelligible human speech, the gentle rustling of leaves. People can avoid using earbuds excessively or attending loud concerts. But people do not necessarily have the ability to avoid high levels of environmental noise. That makes noise pollution a matter of bodily autonomy.
Concerns about hearing loss largely focus on excessive noise exposure. But environmental noise is just as unsafe. People living in cities are regularly exposed to noise above 85 decibels from sources like traffic, subways, industrial activity, and airports. That's enough to cause significant hearing loss over time. If you have an hour-long commute at such sound levels, your hearing has probably already been affected. Urban life also sustains average background noise levels of 60 decibels, which is loud enough to raise one's blood pressure and heart rate, and cause stress, loss of concentration, and loss of sleep. Sirens are a particularly extreme example of the kind of noise inflicted on people every day: They ring at a sound-pressure level of 120 decibels—a level that corresponds with the human pain threshold, according to the World Health Organization.
Solving the environmental-noise problem has been difficult, partly because for more than a century anti-noise advocates have fought for the right to silence rather than the right to hear. Since the turn of the 20th century, protecting human hearing has taken a back seat to securing quiet for those with means, and punishing those without.
Noise is a problem largely unrelated to the moral pursuit of silence, the antisocial issue that has obsessed city dwellers for over a century. To combat it, urban residents must understand that noise is first produced by those with the most power. That means industry and infrastructure, not individuals. The only way to save our ears is to start talking to our neighbors about noise instead of policing them for it. As citizens, we must work for large-scale changes at the local, state, and national level. In other words, we have to start making a little bit of noise in order to stop it.
16. The author holds that the sound of the bustle of the big city is ______.
[A] harmless
[B] pleasing
[C] negligible
[D] harmful
17. Which of the following is true of the hearing damage?
[A] It can be repaired or made better.
[B] It causes people not to hear sounds at certain frequencies.
[C] It makes everything sound quieter.
[D] People have the ability to prevent it.
18. We may infer from the third paragraph that environmental noise ______.
[A] exerts its hazardous influence on the health of city dwellers
[B] above 85 decibels causes significant hearing loss over time
[C] at the level of 60 decibels raises one's blood pressure and heart rate
[D] at the level of 120 decibels reaches the human pain threshold level
19. Concerning the noise problem, city citizens in the past mistakenly targeted ______.
[A] the transit activities
[B] the wealthy people
[C] the industrial operations
[D] the individuals
20. In the last paragraph, the author suggests that city citizens should ______.
[A] purse the right to silence
[B] use renewable energy
[C] complain loudly about the noise problem
[D] make a comprehensive reform
[文章大意] 本文讨论了城市噪音对人体健康有害的问题。城市噪音多种多样，给人们带来了各种不同的影响，尤其给人类的健康带来了巨大危害。以往解决环境噪音的方式集中于争取安静的权利，针对的是个体。作者在文章最后指出，噪音的制造者是工业和基建，解决这个问题需要在地方、州和全国层面进行大规模的变革。
[篇章结构]
16. 作者认为大城市的喧闹声是______。
[A] 无害的
[B] 讨人喜欢的
[C] 无足轻重的
[D] 有害的
[试题类型] 具体信息题。
[解题思路] 根据题干关键词the sound of the bustle of the big city可定位到文章第一段第四句：That might seem benign, or perhaps even endearing—the sound of the bustle of the big city.（大城市的喧闹声可能看似无害，甚至可能惹人喜爱。）这句话说明了一些人可能持有的观点，同时might seem和perhaps说明了这些看法的不肯定性，但在该句之后以But构成转折，表明作者的观点：But the din of vehicles, along with transit and industrial activity, is making people sick.（但是汽车的噪音，以及运输和工业活动，正在使人们生病。）由此可知，大城市的喧闹声对人体有害，故正确答案为选项[D]“有害的”。
[干扰排除] 选项[A] harmless “无害的”和选项[B] pleasing“讨人喜欢的”分别对应第一段第四句中的benign和endearing，不属于作者所持有的态度，故排除。选项[C] negligible意思是“无足轻重的”，虽然第一段并无相关信息，但噪音致人生病，这并非无足轻重的事情，故排除。
17. 下面关于听力受损的说法哪个是正确的？
[A] 它可以被修复或改善。
[B] 它导致人们听不到特定频率的声音。
[C] 它让一切听起来都更安静。
[D] 人们有能力预防它。
[试题类型] 具体信息题。
[解题思路] 根据题干关键词the hearing damage可定位到文章第二段。该段第一、二句提到“与其他许多损伤不同，听力损伤是无法修复的。它所产生的影响也不同”。对此后文进行了具体阐述：一个人的听力受损之后，对于特定频率的声音是听不到的，比方说鸟鸣声等。选项[B]与原文表述相符合，故为正确答案。
[干扰排除] 选项[A]意思是“它可以被修复或改善”，与原文第二段第一句话“与其他许多损伤不同，听力损伤是无法修复的”内容相反，故排除。选项[C]意思是“它让一切听起来都更安静”，第二段第三句提到“人们倾向于认为听力损失就像一个人头脑中的音量调低了一样，一切听起来更安静了”，接着，第四句对此进行了否定，所以这种说法并不正确，故排除选项[C]。选项[D]意思是“人们有能力预防它”，第二段倒数第二句提到，“但是，人们未必有能力避免高分贝的环境噪音”，也就是说，人们难以避免听力受损的情况，该选项与原文表述不相符，故排除。
18. 我们从第三段可推断出环境噪音______。
[A] 对城市居民的身体健康产生有害影响
[B] 在超过85分贝后随着时间的推移会导致严重的听力损失
[C] 达到60分贝时会导致一个人的血压和心率升高
[D] 在120分贝时达到人类的疼痛阈值水平
[试题类型] 推理引申题。
[解题思路] 根据题干关键词the third paragraph可定位到文章第三段。该段提到，人们认为听力损失主要由于过度暴露在噪音中所致。孰不知，环境噪音也同样不安全。城市居民经常暴露在超过85分贝的噪音中，城市背景噪音一直保持在平均60分贝水平，而警报器的声压级达到120分贝，相当于人类的疼痛阈值水平。由此可推断，环境噪音对人体健康损害很大。选项[A]与此相符，故为答案。
[干扰排除] 选项[B]意思是“随着时间的推移，超过85分贝的环境噪音会导致严重的听力损失”，选项[C]意思是“环境噪音达到60分贝，会导致血压和心率升高”，选项[D]意思是“120分贝的环境噪音达到了人类的痛觉阈值”，这三个选项的内容都是原文明示的内容，不是引申推断出来的，与题干不符，故全部排除。
19. 关于噪音问题，在过去城市居民把目标错误地对准了______。
[A] 运输活动
[B] 富人
[C] 工业活动
[D] 个人
[试题类型] 推理引申题。
[解题思路] 根据题干关键词the noise problem以及题文同序原则可定位到文章第四、五段。第四段提到，在过去的一个多世纪以来，反对噪音的倡导者一直在争取安静的权利，确保富人得到安静，而对那些没有钱的人实施处罚。第五段接着说到，在很大程度上，噪音问题与在道德上追求安静无关，而超过一个世纪以来城市居民一直为此而奋争。要防治噪音问题，城市居民必须明白噪音首先是由那些最有权势者产生的。也就是说，工业和基建制造了噪音，并非个人（not individuals）。由此可推断，过去人们总是把噪音问题归咎于个人，故本题答案为选项[D] the individuals（个人）。
[干扰排除] 选项[A]意思是“运输活动”，选项[B]意思是“富人”，选项[C]意思是“工业活动”，作者在第五段明确指出，噪音首先是由那些最有权势者产生的。也就是说，工业和基建制造了噪音，并非个人，即在这一问题上，人们过去的看法是错误的，故这三个选项都不符合题意，均可排除。
20. 在最后一段，作者建议市民们应该______。
[A] 追求安静的权利
[B] 使用可再生能源
[C] 大声抱怨噪音问题
[D] 做出广泛性的变革
[试题类型] 具体信息题。
[解题思路] 根据题干关键词the last paragraph可定位到文章最后一段。作者在该段给出了解决噪音问题的建议：拯救我们耳朵的唯一途径就是与我们的邻居开始讨论噪音问题，而不是监管邻居。作为公民，我们必须努力在地方、州和全国层面进行大规模的变革。换言之，为了控制噪音问题，我们必须制造出一点噪音。由此可知，作者建议市民们应该做出广泛性的变革，选项[D]中的comprehensive对应原文中的large-scale和at the local, state, and national level，而reform对应原文中的changes，故该选项为正确答案。
[干扰排除] 选项[A]意思是“追求安静的权利”，文章最后一段首句提到“在很大程度上，噪音问题与在道德上追求安静无关”，故这不是作者建议的内容，因此可排除该选项。选项[B]意思是“使用可再生能源”，文中并未提及，故排除。选项[C]意思是“大声抱怨噪音问题”，文章末句提到making a little bit of noise（制造出一点噪音），意思是各方联合起来，以集体的力量来解决噪音问题，并不是以大声抱怨的方式解决问题，故该选项可排除。
P1 ①What are your ears hearing right now? ②Maybe the bustling sounds of a busy office, or your partner cooking dinner in the next room. ③Whatever the texture of the sonic landscape of your life may be, beneath it all is the same omnipresent din: the sound of cars. ④That might seem benign, or perhaps even endearing—the sound of the bustle of the big city. ⑤But the din of vehicles, along with transit and industrial activity, is making people sick. ⑥People forget that noise pollution is still pollution. ⑦And noise pollution is everywhere.
[语篇分析]
文章首段提出问题：无处不在的噪音污染正在使人们生病。句①以设问句引出话题：此时此刻你听到了什么声音？接着句②描述了周遭的噪音：办公室里熙熙攘攘的声音，伴侣在隔壁房间做饭的声音。句③指出问题所在：不管你处于什么样的环境中，都无法避开一种噪音，那就是汽车的声音。句④说明某些人可能会持有的看法：这种城市噪音看似无害（benign），甚至可能惹人喜爱（endearing）。句⑤以But构成转折，点明城市噪音的危害：它正在使人们生病。句⑥和句⑦说明人们对于城市噪音危害认识的不足：它是一种污染，且无处不在。
[词汇突破]
bustling /ˈbʌslɪŋ / adj. 熙熙攘攘的，繁忙的： The flower market was bustling with shoppers. 花市里熙熙攘攘，挤满顾客。
omnipresent /ˌɒmnɪˈpreznt/ adj. 无处不在的： The problem is omnipresent and unavoidable. 这个问题无处不在，不可避免。
din /dɪn/ n. 喧嚣声；嘈杂声；吵闹声： The children were making an awful din. 孩子们吵得厉害。
benign /bɪˈnaɪn/ adj. 温和的；无害的： This chemical is environmentally benign. 这种化学物质对环境无害。
endearing /ɪnˈdɪərɪŋ/ adj. 讨人喜欢的： She has such an endearing personality. 她的个性非常讨人喜欢。
P2 ①Unlike many other injuries, hearing damage is irreparable. ②It also functions differently. ③People tend to assume that hearing loss is akin to turning down the volume in one's head—that everything just sounds quieter. ④But it's more complex than that. ⑤Sound at certain frequencies just vanishes—birdsong, intelligible human speech, the gentle rustling of leaves. ⑥People can avoid using earbuds excessively or attending loud concerts. ⑦But people do not necessarily have the ability to avoid high levels of environmental noise. ⑧That makes noise pollution a matter of bodily autonomy.
[语篇分析]
第二、三段分析了噪音对人体健康的危害。本段阐述了噪音对听力的危害。句①②说明听力受损的特点：它无法修复，且对人体影响也不同。接下来的几句对此进行了阐述。句③指出人们普遍持有的错误看法：听力损失就像一个人头脑中的音量调低了一样，一切听起来更安静了。句④和句⑤对这种看法进行了否定：实际情况要复杂得多，在听力受损的情况下，特定频率的声音会消失。句⑥给出了应对的方法：人们可以避免过度使用耳塞或参加吵闹的音乐会。句⑦通过But转而指出，人们未必有能力避免高分贝的环境噪音。句⑧进行了总结：噪音污染成为了一种身体自主权的问题。
[词汇突破]
irreparable /ɪˈrepərəbl/ adj. 无法挽救的；不能修复的： The damage to their relationship was irreparable. 他们关系受损难以修复。
akin /əˈkɪn/ adj. 相似的，类似的： The two languages are closely akin to one another. 这两种语言非常相似。
intelligible /ɪn ˈtelɪdʒəbl/ adj. 易懂的，容易理解的： His lecture was readily intelligible to all the students. 他的课学生们都能轻松地听懂。
rustling /ˈrʌslɪŋ/ n. 沙沙声，瑟瑟声： the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声
autonomy /ɔːˈtɒnəmi/ n. 自主，自主权： giving individuals greater autonomy in their own lives 赋予个人更大的生活自主权
P3 ①Concerns about hearing loss largely focus on excessive noise exposure. ②But environmental noise is just as unsafe. ③People living in cities are regularly exposed to noise above 85 decibels from sources like traffic, subways, industrial activity, and airports. ④That's enough to cause significant hearing loss over time. ⑤If you have an hour-long commute at such sound levels, your hearing has probably already been affected. ⑥Urban life also sustains average background noise levels of 60 decibels, which is loud enough to raise one's blood pressure and heart rate, and cause stress, loss of concentration, and loss of sleep. ⑦Sirens are a particularly extreme example of the kind of noise inflicted on people every day: They ring at a sound-pressure level of 120 decibels—a level that corresponds with the human pain threshold, according to the World Health Organization.
[语篇分析]
第三段继续分析噪音对人体健康的危害。同第二段类似，本段也首先指出人们对于噪音问题的错误认识，然后加以否定，随后具体展开说明。句①指出人们主要认为过度暴露在噪音中会导致听力损失，句②进行了否定，实际上我们生活中的环境噪音也同样不安全。下面几句都是对句②的举例说明：城市居民经常暴露在超过85分贝的噪音中会导致听力受损，比如在此声音水平下通勤一小时（句③④⑤）；一直保持着平均60分贝水平的城市生活背景噪音足以使人的血压和心率升高，并导致焦虑、注意力不集中和睡眠不足（句⑥）；特别极端的一个例子是警报器，警报器的声压级达到 120 分贝，相当于人类的疼痛阈值水平（句⑦）。
[词汇突破]
exposure /ɪkˈspəʊʒə(r)/ n. 遭受；面临： prolonged exposure to harmful radiation 长时间接触有害辐射
decibel /ˈdesɪ bel/ n. 分贝（声音强度的单位）
commute /kəˈmjuːt/ n. 上下班路程： I have only a short commute to work. 我上班的路程很近。
siren /ˈsaɪ rən/ n. 警报器；汽笛： an ambulance siren 救护车警报器
threshold /ˈθreʃhəʊld/ n. 阈，界，起始点： I have a high pain threshold. 我的痛阈很高。
[句式分析]
⑥ 【主语】 Urban life 【谓语】 also sustains 【宾语】 average background noise levels of 60 decibels , 【非限制性定语从句】 which is loud enough to raise one's blood pressure and heart rate, and cause stress, loss of concentration, and loss of sleep .
本句的主干部分为Urban life...sustains average background noise levels of 60 decibels。逗号后是由which引导的非限制性定语从句，对主句进行补充说明，该定语从句是一个主系表结构，其中，to raise...和(to) cause为并列的结果状语。
⑦ 【主语】 Sirens 【系动词】 are 【表语】 a particularly extreme example of the kind of noise 【后置定语】 inflicted on people every day : 【主语】 They 【谓语】 ring 【状语1】 at a sound-pressure level of 120 decibels —【同位语】 a level 【定语从句】 that corresponds with the human pain threshold , 【状语2】 according to the World Health Organization .
本句的主干部分为Sirens are a particularly extreme example of the kind of noise...，其中inflicted on people every day是过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰noise。句中冒号后面的部分是对前面句子的补充说明，其主干结构是They ring...，They指代前面的Sirens，介词短语at a sound-pressure level of 120 decibels作状语。破折号之后的部分是对a sound-pressure level of 120 decibels的补充说明，相当于一个同位语，其中，that引导了一个定语从句，修饰其先行词a level。句子最后的according to the World Health Organization作状语，表明信息的来源。
P4 ①Solving the environmental-noise problem has been difficult, partly because for more than a century anti-noise advocates have fought for the right to silence rather than the right to hear. ②Since the turn of the 20th century, protecting human hearing has taken a back seat to securing quiet for those with means, and punishing those without.
[语篇分析]
第四、五段分析了噪音问题的解决方案。第四段阐述了解决噪音问题困难重重的原因之一，即过去一个多世纪，人们一直追求安静的权利，而不是听的权利（句①）。句②顺承句①，进行了补充说明：自20世纪初以来，有钱人可以得到安静，而没有钱的人可能因产生噪音而受罚。
[词汇突破]
advocate /ˈædvəkət/ n. 支持者；拥护者： a faithful advocate of free speech 言论自由的坚定拥护者
take a back seat 退居幕后；居于次要地位： He refuses to take a back seat to anyone. 他不甘屈居人下。
means /miːnz/ n. 财富，钱财
[句式分析]
① 【主语】 Solving the environmental-noise problem 【系动词】 has been 【表语】 difficult , 【原因状语从句】 partly because for more than a century anti-noise advocates have fought for the right to silence rather than the right to hear .
本句主干部分为Solving the environmental-noise problem has been difficult...，其中动名词短语Solving the environmental-noise problem作句子的主语。主句之后是because引导的原因状语从句，其中，for more than a century为介词短语作时间状语，anti-noise advocates为主语，have fought for为谓语，the right to silence和the right to hear为并列宾语，由并列连词rather than连接。
P5 ①Noise is a problem largely unrelated to the moral pursuit of silence, the antisocial issue that has obsessed city dwellers for over a century. ②To combat it, urban residents must understand that noise is first produced by those with the most power. ③That means industry and infrastructure, not individuals. ④The only way to save our ears is to start talking to our neighbors about noise instead of policing them for it. ⑤As citizens, we must work for large-scale changes at the local, state, and national level. ⑥In other words, we have to start making a little bit of noise in order to stop it.
[语篇分析]
第五段承接第四段，继续探讨噪音问题的解决方案。句①说明过去方向上的不足之处：噪音问题在很大程度上与在道德上追求安静无关。句②③指出噪音问题的根源：噪音是由工业和基建产生的，而非个人。在句④⑤⑥中，作者提出了解决方案：唯一的途径是与邻居联合起来（句④），在地方、州和全国层面进行大规模的变革（句⑤），形成声势，从而解决噪音问题（句⑥）。
[词汇突破]
antisocial /ˌæntiˈsəʊʃl/ adj. 反社会的；危害社会的
dweller /ˈdwelə (r)/ n. 居民；居住者： a city dweller 城市居民
combat /ˈkɒmbæt/ vt. 防止；减轻： measures to combat unemployment 防止失业的措施
police /pəˈliːs/ vt. 管制；监督： The international agency polices the development of atomic energy facilities. 国际机构监督核能设施的开发。
[句式分析]
① 【主语】 Noise 【系动词】 is 【表语】 a problem 【后置定语】 largely unrelated to the moral pursuit of silence , 【同位语】 the antisocial issue 【定语从句】 that has obsessed city dwellers for over a century .
本句主干部分为Noise is a problem...，其后largely unrelated to the moral pursuit of silence为过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰a problem。逗号之后的部分为a problem的同位语，对其进行进一步的解释说明，其中包含了一个由that引导的定语从句，修饰the antisocial issue。
此时此刻你听到了什么声音？也许是忙乱的办公室里熙熙攘攘的声音，也许是你的伴侣在隔壁房间做饭的声音。无论你生活中的声音景观是什么样的质感，在它的背后都是同样无处不在的噪音：汽车的声音。大城市的喧闹声可能看似无害，甚至可能惹人喜爱。但是汽车的噪音，以及运输和工业活动，正在使人们生病。人们忘记了噪音污染仍然是污染。噪音污染无处不在。
与其他许多损伤不同，听力损伤是无法修复的。它所产生的影响也不同。人们倾向于认为听力损失就像一个人头脑中的音量调低了一样，一切听起来更安静了。但实际情况要复杂得多。只是特定频率的声音消失了——鸟鸣声、清晰的人声、树叶轻柔的沙沙声。人们可以避免过度使用耳塞或参加吵闹的音乐会。但是，人们未必有能力避免高分贝的环境噪音。这使得噪音污染成为了一种身体自主权的问题。
人们对听力损失的关注主要集中在过度暴露在噪音中。但环境噪音也同样不安全。生活在城市中的人们经常暴露在超过85分贝的噪音中，这些噪音来自交通、地铁、工业活动和机场。长此以往，足以造成严重的听力损失。如果你在这样的噪音程度下通勤一小时，你的听力很可能已经受到影响。城市生活一直保持着平均60分贝水平的背景噪音，这足以使人的血压和心率升高，并导致焦虑、注意力不集中和睡眠不足。警报器就是每天对人们造成噪音的一个特别极端的例子：根据世界卫生组织的数据，警报器的声压级达到 120 分贝，相当于人类的疼痛阈值水平。
解决环境噪音问题一直困难重重，部分原因是一个多世纪以来，反对噪音的倡导者一直在争取安静的权利，而不是听的权利。自20世纪初以来，保护人类听力已被置于次要地位，取而代之的是为那些有钱人争取安静，并惩罚那些没有钱的人。
在很大程度上，噪音问题与在道德上追求安静无关，这一危害社会的问题已困扰城市居民超过一个世纪。要解决这个问题，城市居民必须明白噪音首先是由那些最有权势者产生的。也就是说，工业和基建制造了噪音，而非个人。拯救我们耳朵的唯一途径就是与我们的邻居开始讨论噪音问题，而不是监管邻居。作为公民，我们必须努力在地方、州和全国层面进行大规模的变革。换言之，为了控制噪音问题，我们必须制造出一点噪音。