Could you stand the noise of a
street-sweeper truck going up and down the street outside of your house three
times a week at 4 a.m.? The noise —described by Blomberg as “loud as a NASCAR(全国赛车联合会) race car but at a speed
of 5 miles per hour” — annoyed him so much that he tried to persuade the city
to reschedule street sweeping to begin at 6 a.m. He also founded the nonprofit
Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, an organization that provides research and
information to others whose request for quiet might otherwise fall on deaf
ears.
Hearing loss, in fact, is the most obvious
medical consequence of noise pollution, but it is hardly the only one, explains
environmental psychologist Arline Bronaft. In her research, Bronzaft found that
constant noise exposure could reduce children’s learning ability and cognitive(认知的) development. Beyond all
that, regularly, “you’ve got to take a break
from sound,” says Bronzaft.
The bad news, says Blomberg, is that “the
last century was the noisiest in history.” The good news, he continues, is that
the greener we get, the quieter we’ll also get. Electric cars and lawn
equipment, for instance, make less noise, just as more fuel-efficient vehicles
do. Improved technology can also provide measures to make the problem less
serious. Fire engines and police cars could replace those loud sirens(警报器) with other models; and you
can turn down the volume inside your home by replacing noisy household
appliances with quieter, energy-saving models.
“ I don’t think you can name a noise source
that I can’t find a way to make quieter,” says Blomberg. But the real challenge
is to change people’s attitudes. “ In the 1960s, we made it unacceptable to
throw litter out of the window of your car,” he says. Today it’s time to
recognize that “noise is to the soundscape as litter is to the landscape.” The
goal is to “create a culture where you do not throw your aural (听觉的) litter out of the window.
64. What do we know about the Noise
Pollution Clearinghouse?
A. It was founded by the city leaders.
B. It was supported by NASCSR.
C. It can rearrange the time of street
sweeping.
D. It aims to help those who want more
peace and quiet.
65. Which of the following makes the most
noise?
A. Electric
cars. B. Loud
sirens.
C. Lawn equipment. D. Police cars.
66. As Blomberg says, _____________.
A. it’s impossible to make a noise-maker
quieter
B. it’s difficult to quiet people down
C. in the 1960s, throwing “sound” out of
the window was forbidden
D. street sweeping should be stopped
forever
67. Which of the following is the best title
for the passage?
A. Reducing Noise
Pollution
B. Children’s Mental Development
C. Vehicles that Make Less
Noise
D. Forbidding Throwing Litter