IELTS Reading Practice: Noise in Our Cities
IELTS · ReadingA passage on urban noise and health, with True / False / Not Given questions.
1Read the text
Noise is rarely thought of as pollution in the way that smoke or chemicals are, yet it is a constant feature of modern cities. Traffic, building work, aircraft and loud music all contribute. Most people become used to a certain level of background noise, but researchers argue that getting used to it does not mean that the body has stopped reacting.
Studies in several countries have linked long-term exposure to loud noise with sleep problems and higher stress. Some also suggest a connection with heart disease, although this is harder to prove, because noisy areas also tend to have more air pollution. Children may be particularly sensitive, and some research suggests that pupils in noisy classrooms find it harder to concentrate.
Governments have set limits for noise from vehicles and equipment, and some cities restrict night flights. Planners can also reduce noise through design, for example by placing walls beside busy roads, by using quieter road surfaces and by keeping bedrooms away from the street side of buildings. Trees are often suggested, but their effect is small, and their main value is that people find a green view pleasant.
Individuals can protect themselves too. Double-glazed windows and earplugs help, and so does choosing a quieter route to work. Still, the ability to avoid noise often depends on income, as quieter housing is generally more expensive. Some researchers therefore describe noise as an issue of fairness as well as health.
2True, false or not given Tap an answer. You see why straight away.
1. Most people become used to some background noise.
2. Getting used to noise means that the body has stopped reacting to it.
3. It is hard to prove a link between noise and heart disease, partly because noisy areas often have more air pollution.
4. Planting trees is the most effective way of reducing noise in cities.
5. Noise from aircraft is more harmful than noise from road traffic.
6. Double-glazed windows are very expensive to install.
Done. Your first lesson is on its way.
Answer key — IELTS Reading Practice: Noise in Our Cities
- TRUE — The passage says "Most people become used to a certain level of background noise."
- FALSE — The passage says getting used to it "does not mean that the body has stopped reacting."
- TRUE — The passage says the link is "harder to prove" because "noisy areas also tend to have more air pollution."
- FALSE — The passage says that for trees "their effect is small."
- NOT GIVEN — The passage lists aircraft and traffic as sources of noise but does not compare how harmful they are.
- NOT GIVEN — The passage says double-glazed windows help, but it gives no information about their cost.