READING. Read the passage below. Four paragraphs have been removed from the passage

Read the passage below. Four paragraphs have been removed from the passage. Choose from the paragraphs A-E the one which fits each gap (1-4). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

1 Noise pollution is the presence of unwanted sounds that can seriously affect physical and psychological health. It has become one of the most acute environmental problems of the world.

5 According to the European Environment Agency millions of people are regularly exposed to noise intensities that exceed the allowed level of 120 dB (decibel). This causes aggressive behaviour, sleep disturbance, annoyance and numerous illnesses such as hypertension, the potential loss of hearing and

10 many others.

Noise pollution is becoming the greatest threat nowadays, that is why effective measures must be taken to stop it. The inhabitants of big cities continuously suffer from the traffic noise, they endure 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They try

15 to insulate themselves as best as they can from the noise.

But there is a much easier way to diminish the road noise - it is to reduce speed limits because as an automobile velocity increases, so does its noise. Low vehicle speeds would result in noise reduction equivalent to removing half the cars from the

20 road.

Millions of people are subjected to excessive noise levels as a result of their proximity to airports. Every day they have to deal with the side effects of living under flight paths. They have sleeping - and anxiety-related problems. In those areas

25 hard diseases double and the use of sleeping pills increases. The noise from the aircraft also affects children in schools.

The source of some of the loudest complaints about the noise pollution is the sounds of road work especially when they occur at night or during weekend. There are companies that

30 are working to reduce the impact of their activities on the acoustic environment in their work areas. Some of them have even developed mobile sound-suppressing containers to cover the construction sites.

Most people have the illusion that there are quiet places on

35 the Earth, but that is not the case. The world is becoming increasingly overcrowded, that is why noise pollution resonates everywhere not just in urban areas.

Sometimes people themselves are to blame. They create a lot of noise through stereos and television, outdoor entertain-

40 ment and sporting events. They refuse to turn down their music when, for example, they are having loud parties. Most individuals think that amplified music is the number one domes­tic noise problem. Of course it is possible to complain to the local authorities about noise makers and their antisocial be-45 haviour.

The local authorities may undertake measures, they may confiscate stereos and speakers from the offenders, but there is a prejudice against those who make a fuss. So most people would rather move their homes to quieter places than confront

50 the noise makers.

Some new approaches in the fight for tranquillity are reassuring. The world is becoming more and more resourceful in its attempts to get rid of intrusive noise. There is a tendency to create soundscapes of natural sounds to suppress the un-

55 wanted noise. Thus, in some cases hotels create an oasis of natural sounds where travellers take sonic refreshments.

One cannot doubt that sensible urban planning, new technologies and creative acoustic architecture will restore peace and quiet. But a lot depends on each one of us, too! It's high

60 time people became respectful to each other. And when someone feels like hammering a nail or listening to loud music in the dead of night, he should think twice! If everybody tried to do their bit in the fight against noise pollution, the problem could be solved much sooner.

A. Cities and towns all over the world have this problem, and no government really knows what to do. For once it is not a matter of technology which is stopping us. If we want to build roads, we can do it. If we want trains which can travel at hundred miles an hour, we can build them.

B. There are instances when people go to the extremes and are ready to murder their neighbours who play their music too loud. This is exactly what a 78-year-old retired farmer did some years ago on a Greek island. He had been complaining to his neighbour for months and only wanted to listen to the evening news in peace, and once he lost control of himself, took his hunting rifle, went to his neighbour’s apartment and rang the bell. When the neighbour answered the door, he fired three times and shot him dead. Now he listens to the evening news in Greece's maximum security prison where he is serving two life sentences.

C. A similar principle is being applied at high speed train stations. The sound of a high speed train is only slightly quieter than the sound of a jet plane as it takes off. So to protect passengers who are waiting on the platform the loud speakers broadcast a rhythmic synthetic music.

D. Many who suffer from acoustic intrusions are starting to speak out. They strongly protest against the construction of new airports not far from big cities and the expansion of the old ones.

E. Double-glazed windows and sound-absorbing barriers along the road could certainly help. But the effectiveness of sound barriers is limited. In general the higher the barrier and the closer it is to the noise source, the better it works. But with extremely wide highways barriers cannot do much to block traffic noise. There are alternatives however. In big cities local authorities have started to build more urban roads in tunnels. These tunnels not only help bury the noise but provide space for parks and playing grounds as well.