Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a problem caused by noise ?

Read the following passage carefully and mark the letter A,B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 33 to 40.

NOISE POLLUTION

The word "noise" is derived from the Latin word "nausea," meaning seasickness. Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today. Noise pollution can broadly be defined as unwantesd or effensive sounds that unreasonably intrude into our daily activitives. Noise from road traffic, jet planes, barking dogs, garbage trucks, construction equipment, manufacturing processes, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and boom boxes, to name a few, are among the audible litter that is routinely broadcast into the air.

One measure of pollution is the danger it poses to health. Noise negatively affects human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction and lost productivity. Noise polluyion also contribute to a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquility.

We experience noise in a number of ways. On some occasions, we can be both the cause and the victim of noise, such as when we are operating noisy appliances or equipment. There are also instances when we experience noise generated by others just as people experience second-hand smoke. While in both instances, noise is equally damaging physically, second-hand noise is more troubling because it has negative impacts on us but is put into the environment by others, without our consent.

The air into which second-hand noise is emitted and on which it travels is a "commons". It belongs not to an individual person or group, but to everyone. People, businesses, and organizations, therefore, do not have unlimited rights to broadcast noise as they please, as if the effects of noise were limited only to their private property. Those that disregard the obligation to not interfere with others’ use and enjoyment of the commons by producing noise pollution are , in many ways, acting like a bully in a scholyard. Although they may do so unkowingly, they disregard the rights of others and claim for themselves rights that are not theirs.

The actual loudness of a sound is only one component of the negative effect noise pollution has on human beings. Other factors that have to be considered are the time and place, the duration, the source of the sound, and even the mood of the effect person. Most people wuold not be bothered by the sound of a 21-gun salute on a special occasion. On the other hand, the thump-thump of music coming the apartment downstairs at 2 a.m., even if barely audible, may be a major source of stress. The sound of the neigbour;s lawn mower may be unobjectionable on a summer afternoon, but if someone is hoping to sleep late on Sunday morning, the sound of a lawn mower starting up just after sunrise is a irritant.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a problem caused by noise ?

• A. loss appetite
• B. sleeplessness
• C. distraction
• D. lost productivity