EFFECTS OF NOISE - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 07 Academic Reading Test 4 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
EFFECTS OF NOISE
In general, it is plausible to suppose that we should prefer peace and quiet to noise. And yet most of us have had the experience of having to adjust to sleeping in the mountains or the countryside because it was initially 'too quiet', an experience that suggests that humans are capable of adapting to a wide range of noise levels. Research supports this view. For example, Glass and Singer (1972) exposed people to short bursts of very loud noise and then measured their ability to work out problems and their physiological reactions to the noise. The noise was quite disruptive at first, but after about four minutes the subjects were doing just as well on their tasks as control subjects who were not exposed to noise. Their physiological arousal also declined quickly to the same levels as those of the control subjects.
But there are limits to adaptation and loud noise becomes more troublesome if the person is required to concentrate on more than one task. For example, high noise levels interfered with the performance of subjects who were required to monitor three dials at a time, a task not unlike that of an aeroplane pilot or an air-traffic controller (Broadbent, 1957). Similarly, noise did not affect a subject's ability to track a moving line with a steering wheel, but it did interfere with the subject's ability to repeat numbers while tracking (Finkelman and Glass, 1970).
Probably the most significant finding from research on noise is that its predictability is more important than how loud it is. We are much more able to 'tune out' chronic background noise, even if it is quite loud, than to work under circumstances with unexpected intrusions of noise. In the Glass and Singer study, in which subjects were exposed to bursts of noise as they worked on a task, some subjects heard loud bursts and others heard soft bursts. For some subjects, the bursts were spaced exactly one minute apart (predictable noise); others heard the same amount of noise overall, but the bursts occurred at random intervals (unpredictable noise). Subjects reported finding the predictable and unpredictable noise equally annoying, and all subjects performed at about the same level during the noise portion of the experiment. But the different noise conditions had quite different after-effects when the subjects were required to proofread written material under conditions of no noise. As shown in Table 1 the unpredictable noise produced more errors in the later proofreading task than predictable noise; and soft, unpredictable noise actually produced slightly more errors on this task than the loud, predictable noise.
| Unpredictable Noise | Predictable Noise | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loud noise | 40.1 | 31.8 | 35.9 |
| Soft noise | 36.7 | 27.4 | 32.1 |
| Average | 38.4 | 29.6 |
Table 1: Proofreading Errors and Noise
Apparently, unpredictable noise produces more fatigue than predictable noise, but it takes a while for this fatigue to take its toll on performance.
Predictability is not the only variable that reduces or eliminates the negative effects of noise. Another is control. If the individual knows that he or she can control the noise, this seems to eliminate both its negative effects at the time and its after-effects. This is true even if the individual never actually exercises his or her option to turn the noise off (Glass and Singer, 1972). Just the knowledge that one has control is sufficient.
The studies discussed so far exposed people to noise for only short periods and only transient effects were studied. But the major worry about noisy environments is that living day after day with chronic noise may produce serious, lasting effects. One study, suggesting that this worry is a realistic one, compared elementary school pupils who attended schools near Los Angeles's busiest airport with students who attended schools in quiet neighbourhoods (Cohen et al., 1980). It was found that children from the noisy schools had higher blood pressure and were more easily distracted than those who attended the quiet schools. Moreover, there was no evidence of adaptability to the noise. In fact, the longer the children had attended the noisy schools, the more distractible they became. The effects also seem to be long lasting. A follow-up study showed that children who were moved to less noisy classrooms still showed greater distractibility one year later than students who had always been in the quiet schools (Cohen et al, 1981). It should be noted that the two groups of children had been carefully matched by the investigators so that they were comparable in age, ethnicity, race, and social class.
Questions
Questions 27–29 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 30–34 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases, A-J, below.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A. no control over | B. unexpected | C. intense
D. the same amount of | E. performed better than | F. performed at about the same level as
G. no | H. showed more irritation than | I. made more mistakes than
J. different types of
Glass and Singer (1972) showed that situations in which there is intense noise have less effect on performance than circumstances in which 30 noise occurs. Subjects were divided into groups to perform a task. Some heard loud bursts of noise, others soft. For some subjects, the noise was predictable, while for others its occurrence was random. All groups were exposed to 31 noise. The predictable noise group 32 the unpredictable noise group on this task.
In the second part of the experiment, the four groups were given a proofreading task to complete under conditions of no noise. They were required to check written material for errors. The group which had been exposed to unpredictable noise 33 the group which had been exposed to predictable noise. The group which had been exposed to loud predictable noise performed better than those who had heard soft, unpredictable bursts. The results suggest that 34 noise produces fatigue but that this manifests itself later.
Questions 35–40 Matching Features
Look at the following statements (Questions 35-40) and the list of researchers below.
Match each statement with the correct researcher(s), A-E.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A. Glass and Singer
B. Broadbent
C. Finkelman and Glass
D. Cohen et al.
E. None of the above
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | D | And yet most of us have had the experience of having to adjust to sleeping in the mountains or the countryside because it was initially 'too quiet', an experience that suggests that humans are capable of adapting to a wide range of noise levels | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that people sometimes find it difficult to sleep in the mountains at first because the lack of noise is unfamiliar. This shows that humans can get used to different levels of sound, including the louder noises found in urban areas. Answer Explanation: The answer means that people might find it hard to sleep in a very quiet place like the mountains because they are used to the louder noise levels of a city. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the text which explains that people often need time to get used to the quietness of the countryside. The author uses the phrase 'adjust to' which is a synonym for 'adapted to.' If people find the mountains 'too quiet,' it implies they are coming from a place with more noise, such as a city, and their bodies have already changed to survive in that Louder environment. |
| Q28 | C | The noise was quite disruptive at first, but after about four minutes the subjects were doing just as well on their tasks as control subjects who were not exposed to noise | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that even though the noise was difficult to handle at first, the people in the experiment were able to work just as well as people in a quiet room after only four minutes had passed. Answer Explanation: The answer means that short periods of loud noise do not stop people from being able to solve problems after they have stayed in the noise for a few minutes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the text says that in the study by Glass and Singer, people were given 'bursts' (short periods) of loud noise. Even though the noise caused trouble at the start, the people 'adapted' (became used to it) very quickly. After only four minutes, they could finish their work just as successfully as people who were in a quiet room. |
| Q29 | A | Similarly, noise did not affect a subject's ability to track a moving line with a steering wheel, but it did interfere with the subject's ability to repeat numbers while tracking (Finkelman and Glass, 1970) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that noise does not bother a person who is doing only one thing, such as steering to follow a line. It only causes problems when the person has to do two things at the same time, like steering and saying numbers. Answer Explanation: The answer means that loud sounds usually do not stop a person from successfully completing just one job or activity at a time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage explains that loud noise is mainly a problem when a person has to do several things at once. The text mentions that noise 'did not affect' a person's ability to do a single task like tracking a moving line. However, the noise did 'interfere' when that person had to do a second task, like repeating numbers, at the same time. This shows that noise is generally not a problem for the performance of a single task. |
| Q30 | B | Probably the most significant finding from research on noise is that its predictability is more important than how loud it is. We are much more able to 'tune out' chronic background noise, even if it is quite loud, than to work under circumstances with unexpected intrusions of noise | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that knowing when noise will happen is very important. People can ignore very loud noise if they are used to it, but noise that is "unexpected" is much more difficult to handle while working. Answer Explanation: The answer "B" means "unexpected," which refers to noise that happens when you are not ready for it or do not know it is coming. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that the "predictability" of noise—whether we know it will happen or not—is more important than its volume. According to the study, people can ignore "quite loud" (intense) noise if it is steady, but they struggle more to work when they face "unexpected" noises that happen without warning. Therefore, intense noise has a smaller negative effect on performance compared to unexpected noise. |
| Q31 | D | others heard the same amount of noise overall, but the bursts occurred at random intervals (unpredictable noise) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that even though some people heard noise at random times, the total amount of noise they heard during the experiment was exactly the same as the people who heard noise at set times. Answer Explanation: The answer 'D' means that every person in the experiment was given the same total volume or quantity of noise to listen to. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the description of the Glass and Singer study in the third paragraph. The text explains that the researchers compared groups who heard noises at set times with those who heard them at random times. To make sure the test was fair, the researchers ensured that every person heard 'the same amount of' noise in total, even if the timing was different. This helps scientists understand if it is the randomness of noise, rather than just the amount of noise, that affects people. Keywords like 'overall' help show that the total quantity was matched across the groups. |
| Q32 | F | Subjects reported finding the predictable and unpredictable noise equally annoying, and all subjects performed at about the same level during the noise portion of the experiment | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the people in the study felt both kinds of noise were equally bothersome and that everyone's work results were almost identical while the noise was being played. Answer Explanation: The answer "performed at about the same level as" means that there was no significant difference in how well the groups did their work while the noise was actually happening. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the passage's description of a study by Glass and Singer. The study compared groups listening to noise at regular times (predictable) and groups listening to noise at random times (unpredictable). The passage explicitly states that during the actual task while the noise was playing, all subjects "performed at about the same level." This indicates that the predictability of the noise did not immediately change their performance scores during that specific part of the test. |
| Q33 | I | As shown in Table 1 the unpredictable noise produced more errors in the later proofreading task than predictable noise; and soft, unpredictable noise actually produced slightly more errors on this task than the loud, predictable noise | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that noise which happens at random (unpredictable) times caused more mistakes, or errors, during a later reading task than noise that happened at set (predictable) times. Answer Explanation: The answer "I" means that the people who were in the group with noise at random times did poorer work (had more errors) than the group with noise at regular times. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "I" because the passage compares two groups during a proofreading task. Proofreading involves checking text for mistakes. The research found that when people listened to noise that they could not predict, they made a higher number of "errors" later on. Since "mistakes" is a synonym for "errors," the phrase "made more mistakes than" correctly completes the comparison between the groups. |
| Q34 | B | Probably the most significant finding from research on noise is that its predictability is more important than how loud it is. We are much more able to 'tune out' chronic background noise, even if it is quite loud, than to work under circumstances with unexpected intrusions of noise | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that it is more important to know when a noise will happen than how loud it is. It says that people can ignore loud sounds that stay the same, but it is very difficult to work when sounds happen by surprise. Answer Explanation: The answer B means 'unexpected.' This describes noise that happens at a time you do not know or plan for. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because the passage explains that 'predictability' (knowing when a sound will happen) is more important than the volume of the sound. It states that people can ignore loud background noise, but they find it much harder to work when noise happens as an 'unexpected intrusion.' This means that 'unexpected' noise disrupts performance more than noise that is simply loud or 'intense.' |
| Q35 | A | For example, Glass and Singer (1972) exposed people to short bursts of very loud noise and then measured their ability to work out problems and their physiological reactions to the noise. The noise was quite disruptive at first, but after about four minutes the subjects were doing just as well on their tasks as control subjects who were not exposed to noise | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in a study by Glass and Singer, people heard loud noises while trying to solve problems. At the start, the noise made it very difficult for them to do their work, though they eventually got used to it. Answer Explanation: The answer is A because researchers Glass and Singer conducted the study that showed people had trouble focusing on their work when noise first started. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text mentions a study by Glass and Singer where people were asked to solve problems while hearing loud noises. The passage states that the noise was "disruptive at first," which means it was hard for the people to concentrate or work effectively in the beginning. The phrase "work out problems" in the text is a synonym for "problem-solving tasks" used in the question. |
| Q36 | D | A follow-up study showed that children who were moved to less noisy classrooms still showed greater distractibility one year later than students who had always been in the quiet schools (Cohen et al, 1981) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when researchers checked on the children again, they found that those who had lived with noise still had a hard time focusing a full year later compared to children from quiet areas. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the researchers Cohen et al. found that being around loud noise for a long time changes how children act, and these changes can still be seen a year later. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the text describes a study by Cohen et al. where they looked at children who went to noisy schools near an airport. The researchers found that these children stayed easily distracted even after moving to quieter classrooms. Specifically, the study showed that the effects of the noise were still present one year later. This matches the statement about changes in behavior being observed a year after long-term exposure. |
| Q37 | A | If the individual knows that he or she can control the noise, this seems to eliminate both its negative effects at the time and its after-effects. This is true even if the individual never actually exercises his or her option to turn the noise off (Glass and Singer, 1972) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that if a person understands they can stop a noise, the noise will not bother them or hurt their performance. This benefit happens even if the person never actually uses their power to turn the noise off. Answer Explanation: The answer is researchers Glass and Singer because they found that noise does not cause problems if a person knows they have the power to stop it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Glass and Singer (Option A) because the text states that 'control' over noise can remove its bad results. It mentions that even the simple 'knowledge' that someone can 'turn the noise off' is enough to prevent negative effects, and it cites Glass and Singer as the researchers who studied this. |
| Q38 | E | Probably the most significant finding from research on noise is that its predictability is more important than how loud it is Predictability is not the only variable that reduces or eliminates the negative effects of noise. Another is control |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that the main things scientists studied were how loud a noise is, whether the noise is predictable, and if people can control the noise. It does not mention any experiments about the pitch (high or low sound) of the noise. Answer Explanation: The answer means that none of the researchers mentioned in the text (Glass and Singer, Broadbent, Finkelman and Glass, or Cohen et al.) made a statement about high-pitched noise versus low-pitched noise. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because the passage focuses on different qualities of noise, such as its loudness (how loud or soft it is), its predictability (if it happens at expected times), and whether a person has control over it. The text never mentions 'pitch' or whether a sound is 'high' or 'low' in tone. Since this specific information about pitch is missing from all the studies described, none of the researchers can be matched to the statement. |
| Q39 | B | For example, high noise levels interfered with the performance of subjects who were required to monitor three dials at a time, a task not unlike that of an aeroplane pilot or an air-traffic controller (Broadbent, 1957) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that loud noise got in the way when people tried to watch three different instruments (dials) at the same time, according to research by Broadbent. Answer Explanation: The answer B refers to the researcher Broadbent, whose study showed that noise makes it hard for people to manage three activities at once. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Broadbent because the text mentions that high noise levels "interfered with the performance" (made it difficult to do a good job) of people who had to watch "three dials" at once. This specific number (three) and the idea of noise causing trouble when concentrating on more than one task are linked directly to Broadbent's 1957 study. |
| Q40 | C | Similarly, noise did not affect a subject's ability to track a moving line with a steering wheel, but it did interfere with the subject's ability to repeat numbers while tracking (Finkelman and Glass, 1970) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that noise did not stop a person from following a line with a wheel, but it did make it harder for them to say numbers while doing that task. Answer Explanation: The answer is C, which represents the researchers Finkelman and Glass. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage describes an experiment conducted by Finkelman and Glass in 1970. In this study, they looked at how noise affects a person's ability to handle two tasks at the same time. They found that while noise did not stop a person from steering (tracking a line), it did 'interfere with' or make it difficult for the person to 'repeat numbers' during that activity. This matches the statement that noise affects the ability to say numbers while doing another job. |