1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. balance            B. communicate            C. contaminated            D. deprive                  E. disruptive F. dramatically       G. interrupt                 H. mate                       I. occupational            J. respectively K. vibrations

Noisy Earth

When we think of pollution, we usually think of harmful toxins in the environment. For example, air pollution is    1    air that can be dangerous to breathe. But there is another kind of pollution which can be just as harmful to living things as other types of pollution.

Noise pollution consists of loud sounds in the environment that are    2    . Just like other types of pollution, noise pollution is caused by humans and is mainly a problem in urbans. Car alarm sirens, construction work and the roar of engines are just a few examples of noise pollution.

Why should we be concerned about noise pollution? According to a World Health Organization report, noise can cause serious health problems. It may    3    people of sleep and causes heart disease and hearing loss. These problems are    4    hazards for people who work in noisy places. Musicians, mechanics, police officers, and airport workers all have to put up with noise pollution.

Physical health problems are just some of the effects of noise. Noise also affects learning ability and memory. Noise poses a threat to animals in nature as well, which can cause them to die from lack of food. For example, some types of birds cannot find food in areas that have bad noise pollution. Whales, for example, produce sounds in order to     5    with each other. Noises in the ocean from ships and other human activities can    6    whale communication. The noises can also affect the ability of whales to find a    7    , which could reduce whale populations. In addition, researchers discovered that noise pollution can cause physical harm to those marine animals. They found several dead giant squids off the coast of Spain. In this respect,     8    from the guns of naval ships in the area tore holes in the squids’ statocysts. Statocysts are organs behind the squids’ eyes that help them maintain    9    . Damage to the statocysts made it impossible for the squids to swim, eat, or reproduce, and they died.

Countries around the world recognize that noise pollution is a real problem. Many government agencies already control noise from trucks and buses. Noise barriers covered with plants along the highway    10    reduced noise for nearby apartment dwellers. With these health and safety regulations and increased awareness, we may be able to live in a quieter world.

2 . Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the words and phrases below.

downtown	jam	suit	greenhouse gases
public transport	complain	anger	get stuck in traffic

Martin: Good morning, Mary. How do you always manage to the office before me?
Mary: Morning, Martin. Well, I cycle so I don’t     1    .
Martin: Well, I don’t cycle but I do take     2    . It’s not quite as fast as cycling but it gets me     3     much quicker than if I take my car.
Mary: Public transport is also a good way to help reduce the level of     4     in our atmosphere. If more people take the bus and train, it would be better for us all.
Martin: I know so many people who     5     about traffic     6     and air pollution, but     7     cannot solve the problems.
Mary. That kind of attitude is common but I think more and more people are beginning to do something which     8     them and protect the environment.