PART I: WRITTEN RECEPTION (70 points)

(ACCESS TO INFORMATION FROM WRITTEN TEXTS)

Read the text below and then answer questions 1–7.

HOW LOUD NOISE AFFECTS US

I We all know how noisy life is today, especially in cities. Noise comes from many sources, such
as traffic on the roads and children playing. These constant loud noises are called "noise pollution."
Noise pollution is very unpleasant. According to research, it can also have serious effects on our lives.
II We often suffer from noise pollution 24 hours a day.
5 At night, it prevents us from getting enough sleep. When
we are tired, we might not be able to concentrate at school
or at work. We can also become angry easily, and this
can damage our relationships with family and friends.
In addition, people who don’t sleep well for weeks or
10 months suffer from stress. Scientists now know that stress
can cause health problems, such as heart disease.
III High levels of noise can also damage our hearing. The damage can begin when we are children.
Teenagers often listen to very loud music, and this can cause loss of hearing when they are adults.
Some people can also have hearing problems because they use noisy machines at work. Of course,
15 loss of hearing makes it difficult to communicate. This too can have a negative effect on relationships.
IV Despite all these problems, nobody is doing much to stop noise pollution. "That’s because most
people don’t understand how dangerous noise pollution is. But this can change," says Mr. Henry
Freeman, head of the organization Stop That Noise. "Just think about smoking. For a long time, we
didn’t realize how dangerous smoking is. But when we understood its effects on our health, many of
20 us stopped smoking. In addition, governments have made laws to stop people from smoking in many
public places like offices, restaurants and shops. We need the same things to happen for noise pollution.
That will make life better for everyone."

<small>[בטופס המקורי יש תמונה ליד הקטע: «A man suffering from loud noise — Photo by R. Samborskyi»]</small>

<u>QUESTIONS</u> (70 points)
Answer questions 1–7 in <u>English</u> according to the text. In questions 1 and 5, circle the number of the correct answer. In the other questions, follow the instructions.