10th Persuasive Prep Reading Comprehension Read the following selection. Then answer the questions that follow. It's Time to Combat Noise Pollution Jen Pauken It's time to take a serious look at the problem of noise pollution. Most people recognize the need to reduce the level of chemical pollutants in our soil, water, and air. However, we often overlook noise, a kind of pollution that we live with almost everywhere we go. Experts agree that long-term exposure to high levels of noise has an impact on our health in many ways. Several studies have demonstrated a link between noise and digestive problems, hormone imbalances, and immune system disorders. In a study published in the journal Archives of Environmental Health, university and government researchers determined that noise raises 10 stress levels. The experts at the American Speech and Hearing Association have documented that loud noises lead to elevated blood pressure, fatigue, and loss of sleep. Over time, such stresses can lead to serious cardiovascular problems, such as increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The effect of noise pollution on mental health is also well documented. Research indicates that people who live in particularly noisy areas, such as near airports or heavily traveled roads, have more frequent headaches, are more accident-prone, and seek psychiatric treatment more often than those who live in less noisy areas. Studies compiled by the World Health Organization show that people exposed to constant high levels of noise report increased levels of 20 anxiety. Further studies show that children who are exposed to high noise levels have lower reading and math test scores, have more trouble concentrating, and may have a greater tendency toward violent behavior than children who are not exposed to similarly high noise levels. Overall, these effects of noise result in poor health and lost time at work and at school. Perhaps the most common adverse effect of noise pollution is hearing loss. Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from noise-induced hearing loss, causing terrible damage to the quality of their lives. Lengthy, repeated exposure to noises at 90 decibels and above can gradually cause hearing loss. What does that mean? A decibel is the scientific 30 unit used to measure sound. To give some idea of decibel levels, a whisper is about 20 decibels, while normal conversation measures about 60 decibels. City traffic comes in at from 80 to 85 decibels, and lawn mowers create about 90 decibels of sound. A garbage truck registers 100 decibels. Rock concerts and firecrackers produce sounds of up to 140 decibels. Cars with mega-stereo systems typically generate 120 decibels, although some have actually reached levels of up to 170 decibels. Regular exposure to sound above 110 decibels causes permanent hearing loss at a much faster pace than exposure to sounds from 90 to 110 decibels. Because cells of the inner ear are damaged, such damage is irreversible. 40 The good news is that hearing loss caused by noise pollution is preventable. Everybody makes some noise-it's part of living. We can, however, control excessive noise with some direct measures. We can wear earplugs when a place is noisy and turn down the volume on headsets and televisions. On a larger scale, we can help create laws and ordinances against noise pollution. Cities and towns throughout the United States have begun to enact noise ordinances, largely because of grassroots efforts by ordinary people. These laws help protect "quiet zones," providing some means of controlling the level of sound in public places. A driver whose car emits loud music in an established quiet zone may face a stiff fine. 50 Other countries are taking more aggressive measures to control noise. Australia have the most sophisticated regulations. Lawn mowers, chain saws, and jackhammers carry a "noise" label, warning the person using the machine to wear ear protectors. Some might argue that these laws unduly limit personal freedom. Even with the negative health effects of exposure to noise, don't we as free individuals have the right to do what we want? Yes, up to a point. But with freedom comes responsibility—the responsibility to consider the rights and well-being of others. For example, the issue of public safety arises when loud noises block out the sounds of emergency sirens in traffic. Because emergency vehicles need to get 60 to their destinations as fast as possible, losing critical seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Children's needs must also be considered; they have a right to be protected from hearing loss. Children rely on adults to act on their behalf. Just as all states mandate seatbelts and child safety seats, laws should restrict the volume levels where children are concerned. As a society, we've reached a turning point. We have been able to recognize the terrible effects of chemical pollution; now we need to take steps to curb noise pollution. For our physical and mental health, it's time to turn down the volume. "It's Time to Combat Noise Pollution" by Jen Pauken. Copyright (c) Jen Pauken. Reprinted by permission of the author. Comprehension Answer the following questions about the persuasive essay “It’s Time to Combat Noise Pollution.” 1. What is the author’s main claim in this selection? A. Many Americans have hearing problems. B. Car radios are often too loud. C. Noise pollution is a serious problem. D. Students should turn down radios. 2. Which of the following statements is an opinion? A. “It’s time to take a serious look at the problem of noise pollution.” B. “Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from noise-induced hearing loss.” C. “Rock concerts and firecrackers produce sounds of up to 140 decibels.” D. “Lawn mowers, chain saws, and jackhammers carry a ‘noise’ label.” 3. In lines 14–24, the author supports her claim with A. personal examples B. scientific research C. rhetorical questions D. expert opinions 4.Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of lines 14–24? A. People in noisy areas have headaches. B. Loud noises increase anxiety levels. C. Noise pollution causes various problems. D. High noise levels affect children. 5. Which of the following groups of words contains loaded language? A. “causing terrible damage” B. “registers 100 decibels” C. “turn down the volume” D. “carry a ‘noise’ label” 6. Which of the following statements is a fact? A. “A decibel is the scientific unit used to measure sound.” B. “Australia has the most sophisticated regulations.” C. “Children’s needs must also be considered.” D. “As a society, we’ve reached a turning point.” 7. Which group of words contains loaded language? A. “effect of noise pollution” (line 14) B. “to measure sound” (line 30) C. “damage is irreversible” (line 39) D. “can wear earplugs” (line 42) 8. Which persuasive technique does the author use in lines 44–46? A. bandwagon B. testimonial C. appeal to fear D. loaded language 9. Which statement counters an argument? A. “We can, however, control excessive noise with some direct measures.” B. “Some might argue that these laws unduly limit personal freedom.” C. “Children rely on adults to act on their behalf.” D. “As a society, we’ve reached a turning point.” 10. Which of the following is a rhetorical device used in lines 56–57? A. analogy B. parallelism C. repetition D. testimonial 11. Which persuasive technique does the author use in lines 58–61? A. appeal to vanity B. appeal to fear C. appeal by transfer D. appeal by testimonial 12. Which of the following sentences uses an analogy as a rhetorical device? A. It is time to take action and stop noise pollution. B. Firecrackers can produce sounds of up to 140 decibels. C. A child’s physical and mental health are affected by noise. D. Noise pollution is a germ that is making the world sick. 13. The rhetorical devices in this selection A. tell about the author’s own experiences B. show similarities and differences C. emphasize important points D. state facts and opinions Use context clues and your knowledge of specialized vocabularies to answer the following questions. 14. What does the word volume mean in line 69 of “It’s Time to Combat Noise Pollution”? A. level of anxiety B. noise pollution C. loudness of a sound D. negative effect Read the dictionary entries and answer the questions that follow. 15. Which definition best matches the meaning of the word adverse as it is used in line 25 of “It’s Time to Combat Noise Pollution”? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 16. Which word is a synonym for adverse in line 25 of “It’s Time to Combat Noise Pollution”? A. opposing B. conflicting C. unfavorable D. contrary Read the persuasive speech and answer the questions that follow. (1) It's Friday night at the basketball game. (2) It's a packed house, and tension is in the air. (3) The home team crowd starts to chant. (4) The visitors start, too. (5) Before long, both sides are slinging insults and hurling abuse. (6) By the time the game is over, players have been benched. (7) Fans have been escorted out of the building. (8) I don't know what has happened to friendly competition and sporting behavior. (9) It seems that many high school sporting events turn into free-for-alls. (10) All this in the name of victory. (11) It's time to restore maturity and manners to high school sports. (12) Cheer, don't jeer. (13) First, all of these hostile acts and this fighting give teens a bad name. (14) Many, if not most, of us attend games for two reasons. (15) We enjoy watching sports, and we want to support our teams. (16) We cheer, not jeer. (17) A few people can change the whole situation, though. (18) When the name-calling starts, more and more people jump into the mix. (19) I think spectators and players need to stop that kind of behavior. (20) Also, with tight school budgets, this kind of trouble might be just the reason needed to cut sports programs for good. (21) Cutting sports programs would do more harm than good. (22) Benefits such as physical fitness, leadership roles, and scholarship opportunities are no small matter. (23) By having a fun activity and a place to relax with friends, spectators benefit, too. (24) Some people believe that these heated, confrontational rivalries are good for sports. (25) Rivalry makes players more competitive. (26) And it adds interest to games. (27) I would argue that open hostility and aggression are not good for sports. (28) That kind of behavior is simply not fair to anyone: players, referees, coaches, and most of all, supporters. (29) When I look at the team photos that line the hallways, picture after picture show student athletes who are dignified and serious. (30) They were honorable, and their fans were respectful. (31) I wish that our presentday participants would behave the same way. (32) Cheer, don't jeer. 17. Choose the best way to rewrite sentence 1 to make the introduction more memorable. A. Tonight our team is playing a game of basketball. B. Imagine game night: Fans fill the bleachers. C. Many people in my town enjoy sports, especially basketball. D. Basketball games are always on Friday nights. 18. Choose the best way to make sentence 4 parallel to sentence 3. A. The visitor crowd starts to chant. B. The visitor chanting is loud, too. C. The crowd for the visitors also chants. D. The other team’s fans start to chant. 19. Which sentence clearly identifies the author’s issue? A. sentence 1 B. sentence 4 C. sentence 9 D. sentence 14 20. Which sentence is the thesis statement? A. sentence 9 B. sentence 10 C. sentence 11 D. sentence 12 21. Choose how to rewrite sentence 19 as an imperative sentence. A. People often behave that way. B. The entire crowd starts to act that way. C. Do you think people should act like that? D. Stop that kind of behavior. 22. Which sentence contains a relevant detail that supports the author’s position? A. sentence 1 B. sentence 8 C. sentence 12 D. sentence 20 23.In what place would the following sentence best support the author’s position? Studies show that sports offer many benefits for student athletes. A. before sentence 18 B. after sentence 20 C. after sentence 21 D. before sentence 24 24. In which sentence does the author anticipate an opposing viewpoint? A. sentence 20 B. sentence 24 C. sentence 29 D. sentence 31 25. Choose the best way to make sentence 26 parallel to sentence 25. A. Interesting games have rivalries. B. Rivalry makes games more interesting. C. Games with rivalry are more interesting. D. Rivalry can add interest to many games. 26. Where would the following sentence best answer the opposing viewpoint? Attendance at games starts to drop, and sometimes it’s just plain scary to be there A. before sentence 24 B. before sentence 26 C. after sentence 27 D. after sentence 28 27. Choose how to rewrite sentence 31 as an imperative sentence. A. When will participants act honorably? B. Please behave the same way. C. Everyone would act in the same way. D. Don’t you want to be respectful? 10th Persuasive Prep Answer Section 1. ANS: TOP: 2. ANS: TOP: 3. ANS: TOP: 4. ANS: TOP: 5. ANS: TOP: 6. ANS: TOP: 7. ANS: TOP: 8. ANS: TOP: 9. ANS: TOP: 10. ANS: TOP: 11. ANS: TOP: 12. ANS: TOP: 13. ANS: TOP: 14. ANS: STA: NOT: 15. ANS: TOP: 16. ANS: TOP: 17. ANS: STA: NOT: 18. ANS: STA: NOT: 19. ANS: TOP: 20. ANS: TOP: 21. ANS: STA: NOT: C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A A PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A A PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A A PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A A PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A D PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.R.1.1 mllit9_2007 B PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.W.1.9 mllit9_2007 A PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.C.1.2 mllit9_2007 C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A D PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.C.1.3 mllit9_2007 REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: TOP: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_728 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_729 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_730 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_731 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_732 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_733 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_734 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_735 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_736 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_737 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_738 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_739 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_740 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_751 Unit 6 Test A REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: TOP: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_755 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_756 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_759 Unit 6 Test A REF: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_760 TOP: Unit 6 Test A REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: TOP: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_761 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_762 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_763 Unit 6 Test A 22. ANS: TOP: 23. ANS: TOP: 24. ANS: TOP: 25. ANS: STA: NOT: 26. ANS: TOP: 27. ANS: STA: NOT: D PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.C.1.2 mllit9_2007 C PTS: 1 Unit 6 Test A B PTS: 1 CA.CACS.RLA.97.9-10.C.1.3 mllit9_2007 REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: NOT: REF: TOP: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_764 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_765 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_766 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_767 Unit 6 Test A REF: NOT: REF: TOP: APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_768 mllit9_2007 APS_act0976aaf18008e5bd_769 Unit 6 Test A
