Question 5
ComprehensionJAMB 1991 Passage I: Young people going deaf
The young are not listening to their elders, and perhaps they never have. But now it happens that, with many of them, the reason may be medical. The young aren't listening because they can't hear. Just as nagging parents have long suspected, otologists (hearing specialists) now report that youngsters are going deaf as a result of blasting their eardrums with electronically amplified rock 'n' roll.
The hearing specialists used to worry about loud noise as a cause of deafness only in industrial and military situations. They knew that eight hours of daily exposure, year in and year out, to the din of the proverbial boiler factory, would eventually result in permanent hearing loss. Riveters were particularly susceptible. Then they learned that the same thing happened to aviators. After the advent of jets, the hazard applied to ground crews at airports and flight-deck personnel aboard aircraft carriers– hence the introduction of insulated, noise-absorbing plastic earmuffs.
In discotheques and rock 'n' roll joints, the trouble is not so much in the instruments themselves, or the close quarters. The blame goes to the electronic amplifiers. An old-fashioned military band, playing a march in Ramat Park, generated as much sound. But the sound was not amplified and was dissipated in the open air. A trombonist sitting in front of a tuba player might be a bit deaf for an hour or so after a concert, then his hearing returned to normal. A microphone hooked up to a public address system did not appreciably increase the hearing hazard. What he did was multiple microphones and speakers, and the installation of internal microphones in such instruments as guitars and bousoukis.
The hearing specialists used to worry about loud noise as a cause of deafness only in industrial and military situations. They knew that eight hours of daily exposure, year in and year out, to the din of the proverbial boiler factory, would eventually result in permanent hearing loss. Riveters were particularly susceptible. Then they learned that the same thing happened to aviators. After the advent of jets, the hazard applied to ground crews at airports and flight-deck personnel aboard aircraft carriers– hence the introduction of insulated, noise-absorbing plastic earmuffs.
In discotheques and rock 'n' roll joints, the trouble is not so much in the instruments themselves, or the close quarters. The blame goes to the electronic amplifiers. An old-fashioned military band, playing a march in Ramat Park, generated as much sound. But the sound was not amplified and was dissipated in the open air. A trombonist sitting in front of a tuba player might be a bit deaf for an hour or so after a concert, then his hearing returned to normal. A microphone hooked up to a public address system did not appreciably increase the hearing hazard. What he did was multiple microphones and speakers, and the installation of internal microphones in such instruments as guitars and bousoukis.
What is the difference between an old-fashioned military band on the one hand and discotheque and rock 'n' roll joints on the other?
- A.One is old-fashioned while the other is modern
- B.One produces sounds for marching, the other for disco
- C.One has drums, the other has guitars
- D.One produces amplified sounds, the other does not
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: D (One produces amplified sounds, the other does not)
Explanation
The writer blames electronic amplifiers: the military band's sound was not amplified, while the disco's is.