Biologists from Boise State University have been making noise in the forests of the western American state of Idaho. They are doing this to study the value of quiet in nature. They want to know how humans and animals react to noise pollution.

The researchers placed outdoor speakers on the side of a half-kilometer-long part of a road in the Boise National Forest. For two years, they played the sounds of passing cars through the speakers. Professor Jesse Barber of Boise State University says they found the sounds caused migratory birds(候鸟) to flee. The birds also failed to gain weight.

Recently, researchers played sounds of machines that are used to remove natural gas from the ground. That sound is heard in natural gas fields throughout the American West. Professor Barber says these experiments are designed to help researchers learn the effects of noise pollution on birds, insects, bats, plants and humans. “We are testing the idea that these things are combined. As the noise gets louder, wildlife suffers. But that also feeds back on to how much people get out of that experience, how much they value it, and thus how much they are willing to protect that same place,” said Professor Barber.

The research team also studied a group of volunteers who watch birds for fun. Mitch Levenhagen is a graduate student in the research team. He measured how much the artificial noise lessened the ability of the birdwatchers to identify recorded bird songs. He recorded eight songs in the noise condition and eight songs in the quiet. He then repeated the experiment without the artificial noise. The birdwatchers were happy when the noise machine was shut off. The birdwatchers said the artificial noise affected their ability to identify bird sounds more than they thought it would. Birdwatcher Jim Lyons said the experiment caused him to value quiet more.

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1.1.How did the noise pollution affect the birds?

A They stopped singing.

B They valued the quiet in the forests.

C They escaped and couldn’t put on weight.

D They got afraid and flew without direction.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第二段最后两句“Professor Jesse Barber of Boise State University says they found the sounds caused migratory birds(候鸟) to flee. The birds also failed to gain weight.”可知，鸟 类在受到噪音影响后逃走了，并且它们的体重没 有增加。故选 C。

2.What can be learned from what Professor Barber said in Paragraph

A Noise pollution affects researchers a lot.

B Humans play a decisive role in protecting the quiet.

C Birds, insects, bats, plants and humans influence one another.

D Humans suffer more than other creatures from noise pollution

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据第三段中巴伯教授所说，噪 音越大，动物受到的影响越大，而这也反过来让 人类反思自己从噪音污染中受到的影响，从而让他们重视这个问题，最终来保护一个地区的安静 环境。也就是说，人类在保护安静的环境方面起 着决定性的作用。故选 B。

3.Why did researchers study some birdwatchers?

A To record the sounds of different birds.

B To observe the moods of the birdwatchers.

C To identify the differences among bird songs.

D To find out the effect of noise on identifying bird sounds.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第四段的“He measured how much the artificial noise lessened the ability of the birdwatchers to identify recorded bird songs.”以及 倒 数 第 二 句 “The birdwatchers said the artificial noise affected their ability to identify bird sounds more than they thought it would”可知，该研究小组 是为了弄清楚人工噪音对观鸟者识别被录制的 鸟叫声的辨别能力的影响。故选 D。

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A Watching Birds and Stop Making Noise.

B Making Noise and Studying the Quiet.

C The Effect of Noise Pollution.

D Migratory Birds Are Fleeing.

解析：选B。B 文章标题题。根据第一段中的“They are doing this to study the value of quiet in nature.”以及下文 内容可知，文章介绍了研究人员通过制造噪音来 研究自然环境中安静的重要性。故选 B。