翻译题 Hearing loss is normally associated with old age or years of touring in a rock band. But preventable noise-induced hearing loss is actually pretty common in the general population, affecting around 15% of Americans according to the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
When that damage is done to the sensory hair cells in the ear, people can't regenerate them, so the damage is permanent, explains John Oghalai, professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University and director of the Children's Hearing Center at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. 【F1】While there is ongoing research into finding ways to regenerate sensory hair cells and improve cochlear (耳蜗) implants, there is no perfect solution to hearing loss right now, which makes the need to lessen our exposure to loud noise that much more important.
Even if New Yorkers can avoid loud restaurants, 5.7 million people travel by subway each weekday. 【F2】While the noise inside a subway car is only 75-85 decibels (分贝)—provided no one is shouting and there are no performers—the noise of a train passing the station is another matter. In Times Square, one of the busiest subway stations in the city, the noise level ranges from 80 decibels to 96 decibels when the express trains barrel through the station.
Everyday city noises are impossible to avoid but there are a few things people can do to help prevent from hearing damage. It can be a good idea to use foam earplugs if you are stuck waiting for the express train. The same rule applies to loud concerts, says Oghalai.
【F3】For headphones, there is a simple rule: if you can hear someone else's music when they have them on, the volume is too loud, Oghalai says. For eating out, there are now noise ratings included in many restaurant reviews.
Companies like Apple provide a function to limit the maximum volume on their devices if you are concerned as well.
【F4】From daily commutes, to eating out to sitting in your apartment and hearing the honking of cars from a sixth-storey window, New York is full of noise no matter where you go.
But for those who can get out of the city, there is somewhere nearby they can go for quiet. 【F5】In the suburbs, the sound inside a house in upstate New York with the soothing hum of central air and two elderly dogs panting in the background is a relaxing 33 decibels.

问答题 1.【F1】

【正确答案】人们虽然一直在寻找让听觉毛细胞再生的办法，也一直致力于改善耳蜗移植的技术，但是到目前为止，仍没有找到解决听力损失的最佳方法。这让人们减少暴露在噪音嘈杂环境的需求更为紧迫。

【答案解析】①本句是主从复合句，包含一个让步状语从句和一个非限定性定语从句。②While引导的让步状语从句与主句句型结构一致，都包含了there be结构，前后对仗工整。to引导的不定式短语是宾语the need的后置定语，补充说明宾语the need的内容。sensory hair cells意为“听觉毛细胞”，cochlear implants意为“耳蜗移植”。③which引导的非限制性定语从句，which既是引导词，又在从句中充当主语。此从句修饰的是前面句子所述的内容。

问答题 2.【F2】

【正确答案】尽管在地铁车厢内的噪音只有75—80分贝——这是基于没有人大声喊叫和表演的情况下——但列车过站时发出的噪音就另当别论了。

【答案解析】①本句是主从复合句。主句在句末，是一个主系表结构。②While引导的让步状语从句中，介词短语inside a subway car是主语the noise的后置定语，说明这种噪音来自地铁车厢内。③两个破折号中间的句子是由provided连接的条件句，意为“如果，假如”。当中有两个并列的句子。第一个小句是主谓结构；第二个小句是there be句型。

问答题 3.【F3】

【正确答案】欧哈莱说，对于判断耳机音量大小，有一条简单的法则：有人戴着耳机听歌，如果你能听到他耳机里的音乐声，说明耳机音量非常大。

【答案解析】①本句由两个分句构成。②分句，1是there be结构句型，冒号后面的分句2是对a simple rule的内容作具体说明。③分句2包含一个if引导的条件状语从句，在此从句中又嵌套一个时间状语从句(when they have them on)，them指代的是句子开头提及的headphones。条件状语从句的主句为主系表结构。

问答题 4.【F4】

【正确答案】无论你是日常通勤、外出用餐，还是坐在位于六楼的公寓里，听到窗外传来车辆的鸣笛声，你都会发现纽约到处充斥着各种各样的噪音。

【答案解析】①本句为主从复合句。主句为主系表结构。②句首较长的介词短语From…to…作整个句子的地点状语，表示“从哪里到哪里”，呼应句末主句的让步状语从句。③no matter经常与疑问词连用，此处no matter where引导的让步状语从句意为“无论在哪里”。

问答题 5.【F5】

【正确答案】纽约北部郊区的一所房子里，中央空调发出使人平静的嗡嗡声，还隐约有两只年老的狗发出的喘息声。这两种声音交织一起只有33分贝，真让人倍感轻松。

【答案解析】①本句为一个主系表结构的简单句。②主语前有一个地点状语In the suburbs，主语后有较长的后置定语inside…with the soothing hum of central air…in the background，说明这些声音是怎样的和来自哪里。当中包含两个并列的伴随状语with the soothing hum of central air和(with)two elderly dogs panting in the background，表明声音的两个来源。