to make something smaller or less

an environment or place where people live

a person who lives in a particular place

a feeling of irritation or anger because something is annoying

to interfere with or prevent someone from doing something properly

a place that is very far away from other places

the condition of being separated from other people

people who take part in an experiment or study

to produce or send out something such as sound, light or gas

to make a sound, signal or effect stronger

to limit something or stop it from becoming greater

lasting for a long time

a machine or piece of equipment used for a particular purpose

the activity or business of producing things in factories

the movement of people or goods from one place to another

a place or area used for entertainment and fun

to take someone's attention away from something

to make someone unable to continue doing something normally

the amount or number of something

a person who has special knowledge or skill in a particular field

the final results or effects of an action or event

rules made by an authority to control something

a person or thing that produces something, especially noise

a person or thing that receives something

official rules or requirements that control what people can or cannot do

something that is different from or does not follow a general rule

alone, without other people

a situation in which a person receives very little information through the senses

something that interrupts an activity or prevents it from continuing normally

difficult to find or available only in small amounts

the state of being affected by something, especially something harmful

continuing for a long time, especially in a harmful way

impossible to change back to the original condition

continuing for a long time

something annoying or troublesome

the process of making sure that a law or rule is obeyed

Tom spent four days alone in a special room because he wanted to experience what it was like to be ________.

During the experiment, Tom experienced ________ because he could not see, hear or touch normally.

The loud construction work caused a serious ________ to the students' lesson because they could not hear the teacher.

Fresh water is becoming ________ in some parts of the world because there is very little available for people to use.

Workers who have long-term ________ to very loud machinery may develop hearing problems.

The doctor was concerned about his ________ stress because he had been working in a noisy factory for many years.

Doctors warned that some types of hearing damage are ________, meaning that the ears cannot return to their original condition.

The study examined the effects of ________ exposure to traffic noise over many years.

The neighbour's loud music became a serious ________ for the family living next door because it disturbed them every night.

The government needs better ________ of noise laws to make sure that people obey the rules.

The city has ________ the amount of noise produced by construction work by limiting the hours when builders can work.

The ________ impact of noise pollution on people's health has become an important environmental concern.

Millions of ________ live in cities where traffic, construction and aircraft create high levels of noise.

The loud music from the party caused considerable ________ among the neighbours who were trying to sleep.

Loud conversations in the library can ________ students and make it difficult for them to concentrate on their books.

The scientists travelled to a ________ part of Ghana to study the effects of environmental noise.

The experiment involved a period of complete ________, during which Tom had no contact with the outside world.

Twenty students ________ in the university's research project on the effects of background noise on concentration.

Factories often ________ large amounts of noise, especially when heavy machinery is operating.

The human ear can ________ incoming sounds, making them seem stronger than they actually are.

The city decided to ________ loud construction work to certain hours of the day so that residents could sleep at night.

The researchers studied the effects of ________ exposure to industrial noise rather than the effects of a few minutes of noise.

The factory replaced its old ________ because the machines were producing too much noise.

Noise from factories is an important problem in areas where ________ is concentrated.

Cars, buses, trains and aircraft are all forms of ________ that can contribute to environmental noise.

The children were distracted by the loud music and other noise coming from the nearby ________ park.

The construction noise was so loud that it began to ________ the students while they were taking their exams.

The teachers worried that the constant noise from the corridor would ________ the lesson and make it difficult for students to concentrate.

The factory produces enormous ________ of noise every day because hundreds of machines are operating at the same time.

Scientists and other ________ have warned that long-term exposure to loud noise can damage people's health.

One of the most serious long-term ________ of noise pollution is permanent hearing loss.

The government introduced new noise ________ to control how loud factories and aircraft can be.

A noisy factory is sometimes called an ________ because it produces unwanted sound.

The person who lives next to a noisy building is the ________ of the sound produced by that building.

The government introduced new noise ________ for buildings, roads and aircraft to protect local residents.

Emergency services are an important ________ to the rule that quiet neighbourhoods should have very low noise levels at night.