Question

hearing loss can hear vowel sounds clearly. however, they might miss some consonant sounds, such as t, k, and s. experts warn that this minor loss of hearing is sufficient to cause problems in school. it also sets the stage for dependence on hearing aids later in life.
\although speech will be detectable, it might not be fully intelligible,\ curhan said.
researchers lack conclusive evidence that listening to ipods and other music devices is to blame for hearing loss in teens. however, researchers did note a significant increase in high - frequency hearing loss. this particular type of hearing loss, researchers said, indicates that noise may be the culprit. researchers cited a 2010 australian study. the study linked the use of personal listening devices with a 70 percent increased risk of hearing loss in young people.
\i think the evidence is out there that prolonged exposure to loud noise is likely to be harmful to hearing, but that doesnt mean kids cant listen to mp3 players,\ curhan said. \our hope is we can encourage people to be careful.\
loud music isnt anything new, of course. each recent generation of teens has found a new technology to blast music—from the bulky headphones of the 1960s to the handheld sony walkmans of the 1980s. todays teens,
question 2
the author probably wrote this article to ______.
a. inform readers about matthew brady, who listened to loud music for prolonged periods
b. review the different types of technology that recent generations have used to blast music
c. inform readers that more teens have hearing loss, possibly due to listening to loud music
d. review a study that found that a majority of teens listen to music at 85 decibels or louder

Explanation:

To determine the author's purpose, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage isn't mainly about Matthew Brady; it's about teen hearing loss and music devices, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The passage isn't a review of music - blasting technologies; it focuses on hearing loss, so B is incorrect.
• Option C: The passage discusses the increase in teen hearing loss and the possible link to loud music (from iPods and other devices, and noise as a culprit), so this option matches the author's purpose of informing readers about this issue.
• Option D: The passage isn't mainly about reviewing a study on teens' music - listening volume; it's about hearing loss, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. Inform readers that more teens have hearing loss, possibly due to listening to loud music