Question

turn it down!
just for me: survey research
a recent study revealed that
one in five teenagers has at
least some hearing loss, and
that the prevalence of hearing
loss among young people has
grown significantly since
about 1990. in response to
the finding, experts are urging
kids to turn down the volume
on their digital music players.
these experts suggest that
listening to loud music
through earbuds may be
responsible for the increase.
for the study, researchers
analyzed and compared data from two nationwide health surveys of hearing
listening to loud music might be causing hearing loss in
teens. image credit: kaboompics stockaliment/corbis images
question 5
the article states:
\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.
which would be the closest antonym for the word prolonged?
a. abnormal
b. constant
c. reduced
d. extended
submit

Explanation:

To find the antonym of "prolonged", we analyze each option:

• Option A: "Abnormal" refers to something not normal, unrelated to the duration implied by "prolonged".
• Option B: "Constant" means unchanging or continuous, which is similar in meaning to "prolonged" in terms of duration (not an antonym).
• Option C: "Reduced" can imply a shorter or decreased duration, which is the opposite of "prolonged" (which means extended or long - lasting).
• Option D: "Extended" is a synonym of "prolonged" as it also means long - lasting or stretched out in time.

Answer:

C. Reduced