[00:00.40]It's becoming more and more of a problem [00:02.99]worldwide,isn't it? [00:04.33]Yes,I quite agree. [00:06.27]But noise pollution is generally [00:08.19]only a problem in urban areas. [00:10.79]This is because of increasing industrialization [00:14.29]transport,and larger urban populations. [00:18.18]Can you talk in more detail about these [00:20.65]causes of noise pollution in our cities? [00:23.18]Certainly. Noise pollution in our cities [00:25.54]comes from many sources. [00:27.44]Traffic, aircraft, railways [00:30.33]and factories produce huge amounts [00:32.68]of noise pollution [00:34.37]but a lot of noise pollution also [00:36.58]comes from people. [00:38.84]As urban populations grow, [00:40.94]people are forced to live closer to each other [00:43.71]and stereo systems,television sets, [00:46.61]ari conditioners and pets can all be sources [00:49.89]of noise pollution. [00:51.74]What are the effects of noise pollution? [00:55.09]Noise pollution can have very serious effects. [00:58.42]Most people don't realize it [01:00.53]but continued noise can actually [01:02.68]damage our hearing. [01:04.32]Another important factor is stress. [01:07.25]Annoying sounds increase stress levels [01:10.02]and can cause us to fell impatient and unhappy. [01:13.97]They can also stop us from sleeping properly. [01:17.37]These negative effects can have a significant [01:20.19]impact on how well we concentrate at work, [01:23.77]so noise pollution can affect productivity. [01:25.81]