People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air co

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问题     People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works.
    Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options.
    The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints.
    The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas.
    But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise.
    I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.
Which of the following measures is mentioned as not only beneficial environmentally but also economically?

选项 A、Enforcing stricter noise control on electrical apparatus.
B、Prohibiting heavy traffic from entering residential areas.
C、Launching a 24-hour noise hotline.
D、Increasing the charges for road use.

答案A

解析 第4段第2句中的this指的是首句提出的“为空调等家用电器制定更严格的最低噪音标准”的做法,句中的even表明这种做法不但可以产生环保效益,还可以产生经济效益,A为本题答案。B在第4段末句提及,C在第3段末句提及,D在末段第2句句尾提及,但原文并未表明它们与经济有关系,因此都不正确。
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