Cochlear Hair Cell Damage

Free to try, no login

The text boxes below are in a random order. Restore the original order.

Use the arrows to move a box up or down.

AThese specialised sensory receptors are responsible for converting mechanical sound vibrations into electrochemical signals destined for the auditory cortex.
BBecause mammalian auditory cells lack the capacity to regenerate, this physical destruction leads to an irreversible decline in frequency perception.
CWhen overwhelmed by violent fluid waves within the inner ear, their delicate hair-like projections, termed stereocilia, bend severely or snap.
DProlonged exposure to excessive acoustic levels can permanently injure the microscopic hair cells located inside the mammalian cochlea.

Questions 2–4

The text boxes below are in a random order. Restore the original order.

Read them here; log in to answer and check them.

Acoustic Shock Syndrome

AFollowing such jarring sonic exposure, affected workers frequently develop acute physical symptoms, including sharp otalgia, vertigo, and persistent tinnitus.
BThese sudden acoustic incidents typically travel through communication headsets worn continuously by telephone operators and call-centre personnel.
CIf left unmanaged, these immediate physiological reactions can gradually deteriorate into chronic sound sensitivity, severe phonophobia, and long-term anxiety.
DAcoustic shock represents a distinct neurophysiological condition triggered by sudden, unexpected bursts of high-frequency or high-intensity noise.

Temporary Threshold Shifts

ARepeated episodes, however, can overwhelm this natural recuperative capacity, eventually transforming temporary impairment into permanent structural loss.
BWith adequate rest in quiet environments, these biological structures generally recover within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
CAudiologists term this short-term reduction in sensory sensitivity a temporary threshold shift.
DAttending a loud music concert often leaves attendees experiencing muffled hearing and a dull ringing in the ears.
EThe underlying cause involves metabolic exhaustion and swelling within the sensory synapses of the inner ear.

Noise-Induced Phantom Tinnitus

AThe cerebral cortex subsequently interprets this hyperactive neural chatter as genuine acoustic stimuli, producing the persistent phantom sensation of ringing.
BChronic subjective tinnitus frequently arises as a secondary, maladaptive consequence of sustained noise-induced acoustic trauma.
CWhen sound-damaged peripheral hair cells cease transmitting regular neural impulses, the brain is deprived of expected sensory input.
DIn an attempt to compensate for this auditory deprivation, neurons within the central auditory pathway systematically amplify their spontaneous firing rates.

Want to answer the other 3?

Log in to practise Reorder Paragraphs in the BandLadder app: the full question bank, instant scoring the way Pearson marks it, and answer explanations.

Ready for the whole test?

Take a full PTE mock with every question type, the real timings and a score on Pearson's 10–90 scale the moment you finish.

Try a free PTE mock →

Keep practising

More Reorder Paragraphs sets

Practise every PTE question type

✓Full question bank for every type
✓Instant scoring, marked the way Pearson does
✓BandLadder AI scoring for speaking and writing

Practise in the app

Free account · no card

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy