If a person cannot hear regular conversation, what else might they not hear?

• A. A bugging insect
• B. A phone ringing
• C. A car horn
• D. A whistle

Answer: (A)

When hearing loss affects the ability to hear regular conversation, it’s usually because higher-frequency sounds are harder to hear. Speech sits in the mid frequencies, so if those are compromised, you’re also likely to miss other high-pitched sounds. An insect’s buzzing is a very high-frequency sound, making it the most likely to be inaudible alongside difficult speech. The other sounds listed can vary more in their frequency content or be louder in ways that might still be heard despite some loss, so they’re less consistently missed than a high-pitched insect buzz.