What is the main idea of the passage?

Habituation reduces attention to steady input, while a change can make attention return. (The fan example shows attention fading when a sound stays steady and returning when the familiar hum suddenly stops.)

Why may a new visitor notice the fan more than a regular visitor?

The sound is still new to the visitor, so habituation has not reduced attention to it. (Regular visitors have had time to treat the steady hum as background, while the new visitor has not yet become used to it.)

What does “habituation” mean in this passage?

A decrease in attention to a steady, familiar signal (The passage names habituation just after regular visitors stop noticing the steady fan, then explains that the brain gives it less attention.)

What do people often do when the fan stops?

Look up (The third paragraph directly says that people often look up when the fan stops and the room suddenly changes.)

When the Hall Goes Quiet: Level 1 Reading Comprehension Questions

A community hall has an old fan that makes a soft hum. New visitors notice it at once. At first, the sound may seem loud. After a while, regular visitors stop hearing it unless they choose to listen.

This change is called habituation. The brain pays less attention to a steady signal that brings no new information. That leaves more attention for voices, work, or music in the room. The ears still receive the sound, but the mind treats it as background.

When the fan stops, people often look up. The sudden quiet is a change, so attention returns. The same pattern can happen with a clock's tick or the smell of a familiar room. Habituation helps us avoid reacting to every steady detail. It also explains why a visitor may notice something that regular users miss.

Comprehension questions