Final answer:
The speaker's responses to various noises include curiosity, scientific reasoning, fear, appreciation, and attentiveness, as depicted in various literary contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speaker's responses to noise vary depending on the context as presented in the excerpts. When Venters hears a low rumbling roar, he inquires in a whisper if his companion, Bess, heard the noise too, indicating caution and curiosity. Another example shows a person rationalizing a thumping noise as loose shutters in the wind rather than jumping to a supernatural conclusion. The excerpts also reflect various reactions such as crouching and flinching in fear, observing sounds with musical quality, and stopping to listen to a distant interrupted cry. Overall, these responses to sound demonstrate alertness, scientific reasoning, fear, appreciation, and attentiveness.