The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers -
According to the article, what is a major risk for cancer patients in a post-antibiotic era? A. Their tumours may become resistant to chemotherapy. B. They may contract resistant infections due to suppressed immunity. C. Routine tumour removal surgery will be banned. D. Antibiotics will interfere with their cancer treatment.
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An explanation of why pharmaceutical firms avoid developing new antibiotics.
Compounding the problem is a severe drought in the pharmaceutical pipeline. For major drug corporations, developing a new antibiotic is a financially unappealing venture. The research and development process takes over a decade and costs billions of dollars, yet the financial return is minimal. Because new antibiotics must be used sparingly as a last resort to prevent further resistance, sales volumes remain low. Pharmaceutical companies prefer to invest their capital in lucrative drugs for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, which patients must take daily for the rest of their lives. Consequently, no new class of antibiotics has been discovered since the late 1980s. According to the article, what is a major
Explanation: Paragraph C directly contradicts this by stating farmers use these drugs "not to treat sickness, but to promote artificial growth and prevent potential infections."
The section on Mechanisms of Resistance states that horizontal gene transfer "allows different species of bacteria to share genetic material directly."
The cost of treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria is significantly higher, putting immense pressure on healthcare systems. 3. Key Vocabulary for IELTS Reading (Based on the passage) Routine tumour removal surgery will be banned
The biological mechanism by which bacteria adapt to pharmaceutical threats. Questions 6–9: Sentence Completion
(Noun): The ability to produce a desired or intended result; effectiveness.
Explanation: Paragraph A mentions the "accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928." These resilient strains reproduce rapidly
This section shifts to the biological reality of how bacteria fight back. Antibiotic resistance is a natural evolutionary phenomenon. When exposed to antimicrobial drugs, the weakest bacteria die, but those possessing mutant genes survive. These resilient strains reproduce rapidly, passing on their resistant traits. The passage emphasizes that bacteria become resistant to the drugs, not the human body itself. 3. Human Catalysts: Overuse and Misuse
"The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming accounts for over 70% of global antibiotic consumption. This practice selects for resistant bacteria that can transfer to humans via food or direct contact."