Bacteria Winning the War Reading Answers

Oct 17, 2024

Bacteria Winning the War Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Bacteria Winning the War Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set, there are questions where you have to choose the correct option from the given statements. In the next statement, you have to tell whether the statement is true or false. Also, there are questions where you have to fill in the blanks with the correct answer

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend and analyze different types of texts. In this passage, you will engage with a series of IELTS reading practice questions that simulate real test scenarios. These questions are aimed at improving your skills in identifying key ideas, extracting specific information, and making inferences. Whether you are preparing for the Academic or General Training module, practicing these IELTS reading questions will help you become familiar with the format and boost your confidence for the actual test.

Section 1

BACTERIA: WINNING THE WAR

A. Let's start with some statistics. In one gram of ordinary soil there exists about 40 million bacteria. In one milli-litre of apparently fresh water there exists at least a million more. If numbers do not adequately give the message, let me express it another way. The biomass of bacteria on Earth exceeds that of all plants and animals put together, by far! Bacteria are simply in every habitat on Earth, in incalculable numbers. They can exist in boiling hot springs, in nuclear reactors, and in rocks deep in the Earth's crust. Don't be fooled-this is their planet not ours.

B. Bacteria are living organisms leading quiet lives of their own, and mostly they are eating, reproducing, and eating again-and they will eat almost anything-glues, metals, oils, and radioactive waste. With their constant, never-ceasing, and tireless munching, they purify our soils, cause dead organisms to rot, fix nitrogen, produce most of the world's oxygen, and maintain the nutrient cycle. They are just so small that we do not notice them. For that, you will need a microscope, and upon using this, you would see that bacteria have a wide range of shapes. Most are either spherical, called cocci, or rod-shaped, called bacilli, but they can be curved or comma- shaped, spiralled or coiled, and all existing only to eat and reproduce.

C. Bacteria particularly flourish in organic matter and in the living bodies of plants and animals, which includes people. More than one trillion bacteria are over your body, eating your dead flakes of C skin, your oily secretions, and other trace elements exuded from your pores. There are trillions more bacteria inside you, particularly in your digestive system-eating, excreting, and multiplying. If that sounds bad, be assured that the vast majority of these bacteria are rendered harmless by the protective effects of the immune system. Furthermore. quite a few of them are beneficial, contributing to immunity against other unwelcome microbes, and helping with the synthesis of vitamins,

the conversion of milk protein to lactic acid, as well as the fermentation of complex indigestible carbohydrates.

D. Having said that, quite a few bacteria are definitely not beneficial. These are known as pathogens, and they kill tens of millions of people a year. We know them by the names of the diseases they cause dreaded words such as cholera, syphilis, leprosy, and bubonic plague. To combat these, the human body is armed with many million varieties of white blood cells, each primed to attack specific bacterial invaders which can cause trouble. However, identifying the exact type of bacteria takes the body some time. This is the period in which you are sick. Recovery cannot begin until the invader is recognised, and the white blood cells launch into attack, hunting down and killing the invasive bacteria. In that time, however, you have undoubtedly coughed, sweated, sneezed out, or released as diarrhea, trillions of the bacteria, all helping to spread the disease further.

E. This is the problem. Bacteria multiply with astonishing speed, splitting in a process known as binary fission. Occasionally this produces a mutant, and on very rare occasions, this mutant is endowed with some advantage. As rare as this event is, given bacteria's speed of reproduction, the chances are increased. Mason Clark, a scientist at the Smithson Institute of Bacteriological Science, states, 'This is evolution in the fast lane, and with the widespread overuse of antibiotics, E we are making it faster. If administered in a controlled and rational way, antibiotics kill virtually all pathogens as required. The trouble is, in many countries antibiotics are sold over the counter without prescription, and even under medical supervision, as Mason Clark states, they are misused and overused by doctors as well as patients. In addition, they are indiscriminately fed to commercial farm animals as growth promoters. This allows bacteria with antibiotic -resistant traits to survive, to pass on this gene to subsequent generations.

F. Some bacteria can develop more than one resistant gene, becoming what is often known informally as a 'superbug". Varieties of antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus and streptococcus are on the rise, often lurking in hospitals and clinics, to infect luckless patients. Insufficient hand washing by hospital staff and visitors can make this worse, resulting in these places being very dangerous indeed, such that the quicker a patient can leave, the better. Some studies show that up to half of fatal infections in hospitals are due to rogue superbugs, all alarmingly resistant to whatever antibiotics are thrown at them. As Mason Clark notes, "We are waging a war, an endless war, and the bacteria are beginning to win it."

Questions 14 to 19

Which of the following paragraph headings matches Paragraphs A to F?

A. In Sickness and Health

B. Strong and Deadly

C. Bad Medicine Making Bigger Problems

D. Rulers of the World

E. On the Outside and Inside

F. Useful Hunger

14. Paragraph A

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “.......Bacteria are simply in every habitat on Earth, in incalculable numbers... Don’t be fooled—this is their planet, not ours........”

Keywords: habitat, planet

Keyword Location: para A, Line 5

Explanation: The paragraph emphasizes the dominance of bacteria, noting that they are found everywhere on Earth and their biomass exceeds that of plants and animals combined. The statement "this is their planet, not ours" reinforces the notion that bacteria are the true rulers of the planet,

15. Paragraph B

Answer: F

Supporting statement: “........With their constant, never-ceasing, and tireless munching, they purify our soils, cause dead organisms to rot, fix nitrogen, produce most of the world's oxygen, and maintain the nutrient cycle.......”

Keywords: purify, nitrogen

Keyword Location: para B, Line 6

Explanation: This paragraph explains that bacteria are essential to environmental processes, including purifying soils and supporting the nutrient cycle. Their continuous "hunger" helps maintain ecological balance, aligning with the heading F

16. Paragraph C

Answer: E

Supporting statement: “........More than one trillion bacteria are on your body... There are trillions more bacteria inside you, particularly in your digestive system.......”

Keywords: bacteria, digestive

Keyword Location: para C, Line 3

Explanation: This paragraph discusses how bacteria inhabit both the surface and internal parts of the human body. Their presence inside the digestive system is vital for digestion and immunity, making E. On the Outside and Inside an appropriate heading.

17. Paragraph D

Answer: A

Supporting statement: “.......The human body is armed with many million varieties of white blood cells, each primed to attack specific bacterial invaders........”

Keywords: white, cells

Keyword Location: para D, Line 5

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on the human immune system's role in defending against harmful bacteria while coexisting with beneficial ones. It highlights the balance between health and illness

18. Paragraph E

Answer: C

Supporting statement: “.......With the widespread overuse of antibiotics, we are making it [bacterial resistance] faster........”

Keywords: overuse, antibiotics

Keyword Location: para E, Line 4

Explanation: This paragraph discusses how the improper use of antibiotics contributes to the rapid development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The statement about making resistance faster matches the heading C.

19. Paragraph F

Answer: B

Supporting statement: “........Some bacteria can develop more than one resistant gene, becoming what is often known informally as a 'superbug.......”

Keywords: resistant, superbug

Keyword Location: para F, Line 3

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on the rise of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," which are becoming increasingly deadly. These bacteria pose significant challenges in medical settings, making B

Question 20

Write True, False, or Not Given, according to the information given in the reading passage.

20. The weight of all plants and animals is more than bacteria.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “........The biomass of bacteria on Earth exceeds that of all plants and animals put together, by far!.......”

Keywords: biomass, exceeds

Keyword Location: para A, Line 4

Explanation: The statement in the text clarifies that bacteria have a greater biomass than all plants and animals combined. This directly contradicts the question statement, making the answer FALSE.

Questions 21-22

Write True, False, or Not Given, according to the information given in the reading passage.

21. Bacteria cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........They are just so small that we do not notice them. For that, you will need a microscope........”

Keywords: small, microscope

Keyword Location: para B, Line 7

Explanation: The passage mentions that bacteria are too small to be noticed without a microscope, indicating that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Thus, the answer is TRUE.

22. Our immune system can deal with all bacteria.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “........Quite a few bacteria are definitely not beneficial. These are known as pathogens, and they kill tens of millions of people a year........”

Keywords: pathogens, kill

Keyword Location: para D, Line 2

Explanation: The text explains that some bacteria, known as pathogens, cause diseases that can result in millions of deaths annually. This indicates that the immune system cannot handle all bacteria effectively

Questions 23 to 25

Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

A few bacteria are definitely not beneficial. Pathogens kill tens of millions of 23....... a Answer: PEOPLE

Supporting statement: “.......These are known as pathogens, and they kill tens of millions of people a year........”

Keywords: pathogens, people

Keyword Location: para D, Line 2

Explanation: The passage defines pathogens as harmful bacteria that cause diseases leading to significant mortality. By stating that they "kill tens of millions of people a year," the text emphasizes the severity of the threat posed by these bacteria.

year. We know pathogens by the names of the diseases such as cholera, 24........,

Answer: SYPHILIS

Supporting statement: “........We know them by the names of the diseases they cause: dreaded words such as cholera, syphilis, leprosy, and bubonic plague........”

Keywords: syphilis, diseases

Keyword Location: para D, Line 4

Explanation: This question asks for a specific disease name that is associated with pathogens. The passage explicitly lists diseases caused by pathogens, making it clear that syphilis is one of the examples provided.

leprosy, and bubonic plague. To tackle these, the human body is armed with many million varieties of white blood cells, each primed to attack specific bacterial invaders which can cause trouble. Whereas, 25...... the exact type of bacteria takes the body some time.

Answer: IDENTIFYING

Supporting statement: “........However, identifying the exact type of bacteria takes the body some time.......”

Keywords: identifying, time

Keyword Location: para D, Line 6

Explanation: This question focuses on the process of how the immune system responds to bacterial infections. The supporting statement indicates that the body requires time to identify the specific type of bacteria that has invaded. The term identifying is the action required in this process, highlighting the complexity of the immune response.

Question 26

Choose the correct answer.

A. Antibiotics are changing bacteria

B. Doctors are rationally giving antibiotics

C. Superbugs have one resistant gene.

D. Most fatal hospital infections are due to superbugs.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: “......With the widespread overuse of antibiotics, we are making it [bacterial evolution] faster..........”

Keywords: overuse, faster

Keyword Location: para E, Line 4

Explanation: This question addresses the impact of antibiotics on bacterial evolution. The supporting statement discusses the effects of antibiotic overuse, which accelerates the process of evolution among bacteria, leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains.

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