Medical Detection Dogs: Sniffing Out One of the World's Most Dangerous Diseases Reading Answers

Sep 20, 2024

Medical Detection Dogs: Sniffing Out One of the World's Most Dangerous Diseases Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Medical Detection Dogs: Sniffing Out one of the World's Most Dangerous Diseases Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. Questions 28-33 you have to choose the correct headings for the paragraphs, 34-40 you have to write if the given statements are true or false.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers feature topics such as Medical Detection Dogs: Sniffing Out one of the World's Most Dangerous Diseases Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

READING PASSAGE - 3

MEDICAL DETECTION DOGS: SNIFFING OUT ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS DISEASES

For many years man's best friend has been helping blind people with their daily lives but now, as well as assisting with lives, they may be able to save them!

Malaria kills about half a million people a year. That's about 1400 people every day or 1 person every minute. The vast majority of these are children under 15 in some of the poorest countries in the world. There is no cure for malaria and no vaccine to prevent the most vulnerable children catching the disease. It can kill within 24 hours of infection and some children in Africa can be infected up to 13 times a year. Spending on malaria accounts for about 40% of the public health budget in countries that can ill-afford it.
When the malaria parasites from infected mosquitos enter the blood stream they infect and destroy red blood cells. This leads to flu like symptoms such as sweating, headache, fever, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Because these symptoms are so non-specific it is not always clear that the patient is a victim of malaria which can delay identification.
There is no vaccine for malaria and the conditions that encourage the spread of the disease, such as high population density and high mosquito density, are frequently found in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. However, if any of these conditions are substantially reduced then malaria can be eradicated and this has happened in North America, Europe and parts of the Middle East. However until it is totally eliminated from the whole world malaria could easily become re-established.
One of the most important weapons in the fight against malaria is early detection of the disease. However, currently diagnosis involves finger-prick blood tests that are then screened in a laboratory. This is both time-consuming and very expensive and health authorities have real difficulties identifying who is carrying the malaria parasite in communities where the disease is present at a low level. This is where the dog's come in.
Using dogs to identify malaria carriers has the advantage that it is not invasive, the 'testing' can be done anywhere and it doesn't require a laboratory. Also a large number of people can be tested at the same time. The idea is to train dogs to be able to identify malaria victims by their scent.
Dogs have an incredible ability to detect minute odour traces created by diseases. Because they are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion. This is the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools. Thus, they are potentially able to detect diseases, such as malaria, much earlier than is currently possible with traditional methods. This pioneering work with dogs could help to speed up the diagnosis process and impact on thousands of lives.
To train the dogs, sweat samples will be collected from 400 Gambian children. Of the samples, 15 per cent will be collected from children known to be have the malaria parasite, so that the dogs can be trained to distinguish positive from negative samples. If the first phase of the trial is successful, then the project may be able to continue if sufficient grand funding is made available.
So far the project has already received sufficient funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to cover the costs of the initial training and studies. So if it is successful - and there is good reason to suppose it will be there is every likelihood that the foundation will continue its support.

Questions 28-33

The text below has eight sections, A-Н.

Choose the correct heading for sections

C-H from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-xi.

LIST OF HEADINGS

How the dogs are trained
Benefits of using dogs to diagnose malaria
Project funding
Other animals that are suitable for the task
The symptoms of malaria
Reasons why rich people don't get malaria
Reasons why dogs are suitable for the task
How food choices can help prevent malaria
The conditions which promote malaria
Some background on the disease
Problems with current methods of diagnosis

Paragraph C

Answer:ix. The conditions which promote malaria

Supporting statement: There is no vaccine for malaria and the conditions that encourage the spread of the disease, such as high population density and high mosquito density, are frequently found in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: population, mosquito density

Keyword Location: paragraph C

Explanation: There is no vaccine for malaria and the conditions that encourage the spread of the disease, such as high population density and high mosquito density, are frequently found in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Paragraph D

Answer:xi. Problems with current methods of diagnosis

Supporting statement: One of the most important weapons in the fight against malaria is early detection of the disease. However, currently diagnosis involves finger-prick blood tests that are then screened in a laboratory. This is both time-consuming and very expensive and health authorities have real difficulties identifying who is carrying the malaria parasite in communities where the disease is present at a low level.

Keyword: finger-prick blood, time-consuming, expensive

Keyword Location: paragraph D

Explanation: One of the most important weapons in the fight against malaria is early detection of the disease. However, current diagnosis involves finger-prick blood tests that are then screened in a laboratory. This is both time-consuming and very expensive and health authorities have real difficulties identifying who is carrying the malaria parasite in communities where the disease is present at a low level.

Paragraph E

Answer:ii. Benefits of using dogs to diagnose malaria

Supporting statement: Using dogs to identify malaria carriers has the advantage that it is not invasive, the 'testing' can be done anywhere and it doesn't require a laboratory.

Keywords: invasive, dogs, laboratory

Keyword Location: paragraph E

Explanation: Using dogs to identify malaria carriers has the advantage that it is not invasive, the 'testing' can be done anywhere and it doesn't require a laboratory.

Paragraph F

Answer:vii. Reasons why dogs are suitable for the task

Supporting statement: Dogs have an incredible ability to detect minute odour traces created by diseases. Because they are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion.

Keywords: our, ability

Keyword Location: paragraph F

Explanation: Dogs have an incredible ability to detect minute odour traces created by diseases. Because they are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion.

Paragraph G

Answer:i. How the dogs are trained

Supporting statement: To train the dogs, sweat samples will be collected from 400 Gambian children. Of the samples, 15 per cent will be collected from children known to be have the malaria parasite, so that the dogs can be trained to distinguish positive from negative samples.

Keywords: train, sample

Keyword Location: paragraph G

Explanation: To train the dogs, sweat samples will be collected from 400 Gambian children. Of the samples, 15 per cent will be collected from children known to have the malaria parasite, so that the dogs can be trained to distinguish positive from negative samples.

Paragraph H

Answer:iii. Project funding

Supporting statement: So far the project has already received sufficient funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to cover the costs of the initial training and studies.

Keywords: fund, training

Keyword Location: paragraph H

Explanation: So far the project has already received sufficient funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to cover the costs of the initial training and studies.

Questions 34-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

In boxes 34-40 on your answer sheet write:

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - if the statement contracts the information

NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this

The majority of people killed by malaria are children under the age of 15.

Answer: True

Supporting statement: The vast majority of these are children under 15 in some of the poorest countries in the world

Keywords: majority, children, under 15

Keyword Location: paragraph A,2nd line

Explanation: The vast majority of these are children under 15 in some of the poorest countries in the world.

Malaria always kills people within 24 hours of infection.

Answer: False

Supporting statement: It can kill within 24 hours of infection and some children in Africa can be infected up to 13 times a year.

Keyword:

Keyword Location: paragraph A,4th line

Explanation: It can kill within 24 hours of infection and some children in Africa can be infected up to 13 times a year. There is a possibility of killing people within 24 hours but Malaria does not always kill people within 24 hours of infection. Thus the answer is false.

The symptoms of malaria make it easy to identify.

Answer: False

Supporting statement: Because these symptoms are so non-specific it is not always clear that the patient is a victim of malaria which can delay identification.

Keywords: non-specific, symptoms, delay

Keyword Location: paragraph B, Last line

Explanation: Because these symptoms are so non-specific it is not always clear that the patient is a victim of malaria which can delay identification. As the symptoms are nonspecific it is hard to identify. Thus the correct answer is false.

Scientists have been working of a vaccine for malaria since the 1920's.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: Not given in the passage

Current methods of diagnosing malaria are expensive.

Answer: True

Supporting statement: One of the most important weapons in the fight against malaria is early detection of the disease. However, current diagnosis involves finger-prick blood tests that are then screened in a laboratory. This is both time-consuming and very expensive and health authorities have real difficulties identifying who is carrying the malaria parasite in communities where the disease is present at a low level.

Keyword: finger-prick blood, time-consuming, expensive

Keyword Location: paragraph D

Dogs will identify carriers of malaria by their scent

Answer: True

Supporting statement: Dogs have an incredible ability to detect minute odour traces created by diseases. Because they are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion.

Keywords: odur, ability

Keyword Location: paragraph F

Explanation: Dogs have an incredible ability to detect minute odour traces created by diseases. Because they are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion.Dogs will identify carriers of malaria by their scent.

If the project is successful it is not likely to receive further funding from the Gates Foundation.

Answer: False

Supporting statement: So far the project has already received sufficient funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to cover the costs of the initial training and studies. So if it is successful - and there is good reason to suppose it will be there is every likelihood that the foundation will continue its support.

Keywords: sufficient funds, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, support

Keyword Location: paragraph H

Explanation: So far the project has already received sufficient funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to cover the costs of the initial training and studies. So if it is successful - and there is good reason to suppose it will be there is every likelihood that the foundation will continue its support.If the project is successful it will to receive further funding from the Gates Foundation. Thus the correct answer is false.

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