Precaution of Health Disease Reading Answers

Feb 13, 2024

Precaution of Health Disease Reading Answers is a general reading topic. Precaution of Health Disease Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. The specified topic generates 2 question types: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS; True/False/Not Given. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Precaution of Health Disease Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Questions Below

Precaution of Health Disease

The swine flu pandemic has become more problematic. The White House will meet with state representatives on the 9th of July to talk about the preparation for the autumn flu season in the US, whilst the UK has focused their response on the H1N1 virus to cope with widespread infection.

In the meantime, the southern hemisphere is going into the middle of the winter flu season, and the swine H1N1 virus seems to be replacing the seasonal flu viruses that have been circulating until now. This is related to the seasonal flu vaccine which several companies are still producing. It could cause some problems when the northern hemisphere flu season comes at the end of this year.

The flu pandemics of 1918, 1957 and 1968 showed a high level of seasonal change and also released mild forms of the H1N1 virus which circulates through the existing flu virus, H3N2. So, nobody knows how the H1N1 virus is going to behave. If it is not exchanged with the seasonal virus - the milder H1N1 and H3N2 - the world is facing the prospect of catching all three viruses at once. It would be a complicated scenario, as both seasonal and pandemic vaccines would be wanted and patients from different age groups would be affected. Although based on what is happening in the southern hemisphere, it does not seem that this will be the case.

In the northern hemisphere, swine flu has spread to the extent that over 98% of flu cases genotyped in the US towards the end of June were caused by the pandemic virus. This is to be expected. Whilst the seasonal flu viruses generally die out during the summer season, the pandemic virus can be more powerful as fewer people have built up immunity to it.

The state of Victoria in Australia reported this week that the H1N1 virus is now considered for 99% of all flu cases. There are reports of a similar situation in South America. In Chile, the H1N1 virus is also much stronger than other seasonal viruses. "98% of the flu cases we now take are caused by H1N1," Jeanette Vega, Chile's undersecretary of public health, said last week about a pandemic peak in Cancun, Mexico. "The seasonal vaccine is not used."

In the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, Juan Manzur, the health minister, reported last week about the emergency situation in that 90% of the flu is a result of the H1N1 virus.

During this winter in the northern hemisphere, it is an important matter. "If the pandemic virus greatly attacks the seasonal viruses in a regular flu season, the seasonal viruses are likely to be exchanged by the new virus, like in the 1968 pandemic," says Ab Osterhaus in the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In previous pandemics, the virus has changed, producing negative side effects. So far for H1N1, there have only been a few ominous signs.

The mutation of the virus's polymerase enzyme has been replicated efficiently from a sample taken in Shanghai. Ron Fouchier at the University of Rotterdam says that this could spread if it makes the virus more contagious, but the virus may also improve pathogenicity.

Also last week, two cases of the H1N1 virus with resistance to the main antiviral drug, Tamiflu, were found in people using the drug. Another was found in a girl who had never taken the drug, suggesting Tamiflu - resistant to the H1N1 virus might already be in circulation.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-9

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

There is currently a severe problem of (1)............... in the world, especially both the US and the UK are making strenuous efforts to solve the problem.

In the meantime, during the middle of winter flu season, (2)................ Is likely to substitute the seasonal flu viruses in the southern hemisphere. Also, over 98 percent out of flu cases genotyped in the US were generated by (3).................. Whilst seasonal flu viruses usually fade away in 4)............. the pandemic virus has the advantage that few people have immunity to it. There are reports that the H1N1 virus accounts for more than 90 per cent of all flu cases in countries, such as (5).........., (6)................ and (7)...

According to Ab Osterhaus, (8)......... found to be resistant to the antiviral drug, (9)........ ...... in a regular flu season can be replaced by the pandemic virus. A new virus was

found to be resistant to the antiviral drug, (9).................

Q.1

Answer: SWINE FLU PANDEMIC
Supporting statement: “.......The swine flu pandemic has become more problematic. The White House will meet with state representatives on the 9th of July to talk about the preparation for the autumn flu season in the US,.......”
Keywords: preparation, season
Keyword Location: para 1, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the swine flu pandemic was thought to be the most problematic. An authority also held a meeting regarding this.

Q.2

Answer: SWINE H1N1 VIRUS
Supporting statement: “......whilst the UK has focused their response on the H1N1 virus to cope with widespread infection.........”
Keywords: focused, cope
Keyword Location: para 1, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the Swine h1n1 virus will be at that time substituted by the seasonal flu virus.

Q.3

Answer: THE PANDEMIC VIRUS
Supporting statement: “.......In the northern hemisphere, swine flu has spread to the extent that over 98% of flu cases genotyped in the US towards the end of June were caused by the pandemic virus.......”
Keywords: genotyped, pandemic
Keyword Location: para 4, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the 98% of flu cases were actually caused by the pandemic virus. It all happened in the northern hemisphere.

Q.4

Answer: SUMMER
Supporting statement: “.......This is to be expected. Whilst the seasonal flu viruses generally die out during the summer season, the pandemic virus can be more powerful as fewer people have built up immunity to it........”
Keywords: season, powerful
Keyword Location: para 4, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the seasonal flu virus generally dies in the summer season due to extreme heat. Very few viruses have immunity to it.

Q.5

Answer: AUSTRALIA
Supporting statement: “......The state of Victoria in Australia reported this week that the H1N1 virus is now considered for 99% of all flu cases........”
Keywords: reported, flu
Keyword Location: para 5, line 1
Explanation: It is given that in the state of victoria, Australia has reported that h1n1 virus is the reason for 99% of flu cases.

Q.6

Answer: CHILE
Supporting statement: “...... In Chile, the H1N1 virus is also much stronger than other seasonal viruses. "98% of the flu cases we now take are caused by H1N1........”
Keywords: seasonal, flu
Keyword Location: para 5, line 3
Explanation: It is given that in Chile, h1n1 virus is stronger than other viruses and the reason for 99% of flu cases.

Q.7

Answer: ARGENTINA
Supporting statement: “......In the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, Juan Manzur, the health minister, reported last week about the emergency situation in which 90% of the flu is a result of the H1N1 virus.........”
Keywords: emergency, h1n1
Keyword Location: para 6
Explanation: It is given that in Argentina’s capital city, there was a serious situation of 90% of the people diagnosed with h1n1 virus.

Q.8

Answer: SEASONAL VIRUSES
Supporting statement: “......"If the pandemic virus greatly attacks the seasonal viruses in a regular flu season, the seasonal viruses are likely to be exchanged by the new virus, like in the 1968 pandemic," says Ab Osterhaus in the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. ........”
Keywords: flu, exchanged
Keyword Location: para 7, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the pandemic virus is more dangerous than the seasonal viruses. It is said that the seasonal viruses are generally exchanged by some other virus with time.

Q.9

Answer: TAMIFLU
Supporting statement: “.......Also last week, two cases of the H1N1 virus with resistance to the main antiviral drug, Tamiflu, were found in people using the drug........”
Keywords: resistance, antiviral
Keyword Location: para 10
Explanation: It is given that a new virus was discovered that was resistant to antiviral drugs. It was named Tamiflu.

Questions 10-13

Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write

YES - if the statement reflects the opinion of the writer
NO - if the statement contradicts the opinion of the writer
NOT GIVEN - if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

The UK and the US had discussed and worked together on the swine flu pandemic in the past.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: There has been no instance in the passage that says that the UK and US have discussed working together during the swine flu pandemic.

Over 98 percent of flu cases in the US were motivated by the pandemic virus.

Answer: YES
Supporting statement: “........In the northern hemisphere, swine flu has spread to the extent that over 98% of flu cases genotyped in the US towards the end of June were caused by the pandemic virus. .......”
Keywords: genotyped, pandemic
Keyword Location: para 4, line 1
Explanation: It is given that 98% of the flu cases in the US were caused by the pandemic virus.

In Argentina, 60 percent of the flu virus in circulation is the H1N1 virus.

Answer: NO
Supporting statement: “.......In the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, Juan Manzur, the health minister, reported last week about the emergency situation in which 90% of the flu is a result of the H1N1 virus.........”
Keywords:reported, emergency
Keyword Location: para 6, line 1
Explanation: It is said that 90% of the flu in the capital city was caused due to h1n1 virus.

Tamiflu is the crucial antiviral medicine which is resistant to the H1N1 virus.

Answer: YES
Supporting statement: “......Also last week, two cases of the H1N1 virus with resistance to the main antiviral drug, Tamiflu, were found in people using the drug. .........”
Keywords: resistance, antiviral
Keyword Location: para 10, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the tamiflu was found to be the crucial antiviral medicine. It can be used to counter the h1n1 virus.