Some Facts and Theories About Flu Reading Answers

Aug 20, 2022

Some facts and theories about flu reading answers contains 13 questions which are to be answered in 20 minutes. Some facts and theories about flu reading answers consists of three types of questions including-do the following statements match the given options, Choose the correct letter, and no more than three words. Candidates are required to decide where the given statements are true, false or the information is not given based on the reading passage and choose the correct letter from the given options A-C. In no more than three words, candidates are required to answer based on the given cue within a word limit of three words.

Candidates must read the IELTS reading passage, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question. In the IELTS Reading Section, the candidates are presented with different question styles with specific instructions. It is important that candidates abide by the word limit as well as answer accurately for what is asked.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Some Facts and Theories about Flu IELTS Reading Sample

The flu, more properly known as influenza, takes its name from the fact that it is so easily transmitted from person to person (influenza is the Italian word for ‘influence’). Usually, contamination occurs through direct contact with secretions from an infected person. Its spread is also possible from contaminated airborne particles, such as those that occur when someone coughs or sneezes. However, it should be made clear that the risk is not great from simply being in the same room as an infected person, since the flu virus, unlike other respiratory viruses, does not dissolve in the air. Within 4-6 hours of someone catching the flu, the virus multiplies in infected cells and the cells burst, spreading the virus to other cells nearby.
The spread continues for up to 72 hours, the exact length of time depending on the body’s immune system response and the strength of the particular strain of flu. The range of human responses to the flu virus has been of interest to scientists for many years. This is because the effect can vary from no infection to a rapid and deadly spread of the virus to many people. One area of study that has received particular attention is the immune system response of the individual. Where a person’s immune system is healthy, the virus is attacked as it enters the body, usually in the respiratory tract. This lessens the severity of the illness. In contrast, people with compromised immune systems (typical in the young, where it is not fully developed, or in the old and the sick, where it is not working efficiently), often suffer the worst effects.
One of the body’s responses to flu is the creation of antibodies which recognise and destroy that particular strain of flu virus. What fascinates most researchers in the field is that the human body seems capable of storing these antibodies over a whole lifetime in case of future attack from the same or similar strains of flu. It was while researching these antibodies that scientists turned their attention back to what was possibly the worst ever flu pandemic in the world. The actual number of deaths is disputed, but the outbreak in 1918 killed between 20 and 50 million people. It is also estimated that one-fifth of the population of the world may have been infected.
Through tests done on some of the survivors of the 1918 outbreak, it was discovered that, 90 years later, they still possessed the antibodies to that strain of flu, and some of them were actually still producing the antibodies. Work is now focused on why these people survived in the first place, with one theory being that they had actually been exposed to an earlier, similar strain, therefore developing immunity to the 1918 strain. It is hoped that, in the near future, we might be able to isolate the antibodies and use them to vaccinate people against further outbreaks.
Yet vaccination against the flu is an imprecise measure. At best, the vaccine protects us from the variations of flu that doctors expect that year. If their predictions are wrong in any particular year, being vaccinated will not prevent us from becoming infected. This is further complicated by the fact that there are two main types of flu, known as influenza A and influenza B. Influenza B causes less concern as its effects are usually less serious. Influenza A, however, has the power to change its genetic make-up. Although these genetic changes are rare, they create entirely new strains of flu against which we have no protection. It has been suggested that this is what had happened immediately prior to the 1918 outbreak, with research indicating that a genetic shift had taken place in China.
In 2005, another genetic shift in an influenza A virus was recorded, giving rise to the H5N1 strain, otherwise known as avian flu, or bird flu. Typical of such new strains, we have no way of fighting it and many people who are infected with it die. Perhaps more worrying is that it is a strain only previously found in birds but which changed its genetic make-up in a way that allowed it to be transmitted to humans. Most of the fear surrounding this virus is that it will change again, developing the ability to pass from human to human. If that change does happen, scientists and doctors can reasonably expect a death rate comparable to that which occurred in 1918 and, given that we can now travel more quickly and more easily between countries, infecting many more people than was previously possible, it could be several times worse.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
TRUE, if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE, if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN, if there is no information on this

Question 1) The only way to catch the flu is if someone coughs or sneezes near you.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: Usually, contamination occurs through direct contact with sacrations from the infected person. Its spread is also possible from contaminated airborne particles, such as those that occur when someone coughs or sneezes
Keyword: Flu, Cough, Sneezes, Infection
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 3
Explanation: No, We cannot say that a person has the flu if He/She is sneezing or coughing around you because those are natural things in the human body. So, It maybe possible that It comes naturally. So, just on the basis of that thing we cannot make any decision. For surety we have to do a checkup of that person.

Question 2) You become aware of the symptoms of flu within 4-6 hours of infection.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: Basically, the sentence given in the question is not given in the paragraph. Instead of the question's sentence, they were given that within 4 to 6 hours of someone catching the flu the virus is multiplied in the infected cells. And the cells burst, spreading the virus to the heir nearest cells and affecting them.

Question 3) The effect of a flu infection can depend on how strong the strain is.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence:One area of study that has received particular attention is the immune system response of the individual. Where a person’s immune system is healthy, the virus is attacked as it enters the body, usually in the respiratory tract.
Keyword: immune system, virus, respiratory system
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 2, Line 4 and 5
Explanation: Not the flu, but the effects of any virus which attacks the human body basically depends on the human body. It depends on how much strength or capacity a human body has to protect the cells from the viruses. So, it depends on the human body and it varies from person to person.

Question 4) Those who are more likely to suffer badly with the flu include very young or very old people

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: In contrast,people with compromised immune systems (typical in the young, where it is not fully developed, or in the old and the sick, where it is not working efficiently), often suffer the worst effects.
Keywords: Immune systems, Old, sick
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 2, Line 7
Explanation: Yes, I agree with this sentence because there is more risk of the flu affecting young and old persons. Because working persons or we can say middle age persons have a good immune system with the good stamina and they are healthy compared to them. While the reason behind the youngsters and old age people is that they don’t have well-developed cells to fight against the virus. Or the cells are not working properly due to the age level.

Question 5) Although antibodies last a lifetime, scientists have found they get weaker with age.

Answer: Not Given
Supporting Sentence: The relevant information was not given in the reading passage.
Keywords: The relevant information was not given in the reading passage.
Keywords Location: The relevant information was not given in the reading passage.
Explanation: The relevant information was not given in the reading passage.

Question 6) Vaccination is largely ineffective against flu.

Answer: False
Supporting statement: Yet vaccination against the flu is an imprecise measure. At best, the vaccine protects us from the variations of flu that doctors expect that year.
Keywords: Vaccination, Flu
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 3, Line 1
Explanation: For any type of flu or any type of big disease, vaccination is the most important thing to slow down the effects on the body. And as in the recent time, we know that to protect ourselves from the covid diseases vaccination is the most important.

Question 7) Another change in the genetic make-up of the H5N1 strain could kill more people than the 1918 epidemic.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: Although these genetic changes are rare, they create entirely new strains of flu against which we have no protection. It has been suggested that this is what had happened immediately prior to the 1918 outbreak, with research indicating that a genetic shift had taken place in China.
Keywords: Genetic, Protection, Shift
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 3, Line 7
Explanation: Yes, I totally agree with this because we know that some minor changes in the virus can also make a big impact on the human body. The doctors or scientists are finding a vaccine. They have researched the current variant but there are chances that even after finding the vaccine, the variant can change. So, tough situations will occur in case flu changes its characteristics.

Questions 8-11

Write the correct letter, A, B or C.Write the correct letter, A, B, or C.
Classify the following statements as characterizing
A something is known by scientists to be true
B something believed by scientists to be true
C something is known by scientists to be false.

Question 8) Sharing a room with a flu sufferer presents a very high risk to your health.

Answer: C) Something know by scientists to be false
Supporting sentence: it should be made clear that the risk is not great from simply being in the same room as an infected person, since the flu virus, unlike other respiratory viruses, does not dissolve in the air.
Keywords: Risk, Infection, Respiratory
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 1, Line 5
Explanation: Yes, It is false that sharing a room with the flu infected person presents a very high risk to your health. Because doctors proved that viruses of flu do not dissolve in the air and it affects your inside cells not outside body parts.

Question 9) One fifth of the people in the world caught the flu in 1918.

Answer: B) Something believed by scientists to be true
Supporting sentence:The actual number of deaths is disputed, but the outbreak in 1918 killed between 20 and 50 million people. It is also estimated that one fifth of the population of the world may have been infected.
Keywords: Death, Population
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 3, Line 6
Explanation: Yes, In the year 1918 almost 20 to 50 million people died due to the flu pandemic at that time. And It was a record breaking digit at that time.

Question 10) Influenza A viruses do not change their genetic make-up frequently.

Answer: C) Something known by scientists to be false
Supporting sentence: influenza A, however, has the power to change its genetic make-up. Although these genetic changes are rare, they create entirely new strains of flu against which we have no protection.
Keywords: Change, Genetic, Strains
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 4, Line 6
Explanation: It happens in the rare case that a virus does not change its characteristics. Because most of the viruses change their variants after one time and due to that doctors and scientists find it difficult to rectify it.

Question 11) The H5N1 strain evolved in or before 2005.

Answer: A) Something known by scientist to be true
Supporting sentence: In 2005, another genetic shift in an influenza A virus was recorded, giving rise to the H5N1 strain.
Keywords: Shift, Genetic, Strain
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 6, Line 1
Explanation: Actually, flu was spread in the year 1918 but in the year 2005 another variant of that flu named H5N1 came into the picture.

Questions 12-13
Write the correct letter, A, B or C.Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Question 12) In which part of the body do antibodies normally attack the flu virus?

Answer: respiratory tract
Supporting sentence: The virus is attacked as it enters the body, usually in the respiratory tract.
Keywords: Attack
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 2, Line 5
Explanation: It is proved by the doctors that basically, flu affects the respiratory system of the human body.

Question 13) What kind of transmission of the H5N1 strain are people afraid might become reality?

Answer: Human to Human
Supporting sentence: Most of the fear surrounding this virus is that it will change again, developing the ability to pass from human to human.
Keywords: Fear, Virus
Keyword Locations: Paragraph 6, Line 5
Explanation: Yes, human-to-human transmission of a virus is a very dangerous form of the virus. Because people are working in their daily and if they come in contact with a person having the flu then it will be really risky for their family also.

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