The Immunisation Controversy Reading Answers

Feb 4, 2023

The Immunisation Controversy Reading Answers is an academic reading topic. This topic discusses about the vaccines and how they are effective. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Cambridge IELTS 6”. The topic named The Immunisation Controversy Reading Answers has a total of 13 questions.

The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage in order to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section. These practice papers contain similar topics like The Immunisation Controversy Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

The Immunisation Controversy Reading Answers

Carl Sagan once said, 'Science loses ground to pseudo-science because the latter seems to offer more comfort. Yes, hard science, proven facts, and indisputable logic are often not sufficiently consoling, and thus routinely eliminated from the equation. Never, though, has this been more distressing than with the so-called 'anti-vaccination' movement. The end result has been the needless death of very young children, the most helpless of bystanders, and yet it seems there is no end in sight.
It is strange to believe that vaccination, with such a long and distinguished track record, is now under assault. Smallpox, for example, had killed over half a billion human beings throughout history but was eradicated - completely removed from the face of the Earth - via immunisation programs. Similarly, polio, rubella, whooping cough, measles, and a slew of other diseases which routinely decimated the youth are now, virtually, things of the past. The days of high infant mortality, short life spans, and nasty brutish lives are indeed long gone, and we owe it all to this crucial insight into disease prevention.
And this is part of the problem. With the once terrible epidemics lying outside of human memory, a growing number of people are convinced that vaccinations are no longer necessary, and that the small risk of adverse effects outweighs the benefits. One reason for this belief is that many genetic disorders related to brain impairment often emerge at around two years of age - that is, the same period in which babies receive vaccinations. If one in a hundred babies is destined to develop autism among a vaccinated group, then observable symptoms of the problem will likely appear after a vaccination shot, leading distraught parents to link one event to the other.
This misattribution is compounded by the Internet, which now hosts a sprawling forum of anti-vaccination lobby groups and their websites, full with unsubstantiated claims, fraudulent research, anecdotal evidence, and the passionate tirades of multitudes, firmly convinced of the correctness of their case. Authority is undermined, statistics ignored, and hard science excluded. Is it so surprising? If creationists and alternative medicine practitioners can gain respectability and widespread public and political support, so too can the pseudo-science of the anti-vaccinationists. When faced with this wave of propaganda, it would be hard for many parents, motivated by the intense desire to protect their children, not to be influenced.
At this point, it must be clarified that there is no credible evidence whatsoever to support the anti-vaccinationists' claims. Over a score of peer-reviewed studies have found nothing to link the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine to autism, or even the more subtle neurological problems, and every reason to continue with vaccinations. The so-called increase in autism so often attributed to vaccinations merely results from more accurate diagnoses.
Children who in the past would have been labeled as 'retarded' or 'slow' are now identified as having one of the three main grades of autism (which is probably genetically determined). Yet this argument falls on deaf ears, and the counter- claimants have succeeded in reducing vaccination rates among certain communities to the extent that outbreaks of preventable childhood illnesses (such as polio, meningitis, and measles) are occurring.
The MMR controversy is a sad case. In 1998, a high-profile paper linked this vaccine to autism. It was later shown that the author was receiving funds from various groups engaged in a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers, and that the study was both ethically and methodologically faulty. Data had been manipulated, and results misreported. Similar studies found no link whatsoever, and in 2004, the medical journal which hosted the original article formally retracted its conclusion. Yet vaccination rates in the UK. had dropped to 80% in the subsequent years. In late 1999, a measles outbreak occurred in North Dublin (which had vaccination rates as low as 60%), resulting in 100 hospitalisations and three deaths.
One of the key arguments of the anti-vaccinationists is that they have the right to choose their medication. These people attack what they see as the impersonal, intrusive, and uncaring edi6ce of modern medical science. However, the success of immunisation programs depends on a sufficiently high number of the population being immune, which forces the disease to die out through lack of carriers.
If there are enough susceptible individuals to provide a chain of disease transmission, safety is compromised for all, and this is why free choice should not be an issue, particularly when the hard evidence presents an overwhelming case. Personally, I would have thought that when children started dying from preventable diseases, the antivaccinationists' case would die also.
But there are other agendas at play. Anti-vaccinationists can posture as moral crusaders, dismissing those who support immunisation as being in the payment of big pharmaceutical companies, whom they see as dishonest and immoral. Talk show hosts, women's magazines, paid 'experts', lawyers, and media celebrities, all benefit from creating controversy when none existed, while alternative medicine practitioners and snake-oil salesmen all oppose vaccination, believing that their own slew of pills, potions, and unproven expensive treatments do the job better. Against all this, how can rational science prevail?

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 27-33

Reading Passage Three has seven paragraphs, A-H. Choose the correct heading for Paragraphs B-H from the list of headings. Write the correct number, i-x, for each answer.

List of Headings

Easy publicity
Increasing outbreaks of disease
Some real reasons
All or nothing
Autism on the rise
Past successes
A sad consequence
An unfortunate coincidence
A simple explanation
Some dubious evidence

Paragraph B

Answer: vi. Past successes
Supporting Sentence: Smallpox, for example, had killed over half a billion human beings throughout history but was eradicated - completely removed from the face of the Earth - via immunisation programs.
Keyword : eradicated, completely removed
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author in paragraph B talks about different diseases that brought deaths in the past and how they were eradicated or removed. This means we had success previously and in the past. Hence, past success is the correct answer.

Paragraph C

Answer: viii. An unfortunate coincidence
Supporting Sentence: One reason for this belief is that many genetic disorders related to brain impairment often emerge at around two years of age - that is, the same period in which babies receive vaccinations.
Keyword : belief, same period
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author talks about diseases that often emerge after sometime. This is a coincidence that diseases related to brain impairment occur at around two years of age. This is also the same time when they receive vax=ccinations. This is a very unfortunate coincidence.

Paragraph D

Answer: i. Easy publicity
Supporting Sentence: This misattribution is compounded by the Internet, which now hosts a sprawling forum of anti-vaccination lobby groups and their websites, full with unsubstantiated claims, fraudulent research,
anecdotal evidence, and the passionate tirades of multitudes, firmly convinced of the correctness of their case.
Keyword : compounded, Internet, sprawling forum
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 1st sentence
Explanation: People get easy access to publicity via the internet. The author talks about the postings and activities on the internet which is a free and easy access to everyone.

Paragraph E

Answer: ix. A simple explanation
Supporting Sentence: Children who in the past would have been labeled as 'retarded' or 'slow' are now identified as having one of the three main grades of autism (which is probably genetically determined).
Keyword : retarded, slow, grades of autism
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 4th sentence
Explanation: In this paragraph, the author explains about autism. As per the supporting sentence, previously the child who was labeled as slow, is now considered to have autism. This is a simple explanation of what autism can be.

Paragraph F

Answer: x. Some dubious evidence
Supporting Sentence: It was later shown that the author was receiving funds from various groups engaged in a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers, and that the study was both ethically and methodologically faulty.
Keyword : funds, ethically, faulty
Keyword Location: paragraph F, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author in the supporting sentence states that the study was ethically and methodically faulty. It was done after taking funds illegally. Hence, this is dubious evidence.

Paragraph G

Answer: iv. All or nothing
Supporting Sentence: One of the key arguments of the anti-vaccinationists is that they have the right to choose their medication
Keyword : choose their medication
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 1st sentence
Explanation: All or nothing means having no middle position or compromise. Here it means either get vaccinated or not. Hence, as per the paragraph, they have the right to choose their medication.

Paragraph H

Answer: iii. Some real reasons
Supporting Sentence: But there are other agendas at play.
Keyword : other, agendas
Keyword Location: paragraph H, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author starts the paragraph by saying that there are other agendas to play behind this controversy. These are the real reasons for this. Hence, some real reasons are the correct answer.

Questions 34-36

Choose THREE answers from the list and write the correct letter, A-G, next to the questions. For which THREE reasons, A-G, do anti-vaccinationists oppose vaccinations?

Believing they cause problems
Wanting to save money
Wanting freedom of choice
Not believing drug manufacturers
The pain of vaccinations
The influence of creationists
Preferring alternative medicine

Question 34:

Answer: A. Believing they cause problems
Supporting Sentence: One of the key arguments of the anti-vaccinationists is that they have the right to choose their medication.
Keyword : anti-vaccinationists, right, choose
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 1st sentence
Explanation: The anti-vaccinationists believe that vaccinations cause problems. Hence, they must have their right to choose their medication.

Question 35:

Answer: C. Wanting freedom of choice
Supporting Sentence: One of the key arguments of the anti-vaccinationists is that they have the right to choose their medication.
Keyword : anti-vaccinationists, right, choos
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 1st sentence
Explanation: The anti-vaccinationists believe that vaccinations cause problems. Hence, they must have their right to choose their medication.

Question 36:

Answer: D. Not believing drug manufacturers
Supporting Sentence: These people attack what they see as the impersonal, intrusive, and uncaring edifice of modern medical science.
Keyword : modern, medical science, attack
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that these anti people attack modern medical science. This is because they do not believe in drug manufacturers.

Questions 37-40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

Autism is

sometimes caused by vaccinations.
a very subtle neurological disorder.
most likely inherited.
increasing.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Children who in the past would have been labeled as 'retarded' or 'slow' are now identified as having one of the three main grades of autism (which is probably genetically determined).
Keyword : genetic
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 4th sentence
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that the three main grades of autism are probably genetically determined. This means it is most likely inherited from family.

The 1998 paper was

the cause of falling vaccination rates.
defended by the medical journal.
verified by other studies.
funded by patients.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: In 1998, a high-profile paper linked this vaccine to autism.
Keyword : paper, 1998
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The passage directly states that a high profile paper linked the vaccine to autism. This led to the fall of vaccination rates. People feared to provide vaccination.

Vaccinations

have removed most smallpox from the world.
are supported by solid evidence.
are defended on some websites.
are no longer necessary.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: It is strange to believe that vaccination, with such a long and distinguished track record, is now under assault.
Keyword : vaccination, track record
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, 1st sentence
Explanation: The whole passage explains that vaccinations are backed by evidence and anti vaccinations do not rely on those. Hence, B is the correct answer.

Alternative medicine practitioners

believe vaccinations are generally good.
can be impersonal and uncaring.
are often supported by politicians.
are often quite cheap.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: If creationists and alternative medicine practitioners can gain respectability and widespread public and political support, so too can the pseudo-science of the anti-vaccinationists.
Keyword : political, public, support
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author states that creationists and alternative medicine practitioners have gained respectability and widespread public and political support. This means that the pseudo-science of the anti-vaccinationists also can gain their support.