We know the City where HIV first Emerged Reading Answers

Oct 31, 2025

The reading answers for "We know the City where HIV first Emerged" include 16 questions and are part of the evaluation framework for the IELTS General Reading assessment. Test takers are allotted 20 minutes to complete the reading answers related to "We know the City where HIV first Emerged." This section of the IELTS reading test features different question formats, such as do the following statements agree with the information given, and selecting the correct letter.

We know the City where HIV first Emerged Reading Answers offer an in-depth look at HIV, which originated from chimpanzees in Central Africa, began spreading in the 1920s from Kinshasa due to social and trade networks, and later reached Haiti and the US. Its global spread was driven more by ecological and societal factors than by any special viral traits. For additional practice with similar reading assessments, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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We know the City where HIV first Emerged Reading Answers

It is easy to see why AIDS seemed so mysterious and frightening when US medics first encountered it 35 years ago. The condition robbed young, healthy people of their strong immune system, leaving them weak and vulnerable. And it seemed to come out of nowhere. Today we know how much more and why HIV – the virus that leads to AIDS – has become a global pandemic. Unsurprisingly, sex workers today are played a part. But no less important were the roles of trade, the collapse of colonialism, and 20th Century sociopolitical reform that did not really appear out of nowhere. Of course, it probably began as a virus affecting monkeys and apes in west central Africa from there it jumped species into humans on several occasions, perhaps because people ate infected bushmeat. Some people carry a version of HIV closely related to that seen in sooty mangabey monkeys, for instance. But HIV that came from monkeys has not become a global problem. We are more closely related to apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees, than we are to monkeys. But even when HIV has passed into human populations from these apes, it has not necessarily turned into a widespread health issue. HIV originating from apes typically belongs to a type of virus called HIV-1. One is called HIV-1 group N and human cases are largely confined to west Africa. In fact, only one form of HIV has spread far and wide after jumping to humans. This version, which probably originated from chimpanzees, is called HIV-1, group M (for ‘major’). More than 90% of HIV infections belong in group M. Which raises an obvious question: what’s so special about HIV-1, group M? A study published in 2014 suggests a surprising answer: there might not be nothing particularly special about group M. It is not especially infectious, as you might expect. Instead, it seems that this form of HIV simply took advantage of events. “Ecological rather than evolutionary factors drove its rapid spread,” says Nuno Faria at the University of Oxford in the UK. Faria and his colleagues built a family tree of HIV by looking at a diverse array of HIV genomes collected from about 800 infected people from central Africa. Genomics picks up new mutations at a fairly ready rate, so by comparing two genome sequences and counting the differences they could work out when the two last shared a common ancestor. This technique is widely used, for example to establish that our common ancestor with chimpanzees lived at least 7 million years ago. “RNA viruses such as HIV evolve approximately 1 million times faster than human DNA” says Faria. This means the HIV ‘molecular clock’ rolls very fast indeed: it ticks so fast, Faria and his colleagues found that the HIV genomes all shared a common ancestor that existed no more than 100 years ago. The HIV-1 group M pandemic probably first began in the 1920s, then the team went further. Because they knew where and all of the samples had been collected, they could place the origin of the pandemic in a specific city: Kinshasa, now the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At this point, the researchers changed tack. They turned to historical records to work out why HIV infections in an African city in the 1920s could ultimately spark a pandemic. A likely sequence of events quickly became obvious. In the 1920s, DR Congo was a Belgian colony and Kinshasa – then known as Leopoldville – had just been made the capital. The city became a very attractive destination for young working men seeking their fortunes, and for sex workers only too willing to help them spend their earnings. Their virus spread quickly through the population. But it did remain largely within the city. The researchers discovered that the capital of the Belgian Congo was, in the 1920s, one of the best connected cities in Africa. Taking full advantage of an extensive rail network used by hundreds of thousands of people each year, the virus spread to about 500 miles (800km) away in just 20 years. Events taking place in an African city in the 20s then laid the foundation of the beginning of the spread that brought another large change: Belgian Congo was an attractive destination for employment to French speakers elsewhere in the world, including Haiti. When those young men returned home a few years later they took a particular form of HIV-1 group M called ‘subtype B’ to the western side of the Atlantic. It arrived in the US in the 1970s, just as sexual liberation and homophobic attitudes were leading to concentrations of gay men in cosmopolitan cities like New York and San Francisco. Once more, it took advantage of the sociopolitical situation to spread quickly through the US and Europe. “There is no reason to believe that other subtypes would not have spread as quickly as subtype B, given similar ecological circumstances,” says Faria. The story of the spread of HIV is not yet over. For instance, in 2015 there was an outbreak in the US state of Indiana, associated with drug injection. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been analysing the HIV genome sequences and data about location and time of infection, says Karat. Karat at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. These data help to understand the extent of the outbreak, and will further help to understand when public health interventions have worked. The approach can work for other pathogens. In 2014, Karat and his colleague Marc Lipstitch published an investigation into the spread of drug resistant gonorrhoea across the US. “Because we had representative sequences from individuals in different cities at different times and with different sexual orientations, we could show the spread was from the west of the country to the east,” says Lipstitch. What’s more, they could confirm that the drug-resistant form of gonorrhoea appeared to have circulated predominantly in men who have sex with men. That could prompt increased screening in these at-risk populations, in an effort to reduce further spread. In other words, there is real power in studying pathogens like HIV and gonorrhoea through the prism of human society.

QUESTIONS 13-20

DO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AGREE WITH THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN READING PASSAGE 1?

IN BOXES 13-20 ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET, WRITE

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE f the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

13. AIDS were first encountered 35 years ago.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “It is easy to see why AIDS seemed so mysterious and frightening when US medics first encountered it 35 years ago.”

Keywords: AIDS, first encountered, 35 years ago

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 1

Explanation: The passage clearly states that AIDS was first encountered 35 years ago by US medics, confirming the statement as TRUE.

14. The most important role in developing AIDS as a pandemia was played by sex workers.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “Sex workers today are played a part. But no less important were the roles of trade, the collapse of colonialism, and 20th Century sociopolitical reform.”

Keywords: sex workers, part, no less important

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 6–8

Explanation: The passage mentions that sex workers played a part, but other factors were equally important. Hence, claiming they played the most important role is FALSE.

15. It is believed that HIV appeared out of nowhere.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “And it seemed to come out of nowhere. Today we know how much more and why HIV… has become a global pandemic.”

Keywords: seemed to come out of nowhere, today we know

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 2–5

Explanation: The passage states HIV seemed to appear suddenly, but now we understand its origins. Thus, it did not actually appear out of nowhere, making it FALSE.

16. Humans are not closely related to monkey.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “We are more closely related to apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees, than we are to monkeys.”

Keywords: closely related, apes, monkeys

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 7–9

Explanation: The passage directly confirms that humans are not closely related to monkeys, but to apes, making this statement TRUE.

17. HIV-1 group 0 originated in 1920s.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage talks about HIV-1 group M beginning in the 1920s, but there is no mention of group 0. Therefore, the statement is NOT GIVEN.

18. HIV-1 group M has something special.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “There might not be anything particularly special about group M… It is not especially infectious, as you might expect.”

Keywords: nothing special, not especially infectious

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 3–6

Explanation: The study found that HIV-1 group M spread due to ecological factors, not because it was special. Hence, this statement is FALSE.

19. Human DNA evolves approximately 1 million times slower than HIV.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “RNA viruses such as HIV evolve approximately 1 million times faster than human DNA.”

Keywords: evolve faster, 1 million times

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 4–5

Explanation: If HIV evolves 1 million times faster, then human DNA evolves 1 million times slower, making the statement TRUE.

20. Scientists believe that HIV already existed in 1920s.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Faria and his colleagues found that the HIV genomes all shared a common ancestor that existed no more than 100 years ago… The HIV-1 group M pandemic probably first began in the 1920s.”

Keywords: common ancestor, 1920s

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 6–8

Explanation: The researchers concluded that HIV existed in the 1920s, confirming the statement as TRUE.

QUESTIONS 21-28

WRITE NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS FROM THE PASSAGE

FOR EACH ANSWER.

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS IN BOXES 21-28 ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET,

21. Scientists can place the origin of …………….. in a specific city.

Answer: the pandemic

Supporting statement: “They could place the origin of the pandemic in a specific city: Kinshasa.”

Keywords: origin, specific city, Kinshasa

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 4

Explanation: The passage states that scientists located the origin of the pandemic in Kinshasa, so the answer is the pandemic.

22. Kinshasa was a very ……………….. for young working men and many others willing to spend their money.

Answer: attractive destination

Supporting statement: “The city became a very attractive destination for young working men seeking their fortunes, and for sex workers only too willing to help them spend their earnings.”

Keywords: attractive destination, young working men

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 2–3

Explanation: The phrase “very attractive destination” describes Kinshasa’s appeal to workers and sex workers.

23. In just 20 years virus managed to ………………… to cities 900 miles away.

Answer: spread

Supporting statement: “Taking full advantage of an extensive rail network… the virus spread to about 500 miles (800km) away in just 20 years.”

Keywords: spread, 20 years, 800km

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 6–8

Explanation: The virus spread to other cities within 20 years, making spread the correct word.

24. Belgian Congo became an attractive source of employment to French speakers when it gained …………………..

Answer: independence

Supporting statement: “Belgian Congo was an attractive destination for employment to French speakers elsewhere in the world, including Haiti.”

Keywords: attractive destination, employment, French speakers

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, lines 1–3

Explanation: The context refers to Belgian Congo’s independence, which attracted French-speaking workers. The missing phrase is independence.

25. HIV has spread quickly through the US and Europe because of the ……………….

Answer: sociopolitical situation

Supporting statement: “Once more, it took advantage of the sociopolitical situation to spread quickly through the US and Europe.”

Keywords: spread quickly, US and Europe, sociopolitical situation

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, last line

Explanation: HIV spread due to the sociopolitical situation, as stated directly.

26. It is said that outbreak in Indiana was associated with …………………

Answer: drug injection

Supporting statement: “In 2015 there was an outbreak in the US state of Indiana, associated with drug injection.”

Keywords: outbreak, Indiana, drug injection

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, line 2

Explanation: The outbreak in Indiana was linked to drug injection, so that is the correct answer.

27. The same approach as for HIV can work for ………………

Answer: other pathogens

Supporting statement: “The approach can work for other pathogens.”

Keywords: approach, work, other pathogens

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, line 6

Explanation: The same genetic tracing method used for HIV can be applied to other pathogens.

28. The form of gonorrhoea that is drug-resistant appeared to have …………….. in men who have sex with men.

Answer: circulated predominantly

Supporting statement: “They could confirm that the drug-resistant form of gonorrhoea appeared to have circulated predominantly in men who have sex with men.”

Keywords: drug-resistant, circulated predominantly, men

Keyword Location: Paragraph 9, lines 4–5

Explanation: The phrase clearly states that the form of gonorrhoea circulated predominantly among men who have sex with men.

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