What's in Blood Reading Answers

Feb 3, 2023

What's in Blood Reading Answers is an academic topic in the IELTS Reading section. This has been taken from the book: Practice Tests for IELTS 2 - Volume 2. The IELTS reading section helps candidates increase their reading skills with the help of passages. Candidates need to read the passage and then answer the questions. There are 13 questions in this topic: What's in Blood Reading Answers. The IELTS reading questions are divided into three sections: no more than three words, choose the appropriate heading, and True, false, Not Given. There are more topics like In search of the What's in Blood Reading Answers available online. Candidates can practice from IELTS Reading practice papers to help them excel in the IELTS exam.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

What's in Blood Reading Answers

Blood is the most specialised fluid within living animals, playing an absolutely critical role. It symbolises life ('new blood'), health ('get your blood running'), personality ('good or bad blood'), and family ('your bloodline'). This red fluid itself is something which most people would rather not see, yet it contains such a complex soup of proteins, sugars, ions, hormones, gases, and basic cellular components that it is certainly worth considering in some detail.
By volume, half of blood is the liquid part, called plasma. The rest comprises specialised components, the main one being red blood cells (technically known as erythrocytes). These transport oxygen molecules throughout the body, and also give blood its colour (from the hemoglobin protein within, which turns red when combined with oxygen). Red blood cells, as with all cells in the human body, have a limited operating life. They are produced within the marrow of bones, principally the larger ones, and live for about four months before they fall inactive, to be then reabsorbed by the spleen and liver, with waste products absorbed into the urine.
This contrasts with the other main cells of human blood: the white blood cells, technically known as leukocytes. Similarly produced in the bone marrow, they are active only for three or four days, yet they are essential in defending the body against infections. White blood cells come in many different types, each designed to deal with a different sort of invader bacteria, virus, fungus, or parasite. When one of these enters the body, the white blood cells quickly determine its nature, then, after mustering sufficient numbers of a specific type (the period in which you are sick), they launch themselves into the fight, enveloping each individual invasive cell, and breaking it down (leading to recovery).
That leaves the last main component of blood: platelets. Their technical name is thrombocytes, and they are much smaller than red and white blood cells. Also circulating freely, they are responsible for clotting the blood, and this is necessary to heal both external and internal injuries. Again, they are produced in the bone marrow, and have the interesting ability to change shape. There are several diseases related to the breakdown in the regulation of their numbers. If too low, excessive bleeding can occur, yet if too high, internal clotting may result, causing potentially catastrophic blockages in parts of the body and medical ailments we know as strokes, heart attacks, and embolisms.
Blood's complexity presents particular difficulties in the advent of emergency transfusions. These are avoided whenever possible in order to lower the risk of reactions due to blood incompatibility. Unexpected antigens can trigger antibodies to attack blood components, with potentially lethal results. Thus, if transfusions are to take place, a thorough knowledge and classification of blood is essential, yet with 30 recognised blood-group systems, containing hundreds of antigens, this presents quite a challenge. The ABO system is the most important. On top of this is the Rhesus factor, which is not as simple as positive or negative (as most people think), but comprises scores of antigens. These can, however, be clustered together into groups which cause similar responses, creating some order.
Of course, the simplest system to avoid adverse transfusion reactions is for patients to receive their own blood - for example, in a series of blood donations in anticipation of an operation scheduled some months in advance. The second best system is to undertake cross-matching, which involves simply mixing samples of the patients' blood with the donors', then checking microscopically for clumping - a key sign of incompatibility. Both of these systems are obviously impractical in an emergency situation, which is why meticulous testing, documentation, and labeling of blood are necessary.
In a true emergency, a blood bank is needed, with an array of various types of blood on hand. Hence, blood donations must be a regular occurrence among a significant segment of the population. In the developed world, unpaid volunteers provide most of the blood for the community, whereas in less developed nations, families or friends are mostly involved. In the era of HIV and other insidious blood-borne diseases, potential donors are carefully screened and tested, and a period of about two months is recommended before successive whole blood donations.
Given the vital role which blood plays, it is strange to think that for almost 2000 years bloodletting was a widespread medical practice. It was based on the belief that blood carried 'humours', whose imbalances resulted in medical illnesses. Bleeding a patient was supposed to remove an undesirable excess of one of these. Furthermore, the fact that blood circulated around the body was unknown. It was instead assumed to be quickly created, and equally quickly exhausted of its value, after which it could stagnant unhealthily in the bodily extremities. Although the logic was there, it goes without saying that very few patients responded positively to such treatment.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 27-33

Reading Passage Three has eight 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

Not as big, but needing just enough
Some attitudes to blood
Good, but not so quick
Two ideas see a wrong conclusion
Complicated identification
An interesting treatment
A shorter life, but just as important
The Principal part that adds some colour
Bone marrow and blood
Maintaining supplies

Paragraph B

Answer: viii. The Principal part that adds some colour
Supporting Sentence: These transport oxygen molecules throughout the body, and also give blood its colour (from the hemoglobin protein within, which turns red when combined with oxygen).
Keyword: colour, blood
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 3rd sentence
Explanation: the author talks about red blood cells in the second paragraph. This component gives the colour red to blood. Hence, it is the pricipal part that adds colour and since the paragraph talks about this, viii is the correct answer.

Paragraph C

Answer: vii. A shorter life, but just as important
Supporting Sentence: Similarly produced in the bone marrow, they are active only for three or four days, yet they are essential in defending the body against infections.
Keyword: only, three to four days, active, essential
Keyword location: paragraph C, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author says that white blood cells are active for three to four days. This means that they have a shorter life span. However, they are essential in defending the body against infections. This means that they are also important. Hence, Paragraph C is the correct answer.

Paragraph D

Answer: i. Not as big, but needing just enough
Supporting Sentence: Their technical name is thrombocytes, and they are much smaller than red and white blood cells.
Keyword: much smaller
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author says that thrombocytes are much smaller than red and white blood cells. They roam around freely and is just enough not to allow the blood to clot. Hence, this is the appropriate heading.

Paragraph E

Answer: v. Complicated identification
Supporting Sentence :Blood's complexity presents particular difficulties in the advent of emergency transfusions.
Keyword: complexity,
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author states that blood is complex to identify. The whole paragraph including the first sentence talks about the complex nature. Hence, “Complicated identification” is the correct answer.

Paragraph F

Answer: iii. Good, but not so quick
Supporting Sentence: Both of these systems are obviously impractical in an emergency situation, which is why meticulous testing, documentation, and labeling of blood are necessary.
Keyword: impractical, emergency
Keyword location: Paragraph F, last sentence
Explanation: The author states two ways to receive blood. Both of these ways takes a lonng time which is not possible in case of emergency. Hence, they are good but not so quick.

Paragraph G

Answer: x. Maintaining supplies
Supporting Sentence: In a true emergency, a blood bank is needed, with an array of various types of blood on hand.
Keyword: array, blood, various
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author states that in case of emergency a blood bank with various types of blood and their supplies are needed. Hence, bllod donations are alkso necessary. This makes maintaining supplies the correct answer.

Paragraph H

Answer: iv. Two ideas see a wrong conclusion
Supporting Sentence: It was based on the belief that blood carried 'humours', whose imbalances resulted in medical illnesses.
Keyword: belief, imbalance
Keyword location: Paragraph H, 2nd sentence
Explanation: Paragraph H talks about the beliefs. These beliefs and their imbalance caused medical illness.

Questions 34-37

Complete the table.

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

Blood Component	Associated Fact
red cells	upon dying, dealt with by (34………).
white cells	require (35)........ before attacking invaders
platelets	Their numbers need careful (36)...........
37 ______	Many varieties exist.

Question 34

Answer: spleen and liver
Supporting Sentence: They are produced within the marrow of bones, principally the larger ones, and live for about four months before they fall inactive, to be then reabsorbed by the spleen and liver, with waste products absorbed into the urine.
Keyword: live, inactive,
Keyword location: paragraph B, last sentence
Explanation: The author mentions that the red blood cells are stored in bone marrows. Once they become inactive, they are reabsorbed by liver and spleen. After that they are considered as waste products and absorbed into the urine.

Question 35

Answer: sufficient numbers
Supporting Sentence: When one of these enters the body, the white blood cells quickly determine its nature, then, after mustering sufficient numbers of a specific type (the period in which you are sick), they launch themselves into the fight, enveloping each individual invasive cell, and breaking it down (leading to recovery).
Keyword: launch, fight
Keyword location: Paragraph C, last sentence
Explanation: The author in the paragraph C states how white blood cells fight. When invaders or germs attacks the body, the white blood cells determines its nature and then join in sufficient numbers before attacking the invaders. Hence, sufficient numbers is the correct answer.

Question 36

Answer: regulation
Supporting Sentence: There are several diseases related to the breakdown in the regulation of their numbers.
Keyword: breakdown, regulation, numbers
Keyword location: paragraph D, 5th sentence
Explanation: The author states that platelets are necessary for internal and external cuts and injuries. Thir numbers needs to be regulated properly.

Question 37

Answer: antigens
Supporting Sentence: Thus, if transfusions are to take place, a thorough knowledge and classification of blood is essential, yet with 30 recognised blood-group systems, containing hundreds of antigens, this presents quite a challenge.
Keyword: hundreds, challenge
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 4th sentenc
Explanation: The author states that blood contains hundreds of antigens. Hence, there are a variety of antigens present in blood.

Questions 38-40

Write

TRUE - if the statement is true
FALSE - if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN - if the information is not given in the passage

Blood cross-matching can be done without special equipment.

Answer: false
Supporting Sentence: The second best system is to undertake cross-matching, which involves simply mixing samples of the patients' blood with the donors', then checking microscopically for clumping - a key sign of incompatibility.
Keyword: cross-matching, blood
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author states that in cross-matching, a patients blood and donor;s blood is mixed. Then they are checked microscopically for clumping. It involves microscope which is a special equipment.

In poorer countries, family members often donate blood.

Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: In the developed world, unpaid volunteers provide most of the blood for the community, whereas in less developed nations, families or friends are mostly involved.
Keyword: volunteers, families, friends
Keyword location: paragraph G, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author states that in less developed nations, families and friends donate blood. Less developed nations means poor countries. Families and friends menas family members.