The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance IELTS Reading Answers
Bacteria replicate and mutate extraordinarily quickly, allowing them to develop resistance to drugs much faster than scientists can produce new ones. Human Carelessness:
Answer: Hospitals will become breeding grounds for resistant bacteria. The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance IELTS
5. TRUE (The text cites a projection of 10 million deaths by 2050.) 6. genetic mutations 7. overprescription 8. agricultural sector 9. post-antibiotic era
Questions
The consequences of antibiotic resistance are far-reaching. Infections will become more difficult to treat, and the risk of transmission will increase. Hospitals will become breeding grounds for resistant bacteria, and patients with compromised immune systems will be most vulnerable.
What is Antibiotic Resistance?
The Evolutionary Process: Bacteria develop resistance naturally through mutation and natural selection. When antibiotics are used, they kill defenseless bacteria but leave behind resistant ones, which then multiply rapidly—sometimes doubling in number within a day.
The consequences of unchecked resistance are catastrophic. Common medical procedures that rely on preventative antibiotics – such as caesarean sections, hip replacements, and chemotherapy – could become too risky to perform. Simple infections from a scratch or a routine operation could once again become fatal. The WHO estimates that at least 700,000 people die each year from drug-resistant infections. If no action is taken, this figure is projected to reach 10 million per year by 2050, surpassing cancer as a leading cause of death. TRUE (The text cites a projection of 10