The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Top [better]
| Question | Answer | Keyword Location / Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | | “The rise of antibiotic resistance is fundamentally a consequence of evolution”. | | 2 | selective | “When a person takes an antibiotic, the drug kills the defenseless bacteria, leaving behind… those that can resist it” – This is ‘selective pressure’. | | 3 | overuse | “The overuse and misuse of antibiotics… greatly accelerates this natural selection process”. | | 4 | one | “One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections… were resistant to antibiotic treatments”. | | 5 | gram | “The report identifies Gram-negative bacteria… as posing the greatest threat”. | | 6 | FALSE | The report states AMR contributed to 1.27 million deaths in 2019 , not 2023. | | 7 | FALSE | The passage states overuse/misuse also accelerates the process; it is not the only factor. | | 8 | FALSE | The highest resistance is found in South-East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean , not Europe or the Western Pacific. | | 9 | TRUE | The passage states: “more than 40% of E. coli … are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins”. | | 10 | NOT GIVEN | The passage reports a growth in participation but does not explicitly state every member country submits data. | | 11 | One Health | “a coordinated ‘One Health’ approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health policies”. | | 12 | 2050 | “39 million people could die from drug-resistant infections over the next 25 years…”. | | 13 | 55% | “over 55% of K. pneumoniae globally are now resistant to third-generation cephalosporins”. | | 14 | selective | Selective pressure. Explanation: The passage describes this pressure as occurring every time antibiotics are used, favouring resistant bacteria. |
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, .Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A–G , in boxes 1–6 on your answer sheet. NB: You may use any letter more than once.
To perform well on this passage, you should recognize these high-level terms often tested in synonyms: : Healing or medicinal. Horizontal Gene Transfer : The process of passing resistance genes between bacteria. : Inborn or natural.
The ramifications of a post-antibiotic world are catastrophic to contemplate. Stripped of effective antimicrobials, humanity would regress to an era where a simple scratch could trigger fatal septicemia. Global health economic models estimate that without coordinated, aggressive intervention, AMR could claim upwards of 10 million lives annually by 2050, eclipsing the current global toll of cancer and costing the global economy over $100 trillion in lost productivity. Already, resistant strains of tuberculosis, malaria, and hospital-acquired infections like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year, predominantly impacting low- and middle-income regions with fragile medical infrastructures. | Question | Answer | Keyword Location /
To boost your vocabulary score, familiarize yourself with these key academic terms used throughout the text:
For IELTS test-takers, understanding the topic of antibiotic resistance is essential, as it is a common theme in IELTS reading passages. Here are some tips and sample answers to help you prepare:
: For TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions, remember that FALSE requires direct, opposing evidence. If the text says "different species" and the question says "identical species," it is explicitly FALSE. If the text mentions an industry will be "disrupted" but the question says "completely eliminated," it is NOT GIVEN because you cannot prove total elimination from the word disruption. | | 4 | one | “One in
: Paragraph A states: "...surgical procedures, organ transplantations, and cancer chemotherapies, which all rely heavily on prophylactic antimicrobial cover, became standard clinical practice." The term "prophylactic" means preventative. 8. Answer: natural selection
The ability to produce a desired or intended result; effectiveness. Relating to or characteristic of a microorganism. Prophylactic
The growing global threat of antibiotic resistance has become a pressing concern for the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities worldwide. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to survive and thrive despite the presence of antibiotics, rendering these medicines ineffective in treating infections. This phenomenon has significant implications for global health, and it is essential to understand the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to this growing threat. | | 7 | FALSE | The passage
: Paragraph B discusses "horizontal gene transfer," specifically noting that non-resistant bacteria can acquire resistance genes directly from "completely different species." 3. Answer: F
Setting boundaries on antibiotic usage in agriculture and banning over-the-counter sales of antibiotics without a prescription.
Paragraph F instructs patients to "see out the full course, even if they feel better before the antibiotics are finished." Stopping early encourages resistance.
For nearly a century, antibiotics have been the bedrock of modern medicine. Since Alexander Fleming’s chance discovery of penicillin in 1928, these miracle drugs have saved hundreds of millions of lives. They transformed once-fatal infections—like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and rheumatic fever—into easily treatable ailments. They also made complex surgeries, organ transplants, and cancer therapies possible by shielding vulnerable patients from opportunistic bacterial infections. However, this golden age of medicine is under severe threat. Paragraph B
