The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Access

Several countries have shown progress. Sweden’s strict antibiotic stewardship programmes have reduced usage by 40% since 1995 while maintaining low resistance rates. Similarly, the UK’s ‘Netflix model’—a fixed annual fee for unlimited access to a new antibiotic—has encouraged development. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where sanitation is poor and antibiotics are sold over the counter, the problem is escalating fastest. Without coordinated global action, the post-antibiotic era—where minor scrapes could once again become deadly—is not science fiction but a foreseeable reality. QUESTIONS Questions 1–5 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?

The consequences are already measurable. According to a 2022 report in The Lancet , approximately 1.27 million deaths were directly attributed to antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019, with nearly 5 million associated deaths. Without intervention, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects that by 2050, resistance could cause 10 million deaths annually—exceeding cancer’s toll. Routine medical procedures, such as hip replacements or caesarean sections, would become high-risk due to untreatable post-operative infections. Several countries have shown progress

Antibiotic resistance develops when bacteria adapt to survive drugs. Human activities have (6) ______ this natural process. In farming, antibiotics are used for growth and (7) ______, leading to resistant bacteria entering water systems. As a result, routine operations like hip replacements may become (8) ______. To solve this, experts propose a (9) ______ approach combining human, animal, and environmental strategies. The consequences are already measurable

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve mechanisms to survive exposure to drugs designed to kill them. This is a natural evolutionary process, but human activities have dramatically accelerated it. The primary driver is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. In many countries, antibiotics are available without prescription, leading to self-medication for viral infections like the common cold—against which they are useless. Even when prescribed correctly, patients often fail to complete the full course, allowing surviving bacteria to develop resistance. perform complex surgeries safely

The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance A For much of human history, common bacterial infections like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and wound sepsis were often death sentences. The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 revolutionised medicine, ushering in the antibiotic era. For decades, these ‘miracle drugs’ allowed doctors to cure infections easily, perform complex surgeries safely, and protect vulnerable patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, this golden age is under severe threat due to the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance (ABR).