Antibiotic resistance is no longer a distant threat—it is a present-day crisis. Often featured in academic contexts like the IELTS reading exam, this topic explores how bacteria evolve to survive the drugs designed to kill them, turning common infections into life-threatening challenges.
If you are practicing with common IELTS passages like those on Kanan or IELTS Jacky , keep these verified answer patterns in mind: Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance - Bacteria - Scribd
Paragraph A: The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 revolutionized medicine. Yet, by 1945, even Fleming warned that misuse would lead to resistance. Today, multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) requires 20 times longer treatment than standard TB.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write: if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this Antibiotic resistance is no longer a distant threat—it
Explanation: The text states that by the middle of the century, resistant infections could "eclipse cancer as a leading cause of mortality," which logically infers that cancer currently causes more deaths.
The data bears this out. McCaig and her colleague Peter Killeen tracked antibiotic use in treating common illnesses and found nearly 6 million antibiotic prescriptions for sinusitis alone in 1985, rising to nearly 13 million in 1992. This vast overprescription—often for viral infections against which antibiotics are entirely ineffective—creates the selective pressure that drives resistance.
Infections that were once easily curable can now lead to long-term illness or death. Yet, by 1945, even Fleming warned that misuse
One major "stumbling block" mentioned is that drug companies prioritize "lucrative" chronic condition medications over antibiotics, which are often cheaper and used for shorter durations. Vocabulary for High Scores For students aiming for a Band 7.0+, Quizlet resources suggest focusing on these terms from the passage: Medicinal or therapeutic. Judiciously: Done with good judgment or sense.
Reading tests often focus on two primary causes of the crisis:
Explanation: The passage mentions the "indiscriminate usage of antibiotic agents in both clinical [human] and veterinary [animal] settings." Write: if the statement agrees with the information
A. Since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have been the cornerstone of modern medicine. They have transformed the treatment of bacterial infections, saving millions of lives and making complex surgeries and chemotherapy safe. However, this medical triumph is under severe threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) now lists antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity.
Antibiotics have revolutionised modern medicine since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. They are used not only to treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis but also to prevent infections during surgeries, chemotherapy, and organ transplants. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals have accelerated the natural process of bacterial adaptation, leading to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Answer: LM (Linda McCaig)