The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Work 【Confirmed】

The economic and human costs of this crisis are already staggering. Health organizations estimate that drug-resistant infections claim over a million lives annually worldwide, a figure projected to skyrocket to 10 million by 2050 if left unchecked. Economically, the burden is catastrophic. Patients infected with resistant strains require longer hospital stays, more intensive care, and highly expensive, second- or third-line alternative therapies. These alternative medications often carry severe side effects, such as kidney damage, and are financially draining for healthcare systems, particularly in developing nations.

1. The Causes of Resistance (How we brought this upon ourselves)

– The passage explicitly states that weaker health systems are linked to higher resistance rates.

– The passage says that resistant bacteria “become the dominant form”. The economic and human costs of this crisis

The consequences are already being felt worldwide. Drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and K. pneumoniae are becoming more dangerous globally. More than 40% of E. coli and over 55% of K. pneumoniae are now resistant to third‑generation cephalosporins, the first‑choice treatment for these infections. In the African Region, resistance exceeds 70%. Carbapenem resistance, once rare, is becoming more frequent, forcing reliance on last‑resort antibiotics that are costly and often unavailable in low‑ and middle‑income countries.

"Antibiotics are sometimes used solely to prevent infections" or "Hand washing has a positive effect on reducing spread". nativespeaker.vn Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance - Bacteria - Scribd

Antibiotics have been hailed as one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, these ‘miracle drugs’ have saved millions of lives by combating bacterial infections that were once fatal. However, in recent decades, the efficacy of these drugs has been steadily eroding. The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – specifically antibiotic resistance – is now recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity. The Causes of Resistance (How we brought this

Here are the key features of a high-quality on the topic: "The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance" — including what makes the answer key effective for test-takers.

Recognizing the emergency, the international community has taken action. In 2015, the World Health Assembly adopted a Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance . The plan aims to improve awareness and understanding of AMR, strengthen surveillance and research, and promote the development of new antibiotics. Under this framework, the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) was established to collect and analyze data from over 100 countries. In addition, organizations such as the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) are investing in new treatments and alternative therapies.

A. the process of natural selection where bacteria that can resist antibiotics survive and multiply. B. making hospital stays longer and treatment more expensive. C. the financial impact of AMR on the global economy. At the same time

In many developing countries, patients can easily buy antibiotics because they are sold __________.

The threat is not distributed evenly across the globe. Resistance levels are highest in the WHO South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean Regions, where one in three reported infections were resistant. In the African Region, one in five infections showed resistance. Low- and middle-income countries bear the heaviest burden, as they often have weaker health systems, limited access to effective diagnostic tools, and fewer resources to afford newer, more expensive antibiotics.

– The passage directly mentions these as factors explaining regional differences.

"The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance" IELTS passage outlines how human misuse and reliance on antibiotics have created a critical public health crisis, characterized by the rapid emergence of resistant "superbacteria". The text details key drivers of this crisis, including agricultural use and over-prescription, and emphasizes the need for global, multi-sectoral action to curb resistance. Find the full answer key at ieltsmaterial.com . Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance | PDF - Scribd

Resistance arises through several genetic mechanisms. Bacterial DNA may mutate spontaneously; drug-resistant tuberculosis arises this way. Alternatively, a process called transformation allows one bacterium to take up DNA from another. The most frightening method, however, is through small circles of DNA called plasmids . A single plasmid can flit from one bacterium to another, carrying several different resistance genes at once. At the same time, some resistant microbes alter their cell walls so antibiotics cannot bind, while others produce enzymes that actively dismantle the drug.