The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Top [verified] Jun 2026
Complete the summary below using from the passage for each answer.
The growing global threat of antibiotic resistance has become a pressing concern for the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health experts worldwide. The increasing ineffectiveness of antibiotics against bacterial infections poses a significant risk to global health, making it essential to understand the issue, its causes, and potential solutions. In this article, we will explore the topic of antibiotic resistance, provide IELTS reading answers, and offer insights into the growing global threat.
Paragraph E details the financial impact of alternative drugs: "These alternative medications are frequently significantly more expensive, require longer hospital stays..."
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The consequences of inaction are dire. If current trends continue, we face a "post-antibiotic era" where chemotherapy, organ transplants, and C-sections become prohibitively risky due to the high chance of untreatable infection. Economically, the burden on healthcare systems will be staggering as patients require longer hospital stays and more expensive, toxic alternative treatments.
At its core, antibiotic resistance is a natural evolutionary process. When a population of bacteria is exposed to an antimicrobial drug, the majority of susceptible organisms are eradicated. However, a minute fraction may possess random genetic mutations that render them immune to the drug's mechanisms. These surviving "superbugs" then multiply, passing on their resistant traits to subsequent generations. More alarmingly, bacteria can exchange genetic material horizontally across different species via plasmids—tiny rings of DNA. This means a harmless environmental bacterium can transfer resistance genes directly to a lethal human pathogen, accelerating the spread of immunity at an exponential rate.
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Paragraph E notes that the "2026 AMR Benchmark report reveals a 35% decrease in antimicrobial research and development projects among large pharmaceutical companies since 2021".
Beyond the clinic, the industrial agricultural sector plays a massive role in exacerbating the threat. In many parts of the world, antibiotics are administered to livestock not just to treat illness, but to promote growth and prevent disease in crowded, unsanitary conditions. This practice creates a vast breeding ground for resistant bacteria, which can reach humans through the food chain or environmental runoff. The globalized nature of trade and travel means that a resistant strain emerging on a farm in one country can appear in a hospital across the world within days.
Low- and middle-income countries face the greatest burden due to weaker healthcare systems, lack of sanitation, and easy access to antibiotics without prescription. However, no country is immune. Even in high-income nations, antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) cause thousands of deaths annually. AI responses may include mistakes
The World Health Organization has issued guidelines attempting to curb antibiotic use in farming.
The test often pairs passage terms with synonymous phrases in the questions. For instance, "livestock farming" in the questions maps to "agriculture" and "animal feed" in paragraph D.
A description of how farming practices contribute to environmental contamination.
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.