(or similar variations like "The Rise of Antibiotic Resistant Infections"), highlights how bacteria are evolving faster than our ability to develop new drugs. Passage Summary The Problem:
Instead, her family gathered in a sterile hospital room, wearing masks and gloves. Three weeks earlier, Ella had cut her hand while gardening—a small scratch from a rose thorn. Within 48 hours, the wound turned black. Doctors diagnosed her with a necrotizing infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to all known antibiotics — including colistin, the drug of last resort.
Bacteria possess an incredible ability to adapt through several methods, as often detailed in IELTS-style passages:
The pharmaceutical industry has low incentive to invest in new antibiotics because they are not as profitable as drugs for chronic illnesses. 3. IELTS Reading Simulation: Passage Analysis (or similar variations like "The Rise of Antibiotic
5. Routine hip replacements are now banned in the story’s future.
Understanding the structural patterns, advanced vocabulary, and core concepts embedded in texts covering "The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance" is essential for achieving a high band score. Part 1: Comprehensive Reading Passage The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance Paragraph A
The scale of the problem is stark. An estimated 1.27 million deaths were directly attributable to bacterial AMR in 2019, with 4.95 million AMR-associated deaths overall. Looking ahead, projections suggest that by 2050, antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths annually if urgent action is not taken. AMR threatens to undermine and reverse many advances in modern medicine, as the successful outcomes of surgical procedures and immunosuppressive treatments depend on our ability to prevent and treat infections. Within 48 hours, the wound turned black
Complete the summary below.Choose from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 11–13 on your answer sheet. Solutions to the Crisis
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach. Governments must implement stricter regulations on antibiotic sales and agricultural use. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry needs better incentives to develop new classes of drugs, as the "pipeline" for new antibiotics has run dry due to low profit margins. Ultimately, public education remains vital; patients must understand that antibiotics are a precious resource that must be handled with care to ensure they remain effective for future generations. Questions 1–5
Antibiotic resistance is no longer a future prophecy; it is a present-day crisis. As bacteria evolve to survive the drugs designed to kill them, the very foundation of modern medicine is being undermined. For IELTS candidates, this topic frequently appears in reading passages, testing your ability to understand complex scientific, social, and economic arguments. Without urgent action
For much of human history, common infections were a death sentence. The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 heralded the golden age of antibiotics, transforming medicine and saving hundreds of millions of lives. However, in recent decades, this medical miracle 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. Without urgent action, the world is heading towards a ‘post-antibiotic’ era, where minor injuries and routine operations could once again become fatal. Researchers warn that if current trends continue, drug-resistant infections could kill 10 million people per year by 2050, surpassing cancer as a leading cause of death.
The future burden is predicted to be highest in Asia and sub‑Saharan Africa. Pan‑drug‑resistant organisms—those resistant to all known drugs—are being described more frequently and have been identified on all five continents.