: Resistant strains enter our bodies through the food chain and livestock raised for consumption. IELTS Reading Answer Key

Antibiotic resistance is a natural process that occurs when bacteria evolve to survive in environments where antibiotics are present. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have accelerated this process, leading to a rapid increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The main causes of antibiotic resistance include:

Found in Paragraph B: "At its core, antibiotic resistance is a natural evolutionary process." 8. (genetic) mutations

: The process of bacteria sharing resistance genes. Curative : Healing or medicinal effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified antibiotic resistance as a significant global health threat. The organization's report on antibiotic resistance highlights the growing concern:

Compounding the biological threat is an economic bottleneck: the antibiotic discovery pipeline has run dry. Developing a new antibiotic is an incredibly complex, costly, and time-consuming venture, often taking over a decade and costing billions of dollars. Because antibiotics are designed to be taken for short durations—unlike lucrative chronic disease medications for heart conditions or diabetes—pharmaceutical companies have little financial incentive to invest in them. Consequently, major drug developers have largely abandoned antibiotic research, leaving us with an empty arsenal. Paragraph G

Antibiotic resistance is fundamentally a natural consequence of ____________. When exposed to medication, vulnerable bacteria die, but those possessing accidental 8. ____________ survive and reproduce. Furthermore, bacteria can utilize 9. ____________ to share DNA horizontally. This enables resistance to jump from harmless microbes to dangerous human 10. ____________, drastically speeding up the spread of immunity. Questions 11–13

Patients often stop taking antibiotics once they feel better, allowing the hardiest bacteria to survive and develop resistance.

Inadequate hygiene in hospitals and clinics allows resistant strains to spread rapidly among vulnerable patients. Vocabulary Mastery for IELTS

A. Scientists have not discovered any new types of bacteria. B. It is difficult to get approval from the World Health Organization. C. Pharmaceutical companies do not make enough profit from them. D. The biological mutation process has become too fast to control.

explains how antibiotic resistance happens through gene action and mutation. Paragraph C

The consequences of antibiotic resistance are far-reaching and alarming. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that antibiotic-resistant infections affect over 2 million people in the United States each year, resulting in approximately 23,000 deaths.