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Practice Listening: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #4650 Medium Superbugs
Instructions ›
Listen to the recording and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
The rise of so-called superbugs can be put down to the general misuse of modern antibiotics since their development in the 1940s. Superbugs are generally defined as micro-organisms which are resistant to antibiotics and these types of bacteria can be divided into two different classes: Gram negative and Gram positive. Gram-negative strains are the most difficult to treat because of their additional outer membrane which drugs are unable to penetrate. Should any antibiotics make it through the membrane, the bacteria have a pumping mechanism which rapidly pushes it back out again. Gram-positive bacteria, on the other hand, are easier to treat, but there are many more forms of drug-resistant infections in this group than there are drugs to treat them. In 2013 there were 30,000 Gram-negative infections, while there were over a million Gram-positive infections. These superbugs have begun to spread as a direct result of the ongoing poor controls on antibiotic use around the world. In many countries.

Which statement is true of the superbugs issue?

* Listen to the recording and select the correct answer

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Option 3: "If there had been better restrictions on antibiotics usage, superbugs may never have developed."

Explanation: This statement is correct as it aligns with the text's assertion that the rise of superbugs is a direct result of poor controls on antibiotic use. The phrase 'may never have developed' indicates a hypothetical scenario that is supported by the text, which emphasizes the connection between antibiotic misuse and the emergence of superbugs.

Option 1: "All superbugs are able to force drugs back through their bacterial membrane."

Explanation: This statement is incorrect because not all superbugs possess the ability to force drugs back through their bacterial membrane. The text specifically mentions that Gram-negative strains have a pumping mechanism that pushes drugs out, but it does not imply that all superbugs share this characteristic. Therefore, this option misrepresents the information provided.

Option 2: "There are two groups of bacteria but only one of them is resistant to antibiotics."

Explanation: This option is incorrect as it suggests that only one group of bacteria is resistant to antibiotics. The text states that both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria can be resistant to antibiotics, although they differ in their treatment difficulty. Thus, this statement does not accurately reflect the information in the text.

Option 4: "If antibiotics could get through the bacterial membrane the problem could be solved."

Explanation: This option is incorrect because it oversimplifies the issue. The text indicates that even if antibiotics penetrate the Gram-negative membrane, the bacteria have mechanisms to expel them. Therefore, the problem cannot be solved merely by getting antibiotics through the membrane, as there are additional challenges in treating these infections.

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