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Reading Aim For The Stars Set 10

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31 views3 pages

Reading Aim For The Stars Set 10

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satvin raj
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Reading Aim for the Stars Set 10

Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage.

1 We live on a malarious planet. It may not seem that way from the vantage point
of a wealthy country, where malaria is sometimes thought of, if it is thought of
at all, as a problem that has mostly been solved, like smallpox or polio. In truth,
malaria now affects more people than ever before. It is endemic to 106 nations,
threatening half of the world's population. In recent years, the parasite has grown 5
so entrenched and has developed resistance to so many drugs that the most potent
strains can scarcely be controlled. This year malaria will strike up to half a billion
people. At least a million will die, most of them under the age of five, the vast
majority living in Africa. That is more than twice the annual toll a generation ago.

2 Only in the past few years has malaria captured the full attention of aid agencies 10
and donors. The World Health Organisation has made malaria reduction a chief
priority. Bill Gates, who has called malaria "the worst thing on the planet," has
donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort. Funds donated to malaria have
doubled since 2003. The idea is to disable the disease by combining virtually every
known malaria-fighting technique, from the ancient (Chinese herbal medicines) to 15
the old (mosquito nets) to the ultramodern (multidrug cocktails). At the same time
malaria researchers are pursuing a long-sought elusive goal: A vaccine that would
curb the disease for good.

3 Much of the aid is going to a few hard-hit countries scattered across


sub-Saharan Africa. If these nations can beat back the disease, they will serve as 20
templates for the global antimalaria effort. One of these spotlighted countries is
Zambia. It is difficult to comprehend how thoroughly Zambia has been devastated
by malaria. In some provinces, at any given time, more than a third of all children
under the age of five are sick with the disease. Worse than the sheer number is
the type of malaria found in Zambia. Four species of malaria parasites routinely 25
infect humans: The most virulent, by far, is Plasmodium falciparum. About half
of all malaria cases worldwide are caused by falciparum, and 95 per cent of the
deaths. It is the only form of malaria that can attack the brain. And it can do so
with extreme speed - few infectious agents can overwhelm the body as swiftly as
falciparum. Falciparum is a major reason nearly 20 per cent of all Zambian babies 30
born do not live to see their fifth birthday.
4 All of Zambia, it seems - from the army to the Boy Scouts to local theatre
troupes - has been mobilised to stop malaria. In 1985, the nation's malaria-control
budget was 30 000 dollars. Now, supported with international grant money, it is
more than 40 million. Posters have been hung throughout the country, informing 35
people of the causes and symptoms of malaria and stressing the importance of
medical intervention. The vast majority of the nation's malaria cases are never
treated by professionals. Zambia's plan is to educate the public, and then beat the
disease through a three-pronged assault.

5 The country has dedicated itself to dispensing the newest malaria cure, which 40
also happens to be based on one of the oldest herbal medicines called Artemisia.
The new version, artemisinin, is as powerful as quinine with few of the side
effects. To help reduce the odds that a mutation will also disarm artemisinin,
derivatives of the drug are mixed with other compounds in an antimalarial
baggage known as artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Zambia is 45
also purchasing enough insecticide to spray every house in several of the most
malarious areas every year, just before the rainy season. It has already returned to
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-though just for indoor use, in controlled
quantities. Finally, the Zambian government is distributing insecticide-treated
mosquito nets to ward off mosquitoes during the night, when the malaria-carrying 50
Anopheles almost always bites.

6 Despite difficulties in the dispensing of drugs and distribution of mosquito


nets, Zambia's campaign has started to produce results. In 2000, a study showed
that fewer than two per cent of children under the age of five slept under an
insecticide-treated bed net. Six years later, the number had risen to 23 per cent. 55
The government of Zambia says an ACT known as Coartem is now available, cost
free to the entire population. In a country that was steadily losing 50 000 children
a year to malaria, early indications are that the death rate has already been reduced
by more than a third.

(Adapted from National Geographic, July 2007)

22 In paragraph 1, which of the following is not a fact?

A Malaria has been wiped out in prosperous countries


B Malaria is difficult to curb because the parasites are resistant to drugs.
C Malaria kills double the number of African children it did a generation ago
23 The main focus of paragraph 2 is the
A search for a vaccine that would curb malaria
B involvement of aid agencies in combating malaria
C use of a combination of techniques to control malaria

24 The word templates (line 21) is closest in meaning to


A copies
B models
C imitations

25 What is true about falciparum malaria?


A It mostly attacks children below five.
B It is the most dangerous form of the disease.
C It causes the deaths of about 20 per cent of children in Zambia.

26 All of Zambia, it seems -from the army to the Boy Scouts to local theatre troupes - has been
mobilised to stop malaria (lines 32 and 33).

This means that Zambia is


A involving everyone in the fight against malaria
B making everyone help to raise funds for malaria control
C informing everyone of the importance of getting treatment for malaria

27 The phrase a three-pronged assault (line 39) involves the use of


A drugs, sprays and mosquito nets
B knowledge, funds and treatment
C professional help, insecticides and ACT

28 What is possibly the most effective solution to curb malaria?


A A vaccine
B Insecticide-treated bed nets
C An ACT known as Coartem

29 The article ends on


A a neutral note
B a cautious note
C a promising note

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