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Question 1
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
79% (03:04) correct
21%
(03:38) wrong
based on 68
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 2
C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
66% (01:44) correct 34%
(01:30) wrong
based on 73
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 3
C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
65%
(hard)
Question Stats:
43% (01:27) correct 57%
(01:59) wrong
based on 76
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 4
E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
51% (00:56) correct 49%
(00:56) wrong
based on 73
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Question 5
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
45% (01:02) correct 55%
(00:52) wrong
based on 71
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
In 1955 the president of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced at the World Health Summit that the WHO was initiating an international effort to rid the world of malaria. With international funding and cooperation, he argued, and with the use of newly developed medicines such as chloroquine and powerful new insecticides like DDT, the world could finally rid itself of this terrible scourge.
The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills. Indeed, the malaria effort was simultaneous with the global fight against smallpox, which would in fact eliminate this dreaded disease little more than two decades later.
Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication. No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again. Efforts to eradicate the mosquito showed some success in wealthy countries with temperate climates, such as Italy or Singapore, but in a poor, tropical country like India the Anopheles populations surged as soon as the WHO workers left. The wonderful new insecticides of the modern age turned out to be less wonderful than the idealists had hoped; DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations. Furthermore, doctors in the 1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines.
By 1978 the evidence was clear—the malaria eradication effort had failed. The WHO shifted its goal from eradicating malaria to controlling it. These efforts at control have seen only limited success. Today, over forty percent of the world’s population lives in areas exposed to malaria, and there are between 300 million and 500 million infections of the disease each year. The annual death rate due to malaria is higher now than it was a century ago.
The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills. Indeed, the malaria effort was simultaneous with the global fight against smallpox, which would in fact eliminate this dreaded disease little more than two decades later.
Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication. No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again. Efforts to eradicate the mosquito showed some success in wealthy countries with temperate climates, such as Italy or Singapore, but in a poor, tropical country like India the Anopheles populations surged as soon as the WHO workers left. The wonderful new insecticides of the modern age turned out to be less wonderful than the idealists had hoped; DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations. Furthermore, doctors in the 1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines.
By 1978 the evidence was clear—the malaria eradication effort had failed. The WHO shifted its goal from eradicating malaria to controlling it. These efforts at control have seen only limited success. Today, over forty percent of the world’s population lives in areas exposed to malaria, and there are between 300 million and 500 million infections of the disease each year. The annual death rate due to malaria is higher now than it was a century ago.
1. The passage implies which of the following about future disease eradication programs?
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
B. All disease eradication programs run by intergovernmental bodies are doomed to failure.
C. Disease eradication programs can only be successful against relatively mild diseases, such as smallpox.
D. Eradication programs focusing on diseases carried by mosquitoes cannot be successful.
E. The greatest chance for success of disease eradication programs lies in the field of biotechnology, which will open up entirely new avenues for fighting disease.
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
A. Norwegian rats carry fleas that hold in their guts the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can cause the bubonic plague in infected humans.
B. British army officers give Native Americans blankets infected with the Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
D. Parasitic Schistosoma flatworms breed in snails, which then excrete the flatworms into waterways where the flatworms can embed themselves in humans and cause schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or elephantiasis.
E. Cows consuming the remains of other cows with mutated prion proteins can develop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, which can be transferred to humans who eat tainted products from these cows.
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
A. The Soviet Union demands that its allied nations in Eastern Europe employ a new and advanced type of nuclear reactor in new power generating facilities.
B. Canada experiences a bumper wheat crop because of advances in agronomy, and it distributes its excess wheat to three nations in subSaharan Africa that are suffering from drought.
C. A consortium of nations in South Asia cooperates in the construction of a new type of desalinization plant that will supply water to all member nations.
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
E. Eight national chess organizations from different nations agree to join together into an international chess organization that will work for the standardization and promotion of the game.
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
A. Enthusiastic support
B. Angry contempt
C. Amused ambivalence
D. Reluctant condemnation
E. Pessimistic support
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
A. A new anti-malarial medicine
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
C. A stronger variant of DDT
D. Anopheles mosquitoes engineered to reject the Plasmodium parasite
E. Greater international cooperation
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
B. All disease eradication programs run by intergovernmental bodies are doomed to failure.
C. Disease eradication programs can only be successful against relatively mild diseases, such as smallpox.
D. Eradication programs focusing on diseases carried by mosquitoes cannot be successful.
E. The greatest chance for success of disease eradication programs lies in the field of biotechnology, which will open up entirely new avenues for fighting disease.
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
A. Norwegian rats carry fleas that hold in their guts the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can cause the bubonic plague in infected humans.
B. British army officers give Native Americans blankets infected with the Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
D. Parasitic Schistosoma flatworms breed in snails, which then excrete the flatworms into waterways where the flatworms can embed themselves in humans and cause schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or elephantiasis.
E. Cows consuming the remains of other cows with mutated prion proteins can develop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, which can be transferred to humans who eat tainted products from these cows.
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
A. The Soviet Union demands that its allied nations in Eastern Europe employ a new and advanced type of nuclear reactor in new power generating facilities.
B. Canada experiences a bumper wheat crop because of advances in agronomy, and it distributes its excess wheat to three nations in subSaharan Africa that are suffering from drought.
C. A consortium of nations in South Asia cooperates in the construction of a new type of desalinization plant that will supply water to all member nations.
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
E. Eight national chess organizations from different nations agree to join together into an international chess organization that will work for the standardization and promotion of the game.
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
A. Enthusiastic support
B. Angry contempt
C. Amused ambivalence
D. Reluctant condemnation
E. Pessimistic support
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
A. A new anti-malarial medicine
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
C. A stronger variant of DDT
D. Anopheles mosquitoes engineered to reject the Plasmodium parasite
E. Greater international cooperation
GMAT Club's Reading Comprehension (RC) Quiz-II 2023
05 Days | 10 Passages | Win Prizes | Get Better at GMAT
Passage # 02 | Date: 01 September 2023
Click here for more details and master thread
05 Days | 10 Passages | Win Prizes | Get Better at GMAT
Passage # 02 | Date: 01 September 2023
Click here for more details and master thread
01 Sep 2023, 14:35
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Para1: WHO goal of eradicating malaria with a) global funding and cooperation b) usage of Chloroquine (medicine) and DDT(insecticide)
Para2: Expectation that it will forge global cooperation and technological advances will solve problems. Malaria fight was same time as global fight against small box which got eradicated
Para 3: However malaria could not be eradicated. no reliable vaccine.. DDT has long lasting ill impact on environment and malarial parasite getting immune to Chloroquine
Para 4: Eradication effort failed. Goal changed to controlling malaria but still it has limited success.
1. The passage implies which of the following about future disease eradication programs?
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
-- It is supported by passage as WHO was confident of eradicating through new technology, however insecticide and medicines proved helpless. ALso the eradication program became a controlling program. So it can be inferred from the passage
This is the answer
B. All disease eradication programs run by intergovernmental bodies are doomed to failure.
-- Extreme choice and not supported. Intergovernmental bodies other than WHO is not discussed as well. Also disease eradication program run by intergovt body is not successful but small pox succeedded.
C. Disease eradication programs can only be successful against relatively mild diseases, such as smallpox.
-- It does not mention small pox is a mid disease and hence unsupported. Also extreme language such as only be successful which is unsupported
D. Eradication programs focusing on diseases carried by mosquitoes cannot be successful.
-- It is an extreme choice as it says eradication program cannot be successful but small pox case sailed through. Not supported
E. The greatest chance for success of disease eradication programs lies in the field of biotechnology, which will open up entirely new avenues for fighting disease.
-- Passage says technology can solve all human ills but it was not so in case of malaria. Also biotechnology is not discussed and hence out of scope
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
"no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again."
A. Norwegian rats carry fleas that hold in their guts the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can cause the bubonic plague in infected humans.
-- It talks about possibility of causing plague in infected human but whether through transfer via bite or just through touch etc not mentioned
B. British army officers give Native Americans blankets infected with the Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
-- It says blankets infected with Variola virus cause small box but does not address bite or simple using blanket causes smallpox
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
-- It says flies transfer parasite and cause sleeping sickness in humans which is similar to one anopheles that bite human transfer parasite and cause malaria.
This is the answer
D. Parasitic Schistosoma flatworms breed in snails, which then excrete the flatworms into waterways where the flatworms can embed themselves in humans and cause schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or elephantiasis.
--Here it says parasite can impact humans by emedding themselves in humans. Option is close to C but here parasite gets excreted and then it may impact humans. However Anopheles bite humans directly and impact. Hence it is out
E. Cows consuming the remains of other cows with mutated prion proteins can develop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, which can be transferred to humans who eat tainted products from these cows.
--It says cows consume remains of other cows with mutated prion protein develop disease and can transfer when humans eat. It is not the case that humans are involuntarily getting impacted and hence not supported
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
"The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills."
A. The Soviet Union demands that its allied nations in Eastern Europe employ a new and advanced type of nuclear reactor in new power generating facilities.
-- it is a demand by Soviet Union with its allied nations... Also new and advanced type of reactor in power generation facilities can work and is not considered bold program
B. Canada experiences a bumper wheat crop because of advances in agronomy, and it distributes its excess wheat to three nations in subSaharan Africa that are suffering from drought.
-- Excesses are distributed to three nations that are suffering from human ill , a drought in those areas. However it is a solo activity helping nations and hence does not encompass international cooperation
C. A consortium of nations in South Asia cooperates in the construction of a new type of desalinization plant that will supply water to all member nations.
-- Here water will be supplied to all member nations coming together and hence from scale of operation may be considered bold as in the case of supplying water to all nations. Also human problem such as salinity of water is addressed and uncertainty around technological challenges remain similar to global eradication of malaria.
This is the answer
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
-- Here it is an individual race to develop vaccine and hence out
E. Eight national chess organizations from different nations agree to join together into an international chess organization that will work for the standardization and promotion of the game.
-- Eight organizations agree to join into international chess organization to work for promotion and standardization but it does not address in eliminating any human ills. It is just promotion of game
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
"The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era"
"Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication"
"No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut."
A. Enthusiastic support
-- It does express support as it says unfortunately it was less amenable, however no enthusiastic support was seen from passage. Author does not express words much. WHO program was typical of bold programs of postwar era so very calculated opinion has been provided
B. Angry contempt
-- Author does not express any contempt and hence out
C. Amused ambivalence
-- Author does not say it has mixed feeling about success. Author just says it is typical of
D. Reluctant condemnation
-- Author is not condemning anything and hence out
E. Pessimistic support
-- It captures the essence as author says unfortunately program did not succeed
Hence this is the answer
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
A. A new anti-malarial medicine
-- "1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines." Hence we cannot infer production of new anti-malarial medicine... Resistance is developed quickly , so wont solve the problem
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
-- "No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area ". If vaccine is effective it can eradicate malaria, however malaria parasite is developing resistance quickly so even vaccine is effective at one point but may not be reliable at other times.
C. A stronger variant of DDT
--"DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations"... Stronger variant will be problematic to environment and locals
D. Anopheles mosquitoes engineered to reject the Plasmodium parasite
-- "Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut" ... If the mosquito does not have parasite then malaria will not spread through mosquito bite and hence all area can be declared completely free of the disease even if there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area.
This is the answer
E. Greater international cooperation[/box_in][/box_out][/align]
-- International cooperation has not been discussed so far and hence does not seem to indicate whether this was a problem
Para2: Expectation that it will forge global cooperation and technological advances will solve problems. Malaria fight was same time as global fight against small box which got eradicated
Para 3: However malaria could not be eradicated. no reliable vaccine.. DDT has long lasting ill impact on environment and malarial parasite getting immune to Chloroquine
Para 4: Eradication effort failed. Goal changed to controlling malaria but still it has limited success.
1. The passage implies which of the following about future disease eradication programs?
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
-- It is supported by passage as WHO was confident of eradicating through new technology, however insecticide and medicines proved helpless. ALso the eradication program became a controlling program. So it can be inferred from the passage
This is the answer
B. All disease eradication programs run by intergovernmental bodies are doomed to failure.
-- Extreme choice and not supported. Intergovernmental bodies other than WHO is not discussed as well. Also disease eradication program run by intergovt body is not successful but small pox succeedded.
C. Disease eradication programs can only be successful against relatively mild diseases, such as smallpox.
-- It does not mention small pox is a mid disease and hence unsupported. Also extreme language such as only be successful which is unsupported
D. Eradication programs focusing on diseases carried by mosquitoes cannot be successful.
-- It is an extreme choice as it says eradication program cannot be successful but small pox case sailed through. Not supported
E. The greatest chance for success of disease eradication programs lies in the field of biotechnology, which will open up entirely new avenues for fighting disease.
-- Passage says technology can solve all human ills but it was not so in case of malaria. Also biotechnology is not discussed and hence out of scope
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
"no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again."
A. Norwegian rats carry fleas that hold in their guts the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can cause the bubonic plague in infected humans.
-- It talks about possibility of causing plague in infected human but whether through transfer via bite or just through touch etc not mentioned
B. British army officers give Native Americans blankets infected with the Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
-- It says blankets infected with Variola virus cause small box but does not address bite or simple using blanket causes smallpox
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
-- It says flies transfer parasite and cause sleeping sickness in humans which is similar to one anopheles that bite human transfer parasite and cause malaria.
This is the answer
D. Parasitic Schistosoma flatworms breed in snails, which then excrete the flatworms into waterways where the flatworms can embed themselves in humans and cause schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or elephantiasis.
--Here it says parasite can impact humans by emedding themselves in humans. Option is close to C but here parasite gets excreted and then it may impact humans. However Anopheles bite humans directly and impact. Hence it is out
E. Cows consuming the remains of other cows with mutated prion proteins can develop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, which can be transferred to humans who eat tainted products from these cows.
--It says cows consume remains of other cows with mutated prion protein develop disease and can transfer when humans eat. It is not the case that humans are involuntarily getting impacted and hence not supported
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
"The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills."
A. The Soviet Union demands that its allied nations in Eastern Europe employ a new and advanced type of nuclear reactor in new power generating facilities.
-- it is a demand by Soviet Union with its allied nations... Also new and advanced type of reactor in power generation facilities can work and is not considered bold program
B. Canada experiences a bumper wheat crop because of advances in agronomy, and it distributes its excess wheat to three nations in subSaharan Africa that are suffering from drought.
-- Excesses are distributed to three nations that are suffering from human ill , a drought in those areas. However it is a solo activity helping nations and hence does not encompass international cooperation
C. A consortium of nations in South Asia cooperates in the construction of a new type of desalinization plant that will supply water to all member nations.
-- Here water will be supplied to all member nations coming together and hence from scale of operation may be considered bold as in the case of supplying water to all nations. Also human problem such as salinity of water is addressed and uncertainty around technological challenges remain similar to global eradication of malaria.
This is the answer
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
-- Here it is an individual race to develop vaccine and hence out
E. Eight national chess organizations from different nations agree to join together into an international chess organization that will work for the standardization and promotion of the game.
-- Eight organizations agree to join into international chess organization to work for promotion and standardization but it does not address in eliminating any human ills. It is just promotion of game
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
"The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era"
"Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication"
"No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut."
A. Enthusiastic support
-- It does express support as it says unfortunately it was less amenable, however no enthusiastic support was seen from passage. Author does not express words much. WHO program was typical of bold programs of postwar era so very calculated opinion has been provided
B. Angry contempt
-- Author does not express any contempt and hence out
C. Amused ambivalence
-- Author does not say it has mixed feeling about success. Author just says it is typical of
D. Reluctant condemnation
-- Author is not condemning anything and hence out
E. Pessimistic support
-- It captures the essence as author says unfortunately program did not succeed
Hence this is the answer
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
A. A new anti-malarial medicine
-- "1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines." Hence we cannot infer production of new anti-malarial medicine... Resistance is developed quickly , so wont solve the problem
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
-- "No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area ". If vaccine is effective it can eradicate malaria, however malaria parasite is developing resistance quickly so even vaccine is effective at one point but may not be reliable at other times.
C. A stronger variant of DDT
--"DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations"... Stronger variant will be problematic to environment and locals
D. Anopheles mosquitoes engineered to reject the Plasmodium parasite
-- "Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut" ... If the mosquito does not have parasite then malaria will not spread through mosquito bite and hence all area can be declared completely free of the disease even if there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area.
This is the answer
E. Greater international cooperation[/box_in][/box_out][/align]
-- International cooperation has not been discussed so far and hence does not seem to indicate whether this was a problem
01 Sep 2023, 22:03
Kudos
Bookmarks
Sajjad1994
In 1955 the president of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced at the World Health Summit that the WHO was initiating an international effort to rid the world of malaria. With international funding and cooperation, he argued, and with the use of newly developed medicines such as chloroquine and powerful new insecticides like DDT, the world could finally rid itself of this terrible scourge.
The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills. Indeed, the malaria effort was simultaneous with the global fight against smallpox, which would in fact eliminate this dreaded disease little more than two decades later.
Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication. No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again. Efforts to eradicate the mosquito showed some success in wealthy countries with temperate climates, such as Italy or Singapore, but in a poor, tropical country like India the Anopheles populations surged as soon as the WHO workers left. The wonderful new insecticides of the modern age turned out to be less wonderful than the idealists had hoped; DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations. Furthermore, doctors in the 1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines.
By 1978 the evidence was clear—the malaria eradication effort had failed. The WHO shifted its goal from eradicating malaria to controlling it. These efforts at control have seen only limited success. Today, over forty percent of the world’s population lives in areas exposed to malaria, and there are between 300 million and 500 million infections of the disease each year. The annual death rate due to malaria is higher now than it was a century ago.
The WHO malaria initiative was typical of the bold international initiatives of the postwar era. Idealists believed that the new model of intergovernmental bodies typified by the United Nations would usher in a new age of international cooperation, and that the striking technological advances of the age would solve all human ills. Indeed, the malaria effort was simultaneous with the global fight against smallpox, which would in fact eliminate this dreaded disease little more than two decades later.
Malaria, unfortunately, has been less amenable to eradication. No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria, and consequently no area can ever be declared completely free of the disease as long as there is a single Anopheles mosquito in the area with the Plasmodium parasite in its gut. If the mosquito bites a human and transfers Plasmodium, the cycle starts all over again. Efforts to eradicate the mosquito showed some success in wealthy countries with temperate climates, such as Italy or Singapore, but in a poor, tropical country like India the Anopheles populations surged as soon as the WHO workers left. The wonderful new insecticides of the modern age turned out to be less wonderful than the idealists had hoped; DDT is great at killing mosquitoes, but it has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations. Furthermore, doctors in the 1970s began to see disturbing signs that the Plasmodium parasite was developing resistance to quinine and other anti-malarial medicines as quickly as scientists were developing new medicines.
By 1978 the evidence was clear—the malaria eradication effort had failed. The WHO shifted its goal from eradicating malaria to controlling it. These efforts at control have seen only limited success. Today, over forty percent of the world’s population lives in areas exposed to malaria, and there are between 300 million and 500 million infections of the disease each year. The annual death rate due to malaria is higher now than it was a century ago.
1. The passage implies which of the following about future disease eradication programs?
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
B. All disease eradication programs run by intergovernmental bodies are doomed to failure.
C. Disease eradication programs can only be successful against relatively mild diseases, such as smallpox.
D. Eradication programs focusing on diseases carried by mosquitoes cannot be successful.
E. The greatest chance for success of disease eradication programs lies in the field of biotechnology, which will open up entirely new avenues for fighting disease.
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
A. Norwegian rats carry fleas that hold in their guts the Yersinia pestis bacteria, which can cause the bubonic plague in infected humans.
B. British army officers give Native Americans blankets infected with the Variola virus, which causes smallpox.
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
D. Parasitic Schistosoma flatworms breed in snails, which then excrete the flatworms into waterways where the flatworms can embed themselves in humans and cause schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or elephantiasis.
E. Cows consuming the remains of other cows with mutated prion proteins can develop bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, which can be transferred to humans who eat tainted products from these cows.
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
A. The Soviet Union demands that its allied nations in Eastern Europe employ a new and advanced type of nuclear reactor in new power generating facilities.
B. Canada experiences a bumper wheat crop because of advances in agronomy, and it distributes its excess wheat to three nations in subSaharan Africa that are suffering from drought.
C. A consortium of nations in South Asia cooperates in the construction of a new type of desalinization plant that will supply water to all member nations.
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
E. Eight national chess organizations from different nations agree to join together into an international chess organization that will work for the standardization and promotion of the game.
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
A. Enthusiastic support
B. Angry contempt
C. Amused ambivalence
D. Reluctant condemnation
E. Pessimistic support
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
A. A new anti-malarial medicine
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
C. A stronger variant of DDT
D. Anopheles mosquitoes engineered to reject the Plasmodium parasite
E. Greater international cooperation
GMAT Club's Reading Comprehension (RC) Quiz-II 2023
05 Days | 10 Passages | Win Prizes | Get Better at GMAT
Passage # 02 | Date: 01 September 2023
Click here for more details and master thread
05 Days | 10 Passages | Win Prizes | Get Better at GMAT
Passage # 02 | Date: 01 September 2023
Click here for more details and master thread
[Refer attachment for summary: Mind-map of the passage ]
1. The passage implies which of the following about future disease eradication programs?
A. Intergovernmental organizations should not be too confident about the long-term effectiveness of any technology in their disease eradication programs.
The passage discusses the challenges faced by the WHO in their malaria eradication efforts, including the development of resistance to anti-malarial medicines and the environmental and health consequences of insecticides. This suggests that while technology can play a role in disease eradication, its long-term effectiveness may not be guaranteed.
Passage doesn't categorize smallpox as a "relatively mild disease". The success or failure seems to depend more on specific factors related to the disease and the methods used to combat it.
The passage discusses the specific challenges with malaria, but does not generalize to all mosquito-borne diseases.
2. The relationship of the Anopheles mosquito, the Plasmodium parasite, and the disease malaria is most similar to which of the following?
This is somewhat similar as it involves a carrier (rats), a vector (fleas), and a disease-causing organism (Yersinia pestis bacteria). We can hold on this until we find better
This is not similar. It involves direct human-to-human transmission of the disease through infected objects, not a vector like the Anopheles mosquito in the case of malaria.
C. Tsetse flies that bite humans can transfer the Trypanosoma parasite, which in humans causes African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness.
This option is better than A. The relationship is most similar to this option as: both scenarios involve a parasite (Plasmodium or Trypanosoma) being transferred to humans through the bite of an insect (Anopheles mosquito or Tsetse fly), which then causes a disease (malaria or African trypanosomiasis).
This is not similar. The transmission method is different - it involves parasites being excreted into waterways and then embedding themselves in humans, not a vector biting humans.
This is not similar. It involves disease transmission through consumption of infected food, not a vector like the Anopheles mosquito in the case of malaria.
3. Which of the following would be most representative of the “bold international programs” described in the second paragraph?
This is not representative of the "bold international programs" described in the passage. Demand isnt equal to cooperative effort.
This is close enough, we can hold this until we find something better.
D. Teams of French and Italian scientists sponsored by their respective governments race to be the first to develop an effective vaccine against cholera.
This option is better than A and best aligns with the passage's description of "bold international programs" as it involves international cooperation and the use of technological advances to solve a global health issue, similar to the WHO's efforts to eradicate malaria and smallpox. The other options do not involve the same level of international cooperation to address a global health issue.
This involves international cooperation, but it's not aimed at solving a global issue.
4. Which of the following would most likely describe the reaction of the author of the passage to a call for a new international malaria eradication program?
The author acknowledges the challenges and failures of past efforts to eradicate malaria, which suggests he/she might not be enthusiastically supportive of a new similar program.
The author does not express anger or contempt in the passage since the author presents a balanced view of the successes and failures of past efforts.
The author does not express amusement or ambivalence. Author takes the issue of malaria eradication seriously.
The author does not condemn the efforts to eradicate malaria. Author highlights the challenges and failures, but does not suggest that such efforts should not be attempted.
E. Pessimistic support
Author highlights high and lows - whilst being critical of progress. This suggests that while the author might support the idea of a new program but is likely be pessimistic about its chances of success.
5. The passage implies that which of the following would be most important to a successful eradication campaign against malaria?
Passage mentions that the Plasmodium parasite has been developing resistance to anti-malarial medicines. So, a new medicine might face the same issue.
B. An effective vaccine against malaria
The passage mentions that "No reliable vaccine has ever been developed against malaria," implying that the development of such a vaccine could be a game-changer in the fight against the disease.
The passage mentions that DDT has lasting and widespread consequences for the environment and the health of local populations. So, a stronger variant might be the opposite of what is needed
Out of scope. Passage does not discuss genetic engineering of mosquitoes as a solution
Passage suggests that the main challenges in eradicating malaria are related to the nature of the disease and the limitations of current technologies, not a lack of international cooperation.
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