The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed severe restrict

Question

The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed severe restrictions on the use of antibiotics to promote the health and growth of meat animals. Medications added to feeds kill many microorganisms but also encourage the appearance of bacterial strains that are resistant to anti-infective drugs. Already, for example, penicillin and the tetracyclines are not as effective therapeutically as they once were. The drug resistance is chiefly conferred by tiny circlets of genes, called plasmids, that can be exchanged between different strains and even different species of bacteria. Plasmids are also one of the two kinds of vehicles (the other being viruses) that molecular biologists depend on when performing gene transplant experiments. Even present guidelines forbid the laboratory use of plasmids bearing genes for resistance to antibiotics. Yet, while congressional debate rages over whether or not to toughen these restrictions on scientists in their laboratories, little congressional attention has been focused on an ill-advised agricultural practice that produces known deleterious effects.    1 
 1. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with

(A) discovering methods of eliminating harmful microorganisms without subsequently generating drug-resistant bacteria
(B) explaining reasons for congressional inaction on the regulation of gene transplant experiments
(C) describing a problematic agricultural practice and its serious genetic consequences
(D) verifying the therapeutic ineffectiveness of anti-infective drugs
(E) evaluating recently proposed restrictions intended to promote the growth of meat animals

2 
 2. According to the passage, the exchange of plasmids between different bacteria can results in which of the following?

(A) Microorganisms resistant to drugs
(B) Therapeutically useful circlets of genes
(C) Anti-infective drugs like penicillin
(D) Viruses for use by molecular biologists
(E) Vehicles for performing gene transplant experiments

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that those in favor of stiffening the restrictions on gene transplant research should logically also

(A) encourage experiments with any plasmids except those bearing genes for antibiotic resistance
(B) question the addition of anti-infective drugs to livestock feeds
(C) resist the use of penicillin and tetracyclines to kill microorganisms 
(D) agree to the development of meatier livestock through the use of antibiotics
(E) favor congressional debate and discussion of all science and health issues

4 
 4. The author’s attitude toward the development of bacterial strains that render antibiotic drugs ineffective can best be described as

(A) indifferent
(B) perplexed
(C) pretentious
(D) insincere
(E) apprehensive

akadiyan · Answer

1. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with

(A) discovering methods of eliminating harmful microorganisms without subsequently generating drug-resistant bacteria
(B) explaining reasons for congressional inaction on the regulation of gene transplant experiments
(C) describing a problematic agricultural practice and its serious genetic consequences
(D) verifying the therapeutic ineffectiveness of anti-infective drugs
(E) evaluating recently proposed restrictions intended to promote the growth of meat animals

The author talks about a practice first, then its disadvantages and then explains the reason for the disadvantage. Then author explains in detail about how the resistance to drug develops.

Option C clearly explains the overall idea of passage.

Ans:  C

2. According to the passage, the exchange of plasmids between different bacteria can results in which of the following?

(A) Microorganisms resistant to drugs
(B) Therapeutically useful circlets of genes
(C) Anti-infective drugs like penicillin
(D) Viruses for use by molecular biologists
(E) Vehicles for performing gene transplant experiments

This is clearly given in the passage. The exchange of plasmids will result in development of resistant to drugs.

Ans:  A

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that those in favor of stiffening the restrictions on gene transplant research should logically also

(A) encourage experiments with any plasmids except those bearing genes for antibiotic resistance
(B) question the addition of anti-infective drugs to livestock feeds
(C) resist the use of penicillin and tetracyclines to kill microorganisms
(D) agree to the development of meatier livestock through the use of antibiotics
(E) favor congressional debate and discussion of all science and health issues

The current rules forbid the use of plasmids for resistance to antibiotics. So those in favor of stiffenin the restrictions also will question the anti infective drugs to live stock feeds also.

I was stuck between (A) and (B), but i eliminated A based on the logic that passage says current rule forbis use of plasmids bearing genes but does not say about other genes.

Ans  C

4. The author’s attitude toward the development of bacterial strains that render antibiotic drugs ineffective can best be described as

(A) indifferent
(B) perplexed
(C) pretentious
(D) insincere
(E) apprehensive

This is a straight pick. The other options A,B,C and D can be easily eliminated. From the tone of the passage we clearly know that the author standpoint is not indifferent, confused or pretentious. Also when explaining the disadvantages of the antibiotics in feed, author sounded concerned and sincere in his concern.

Ans  E

bM22 · Answer

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that those in favor of stiffening the restrictions on gene transplant research should logically also

(A) encourage experiments with any plasmids except those bearing genes for antibiotic resistance
  (B) question the addition of anti-infective drugs to livestock feeds  
(C) resist the use of penicillin and tetracyclines to kill microorganisms
(D) agree to the development of meatier livestock through the use of antibiotics
(E) favor congressional debate and discussion of all science and health issues

Explanation: can be inferred from the lines: "Yet, while congressional debate rages over whether or not to toughen these restrictions on scientists in their laboratories,  little congressional attention has been focused on an ill-advised agricultural practice that produces known deleterious effects. ".

The highlighted lines imply that though a lot of focus is on toughening the restrictions on scientists in their labs, if should also shift towards the ill-advised agricultural practice that produces known deleterious effects. Thus the correct answer is B.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

yahya729 · Answer

could we get a better explanation on 2? Why is the answer not E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello yahya729

E  is your answer because you probably didn't read the answer option  E  and the related text from the passage carefully. The related text from the passage is:

Plasmids are  also one of the two kinds of  vehicles  (the other being viruses)  that molecular biologists depend on  when performing gene transplant experiments.

The plasmids are vehicles on which  molecular biologists depend  when performing gene transplant experiments. On the other hand,  (E)  says Plasmids themselves are Vehicles for performing gene transplant experiments. So there is a huge difference between the answer option  E  and the related text from the passage. That is why  E  is wrong.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed severe restrict

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The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed severe restrict

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