The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
- IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Ending
- IELTS Reading Yes/No/Not Given
- IELTS Reading Summary Completion
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
Keep Taking the Tablets Reading Passage
Keep Taking the Tablets
A. Aspirin, which was first called “one of the most astonishing medical breakthroughs” by Diarmuid Jeffreys, “is incredibly versatile, curing some of the most dangerous human maladies, reducing headaches, and repairing limbs.” It can ease your pain.
B. There is widespread agreement on its worth due to its long history of recognition. Willow tree extract was a common pain reliever in ancient Egypt. Centuries later, the Greek physician Hippocrates advocated willow bark as a treatment for labour pains and as an antipyretic. However, from the 17th century until the 19th century, salicylates, chemicals found in willow trees, were not the subject of much scientific research. There was a passion for discovering and synthesizing active chemicals. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, was first discovered and improved in the late 19th century by Friedrich Bayer, a German pharmaceutical business.
C. There were many reasons why the scientific community of the late nineteenth century was open to experimenting. First, they were eager to find answers to some of the biggest questions in their field. Today, even the most fundamental scientific endeavours, like sequencing the human genome, require a team of experts, a network of computers, and many millions of dollars whereas once a lone researcher with a few chemicals and a test tube can discover new knowledge.
D. However, a knowledge of science and academic inquiry alone is insufficient to account for social innovation. The 19th century saw an intensification of both scientific progress and the rise of industry. People back then had resources, energy, and the determination to follow through on their adventures. The discovery of aspirin was a long process with many small milestones leading up to the big announcement. The great scientific, medical, and economic breakthroughs of this century are responsible for all of this.
E. There is an astonishing correlation between enormous wealth and advances in the pharmaceutical industry. Huge sums of money were spent on advertising to ensure its continued viability as a popular pain reliever during its first 70 years of existence. In the 1970s, pharmaceutical companies devoted resources to promoting new pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. As these findings unfold, new information becomes available about aspirin’s ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other problems. may have been lost forever.
F. Against this background, the relationship between huge amounts of money and drugs is puzzling. Continuous access to our products for innovation and scientific research is built on commercial success. In contrast, the commercial market can eliminate products as much as more desirable ones emerge. Aspirin is an example of a potential ‘miracle drug’ that has existed for over 70 years without any clear knowledge of its mechanism of action, yet is highly profitable. If ibuprofen and paracetamol were on the market ten years before him, aspirin might not exist today. The drug had been lying around for some time, so no one had looked into it.
G. The relatively recently discovered benefits of aspirin have been identified by public sector scientists, not by multinational pharmaceutical companies. That’s why. The pharmaceutical industry, which “only invests in profitable research,” has decided that aspirin is no longer profitable. With low production costs, low-profit margins, and no patent protection, anyone can make one. This could lead to a drop in sales of more expensive products and bankruptcy, so pharmaceutical companies have put a strong brake on promoting the drug.
H. So how can we get more drug companies interested in the medical use of aspirin? Jeffreys argues that more federal funding should be spent on clinical research. If I was in healthcare, I would make a different decision. That said, “This drug is really affordable. It could potentially be used in a variety of other situations.” You’d have to spend a lot more money to find out.I. In addition to describing the creation of the “wonder medication,” Jeffries’s book investigates the necessity of such study by analysing the nature of the innovation and the roles played by major corporations, public funding, and regulation.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
IELTS Reading Questions – Keep Taking the Tablets
Questions 27‐32
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H from the box below. Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.
- the discovery of new medical applications.
- the negative effects of publicity.
- the large pharmaceutical companies.
- the industrial revolution.
- the medical uses of a particular tree
- the limited availability of new drugs.
- the chemical found in the willow tree.
- commercial advertising campaigns.
27. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians had practical knowledge
28. Successful replication made Frederick Bayer & Co. possible.
29. Aspirin’s success can be traced in part to the results of
30. Aspirin achieved market penetration as an analgesic
31. Aspirin availability may have been compromised if.
32. No one has studied how aspirin actually works.
Ready to sharpen your skills in Matching Sentence Endings? Click here to discover expert strategies and techniques for accurately matching sentence endings with the corresponding information in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 33-37
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage? In boxes 33-37 on your answer sheet write –
- YES – if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
- NO – if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
- NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
33. Nineteenth-century scientists were able to make important discoveries through small-scale studies.
34. The industrial revolution of the 19th century changed where scientists look for answers.
35. The discovery and development of aspirin in the 19th century followed a set schedule.
36. New pain relievers surpassed aspirin in the 1970s.
37. The availability of pharmaceuticals may be affected, for better or worse, by the actions of commercial firms.
Want to excel in identifying the writer’s views and claims? Click here to explore our in-depth guide on how to accurately determine Yes, No, or Not Given in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 38‐40
Complete the summary below using the list of words A-I below. Write the correct letter A-l in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet
- useful
- cheap
- state
- international
- major drug companies
- profitable
- commercial
- public sector scientists
- health officials
Jeffreys argues that the reason why 38. ……. did not find out about new uses of aspirin is that aspirin is no longer a 39. ….. He, therefore, suggests that there should be 40. …………… support for further research into the possible applications of the drug.
Boost your performance in Summary, Notes, Table, and Flowchart Completion tasks. Click here to explore our detailed guide and learn how to effectively complete summaries, notes, tables, and flowcharts in the IELTS Reading section.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
Keep Taking the Tablets Reading Answers
27. E
28. G
29. D
30. H
31. A
32. C
33. Yes
34. Not Given
35. No
36. Not Given
37. Yes
38. E
39. F
40. C
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
