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BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 453
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 453 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 453
READING PASSAGE – 3
The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918
The Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 to 1919, which caused around 50 million deaths worldwide, remains an ominous warning to public health.
A. Before and after 1918, most influenza pandemics developed in Asia and spread from there to the rest of the world more or less simultaneously. Historical data are inadequate to identify the geographic source of the 1918 virus. The name ‘Spanish’ influenza merely reflects that Spain, which was neutral in World War 1, did not censor their news agencies from publicising the severity of the pandemic in the country, and this made it seem to other countries that the disease was worse there.
B. The pandemic did not occur evenly over 1918 and 1919, but came in three severe waves. The first, or so-called spring wave, began in March 1918 and spread unevenly through the United States, Europe, and possibly Asia over the next six months. Illness rates were high, but death rates in most locales were not appreciably above normal. A second or autumn wave spread globally from September to November 1918, was highly fatal and, in many nations, a third wave occurred in early 1919.
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Clinical similarities led contemporary observers to conclude initially that they were observing the same disease in the successive waves. The differences between the waves seemed to be primarily in the much higher frequency of complicated, severe, and fatal cases in the last two waves. These three extensive pandemic waves of influenza within one year, occurring in rapid succession, with only the briefest of quieter intervals between them, were unprecedented.
C. All of these deaths caused a severe disruption in the US economy. Claims against life insurance policies skyrocketed, with one insurance company reporting a 745 per cent rise in the number of claims made. Small businesses, many of which had been unable to operate during the pandemic, went bankrupt. The world economy as a whole was not significantly affected and the 1920’s actually heralded a growth boom, until the 1929 Wall Street Crash.
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The US had a great influence on world economics and, although over 650,00 people died in the US, it could have been a lot worse. Throughout history, influenza viruses have mutated and caused pandemics or global epidemics. In 1890, an especially virulent influenza pandemic struck, killing many Americans. Those who survived that pandemic and lived to experience the 1918 pandemic tended to be less susceptible to the disease and so a lot more Americans lived than would have otherwise been the case.
D. In the years following 1919, people seemed eager to forget the pandemic. Given its devastating impact, the reasons for this forgetfulness are puzzling. It is possible, however, that the pandemic’s close association with World War I may have caused this short memory. While more people died from the pandemic than from World War I, the war had lasted longer than the pandemic and caused greater and more immediate changes in American society. Influenza hit areas quickly and often, but it disappeared within a few weeks of its arrival. Many people did not have time to fully realise just how great the danger was.
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E. The 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic had some curious features. Firstly, overall, nearly half of the influenza-related deaths in the 1918 pandemic were in young adults of 20 to 40 years of age, a phenomenon unique to that pandemic year. The 1918 pandemic is also unique among influenza pandemics in that the absolute risk of influenza death was higher in those under 65 years of age than in those over 65.
Influenza is usually more dangerous for the very young and the old, as their immune systems are weaker. Secondly, the pandemic was particularly widespread during the summer and autumn, whilst usually influenza is more widespread in the colder winter months. Finally, in 1918, three separate recurrences of influenza followed each other with unusual rapidity, resulting in three explosive pandemic waves within a year’s time.
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F. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic was particularly fatal with more than twice the fatalities of World War 1. Scientists today have isolated the virus and researched why it was so particularly lethal. The theory is that it often killed through an over-stimulation of people’s immune systems, a process known as a cytokine storm. This is when there is an overproduction of immune cells and associated compounds to fight an infection.
As the infection was influenza, the cells congregated in the lungs, and their large numbers led to inflammation followed by secondary bacterial pneumonia. This secondary disease was the cause of the many deaths, particularly in healthy young adults, because of their robust immune systems that could produce so many cytokines. Ironically, the health of the young adults made them the most affected.
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G. In its disease course, the 1918 pandemic was different in degree, but not in kind, from previous and subsequent pandemics. Despite the extraordinary number of global deaths, most influenza cases in 1918 were mild and essentially indistinguishable from influenza cases today. Although laboratory experiments on influenza genes from the 1918 virus suggest that the 1918 and 1918-like viruses seem to be as sensitive as other typical virus strains to today’s anti-influenza drugs and even with today’s prevention knowledge, the return of a pandemic virus similar to the virus of 1918 would likely kill over 100 million people worldwide, as the ease of travel in today’s globalised society would aid the movement of the virus.
However, although some characteristics of the 1918 pandemic appear unique, scientists have concluded that, since it happened once, similar or more favourable conditions could lead to another equally devastating pandemic.
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Questions 27 – 33
The text on the previous pages has 7 paragraphs (A – G). Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number (i – x) in boxes 27 – 33 on your answer sheet.
i. Out of Mind
ii. Economic Effects
iii. Inadequate Vaccines
iv. Origins of the Name
v. The Risks Today
vi. The Course of the Pandemic
vii. A Famous Doctor
viii. Unusual Aspects
ix. Why so Deadly?
x. Influenza in the War Zone
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27. Paragraph A
28. Paragraph B
29. Paragraph C
30. Paragraph D
31. Paragraph E
32. Paragraph F
33. Paragraph G
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Questions 34 – 37
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
34. Spanish influenza received its name because
A. it was first diagnosed in Spain.
B. Spain’s soldiers coming home from World War 1 were the most severely affected.
C. the Spanish media publicised the effects more.
D. a Spaniard first transferred the virus to the United States.
35. The attack of the virus in three waves
A. had never been experienced before.
B. allowed doctors to treat the later cases more effectively.
C. led to the government learning from previous mistakes.
D. meant sickness was most severe at the start.
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36. The 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic
A. indirectly led to great prosperity in the 1920’s.
B. had a severe effect on the world economy in the following years.
C. had no appreciable influence on the world economy.
D. indirectly led to the 1929 Wall Street Crash.
37. A previous influenza pandemic
A. meant that the United States had more fatalities than expected in the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.
B. led to many Americans surviving the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.
C. meant many Americans caught the 1918 Spanish influenza virus more easily.
D. was brought to the United States from South America.
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Questions 38 – 40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? In boxes 38 – 40 on your answer sheet write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
38. Because Spanish influenza was often only active for a short time in some communities, its impact was not always appreciated.
39. The 1918 Spanish influenza virus was first identified in Asia.
40. The very young, sick and old were more at risk from 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.
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ANSWERS
27. iv
28. vi
29. ii
30. i
31. viii
32. ix
33. v
34. C
35. A
36. C
37. B
38. TRUE
39. NOT GIVEN
40. FALSE
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