Keep Taking The Tablets - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Practice Test Plus 2 Academic Reading Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
Keep taking the tablets
The history of aspirin is a product of a rollercoaster ride through time, of accidental discoveries, intuitive reasoning and intense corporate rivalry
In the opening pages of Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug, Diarmuid Jeffreys describes this little white pill as 'one of the most amazing creations in medical history, a drug so astonishingly versatile that it can relieve headache, ease your aching limbs, lower your temperature and treat some of the deadliest human diseases'.
Its properties have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian physicians used extracts from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer. Centuries later the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the willow tree as a remedy for the pains of childbirth and as a fever reducer. But it wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that salicylates - the chemical found in the willow tree - became the subject of serious scientific investigation. The race was on to identify the active ingredient and to replicate it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company, Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective chemical compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin.
The late nineteenth century was a fertile period for experimentation, partly because of the hunger among scientists to answer some of the great scientific questions, but also because those questions were within their means to answer. One scientist in a laboratory with some chemicals and a test tube could make significant breakthroughs - whereas today, in order to map the human genome for instance, one needs 'an army of researchers, a bank of computers and millions and millions of dollars'.
But an understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry is not enough on its own to explain how society innovates. In the nineteenth century, scientific advance was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a period when people frequently had the means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case of aspirin that happened piecemeal - a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the century's broader economic, medical and scientific developments, that led to one big final breakthrough.
The link between big money and pharmaceutical innovation is also a significant one. Aspirin's continued shelf life was ensured because for the first 70 years of its life, huge amounts of money were put into promoting it as an ordinary everyday analgesic. In the 1970s other analgesics, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, were entering the market, and the pharmaceutical companies then focused on publicising these new drugs. But just at the same time, discoveries were made regarding the beneficial role of aspirin in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for these findings, this pharmaceutical marvel may well have disappeared.
So the relationship between big money and drugs is an odd one. Commercial markets are necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they remain around long enough for scientists to carry out research on them. But the commercial markets are just as likely to kill off certain products when something more attractive comes along. In the case of aspirin, a potential 'wonder drug' was around for over 70 years without anybody investigating the way in which it achieved its effects, because they were making more than enough money out of it as it was. If ibuprofen or paracetamol had entered the market just a decade earlier, aspirin might not be here today. It would be just another forgotten drug that people hadn't bothered to explore.
None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical companies; they were made by scientists working in the public sector. The reason for that is very simple and straightforward, Jeffreys says in his book. 'Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more. It is incredibly inexpensive with tiny profit margins and it has no patent any more, so anyone can produce it.' In fact, there's almost a disincentive for drug companies to further boost the drug, he argues, as it could possibly put them out of business by stopping them from selling their more expensive brands.
So what is the solution to a lack of commercial interest in further exploring the therapeutic benefits of aspirin? More public money going into clinical trials, says Jeffreys. 'If I were the Department of Health, I would say "this is a very inexpensive drug. There may be a lot of other things we could do with it." We should put a lot more money into trying to find out.'
Jeffreys' book - which not only tells the tale of a 'wonder drug' but also explores the nature of innovation and the role of big business, public money and regulation - reminds us why such research is so important.
Questions
Questions 27–32 Matching Sentence Endings
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H from the box below.
A. the discovery of new medical applications.
B. the negative effects of publicity.
C. the large pharmaceutical companies.
D. the industrial revolution.
E. the medical uses of a particular tree.
F. the limited availability of new drugs.
G. the chemical found in the willow tree.
H. commercial advertising campaigns.
Questions 33–37 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading
Passage 3?
Questions 38–40 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below using the list of words A-I below.
A useful B cheap C state
D international E major drug companies F profitable
G commercial H public sector scientists I health officials
Research into aspirin
Jeffreys argues that the reason why 38 did not find out about new uses of aspirin is that aspirin is no longer a 39 drug. He therefore suggests that there should be 40 support for further research into the possible applications of the drug.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | E | Ancient Egyptian physicians used extracts from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer. Centuries later the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the willow tree as a remedy for the pains of childbirth and as a fever reducer | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that very old Egyptian doctors used parts of the willow tree to stop pain. Later, the Greek doctor Hippocrates also suggested using the bark of the willow tree to help with pain during birth and to lower body temperature when someone had a fever. This clearly shows both cultures knew about the healing powers of this specific tree. Answer Explanation: The answer means that doctors in ancient Egypt and Greece knew how to use a specific type of tree for health or healing purposes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because the passage states that both ancient Egyptian and Greek doctors used parts of the 'willow tree' for medicine. The text mentions that 'Ancient Egyptian physicians used extracts from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer' and that 'the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the willow tree as a remedy for the pains of childbirth and as a fever reducer.' This shows they were aware of the 'medical uses' (like pain relief and reducing fever) of a 'particular tree' (the willow tree). |
| Q28 | G | But it wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that salicylates - the chemical found in the willow tree - became the subject of serious scientific investigation. The race was on to identify the active ingredient and to replicate it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company, Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective chemical compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that for a long time, scientists studied 'salicylates', which is 'the chemical found in the willow tree'. Scientists wanted to find this special part and make a copy of it in a lab, which means to 'replicate it synthetically'. The passage then says that a company called 'Friedrich Bayer & Co.' successfully made a new chemical called 'acetylsalicylic acid', which we now know as aspirin. This new chemical was a copy of the one from the willow tree. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the company, Frederick Bayer & Co., was able to create a copy of the special substance that naturally comes from the willow tree. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because the passage clearly states that scientists were trying to 'replicate... synthetically' the active ingredient of salicylates, which is described as 'the chemical found in the willow tree'. It then says that 'Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective chemical compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin'. This acetylsalicylic acid is the synthetic (man-made) version of the chemical from the willow tree, meaning they reproduced it. |
| Q29 | D | In the nineteenth century, scientific advance was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a period when people frequently had the means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case of aspirin that happened piecemeal - a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the century's broader economic, medical and scientific developments, that led to one big final breakthrough | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that science made huge steps forward when the industrial revolution was happening. During this time, people had the tools, reasons, and strong will to make new ideas real. For aspirin, this meant many small discoveries, helped by the general changes in money, medicine, and science from that time, led to its final creation. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'the industrial revolution', which means the time when many new machines and factories were made, changing how people worked and lived. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage clearly states that the creation of aspirin, or its 'final breakthrough', was helped by the industrial revolution. It explains that during the nineteenth century, when aspirin was developed, scientific progress was 'closely linked to the industrial revolution'. This period gave people the 'means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality', which created the right conditions for the advances that led to aspirin. |
| Q30 | H | Aspirin's continued shelf life was ensured because for the first 70 years of its life, huge amounts of money were put into promoting it as an ordinary everyday analgesic | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that aspirin stayed popular for 70 years because a lot of money was spent to make it known as a common painkiller. 'Promoting it' means telling people about it, similar to advertising, and 'analgesic' means a medicine that stops pain. Answer Explanation: The answer, H, means that aspirin became popular as a painkiller because companies spent a lot of money to tell people about it, like through advertisements. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H because the passage explains that the market for aspirin as a painkiller was built by spending a lot of money on promoting it. The passage uses the phrase 'promoting it as an ordinary everyday analgesic' to show how aspirin was made known and available to people as a pain reliever through efforts similar to 'commercial advertising campaigns'. This promotion kept aspirin popular for many years. |
| Q31 | A | But just at the same time, discoveries were made regarding the beneficial role of aspirin in preventing heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for these findings, this pharmaceutical marvel may well have disappeared | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that new ways to use aspirin were found, specifically helping with heart attacks and strokes. It also says that without these 'discoveries' (new found uses), aspirin 'may well have disappeared' (might not be available today). Answer Explanation: The answer, 'the discovery of new medical applications,' means finding out new ways aspirin could help people stay healthy or cure sickness. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage states that new uses for aspirin, like preventing heart attacks and strokes, saved it from disappearing. The passage explains that in the 1970s, other pain medicines became popular, and aspirin might have been forgotten. However, at the same time, new 'discoveries' showed aspirin had a 'beneficial role' in preventing serious health problems. These new ways of using aspirin made sure it stayed a 'pharmaceutical marvel' and did not 'disappear'. |
| Q32 | C | In the case of aspirin, a potential 'wonder drug' was around for over 70 years without anybody investigating the way in which it achieved its effects, because they were making more than enough money out of it as it was None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical companies; they were made by scientists working in the public sector. The reason for that is very simple and straightforward, Jeffreys says in his book. 'Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more.' |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that for over 70 years, no one studied *how* aspirin really worked because companies were already making enough money from it. It also clearly says that large medicine companies (big pharmaceutical companies or drug companies) do not find new good things about aspirin. This is because these companies only do research that will make them money, and aspirin is now cheap and does not make much profit. This shows that large companies did not investigate how aspirin worked because it was not profitable for them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the large companies that make and sell medicines did not study how aspirin does its job in the body. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'the large pharmaceutical companies' because the passage explains that aspirin was available for more than 70 years, and no one investigated 'the way in which it achieved its effects' as long as there was enough money being made from it. The passage further clarifies that 'big pharmaceutical companies' or 'drug companies' do not research old medicines like aspirin because there is 'no profit' in them. They only do research that will bring them financial benefits. Since aspirin is inexpensive and has no patent, these large companies had little incentive to investigate how it worked, leaving such discoveries to scientists in the public sector. |
| Q33 | YES | One scientist in a laboratory with some chemicals and a test tube could make significant breakthroughs - whereas today, in order to map the human genome for instance, one needs 'an army of researchers, a bank of computers and millions and millions of dollars' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that in the late 1800s, one scientist working in a lab with small tools (like chemicals and a test tube) could make very important new discoveries. It then compares this to today, where new discoveries (like mapping human genes) need many scientists, many computers, and a lot of money. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in the 1800s (the nineteenth century), scientists could make big new discoveries even if they worked alone or with very simple tools. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'YES' because the passage indicates that in the late nineteenth century, scientists had the means to make important discoveries with simple resources. It highlights that major scientific questions were 'within their means to answer' and provides a specific example of 'One scientist in a laboratory with some chemicals and a test tube' being able to make 'significant breakthroughs'. This directly supports the statement that small-scale research was sufficient for important discoveries during that time. |
| Q34 | NOT GIVEN | In the nineteenth century, scientific advance was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a period when people frequently had the means, motive and determination to take an idea and turn it into reality | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that in the 1800s, new scientific discoveries were strongly connected to the industrial revolution (a time of big changes in factories and how things were made). During this time, people often had the ability, the reason, and the strong will to make new ideas happen. Answer Explanation: The answer 'NOT GIVEN' means that the passage does not provide enough information for us to say if the statement is true or false. The author of the passage does not talk about whether the industrial revolution made scientists change what they were studying. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage explains that scientific progress was connected to the industrial revolution in the 1800s. It says that during this time, people had the 'means, motive and determination' (the tools, reasons, and strong will) to turn new ideas into real things. It also mentions that the industrial revolution helped (or 'fertilised') economic, medical, and scientific advancements. However, the passage never says that the industrial revolution 'caused a change in the focus' of what scientists were researching. It only talks about how scientific advances were linked to and encouraged by it, not that it redirected their main areas of study. Therefore, we cannot confirm or deny the statement from the text. |
| Q35 | NO | In the case of aspirin that happened piecemeal - a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the century's broader economic, medical and scientific developments, that led to one big final breakthrough | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that aspirin's development was 'piecemeal,' which means it happened little by little, not in a planned way. It also says there were 'often unrelated advances,' meaning different discoveries that were not connected to each other, but together they led to the final medicine. Answer Explanation: The answer 'No' means that the statement is incorrect. The development of aspirin in the 1800s did not follow a clear, organized plan. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'No' because the passage clearly states that the development of aspirin in the nineteenth century did not follow a structured or organized pattern. Instead, it describes the process as happening 'piecemeal' and involving 'a series of minor, often unrelated advances'. This language directly contradicts the idea of a 'structured pattern of development', indicating that it was a less orderly process. |
| Q36 | NOT GIVEN | In the 1970s other analgesics, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, were entering the market, and the pharmaceutical companies then focused on publicising these new drugs | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that in the 1970s, new pain medicines, like ibuprofen and paracetamol, started to be sold. It also says that drug companies began to promote these new medicines. But it does not tell us how well they sold compared to aspirin. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the passage does not provide enough information to say if the statement is true or false. We cannot know if new pain medicines sold more than aspirin in the 1970s based on this text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage states that in the 1970s, new pain-relieving drugs like ibuprofen and paracetamol started to be sold, and companies started to advertise them. However, the passage never compares the actual *sales numbers* of these new drugs to aspirin's sales. It does not say if the sales of the new drugs became higher than aspirin sales. Therefore, we don't have enough information to confirm or deny the statement. |
| Q37 | YES | Commercial markets are necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they remain around long enough for scientists to carry out research on them. But the commercial markets are just as likely to kill off certain products when something more attractive comes along | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that businesses are needed to create new medicines and make sure they stay available for a while, so scientists can study them. But it also says that these same businesses might stop selling some medicines if new ones that are more popular or profitable come out. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'yes'. This means that businesses that make and sell medicines can both help new drugs become available and also make some drugs disappear from the market. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage explains that big companies have both helpful and harmful effects on drugs. On one hand, 'Commercial markets are necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they remain around' for a long time, allowing scientists to study them. This highlights their positive role in making and keeping medicines available. However, the passage also states that 'commercial markets are just as likely to kill off certain products when something more attractive comes along', meaning they might stop selling older drugs if newer, more profitable ones appear. This shows the negative impact on the continued availability of some pharmaceutical products. |
| Q38 | E | None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical companies; they were made by scientists working in the public sector. The reason for that is very simple and straightforward, Jeffreys says in his book. 'Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more.' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that "big pharmaceutical companies" (which means large medicine companies, like 'major drug companies') did not find the new good things aspirin can do. Instead, other scientists found them. The passage explains that Jeffreys says this is because medicine companies only do research that will make them money. Aspirin does not make much money now, so they are not interested. Answer Explanation: The answer, 'E', means that big medicine companies are the ones Jeffreys talked about. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'major drug companies' because the passage states that these companies did not find new uses for aspirin. The passage, citing Jeffreys, explicitly says, "None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big pharmaceutical companies." It then explains that 'drug companies' typically only do research that will make money, and aspirin no longer has a 'profit' for them. |
| Q39 | F | Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that medicine companies only do research that will make them money. It also says that aspirin does not make money anymore. This means aspirin is not a drug that helps companies earn a lot of money. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'profitable'. This means that aspirin no longer brings in much money for companies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'profitable' because the passage explains that big drug companies did not research new uses for aspirin because it stopped bringing them financial benefits. Jeffreys states that 'Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more.' Therefore, aspirin is no longer a 'profitable' drug, which is why these companies are not interested in further studies. |
| Q40 | C | More public money going into clinical trials, says Jeffreys. 'If I were the Department of Health, I would say "this is a very inexpensive drug. There may be a lot of other things we could do with it." We should put a lot more money into trying to find out.' | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Jeffreys thinks the government should spend more money, called 'public money', on studying aspirin. He suggests that a department like the 'Department of Health' should give more money to find out what else the drug can do. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'state'. This means support from the government for more research into aspirin. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'state' because the passage explains Jeffreys' suggestion that 'More public money going into clinical trials' is needed for further research into aspirin. He specifically mentions the 'Department of Health' as an example of an entity that should provide this funding. The 'Department of Health' is a government body, and 'public money' comes from the government or 'state'. Therefore, 'state' support aligns with the idea of public funding from a government department. |