# Saving bugs to find new drugs: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 3, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 3, Reading Passage 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | C | together with several looming health crises, such as antibiotic resistance, has put bioprospecting - the search for useful compounds in nature - firmly back on the map |
| 15 | H | it is now possible to snip out the stretches of the insect's DNA that carry the codes for the interesting compounds |
| 16 | A | capuchin monkeys who rub themselves with toxin-oozing millipedes to deter mosquitoes |
| 17 | F | Why is it that insects have received relatively little attention in bioprospecting? |
| 18 | I | my main motivation for looking at insects in this way is conservation |
| 19 | B | The main cause of this shift is that although there are plenty of promising chemical compounds in nature, finding them is far from easy. |
| 20 | E | alloferon, an antimicrobial compound produced by blow fly larvae, is used as an antiviral and antitumor agent in South Korea and Russia |
| 21 | B, C | an enormous range of very interesting compounds for defensive and offensive purposes |
| 22 | B, C | snip out the stretches of the insect's DNA that carry the codes for the interesting compounds and insert them into cell lines |
| 23 | ecology | My colleagues and I at Aberystwyth University in the UK have developed an approach in which we use our knowledge of ecology as a guide to target our efforts. |
| 24 | prey | The creatures that particularly interest us are the many insects that secrete powerful poison for subduing prey and keeping it fresh for future consumption. |
| 25 | habitats | There are even more insects that are masters of exploiting filthy habitats |
| 26 | antibiotics | suggesting that there is certainly potential to find many compounds that can serve as or inspire new antibiotics. |

## Why these answers are right

**14. C.** You need the causes of a return to natural compounds. Paragraph C names two: genome mining shows how much of nature's chemistry is untouched, and health crises such as antibiotic resistance have put bioprospecting back on the map. Back on the map signals renewed interest, so C.

**15. H.** The item asks for new technology that helps insect research. Paragraph H explains that it is now possible to cut out the DNA carrying the codes for useful compounds and insert it into cell lines that produce larger quantities. That solves the supply problem, so the answer is H.

**16. A.** Look for animals treating themselves with natural substances. Paragraph A describes capuchin monkeys rubbing millipede toxins on their bodies to keep mosquitoes away and chimpanzees eating harsh plants to remove gut parasites. These are animals using medicine from nature, so the answer is A.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/saving-bugs-to-find-new-drugs/answers).

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