Preparing for Civil Service Examination: Reading Comprehension Practice 4

Do you often worry about how to improve your reading comprehension level efficiently? Now, our website has carefully prepared a series of reading comprehension questions closely related to Civil Service Examination, covering a wide range of topics and question types, aiming to hone your reading analysis and comprehension skills in all aspects.

Read the passages and answer the questions that follow. Good luck!

 

Widespread media coverage tells us today of a new drug that “halts” Alzheimer’s symptoms “for three years.” The news is based on a press release issued yesterday that highlighted positive early results of research into the use of intravenous immunoglobulin to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a medication made by harvesting antibodies from donated blood. It is currently used to treat severe forms of infection and a number of autoimmune conditions (where the immune system attacks healthy tissue).
The idea behind using IVIG to treat Alzheimer’s disease is that it could encourage the immune system to “attack” abnormal clumps of protein (amyloid plaques) that can develop in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Some media coverage of the press release was inaccurate. The Daily Express tells us there is a “pill to beat Alzheimer’s” when IVIG is actually given by injection into a blood vessel. The Daily Mail describes it as a “new vaccine,” which is technically incorrect as it implies only one injection needs to be given when in fact IVIG was injected every two weeks.
Once past the somewhat misleading headlines, most coverage does mention that it may be 10 years before this drug can be available, if it passes further scrutiny. IVIG can also be very expensive to manufacture, so this may limit its availability through the national health service.
Limited conclusions can be drawn from this research as it is in its early stage, was conducted on a small number of people, and was not peer-reviewed. Larger studies that compare IVIG to other existing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are required to determine how safe and effective the drug is.

 

1. Which of the following would be the most fitting title to this passage?
a. New Drug to Combat Alzheimer’s to Be Released on the Market
b. Alzheimer’s Cure a Complete Fabrication
c. Miracle Pill for Alzheimer’s Has Patients Hopeful
d. Weakened Immune Systems of Patients to Blame for Alzheimer’s
e. Reports of Potential Breakthrough Alzheimer’s Treatment Both Premature and Misinformed

Correct Answer: e

Answer Explanation:

The author concedes that the treatment looks positive and could make incredible strides for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. However, this article points out inconsistencies in the findings of the report versus the articles being printed about it. The article points out that the treatment may not be available for 10 years, so choice a is incorrect. While the author remains skeptical about the advancement, there have been legitimate findings that would render the drug credible. Therefore, choice b is incorrect. The answer is not choice c since the drug is to be administered intravenously. The title in choice d does not match any of the information in the article, so it is incorrect.

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2. The author’s attitude about the medication being studied to treat Alzheimer’s would be best described as:
a. skeptical
b. ambivalent
c. stoic
d. enthusiastic
e. cantankerous

Correct Answer: a

Answer Explanation:

The author reports that although the drug is being researched, the research is in its early stages, and since it hasn’t been peer reviewed, it can hardly be justified. The answer is not choice b. The author has too much of an opinion to be considered ambivalent or choice c, stoic. Enthusiasm generally denotes positivity, and if the author is enthusiastic at all it is to criticize, so choice d is incorrect. Whether the author seems cantankerous has no bearing on the passage, so choice e is incorrect.

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3. According to the passage, all of the following are true about IVIG EXCEPT:
a. IVIG will be administered by injection.
b. IVIG will encourage the immune system to fight proteins in the
brain.
c. IVIG can be defined as a vaccine.
d. IVIG may not be available for 10 years or more.
e. IVIG may not be cost-efficient to produce.

Correct Answer: c

Answer Explanation:

In the fourth paragraph the author states that although a news source called it one, a vaccine would technically only be administered once, and this drug will need to be delivered every two weeks. The drug will be administered by injection, so choice a is incorrect. The answer is not choice b. The author reports that IVIG will encourage the immune system to fight proteins in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. The answer is not choice d. The author reports that IVIG may not be available for 10 or more years. The answer is not choice e. The author states that IVIG may be expensive to manufacture.

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