Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Over the last millennium, salt has undergone a major status shift, from exotic delicacy that drove humans to war to kitchen condiment taken so for granted that 90 percent of Americans consume too much of it without even trying. But new research suggests that salt may be on the verge of yet another reinvention –
this time in the world of disease control.
Superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or
MRSA, have wreaked havoc on the health-care system in recent years. Drug-resistant infections, which include superbugs, are responsible for more than 700,000 deaths globally each year, and come with an approximate annual cost of $20 billion in the United States alone. How do you stop them? Frequent hand washing is one option, but that requires a behaviour change, which can be onerous, even for hospital staff. Another option is to coat those frequently
fondled objects most likely to carry the bugs – doorknobs, bed rails, toilet handles – with a special anti-microbial surface, like copper.
This approach is increasingly popular, but time is of the essence
when it comes to preventing the spread of disease, and MRSA has been shown to survive even on copper for several hours.
Brayden Whitlock, a graduate student at the University of
Alberta, to design a pilot study that put salt and copper head to head.
Coupon-sized strips of pure, compressed sodium chloride were covered in an MRSA culture, alongside similar strips of antimicrobial copper and stainless steel. Whitlock found that salt killed off the bug 20 to 30 times faster than the copper did.
That was “considerably faster” than expected, Whitlock says. “It’s great to be able to eliminate pathogens over the course of a few hours,” he said. Meanwhile, fellow researchers at the University of Alberta have
found another potential medical use for salt: this time, as a coating on surgical masks.
These masks are designed to trap viruses that wearers are carrying, like influenza, but need to be thrown away after a single use. A paper co-authored by Hyo-Jick Choi, found that
soaking the inner membrane of a common surgical mask in a solution of sodium chloride made the mask actually able to destroy
the flu virus outright, which could allow for multiple uses. Influenza is carried via droplets that the wearer exhales into the membrane,
and “when the water evaporates, salt ions gather to form crystals,” says Choi. “The crystals look like a very sharp spearhead. So, they easily kill the virus.”
Choi’s primary area of research is in vaccines and pandemic preparedness, and that’s where he sees the masks’ biggest potential.
During an influenza outbreak, he says, it takes scientists a minimum of six months from the time the strain is identified to the production of a vaccine; meanwhile, the MERS virus spread across South Korea in a matter of weeks in 2015.
It’s in this interim period, between outbreak and vaccine, that many people don surgical masks in an attempt to protect themselves and others, but doing so can backfire if the masks are worn too long or handled incorrectly.
In addition to appearing safe for reuse, the masks Choi is hoping to develop are equally effective at killing all types of influenza, because they rely on a physical process. Salt has the added advantage of being stable across most environments, easy to handle, and cheap to acquire.
Q1. Which of the following words can be an antonym of the word ‘onerous’, as used in the passage?
(a) Difficult
(b) Effortless
(c) Laborious
(d) Confusing
(e) Delayed
Q2. Which of the following words can be an antonym of the word ‘exotic’, as used in the passage?
(a) Sparkling
(b) Outlandish
(c) Native
(d) Precious
(e) Remarkable
Q3. Which of the following words can be a synonym of the word ‘pilot’,
as used in the passage?
(a) Important
(b) Trial
(c) Complicated
(d) Widespread
(e) Driving
Q4. Which of the following words can be a synonym of the word ‘don’,
as used in the passage?
(a) Scare
(b) Avoid
(c) Purchase
(d) Wear
(e) Sell
Q5. Which of the following best represents the tone of the given passage?
(a) Apologetic
(b) Sarcastic
(c) Cynical
(d) Euphemistic
(e) Analytical
Q6. Which of the following objects are mentioned in the passage to be
carrying bugs?
I. Bed rails II. Doorknobs
III. Pollution masks
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Only I and III
(d) Only II and III
(e) Only I and II
Q7. Why does the passage say, “time is of the essence when it comes to
preventing the spread of the disease”?
(a) MRSA survives even on copper for several hours and it is
essential to destroy any microbes quickly to contain the disease.
(b) MRSA survives on copper for several hours and it is essential to
destroy it after several hours.
(c) MRSA survives even on copper for several hours and it leads to
700000 deaths each year globally
(d) MRSA needs to be eliminated within two days of its diagnosis
(e) None of the above
Q8. How did the usage of salt improve the efficacy of the surgical mask?
I. By making it cheaper
II. By allowing for multiple uses
III. By trapping viruses
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Only III
(d) Only I and II
(e) Only II and III
Q9. Which of the following solutions does the passage not discuss while
exploring ways to control the damage caused due to diseases?
(a) Washing hands frequently
(b) Coating frequently used objects by copper
(c) Surgical masks coated with salt
(d) Using salt ions to kill the influenza bacteria
(e) All are discussed
10. According to the passage, what is the biggest potential of the masks Choi is developing?
a) They are made entirely of salt.
b) They can kill all types of influenza using a physical process.
c) They can be reused indefinitely.
d) They are more effective than vaccines.
e) They eliminate the need for pandemic preparedness.
Answers to RC passage
Q1Ans.(b)
Onerous – (of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of
effort, trouble, or difficulty. So, ‘effortless’ can be a antonym. B is
the right answer.
Q2Ans.(c)
Exotic – Originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country.
So, ‘native’ can be its antonym. C is the right answer.
Q3Ans.(b)
Pilot – Done as an experiment or test before being introduced more
Other synos of Pilot – Test, Control, Experiment, Sample, Exploratory, Operate
widely. So, ‘trial’ can be its synonym. B is the right answer.
Q4Ans.(d)
Don (verb) – Put on (an item of clothing).
Don (noun) – Leader, Chief, Pioneer, Senior
DON (verb) – Wear, Put on, Cover, Lift, Encrust, Have on
Antonym – Doff, Remove, Disrobe, Take off
Q5Ans.(e)
The tones given in the options are explained below:
Apologetic – Expressing remorse, regret, sorrow for having failed,
injured, insulted or wronged another
Sarcastic – Harsh, bitter derision; taunting; sneering; cutting
remarks
Cynical – hints of pessimism and scepticism can be seen in this kind
of passages.Euphemistic – Substitution of mild, indirect or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh or blunt
Analytical – The characteristic of an analytical tone is the presence of reasons or logic/ justifications to support something. In such passages, the author tries to analyse an issue. We can see that ‘analytical’ best sums up the tone of the passage, as the author shares details about a new discovery in the medical domain and discusses how it can be used to overcome certain problems. E is the right answer.
Q6Ans.(e) The fourth sentence of the second paragraph list the ‘objects’, which include options I and II. III does not find mention in the passage.
Q7(a) The last sentence of the second paragraph tells us that MRSA can remain on copper for several hours, which inevitably increases the chances of it spreading. B and D are incorrect as they are not mentioned in the passage. C is incorrect as it is not the right reason; plus it gets the figure incorrect – it should have been more than 700000 deaths. A is the right answer.
Q8Ans.(b) The third sentence of the fourth paragraph tells us that using salt (sodium chloride) could allow for multiple uses of surgical masks. This is the only advantage mentioned in the passage. Hence, B is the right answer.
Q9Ans.(d) The fourth sentence of the second paragraph contains option A. The fifth sentence contains option B. Option C appears in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph. The last two sentences of the last paragraph tell us that salt ions are used to kill the influenza virus. But option D says ‘bacteria’; hence it is incorrect. So, D is the right answer.
Q 10. Answer: b) They can kill all types of influenza using a physical process.Explanation:The passage highlights that Choi’s masks are particularly effective because they rely on a physical process to kill all types of influenza. While the masks use salt as part of their mechanism, the focus is on their ability to work across different influenza types, making option (b) the correct choice. Other options either exaggerate or misinterpret the information provided in the passage.