The Reading / Listening - Superbugs - Level 1

The WHO has warned about an increase in superbugs that are resistant to drugs. Many of the drugs have been saving lives for many years. One in six of bugs tested by researchers was drug-resistant. Drugs did not kill the bacteria. This will be a danger to our health. Cuts and infections could kill us in the future because the antibiotics will not kill the bacteria. The WHO said: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk."

A large WHO study looked at data from 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, the number is 1 in 5. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than we can make new drugs. Between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria tested in labs. Not enough testing is being done to create better drugs.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Superbugs - Level 0 Superbugs - Level 2   or  Superbugs - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2025-who-warns-of-widespread-resistance-to-common-antibiotics-worldwide
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/superbugs-drug-resistant-spread-surging-who/
  • https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-warns-surging-levels-antibiotic-resistance-2025-10-13/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The WHO has warned
  2. superbugs that are resistant
  3. drugs have been saving
  4. One in six
  5. Drugs did not
  6. This will be a danger
  7. Cuts and infections could
  8. we're putting lives
  1. bugs tested
  2. kill us
  3. to our health
  4. to drugs
  5. at risk
  6. lives
  7. kill the bacteria
  8. about an increase

Paragraph 2

  1. A large WHO study looked at data
  2. resistance is highest
  3. In Africa, the number
  4. faster than we can
  5. drug resistance
  6. over 40 per cent of the bacteria
  7. Not enough testing
  8. create
  1. tested in labs
  2. better drugs
  3. is being done
  4. is 1 in 5
  5. from 100 countries
  6. increased
  7. in Southeast Asia
  8. make new drugs

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The WHO has warned (1) _________________________________________________ in superbugs that are resistant to drugs. Many of the drugs have (2) _________________________________________________ for many years. One in six bugs tested by researchers was drug-resistant. Drugs did not kill the bacteria. This will be (3) _________________________________________________ our health. Cuts and infections (4) _________________________________________________ in the future because (5) _________________________________________________ not kill the bacteria. The WHO said: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting (6) _________________________________________________."

A large WHO study (7) _________________________________________________ from 100 countries. Drug resistance (8) _________________________________________________ Southeast Asia. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, (9) _________________________________________________ 1 in 5. Bugs are becoming drug-resistant faster than we can (10) ________________________________________________. Between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria (11) _________________________________________________. Not enough testing is being (12) _________________________________________________ better drugs.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheWHOhaswarnedaboutanincreaseinsuperbugsthatareresistantto
drugs.Thiswillbeadangertoourhealth.Oneinsixbugstestedbyresea
rcherswasdrug-resistant.Drugsdidnotkillthebacteria.Manyofthedr
ugshavebeensavinglivesformanyyears.Cutsandinfectionscouldkillu
sinthefuturebecausetheantibioticswillnotkillthebacteria.TheWHOsai
d:"Asantibioticresistancecontinuestorise...we'reputtinglivesatrisk."
AlargeWHOstudylookedatdatafrom100countries.Drugresistanceish
ighestinSoutheastAsia.There,1in3reportedinfectionswasresistant.I
nAfrica,thenumberis1in5.Bugsarebecomingdrug-resistantfasterth
anwecanmakenewdrugs.Between2018and2023,drugresistanceincr
easedinover40percentofthebacteriatestedinlabs.Notenoughtestingi
sbeingdonetocreatebetterdrugs.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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