Read the text and do the tasks. The deadliest virus in modern history, perhaps of all time, was the 1918 Spanish Flu. It killed about 20 to 50…
SEE Class 10 English · 2082 · Solved Question with Answer
Read the text and do the tasks.
The deadliest virus in modern history, perhaps of all time, was the 1918 Spanish Flu. It killed about 20 to 50 million people worldwide, perhaps more. The total death toll is unknown because medical records were not kept in many areas.
The pandemic hit during World War I and devastated military troops. In the United States, for instance, more servicemen were killed from the flu than from the war itself. The Spanish flu was fatal to a higher proportion of young adults than most flu viruses.
The pandemic started mildly, in the spring of 1918, but was followed by a much more severe wave in the fall of 1918. The war likely contributed to the devastating mortality numbers, as large outbreaks occurred in military forces living in close quarters. Poor nutrition and the unsanitary conditions of war camps had an effect.
A third wave occurred in the winter and spring of 1919, and a fourth, smaller wave occurred in a few areas in spring 1920. Initial symptoms of the flu were typical: sore throat, headache, and fever. The flu often progressed rapidly to cause severe pneumonia and sometimes hemorrhage in the lungs and mucus membranes. A characteristic feature of severe cases of the Spanish Flu was heliotrope cyanosis, where the patient's face turned blue from lack of oxygen in the cells. Death usually followed within hours or days.
Modern medicine such as vaccines, antivirals, and antibiotics for secondary infections were not available at that time, so medical personnel couldn't do much more than try to relieve symptoms.
The flu ended when it had infected enough people that those who were susceptible had either died or developed immunity.
A. Match the meanings in Column A with the correct words from the text in Column B. One of the words in Column B does not have a match. (5×1=5)
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| a. a disease that spreads over the world | i. military |
| b. connected with soldiers | ii. feature |
| c. a part of whole | iii. immunity |
| d. people who work for an organisation | iv. proportion |
| e. the body's ability to avoid disease | v. pandemic |
| vi. personnel |
B. Write TRUE for true and FALSE for false statements. (5×1=5)
a. More people died due to flu than the war.
b. The Spanish Flu killed young adults more than other age groups.
c. The last wave of the Spanish Flu occurred in 1919.
d. A person would die within a short period of time after getting heliotrope cyanosis due to the flu.
e. The medical personnel could cure the flu using modern medicine.
C. Copy the correct answers from the given alternatives. (5×1=5)
a. Why was it difficult to find the exact number of death toll caused by the Spanish Flu?
i. because a large number of people died
ii. because there was war at that time
iii. because the virus was the deadliest
iv. because medical records were not kept
b. When did the Spanish Flu begin to spread in the world?
i. in the spring of 1918
ii. in the fall of 1918
iii. in the spring of 1919
iv. in the spring of 1920
c. What was the main reason of the outbreak of the Spanish Flu among the soldiers?
i. They lacked nutrition.
ii. They lived in closed quarters.
iii. They had poor sanitation.
iv. They lacked medical facilities.
d. What happens when a person has a severe case of the Spanish Flu?
i. The person's face turns blue.
ii. The person gets pneumonia.
iii. There is hemorrhage in lungs.
iv. There is hemorrhage in mucus membranes.
e. How did the spread of the Spanish Flu come to an end?
i. People received vaccines.
ii. People had antibiotics.
iii. People developed immunity.
iv. People used antivirals.