UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI URBINO CARLO BO
Centro Linguistico d’Ateneo
Test 04
CTF II Anualità
Accertamento di lingua Inglese Livello B2
Leggere il brano e rispondere alle domande in inglese:
'Lab on a card' spots poor quality drugs that can kill
At the Moi Teaching and Research Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, pharmacists have a “drawer of shame.”
In it they put drugs which look suspicious, because they are either fake or of poor quality. Rather than
make people better, poor quality medicines prolong their sickness, often cause side effects and increase the
risk of drug resistance – leading to more illness and deaths, particularly among children.
While counterfeit medicines are deliberately mislabelled and mis-sold by criminals, poor quality
pharmaceuticals are a silent killer because they look genuine.
Now thanks to a cheap, paper-based screening tool that pharmacist Mercy Maina and her colleagues are
able to check on the ingredients of the medicines they prescribe to patients in Eldoret.
The tool is known as PAD (Paper Analytical Device) and is essentially a mini lab on a piece of paper,
Mercy explains.
“It's simple, you apply the tablet on a specific area on the device, dip the card in water and wait for a
colour reaction, then compare the results to a standard to interpret the results.”
Each of the cards contains 12 separate strips which react with a drug to create a “coloured bar code” that
gives information about its chemical content.
Using the card, they have been able to determine the quality of a wide variety of antibiotics, anti-malarial
drugs and tuberculosis medication, and report any odd results to the Kenya Pharmacy and poisons board
while filling up their “drawer of shame”.
The poor quality drugs may look like the real thing but they don't work properly – usually because of
mistakes made during the manufacturing process, poor storage conditions (in hot temperatures) and
inadequate transportation.
No one really knows the scale of the global problem of low-quality medicines because the data is so hard
to come by, but experts agree that it is now a serious international public health issue.
Research published in the Malaria Journal in 2014 said that poor quality medicines “threaten the lives of
millions of patients and are alarmingly common in many parts of the world.
Experts writing in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene recently called the
proliferation of falsified and sub-standard medicines “a global pandemic”.
And it is in developing countries like Kenya, that the problem is most acute.
A recent national quality control survey in the country suggested that around 25% of drugs could be substandard.
Prof. Paul Newton, and expert in drug quality from the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, says
the exact figure doesn't really matter.
“I would argue that even if 1% of the anti-malarial supply is poor quality that will be an important public
health concern.
As malaria is so common, many people will be affected with more sickness and death than they should
have been if the medicines had been of good quality.”
The WHO estimates that 30% of countries have no drug regulation body or one that doesn't function well
enough – and that means there is a serious lack of quality control.
So out in the field, attention is focused on testing the quality and authenticity of drugs before they are sold
to patients.
Prof. Marya Liberman, from Notre Dame University in the US, who devised the Pad project four years
ago, says the device has the ability to test 36 different drugs at the moment.
The results have been revealing – they have found drugs diluted with paracetamol, which only relieves
symptoms as opposed to fighting off the disease.
Other drugs have been found to contain hidden amoxicillin (to which people can be dangerously allergic),
and tests on fake medicines have unearthed evidence of starch, maize meal and a variety of unidentifiable
white powders.
Pagina 1/10
Because the card is very strait-forward to use, anybody can be trained to use it – and that's important in a
country with few resources.
Answer the following in one or more complete sentences. Use your own words.
1 According to the article, why do pharmacists at the Moi Teaching and Research hospital in
Eldoret, Kenya test medicines before giving them to patients? (What are they looking for?)
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2 How do pharmacists use the Paper Analytical Device (PAD)? Describe the steps in the process.
(You can use the Passive Voice if or when necessary)
First, . .
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3 How common is the problem of low-quality pharmaceuticals in developing countries? What are
the causes?
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Pagina 2/10
4 What are the consequences if a patient is administered sub-standard or counterfeit
pharmaceuticals?
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5 What are the benefits of the Paper Analytical Device (PAD)? Why is it particularly useful in
developing countries?
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6 The graph on the following page shows the major health conditions and causes of death in Africa.
Summarize the information; compare and report the main features.
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Pagina 3/10
Pagina 4/10
PART II: Grammar
Sentence Transformation
Complete the second sentence of each pair so that it is as near as possible in meaning to the first beginning
each one as suggested.
1 The forecast for tomorrow is rain.
It's …............................................................................................. tomorrow.
2 It was a bad idea for us to be rude to the policeman.
We shouldn't …..........................................................................to the policeman.
3 I have never eaten Japanese food before.
This is the first time …...............................…....................................... Japanese food.
4 Sheila had long hair when she was at school.
Sheila used …............................................. when she was at school.
5 Linda won't listen to me.
I wish …............................................................................................. listen to me.
6 'Why are you so late?' I asked Steve.
I asked Steve................................................................... so late.
Grammar Section: Verb forms Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets,
adjusting word order where necessary.
7 Who was the person you …............................................ to when I saw you? (talk)
8 Alexander Fleming …............................................ penicillin in 1928. (discover)
9 This homework is difficult. I …............................................ it. (not / understand)
10 What …............................................ this weekend. (you / do )
11 She …............................................ at the Plaza Hotel. It was too expensive. (not / stay)
12 I'm tired because I …............................................ since 8 o'clock this morning and I still have to finish
this report. (work)
13 I promise I …............................................ as soon as I get home. (phone)
14 They stopped …............................................ when the film began. (talk)
15 I stopped …............................................ some petrol on my way home. (get)
16 I think that in the future, everyone …............................................ an electric car. (have) (will have)
17 We were too late. When we arrived at the station the train
…....................................already…............................................ . (leave)
18 'How did you earn to dive?'
'My father …............................................ me. (teach)
Modal verbs
Complete the sentences with: can / can't; could / couldn't; should / shouldn't; must / mustn't and
the infinitive form of the verbs in brackets.
19
20
21
22
23
24
Of course I …..................................... a bike. It's really easy. (ride)
This is an examination. Students …..................................... from other students (copy)
He …..................................... last week because he was injured. (play)
I'm in a difficult position. What do you think I …..................................... ? (do)
There is a uniform in this school and all students …..................................... it. (wear)
…..................................... I …..................................... your pen for a moment? (use)
Pagina 5/10
Phrasal verbs (multi-part verbs) Complete each of the sentences with one of the words below (There
are two extra words you do not need to use.)
up
25
26
27
28
29
in
out
down
away
back
on
John phoned when you were out. He'll call …...................... later .
I always try …...................... new clothes before I buy them.
Do you know what happened? Not yet, but I'm going to find …....................... .
You're very nervous. You need to calm …................................... .
Paula grew …...................... in Uruguay.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the first or second
conditional:
30 If you are late again, you …..................................... your job. (lose)
31
If I …..................................... the answer I would tell you. (know)
32
I …..................................... you at the airport if you tell me what time the flight arrives. (meet)
33
If I didn't need the money, I …..................................... on Saturdays. (not /work)
34 What …..................................... if you saw someone stealing a car? (you / do)
Active / Passive Put the following sentences into the passive voice. Do not mention the agent.
Put the following sentences into Passive Voice
35 They don't deliver the post on Sundays.
The post …......................................................................................................................................
36 Where do they make these video recorders?
Where …....................................................................................................................................... ?
37 Someone has eaten my sandwich.
My sandwich …............................................................................................................................... .
38 They will announce the results of the competition tomorrow.
The results …...............................................................................................................…............... .
39 It is expected that a new law will be introduced next year.
A new law ….......................................................................................................................................
Tradurre in Italiano
English
heart
bones
lungs
blood
liver
brain
ankle
foot
Italian
Pagina 6/10
Translate the following excerpts into Italian:
Drugs have been used to treat and prevent malaria for centuries. Bark from the cinchona tree, which
contained an array of alkaloids with anti-malarial properties, appeared in Western therapeutics in the 17 th
century. One of the alkaloids, quinine, was isolated in 1820 and became the drug of choice for treating
malaria until World war II, when supplies of the drug were cut off by the Japanese occupation of the
Cinchona-growing regions in Southeast Asia. Efforts to create alternatives to quinine led to the search for
synthetic anti-malarial drugs. Chloroquine, first developed in the 1930s, became the most widely used
synthetic anti-malarial drug during the 1960s and 1970s.
The emergence of anti-malarial resistance is a recent phenomenon. Chloroquine-resistant forms of
Plasmodium falciparum malaria first appeared in Thailand in 1957. They then spread through South and
Southeast Asia and by the 1970s were being seen in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The rise in
Chloroquine resistance contributed to a world-wide increase in malaria-related mortality, particularly in
sub-Saharan Africa.
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It was in the context of the search for newer and safer antimalarials that would be effective in treating
falciparum malaria that artemisinin-based drugs merged from China. Artemisinin had been used by
Chinese herbalists for centuries and was rediscovered by Chinese biomedical researchers in the 1970s. It
did not become widely available outside China until the 1990s.
In an effort to prevent the development of resistance to artemisinin-based drugs, The World Health
Organization (WHO) recommended that they be used only in combination with other antimalarials. The
first widely-available artemisinin therapy, or ACT, was Coartem, which combined an artemisinin
derivative, artmether, with a long-acting antibiotic, lumefantine. The combination drug proved to be 97%
effective in curing the most deadly forms of falciparum malaria.
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Pagina 7/10
ANSWER KEY
Reading comprehension - possible answers:
1 Pharmacists at the Moi Teaching and Research Hospital test drugs to check that they are not counterfeit
or of poor quality. Some counterfeit drugs look suspicious but some sub-standard medicines look genuine.
Pharmacists use the PAD in order to discover what is in the pharmaceuticals before they are given to
patients.
2 The paper Analytical Device is simple to use. First, the drug tablet is applied to a specific area on the
PAD. Then the card is dipped into water. The pharmacist then waits for a colour reaction to take place.
Finally the pharmacists compares the results to a standard coloured bar code in order to interpret the
results. These results will reveal the chemical content of the medicine.
3 The problem of low quality pharmaceuticals is a serious health issue although it is difficult to obtain
specific information concerning this problem.
According to the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, instances of sub-standard and falsified
medicines are widespread. A recent quality control survey in Kenya revealed that around 25% of the drugs
in that country could be substandard.
Some medicines are intentionally falsified while other medicines may become altered during the
manufacturing process or during transportation and storage. Sometimes medicines are not kept at the
proper temperature.
4 Poor quality medicines do not help to cure illness but instead they prolong the illness. Sub-standard
medicines can also cause side-effects and can eventually lead to drug resistance. This drug resistance will
effect other patients.
5 The PAD Lab card is easy to use. This means that anyone can be instructed to use the devise. At the
moment it can test 36 different drugs. These factors are important in countries that have fewer economic
resources.
6 The graph provides information about mortality rates in Africa. The most significant data concerns
HIV/Aids which is the most common cause of mortality. Respiratory infections are responsible for nearly
1,000,000 deaths per year. Birth complications are also dramatically present and affect almost twice as
many patients as cancer in Africa.
Ebola affects a small part of the population in comparison with the other conditions listed on this graph.
Malaria continues to be a serious health concern and cause of mortality. Malaria is responsible for nearly
500,000 deaths per year.
Grammar Section: Sentence Transformation
Complete the second sentence of each pair so that it is as near as possible in meaning to the first beginning
each one as suggested.
1 The forecast for tomorrow is rain.
It's going to rain tomorrow.
2 It was a bad idea for us to be rude to the policeman.
We shouldn't have been rude to the policeman.
3 I have never eaten Japanese food before.
This is the first time I have eaten Japanese food.
4 Sheila had long hair when she was at school.
Sheila used to have long hair when she was at school.
5 Linda won't listen to me.
I wish Linda would listen to me.
(Linda would)
Pagina 8/10
6 'Why are you so late?' I asked Steve.
I asked Steve why he was so late.
(why he was so late)
Grammar Section: Verb forms Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets,
adjusting word order where necessary.
1
2
3
4
Who was the person you were talking to when I saw you? (talk)
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. (discover)
This homework is difficult. I don't understand it. (not / understand)
(I don't understand it)
What are you going to do /are doing this weekend. (you / do ) (are you going to do /are doing)
5 She didn't stay at the Plaza Hotel. It was too expensive. (not / stay)
6 I'm tired because I have been working since 8 o'clock this morning and I still have to finish this
report. (work)
7 I promise I'll phone as soon as I get home. (phone)
8 They stopped talking when the film began. ( talk)
9 I stopped to get some petrol on my way home. (get)
10 I think that in the future, everyone will have an electric car. (have)
11 We were too late. When we arrived at the station the train had already left. (leave)
12 'How did you learn to drive?'
'My father taught me. (teach)
Modal verbs
Complete the sentences with: can / can't; could / couldn't; should / shouldn't; must / mustn't and
the infinitive form of the verbs in brackets.
1 Of course I can ride a bike. It's really easy. (ride)
2 This is an examination. Students mustn't copy / can't copy from other students (copy)
3 He couldn't play last week because he was injured. (play)
4 I'm in a difficult position. What do you think I should do ? (do)
5 There is a uniform in this school and all students must wear it. (wear)
6 Can / Could I use your pen for a moment? (use)
Phrasal verbs (multi-part verbs) Complete each of the sentences with one of the words below (There
are two extra words you do not need to use.)
up
1
2
3
4
5
in
out
down
away
John phoned when you were out. He'll call back later .
I always try on new clothes before I buy them.
Do you know what happened? Not yet, but I'm going to find out.
You're very nervous. You need to calm down .
Paula grew up in Uruguay.
Pagina 9/10
back
on
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Use the first or second
conditional:
1 If you are late again, you'll lose your job. (lose)
2 If I knew the answer I would tell you. (know)
3
I'll meet you at the airport if you tell me what time the flight arrives. (meet)
4 If I didn't need the money, I wouldn't work on Saturdays. (not /work)
5 What would you do if you saw someone stealing a car? (you / do)
Active / Passive Put the following sentences into the passive voice. Do not mention the agent.
Put the following sentences into Passive Voice
1. They don't deliver the post on Sundays.
The post is not delivered on Sundays.
2. Where do they make these video recorders?
Where are these video recorders made?
3 Someone has eaten my sandwich.
My sandwich has been eaten.
4 They will announce the results of the competition tomorrow.
The results of the competition will be announced tomorrow.
5 It is expected that a new law will be introduced next year.
A new law is expected to be introduced next year.
Tradurre in Italiano
English
heart
bones
lungs
blood
liver
brain
ankle
foot
Italian
cuore
ossa
polmoni
sangue
fegato
cervello
caviglia
piede
Translate the excerpts into italiano:
Students own answers.
Pagina 10/10