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What is DDT?

Practice for the first part of the Reading and Use of English paper with this sample text about DDT followed by eight multiple choice questions.

Read the extract below and try to choose the correct answer from the four options given for each question. An example has been given (0) with the correct answer indicated. You have eight questions to answer like in your actual exam.

What is DDT?

DDT is a chemical that was (0)…… in the 1940s and (1)…… used to help prevent diseases such as malaria and typhus. It was also (2)…… in helping protect crops and plants from insects, and it was soon being used (3)…… in many countries around the world.

As the use of DDT (4)…… increased there began to be increasing amounts of (5)…… of its declining effectiveness as well as its toxic effects on the environment and human health. (6)…… then, studies have found a relationship between DDT exposure and reproductive effects in humans and animals. In (7)……, some animals exposed to DDT in studies developed liver tumors. Although most uses for DDT are now (8)……, it is still used in some countries to help fight malaria where the benefits are said to outweigh the negative effects.

(0)
  • started
  • introduced
  • actioned
  • begun
(1)
  • finally
  • initially
  • actually
  • currently
(2)
  • beneficial
  • positive
  • worthwhile
  • hopeful
(3)
  • specifically
  • locally
  • nationally
  • globally
(4)
  • rapidly
  • mostly
  • highly
  • largely
(5)
  • circumstances
  • records
  • evidence
  • products
(6)
  • by
  • from
  • since
  • until
(7)
  • comparison
  • total
  • addition
  • calculaton
(8)
  • finished
  • banned
  • ended
  • blocked

(1)   B

(2)   A

(3)   D

(4)   A

(5)   C

(6)   C

(7)   C

(8)  B