Germs

1/31/2022 8:47:10 PM
Germs under microscope. Image: ferrellwhited.com

Do you know?

  • Your hands are gross. It’s a fact of life. You touch hundreds of surfaces a day, all of which contain their own little worlds of nasty germs.
  • Germs are tiny organisms, or living things, that can cause disease. Germs are so small and sneaky that they creep into our bodies without being noticed.

Let's explore more in the following passage!

Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:

Listen and complete the passage.

withstand microscopic digest
mount cells microbes


Our world is filled with viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Even the healthiest body can be attacked by one of these creatures. Millions of these microbes can be found in a spoonful of dust. But not all of these are bad. Some of them are very good. The good ones help us our food. The bad ones are called germs.

Germs enter our body through our mouth, nose, other openings, or even a cut on the skin. It is important that we get enough sleep and eat healthy foods so that our bodies can the attack of these bad germs. The less healthy we are, the easier it is for these germs to an attack.

These germs are spread by someone sneezing, coughing, or by touching door handles or other surfaces. We can also get some of these germs from some of the food we eat. These germs can be found in the water we drink. The older we get, the more experienced our body becomes at recognizing these germs and fighting them. The system that recognizes these germs is called our immune system. The in our immune system help us fight off these germs.

Read and answer the following questions.

Germs

Germs can be found in food and drink. Image: chefs.ookul.co

Our world is filled with viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Even the healthiest body can be attacked by one of these microscopic creatures. Millions of these microbes can be found in a spoonful of dust. But not all of these microbes are bad. Some of them are very good. The good ones help us digest our food. The bad ones are called germs.

Germs enter our body through our mouth, nose, other openings, or even a cut on the skin. It is important that we get enough sleep and eat healthy foods so that our bodies can withstand the attack of these bad germs. The less healthy we are, the easier it is for these germs to mount an attack.

These germs are spread by someone sneezing, coughing, or by touching door handles or other surfaces. We can also get some of these germs from some of the food we eat. These germs can be found in the water we drink. The older we get, the more experienced our body becomes at recognizing these germs and fighting them. The system that recognizes these germs is called our immune system. The cells in our immune system help us fight off these germs.

Source: Daily Warm-ups Reading Grade 6

What are the names of microbes mentioned in this passage?

  • germs, illness, fungi
  • viruses, germs, bacteria
  • fungi, viruses, bacteria
  • bacteria, illness, germs

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

  • Open wounds are entry points for germs to enter the body.
  • Germs can be spread in many ways.
  • None of the microbes is proved beneficial to human health.
  • Our immune system protects us from germs.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

  • Sick people are more likely to be attacked by germs.
  • Bad germs are more numerous than good germs.
  • Young people have better immune systems than old ones.
  • Microbes are the smallest creatures in the world.

Based on the second paragraph, eating junk foods regularly may decrease _____. 

  • the ability to recognize germs entering the body
  • the body's resistance to attack by germs
  • the possibility of infection caused by bad germs
  • the risk of obesity and chronic diseases

What is the main purpose of this passage?

  • to distinguish different types of microbes
  • to warn readers of risks caused by microbes
  • to give information about a particular microbe
  • to explain mechanisms of microbial control

Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms

Choose the sentence which is closest in meaning to the given one.

When the unemployment rate is high, the crime rate is usually also high.

  • The unemployment rate and the crime rate are both higher.
  • The higher the unemployment rate is, the higher the crime rate is.
  • The unemployment rate is as high as the crime rate.
  • The high rate of unemployment depends on the high rate of crime.

Complete the second sentence, using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.

News of the scandal becomes widely known within minutes. (WILDFIRE)

=> News of the scandal .

 

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).

He's extremely irritable - he flies off the handle at the slightest thing.

  • is serious
  • is hot-tempered
  • is generous
  • is open-minded

Complete the second sentence, using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.

Only a small part of the city's drug problem was dealt with in the investigation. (SURFACE)

=> The investigation the city's drug problem.