San Francisco expands access to an antibiotic pill that may prevent some bacterial STIs

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the main purpose of the article?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To explain how a clinic manufactures antibiotics
   2. To compare several unrelated treatments for STIs
   3. To present benefits and risks of wider Doxy PEP use
   4. To argue that all antibiotics should be avoided
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To present benefits and risks of wider Doxy PEP use

   It presents individual benefits alongside population-level concerns about resistance.

   The debate reflects a broader challenge in modern healthcare: a treatment can offer clear benefits to individuals while also creating risks that must be monitored across the population.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why did Toler begin taking Doxy PEP?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. He wanted to treat difficulty swallowing
   2. He learned it could help prevent infection
   3. Doctors diagnosed him with resistant gonorrhea
   4. He needed to replace regular STI testing
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   He learned it could help prevent infection

   He learned about the treatment and used it after sex without a condom.

   After learning about Doxy PEP, Toler began taking it a day or two after sex without a condom.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “This” refer to in “This does not mean”?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The treatment’s wider availability
   2. The existence of bacterial symptoms
   3. The concern about increasing resistance
   4. The need for partner notifications
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The concern about increasing resistance

   It refers to doctors’ concern that Doxy PEP may increase resistance.

   This does not mean the preventive treatment is being rejected.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organized?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. By presenting a personal story before discussing broader risks
   2. By listing historical discoveries in chronological order
   3. By comparing San Francisco with several other cities
   4. By explaining laboratory procedures in technical detail
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   By presenting a personal story before discussing broader risks

   It moves from the treatment’s use to personal experience and wider medical implications.

   The wider use of Doxy PEP has also created an important medical question.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about Toler’s experience with Doxy PEP?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It increased his concern about discussing sexual health
   2. It helped reduce worry related to possible exposure
   3. It eliminated every possible risk of infection
   4. It caused symptoms similar to those of syphilis
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It helped reduce worry related to possible exposure

   His statement suggests the treatment provided both health and emotional benefits.

   For him, the treatment has reduced some of the anxiety connected with sexual health and possible exposure.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention partner notifications?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that antibiotics require several partners
   2. To explain why gonorrhea resists treatment
   3. To emphasize the emotional burden of possible exposure
   4. To prove that Doxy PEP prevents every STI
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To emphasize the emotional burden of possible exposure

   They illustrate the difficult personal consequences of possible infection.

   He also worried about telling sexual partners that they might have been exposed to an infection.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What limitation does the article identify about Doxy PEP?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It must always be taken before sex
   2. It may make resistant infections more common
   3. It is available only for treating symptoms
   4. It has been shown ineffective for all users
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It may make resistant infections more common

   Its broader use could contribute to antibiotic resistance, especially in gonorrhea.

   They fear that rapid use of Doxy PEP could increase that problem.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.