Read the given passage and answer the following questions. Dr. Snow, the father of epidemiology, was an obstetrician with an interest in many aspects of medical science. He had long believed that water contaminated by sewage was the cause of cholera. Snow published an article in 1849 outlining his theory, but doctors and scientists thought he was on the wrong track and stuck with the established belief that cholera was caused by breathing vapours or a 'miasma in the atmosphere'. The first cases of cholera in England were reported in 1831. Between 1831 and 1854 thousands of people in England died of cholera. Dr. Snow who was then experimenting with a new technique, called anaesthesia, now became curious to find out how cholera was spread. Dr. Snow believed sewage dumped into the river or into cesspools near town wells could contaminate the water supply, leading to a rapid spread of the disease. In 1854, Soho, a suburb of London, where Snow lived was struck by a terrible outbreak of cholera. Snow immediately set out to prove his theory that contaminated water was the cause of the outbreak. He found that nearly 500 deaths had taken place in a span of ten days in the vicinity of a spot where Cambridge Street joined Broad Street. As soon as he realised the extent of this eruption, he suspected contamination of water from the much-frequented street-pump in Broad Street. Dr. Snow then gathered information from hospital and public records on when the outbreak began and whether the victims drank water from the Broad Street pump. His investigations gave him positive proof. Taking his findings with him, Snow approached the town officials and convinced them to remove the handle of the pump, As soon as this was done the outbreak trickled to a stop. Then, Reverend Henry Whitehead, a minister, who believed that the outbreak was due to divine intervention and not contamination of water, interviewed a woman whose child had contracted cholera from another source. During his talks he discovered that the mother used to wash the baby's diapers in water which was dumped into a leaky cesspool just three feet from the Broad Street pump. This information upheld and also supplemented Dr Snow's findings. On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the following questions by choosing the best option.
Two words used in the passage which are synonymous with each other are:
Identifying Synonymous Words
The question asks to identify two words from the provided passage that are synonymous with each other. To answer this, we need to carefully read the passage and understand the context in which each word is used. Synonyms are words that have the same or very similar meanings.
Analyzing Word Meanings in Context
Let's examine each pair of words given in the options to determine their relationship based on the passage:
- Cholera and Miasma:
- Cholera is explicitly mentioned as a disease: "The first cases of cholera in England were reported in 1831."
- Miasma is described as a theory about the cause of cholera: "...stuck with the established belief that cholera was caused by breathing vapours or a 'miasma in the atmosphere'."
- These two words refer to different concepts – one is the disease itself, and the other is a discredited theory about its cause. Therefore, they are not synonyms.
- Contamination and Cesspool:
- Contamination refers to the act or state of being polluted, especially by contact with harmful substances: "Dr. Snow believed sewage dumped into the river or into cesspools near town wells could contaminate the water supply..." and "...not contamination of water..."
- A cesspool is a covered hole or pit used for receiving and storing sewage: "...sewage dumped into the river or into cesspools near town wells..." and "...a leaky cesspool just three feet from the Broad Street pump."
- Contamination is a process or state, while a cesspool is a physical structure. They are related in context (a cesspool can cause contamination), but they are not synonyms.
- Eruption and Outbreak:
- Eruption is used in the passage to describe the sudden appearance or occurrence of the disease: "As soon as he realised the extent of this eruption, he suspected contamination of water..."
- Outbreak is repeatedly used to describe the sudden start or surge of the disease: "In 1854, Soho, a suburb of London, where Snow lived was struck by a terrible outbreak of cholera." and "Snow immediately set out to prove his theory that contaminated water was the cause of the outbreak."
- In the context of a disease, both "eruption" and "outbreak" refer to a sudden and widespread occurrence. They are used interchangeably in the passage to describe the cholera incident. Therefore, they are strong synonyms in this context.
- Epidemiology and Obstetrician:
- Epidemiology is described as a field of study related to medical science, where Dr. Snow is called "the father of epidemiology." It refers to the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems.
- An obstetrician is a medical doctor specializing in childbirth and the care of women during pregnancy and after birth: "Dr. Snow, the father of epidemiology, was an obstetrician with an interest in many aspects of medical science."
- These are completely different terms; one is a field of scientific study, and the other is a type of medical professional. They are not synonyms.
Conclusion on Synonymous Words
Based on the contextual usage in the passage, the words "eruption" and "outbreak" are used to mean the same thing: a sudden and widespread occurrence of the cholera disease. Therefore, they are synonymous.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
