The human race is battling a global public health crisis of an unimaginable scale. While the ongoing public discourse is about solutions to overcome this crisis, the historical evolution of the term ‘epidemic’ tells us something about how we have brawled it down the ages. A pandemic is an epidemic that acquires greater coverage and range, across populations and geographic boundaries. The term ‘epidemic’ has its etymological origin in the Greek preposition epi, meaning ‘on’, combined with the Greek noun demos, meaning ‘people’. The context around the meaning of this term and its usage has undergone various stages of evolution in the past two and a half millennia.
The most popular record of the first ancient usage of the term is by the Greek scholar, Hippocrates, in his clinical treatise titled 'Of the Epidemics', written around 400 BC. But the term was already in use by that time. Homer uses epidemios in 'Odyssey', composed probably two centuries before Hippocrates. There this term refers to those travellers ‘who come back home or to their native country’ — specifically Odysseus and his mariners who journey back home to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. The word 'demos' originally meant 'the country' in ancient Greek before it morphed into 'the people'. So, ‘epidemic’ in its original sense was nowhere related to medical science. This particular meaning of the term is further confirmed by its repeated use in the works of Plato: for instance, in 'The Apology', epidemios refers to coming back to town or returning from a voyage.
6. What might be the objective behind writing this passage? *
A) Showing the techniques that are followed to form a word
B) Development of the word ‘epidemic’
C) Finding a solution to treat an epidemic
D) Providing a list of dangerous epidemics
7. An epidemic is called a pandemic when it ______ *
A) gives unbearable pain before death
B) has a Greek origin
C) crosses geographical boundaries
D) terrorises the doctors of severe infection
8. Mention the name of the person who used the epidemic-related term in the earliest known history. *
A) Hippocrates
B) Homer
C) Troy
D) Plato
9. The passage argues the term ‘epidemics’ is not related to medical vocabulary as in the initial days it meant ______ *
A) various stages of an evolution
B) older than two centuries
C) the mariners of Odysseus
D) coming back to town
10. Which word in the passage means ‘changed smoothly’? *
A) combined
B) confirmed
C) morphed
D) brawled
Answers
Answer:
Read the following passage
and answer the questions (1-
5).
One of the most frightening and
destructive phenomena of nature is a
severe earthquake and its terrible after
effects. Earthquakes are the result of
forces deep within the earth's interior that
continuously affects the surface of the
earth. The energy from these forces is
stored in a variety of ways within the
rocks. When this energy is released
suddenly, an earthquake occurs. The area
of the fault where the sudden rupture
takes place is called the focus or hypo-
centre of the earthquake. The point on the
earth's surface directly above the focus is
called the epicentre of the earthquake.
The effect of an earthquake on the earth's
surface is called the intensity. The
intensity scale consists of a series of
responses such as the number of people
who woke up, movement of furniture,
damage to chimneys and finally total
destruction. The magnitude of 5.3 might
be a moderate earthquake, and a strong
earthquake might be rated with the
magnitude 6.3. An earthquake in a
densely populated area which results in
many deaths may have the same
magnitude but acts only as a shock in a
remote area that does nothing more than
frightening the wildlife
Explanation:
Read the following passage
and answer the questions (1-
5).
One of the most frightening and
destructive phenomena of nature is a
severe earthquake and its terrible after
effects. Earthquakes are the result of
forces deep within the earth's interior that
continuously affects the surface of the
earth. The energy from these forces is
stored in a variety of ways within the
rocks. When this energy is released
suddenly, an earthquake occurs. The area
of the fault where the sudden rupture
takes place is called the focus or hypo-
centre of the earthquake. The point on the
earth's surface directly above the focus is
called the epicentre of the earthquake.
The effect of an earthquake on the earth's
surface is called the intensity. The
intensity scale consists of a series of
responses such as the number of people
who woke up, movement of furniture,
damage to chimneys and finally total
destruction. The magnitude of 5.3 might
be a moderate earthquake, and a strong
earthquake might be rated with the
magnitude 6.3. An earthquake in a
densely populated area which results in
many deaths may have the same
magnitude but acts only as a shock in a
remote area that does nothing more than
frightening the wildlifeu8s8xhx