B2CEFRReading18 min

Reading: Traditional Medicine and Evidence

Traditional medicine and health myths

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How to Use This Lesson

For the Teacher

Guide students through this 18-minute IELTS Reading task by first assigning individual passage reading, then setting the 10 practice questions. Review answers as a class using the detailed evidence callouts and explanations provided after submission.

For the Learner

First, read paragraphs A to D carefully without rushing to look at the questions. Next, tackle each exercise by scanning back to locate exact paragraph evidence rather than guessing from memory.

IELTS Academic Reading Passage

Traditional Medicine: What the Evidence Says

[A] On 25 March 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) signed an agreement with India to set up a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar. WHO says that 170 of its 194 member states have reported the use of traditional medicine. The centre will build evidence for policies and standards on traditional medicine practices and products.

[B] The Lasker Foundation gave its 2011 clinical medical research award to Tu Youyou for the discovery of artemisinin, a malaria drug. Her team collected about 2,000 folk recipes to test. An old text by Ge Hong said that a herb for fevers should not be heated. WHO now says that artemisinin-based combination therapy is the most effective treatment for P. falciparum malaria, and it estimates 282 million malaria cases in 2024.

[C] The NHS in the United Kingdom says there is limited evidence that hot lemon and honey help to ease a cough, and that this drink is not suitable for babies under 1 year old. On colds, the NHS says there is little evidence that supplements such as vitamin C, echinacea or garlic prevent them.

[D] These facts seem to show that traditional medicine is widely used and that an old idea can lead to a real drug, and I think the NHS pages suggest that a popular remedy is not always proven. The artemisinin story is only one example, and the facts here do not show that every traditional remedy works or fails.

💡 Teacher's Note: Sentence Pattern Example

"Garlic is said to protect people from colds, but the evidence is weak."

Why this works: Use this pattern when you want to present a widely believed idea first, and then immediately contrast it with scientific reality.

Questions 1–3: Yes / No / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the reading passage?

YES: if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO: if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN: if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. The establishment of the centre in Jamnagar was delayed by administrative disagreements.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

2. Tu Youyou and her team relied exclusively on modern laboratory synthesis rather than traditional historical texts.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

3. The successful development of artemisinin demonstrates that every traditional remedy works.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

Questions 4–5: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

4. According to Paragraph B, what did the old text by Ge Hong say about a herb for fevers?

____ a. The herb must be boiled for several hours to extract its active chemicals. ____ b. High temperatures should be avoided when preparing the herbal treatment. ____ c. The herb was only effective when combined with garlic and lemon. ____ d. The remedy was completely ineffective against tropical fevers.

5. What is the main conclusion the writer draws in Paragraph D regarding popular remedies and official medical guidance?

____ a. Health agencies plan to replace modern medicines with traditional folk recipes. ____ b. Traditional remedies are universally effective because they have been used for centuries. ____ c. A popular health practice does not always possess strong medical evidence backing it up. ____ d. Artemisinin is the only plant remedy that will ever be accepted by health organizations.

Questions 6–8: Matching Information to Paragraphs

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct paragraph letter (A, B, C, or D).

6. Specific guidance regarding age restrictions for consuming a traditional cough remedy.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

7. A statistical figure indicating the proportion of member countries incorporating traditional medicine practices.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

8. An estimated number showing how widespread a disease treated by artemisinin-based therapy is in the world.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Questions 9–10: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

9. Official advice from the NHS notes that remedies like hot lemon and honey only have ____ evidence to support their effectiveness for cough relief.

10. Furthermore, health authorities state there is little scientific proof that popular dietary supplements such as ____ can actually prevent common colds.

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