Интегрированное письмо TOEFL

📖 Текст для чтения

The expansion of industrial agriculture has been widely criticized for its environmental impacts, but a more recent concern is the role of large-scale farming in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Three key mechanisms have been identified. First, the routine use of antibiotics in livestock feed, even when animals are healthy, creates selective pressure that favors resistant strains. These resistant bacteria can then be transmitted to humans through direct contact with animals, consumption of contaminated meat, or environmental runoff. Second, the high density of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) facilitates rapid bacterial exchange; mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids, can transfer resistance genes between different species of bacteria, accelerating the evolution of multi-drug resistant pathogens. Third, inadequate waste management at CAFOs, including the storage and application of manure as fertilizer, allows resistant bacteria and resistance genes to leach into soil and water systems, where they can persist for extended periods and potentially be taken up by crops or wild animals. These pathways suggest that industrial farming practices are a major driver of the global antibiotic resistance crisis, and that reducing antibiotic use in livestock alone will not solve the problem without addressing farm density and waste disposal.

🎧 Лекция

The reading presents a plausible but incomplete picture. While antibiotic use in livestock is indeed a concern, the lecture argues that the proposed mechanisms are overstated and that other factors are more critical. First, the claim that routine antibiotic use is the primary driver ignores the fact that many countries, including the EU and parts of the US, have already banned growth promoters. Yet resistance rates have not declined as expected, suggesting that human overuse of antibiotics, especially in outpatient settings, is a larger contributor. Second, the idea that CAFOs are hotbeds for gene transfer is misleading. Studies show that bacterial diversity in CAFOs is actually lower than in free-range systems, and horizontal gene transfer occurs at similar rates in many natural environments. The real amplification happens in hospitals and clinics, where high antibiotic pressure and vulnerable patients create ideal conditions for resistance to spread. Third, the concern about manure runoff overlooks modern waste treatment technologies, such as anaerobic digesters and composting, which can reduce resistant bacteria by up to 99%. Moreover, the reading fails to mention that human sewage treatment plants are a far greater source of environmental resistance genes, and these are not regulated as tightly as agricultural waste. Therefore, focusing solely on industrial agriculture misdirects policy efforts away from more effective interventions in human medicine and wastewater infrastructure.