Patient Zero

Reread the following excerpt from Patient Zero, and answer the question that follows. “Still no one understood what caused cholera, or how it spread. Theories abounded. Some speculated that the people in the poor neighborhoods along the river were ‘morally susceptible’—defects in their character made them prone to developing cholera.” (40) What does the word abounded most likely mean in this excerpt? (RI.7.4, L.7.4a, L.7.6)

• jumped up and down

• were false

• were found in large numbers

• were distracting

In the context of the book 'Patient Zero', what does the term 'Patient Zero' refer to?

• The first person to be diagnosed with a disease

• A fictional character in a novel

• A medical term for a healthy individual

• A type of medical equipment

Which of the following best describes the tone of the excerpt from 'Patient Zero'?

• Optimistic

• Pessimistic

• Neutral

• Humorous

What literary device is used in the phrase 'morally susceptible' from the excerpt?

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Alliteration

• Personification

In the excerpt, what does the phrase 'defects in their character' imply about the people living along the river?

• They were physically weak

• They were morally flawed

• They were financially unstable

• They were intellectually inferior

What is the main theme explored in the book 'Patient Zero'?

• The spread of diseases

• The impact of technology

• The importance of education

• The role of government

Which word from the excerpt is a synonym for 'spread'?

• Abounded

• Caused

• Developing

• Understood

What is the primary purpose of the excerpt from 'Patient Zero'?

• To entertain the reader

• To inform about cholera

• To persuade against poor hygiene

• To describe a fictional event

How does the author of 'Patient Zero' convey the seriousness of the cholera outbreak?

• By using statistical data

• By describing the symptoms

• By highlighting the ignorance of the cause

• By narrating personal stories

What does the word 'speculated' most likely mean in the context of the excerpt?

• Proven

• Assumed

• Denied

• Ignored