Question

What is the main problem stated in this excerpt? Cows can’t hold their heads up and fall down. Brain tissue gets spongy. BSE causes death in humans and cows. Cows die from the disease.

Answer 1

The word BSE is short but it stands for a disease with a long name, bovine spongiform encephalopathy. "Bovine" means that the disease affects cows, "spongiform" refers to the way the brain from a sick cow looks spongy under a microscope, and "encephalopathy" indicates that it is a disease of the brain. BSE is commonly called “mad cow disease.”

Answer 2

Answer: The main problem stated in this excerpt is the existence of the disease called BSE, which affects humans but also cows.

Explanation: BSE is an acronym for the disease Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, which is also known as the mad cow disease. BSE causes problems in the functioning of neurons and brain in general and, as the text states, it affects both humans and cows. It is classified as a neurodegenerative disease that can lead to death. Moreover, one of its symptoms is loss of coordination. For that reason, cows who are sick cannot hold their heads up.