The Reading / Listening - Level 4

The WHO has said the virus MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) is now serious and urgent. The WHO said MERS is not currently a global health emergency but needs to be monitored. It said declaring an emergency is "a major act" that can unnecessarily "raise anxieties." The virus has been reported in 18 countries since starting in Saudi Arabia in 2012. There have been 571 confirmed cases and 171 deaths.

The USA's Center for Disease Control said MERS is a viral respiratory illness. People who get it have a fever, cough, and severe shortness of breath. About 30 per cent of people died. Researchers think it came from camels. Everyone who got it had very close contact with other sufferers. Doctors say it does not spread like a flu virus. U.S. airports are telling people going to the Middle East to wash their hands and avoid contact with sick people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/14/health/mers-outbreak/
  • http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trb-mers-cdc-airport-signs-20140513-story.html
  • http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/index.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

serious

a.

health emergency

2.

not currently a global

b.

reported in 18 countries

3.

declaring

c.

and urgent

4.

unnecessarily raise

d.

and 171 deaths

5.

The virus has been

e.

an emergency

6.

571 confirmed cases

f.

anxieties



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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

a viral respiratory

a.

came from camels

2.

severe shortness

b.

with sick people

3.

Researchers think it

c.

of breath

4.

very close contact

d.

like a flu virus

5.

it does not spread

e.

illness

6.

avoid contact

f.

with other sufferers

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The WHO (1) ___________________ MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) is now (2) ___________________. The WHO said MERS is not currently a global health emergency (3) ___________________ monitored. It said declaring an emergency (4) ___________________ that can unnecessarily "(5) ___________________." The virus has been reported in 18 countries since starting in Saudi Arabia in 2012. There have been 571(6) ___________________ 171 deaths.

The USA's Center for Disease Control said MERS (7) ___________________ illness. People who get it have (8) ___________________ severe shortness of breath. About 30 per cent of people died. Researchers think it came from camels. Everyone who got it had (9) ___________________ with other sufferers. Doctors say it does not (10) ___________________ virus. U.S. airports are (11) ___________________ to the Middle East to wash their hands and (12) ___________________ sick people.

VIRUSES SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about viruses in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about viruses for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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