The Reading / Listening - Disease X - Level 1

The WHO says the world is at risk from a deadly disease. They do not know what it looks like. They called it 'Disease X'. It could come from an unknown micro-organism. Disease X could spread around the world before we know about it. The WHO is putting a lot of money into research. It is preparing a plan for an outbreak. It said: "Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by [an unknown virus].

Disease X could come from many places. An existing disease could get stronger; terrorists could make bio-weapons; DNA-changing technology could make totally new viruses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: "Scientists estimate that...6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people are spread from animals." Today, people live closer together and travel the world more. This will make it easier for diseases to spread.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Disease X - Level 0,  Disease X - Level 2   or  Disease X - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.techtimes.com/articles/222770/20180310/disease-x-unknown-pathogen-could-cause-epidemic-that-can-kill-millions-worldwide.htm
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/beware-disease-x-mystery-killer-keeping-scientists-awake-night/
  • https://nypost.com/2018/03/10/disease-x-could-be-the-worlds-worst-nightmare/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. at risk
  2. come from an unknown micro-
  3. Disease X could spread
  4. before we know
  5. putting a lot of money
  6. preparing a plan for
  7. a serious international
  8. caused by an
  1. unknown virus
  2. around the world
  3. an outbreak
  4. organism
  5. epidemic
  6. from a deadly disease
  7. about it
  8. into research

Paragraph 2

  1. Disease X could come
  2. An existing disease could
  3. terrorists could make
  4. make totally
  5. 6 out of
  6. infectious
  7. people live closer
  8. make it easier for diseases
  1. bio-weapons
  2. diseases
  3. to spread
  4. together
  5. from many places
  6. every 10
  7. new viruses
  8. get stronger

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The WHO says the world (1) ___________________ from a deadly disease. They do not know (2) ___________________ like. They called it 'Disease X'. It could come from an unknown micro-organism. Disease X (3) ___________________ the world before we know about it. The WHO is putting a (4) ___________________ into research. It is preparing a plan for an outbreak. It said: "Disease X (5) ___________________ that a serious international epidemic (6) ___________________ by [an unknown virus]."

Disease X could come (7) ___________________. An existing disease could get stronger; (8) ___________________ bio-weapons; DNA-changing technology could (9) ___________________ viruses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: "Scientists (10) ___________________ out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people (11) ___________________ animals." Today, people live closer together and travel the world more. This will (12) ___________________ for diseases to spread.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheWHOsaystheworldisatriskfromadeadlydisease.Theydonotknow
whatitlookslike.Theycalledit'DiseaseX'.Itcouldcomefromanunknow
nmicro-organism.DiseaseXcouldspreadaroundtheworldbeforewek
nowaboutit.TheWHOisputtingalotofmoneyintoresearch.Itispreparin
gaplanforanoutbreak.Itsaid:"DiseaseXrepresentstheknowledgetha
taseriousinternationalepidemiccouldbecausedby[anunknownvirus]
."DiseaseXcouldcomefrommanyplaces.Anexistingdiseasecouldgets
tronger;terroristscouldmakebio-weapons;DNA-changingtechnolog
ycouldmaketotallynewviruses.TheU.S.CentersforDiseaseControlan
dPreventionsaid:"Scientistsestimatethat...6outofevery10knowninf
ectiousdiseasesinpeoplearespreadfromanimals."Today,peoplelivecl
osertogetherandtraveltheworldmore.Thiswillmakeiteasierfordiseas
estospread.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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