Speed Reading — Oxygen Aid - Level 3 — 300 wpm

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.


This is the text (if you need help).

Many countries around the world are sending oxygen to India. This is because of India's current COVID-19 crisis. India is the world's second most populous country, with over 1.3 billion people. It is currently struggling to cope with its latest surge in the coronavirus pandemic. There are over 300,000 new cases every day - the largest number of daily cases ever experienced by any country. India's health system can no longer cope. There are not enough beds, and hospitals are turning away people with the virus. They have also run out of oxygen. Singapore and the UK have sent much-needed oxygen cylinders to India. India's government has also arranged for Amazon to deliver 100 ventilators.

A Singapore Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Dr Maliki Osman, explained how urgent it was to help India. He said: "We have all witnessed in the past year how this pandemic is a trans-boundary threat. It gives no regard for country, nationality, or race. This is exactly why we must work collectively to support each other." The WHO said the situation in India was "beyond heartbreaking". It said: "The WHO is doing everything we can, providing critical equipment and supplies, including thousands of oxygen concentrators, mobile field hospitals and laboratory supplies." It added: "The growth that we have seen in case numbers is really, truly astonishing."

Comprehension questions
  1. Where on the list of most populous countries is India?
  2. How many people are there in India?
  3. How many daily cases of COVID-19 is India having?
  4. What does the article say there are not enough of?
  5. Which two countries sent oxygen cylinders to India?
  6. Which country's spokesperson spoke the urgency to help India?
  7. What did the WHO say the situation was beyond?
  8. What kind of equipment is the WHO providing?
  9. What kind of hospitals is the WHO providing?
  10. What did the WHO call the growth in case numbers?

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