The Reading / Listening - Omicron - Level 4

A new covid-19 variant called Omicron is spreading worldwide. It was first reported in Botswana and was then detected in South Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium. It is now a "virus of concern". Epidemiologists say this new strain could be very infectious. It may be able to evade protections our current vaccines give us. Many countries have reinstated travel bans. Despite these, new cases have been reported across Europe.

Scientists are looking at the dangers Omicron might pose. They found 50 genetic changes in the DNA in the spikes of the virus. Vaccines focus on these spikes. Any changes in their DNA could make the virus more dangerous, spreadable and resistant against vaccines. The White House warned that: "When you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility, and you're already having travel-related cases…it is ultimately going to go all over."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Omicron - Level 5 or  Omicron - Level 6

Sources
  • https://nypost.com/2021/11/27/omicron-variant-found-in-uk-germany-czech-republic/
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/27/omicron-variant-covid-southern-africa-travel-restrictions
  • https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/11/27/1059501446/covid-coronavirus-omicron-variant


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A new covid-19 variant
  2. spreading
  3. It was first
  4. It is now a virus of
  5. this new strain could
  6. evade protections our current
  7. Many countries have reinstated
  8. new cases have been reported
  1. be very infectious
  2. travel bans
  3. worldwide
  4. across Europe
  5. reported in Botswana
  6. concern
  7. called Omicron
  8. vaccines give us

Paragraph 2

  1. Scientists are looking at
  2. They found 50 genetic
  3. the DNA in the spikes
  4. Vaccines focus
  5. Any changes in their
  6. make the virus
  7. showing this degree of
  8. it is ultimately going to go
  1. of the virus
  2. transmissibility
  3. changes
  4. all over
  5. more dangerous
  6. the dangers
  7. DNA
  8. on these spikes

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new covid-19 variant called Omicron (1) ___________________. It was first reported in Botswana and was (2) ___________________ South Africa, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium. It is now a "(3) ___________________". Epidemiologists say this new strain could be very infectious. It may be (4) ___________________ protections our (5) ___________________ us. Many countries have reinstated travel bans. Despite these, new cases have (6) ___________________ Europe.

Scientists are looking (7) ___________________ Omicron might pose. They found 50 (8) ___________________ the DNA in the spikes of the virus. Vaccines focus (9) ___________________. Any changes in their DNA could make the virus more dangerous, spreadable (10) ___________________ vaccines. The White House warned that: "When you have a virus that is (11) ___________________ of transmissibility, and you're already having travel-related cases...it (12) ___________________ to go all over."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anewcovid-19variantcalledOmicronisspreadingworldwide.Itwasf
irstreportedinBotswanaandwasthendetectedinSouthAfrica,HongKo
ng,IsraelandBelgium.Itisnowa"virusofconcern".Epidemiologistssay
thisnewstraincouldbeveryinfectious.Itmaybeabletoevadeprotection
sourcurrentvaccinesgiveus.Manycountrieshavereinstatedtravelban
s.Despitethese,newcaseshavebeenreportedacrossEurope.Scientist
sarelookingatthedangersOmicronmightpose.Theyfound50geneticc
hangesintheDNAinthespikesofthevirus.Vaccinesfocusonthesespike
s.AnychangesintheirDNAcouldmakethevirusmoredangerous,sprea
dableandresistantagainstvaccines.TheWhiteHousewarnedthat:"Wh
enyouhaveavirusthatisshowingthisdegreeoftransmissibility,andyou
'realreadyhavingtravel-relatedcases...itisultimatelygoingtogoallo
ver."

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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