The Reading / Listening - Superbugs - Level 3

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. The WHO said researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not kill the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many years. This could bring new risks to our health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no longer kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise…we're putting lives at risk."

The WHO conducted a large study on superbugs. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional worry is that there is not enough testing being done to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat".

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Superbugs - Level 0,  Superbugs - Level 1   or  Superbugs - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2025-who-warns-of-widespread-resistance-to-common-antibiotics-worldwide
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/superbugs-drug-resistant-spread-surging-who/
  • https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-warns-surging-levels-antibiotic-resistance-2025-10-13/


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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. SUPERBUGS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about superbugs. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       WHO / superbugs / bugs / antibiotics / bacteria / drugs / life-saying / the future / risk
       study / data / infections / researchers / modern medicines / worry / a big future threat
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. DANGER: Students A strongly believe superbugs are a bigger danger than nuclear weapons; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. AVOID CATCHING BUGS: How useful are these ways of catching bugs? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Usefulness

Do You Do This?

Why (Not)?

Hand washing

 

 

 

Avoid touching your face

 

 

 

Use insect repellant

 

 

 

Get vaccinated

 

 

 

Clean surfaces and handles

 

 

 

Wear a mask

 

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. HEALTH: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "health". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. STAYING HEALTHY: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways to stay healthy at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Eat well
  • Exercise
  • Sleep a lot
  • Meditate
  • No drinking and smoking
  • Health checks
  • Being in nature
  • Laugh

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

       1. spread (verb) a. Very small living things that can cause illness.
       2. resistant b. Things people take to help them get better when they are sick.
       3. drugs c. Not easily harmed, changed, or killed by something.
       4. laboratory d. Making people feel worried.
       5. bacteria e. Move and reach more people or places.
       6. infection f. A place where scientists work and do tests.
       7. concerning g. When harmful bacteria or viruses enter the body and make someone sick.

    Paragraph 2

      8. conducted h. Became larger in number, amount, or size.
      9. data i. Working well and producing the result you want.
      10. create j. Extra; more than what was before.
      11. increased k. Information or facts that are collected and used for study.
      12. additional l. Something that can cause harm or danger.
      13. effective m. Did or carried out an activity, like a study or test.
      14. threat n. Make something new.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The WHO said superbugs have spread to every country in the world.     T / F
  2. The WHO said around 17 per cent of people have caught a superbug.     T / F
  3. The WHO said cuts could kill us because antibiotics won't work.     T / F
  4. The WHO is very worried about the findings of the study.     T / F
  5. Researchers looked at data from more than 100 countries.     T / F
  6. The country with the highest drug-resistant bugs is in South America.     T / F
  7. Bugs are becoming drug resistant faster than we can make new drugs.    T / F
  8. There is more than enough testing going on around the world.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. spread
  2. resistant
  3. common
  4. findings
  5. continues
  6. data
  7. create
  8. medicines
  9. additional
  10. threat
  1. make
  2. ordinary
  3. goes on
  4. information
  5. extra
  6. conclusion
  7. increase
  8. danger
  9. drugs
  10. immune

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. researchers tested many bugs in
  2. the drugs have been life-
  3. Cuts and common infections could
  4. These findings are deeply
  5. we're putting lives
  6. The WHO conducted a large
  7. It looked at data
  8. faster than researchers could
  9. bugs are becoming resistant to modern
  10. there is not enough testing
  1. be deadly
  2. create new drugs
  3. at risk
  4. study on superbugs
  5. saving for many years
  6. being done
  7. concerning
  8. medicines
  9. laboratories
  10. from over 100 countries

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
longer
risk
warned
saving
deeply
laboratories
common
kill

The World Health Organization (WHO) has (1) ______________________________________________ about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. The WHO said researchers tested many bugs in (2) ______________________________________________. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not (3) ______________________________________________ the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-(4) ______________________________________________ for many years. This could bring new risks to our health. Cuts and (5) ______________________________________________ infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no (6) ______________________________________________ kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are (7) ______________________________________________ concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting lives at (8) ______________________________________________."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
infections
enough
study
modern
threat
highest
faster
increased

The WHO conducted a large (9) ______________________________________________ on superbugs. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is (10) ______________________________________________ in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported (11) ______________________________________________ was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were becoming drug-resistant (12) ______________________________________________ than researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to (13) ______________________________________________ medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance (14) ______________________________________________ in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional worry is that there is not (15) ______________________________________________ testing being done to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future (16) ______________________________________________".

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) WHO has warned about the spread of superbugs that are ______
     a.  resistance two drugs
     b.  resistant too drugs
     c.  resistance to drugs
     d.  resistant to drugs
2)  The WHO said researchers tested many ______
     a.  bugs in lavatories
     b.  bugs sin laboratories
     c.  bugs in laboratories
     d.  bugs in laboratory
3)  infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no ______
     a.  longer dead bacteria
     b.  longer kill bacteria
     c.  longer die bacteria
     d.  longer death bacteria
4)  The WHO said: "These findings ______
     a.  are deeply concerning
     b.  be deeply concerning
     c.  are deep concerning
     d.  are deeply concerned
5)  As antibiotic resistance continues to rise we're putting ______
     a.  lives at risky
     b.  lives at risk
     c.  lives at risks
     d.  lives at risked

6)  The WHO conducted a large ______
     a.  study in superbugs
     b.  study on superbugs
     c.  study yon superbugs
     d.  studied on superbugs
7)  More and more bugs are becoming resistant ______
     a.  to modem medicines
     b.  too modern medicines
     c.  two modern medicines
     d.  to modern medicines
8)  drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the ______
     a.  bacteria it test
     b.  bacteria it testing
     c.  bacteria it tested
     d.  bacteria it test it
9)  there is not enough testing being done to create ______
     a.  new, affective drugs
     b.  new, effective drugs
     c.  new, effect hive drugs
     d.  news, effective drugs
10)  The WHO said this will be a ______
     a.  big future threat
     b.  big future treat
     c.  big future threaten
     d.  big future tread

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about (1) __________________________________________________ superbugs that are resistant to drugs. The WHO said researchers (2) __________________________________________________ in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs (3) __________________________________________________ drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not kill the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many years. This could (4) __________________________________________________ to our health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no (5) __________________________________________________. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting (6) __________________________________________________."

The WHO (7) __________________________________________________ study on superbugs. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance (8) __________________________________________________ Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers could (9) __________________________________________________. More and more bugs are becoming resistant (10) __________________________________________________. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance (11) __________________________________________________ 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional worry is that there is not enough testing being done to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a (12) __________________________________________________.

Comprehension questions

  1. Where did researchers test many bugs?
  2. How many of the bugs that were tested were drug-resistant?
  3. What have drugs been saving for many years?
  4. What could be deadly in the future?
  5. What did the WHO say a rise in antibiotic resistance could put at risk?
  6. Where is drug resistance highest besides the Eastern Mediterranean?
  7. How many reported infections were drug resistant in Africa?
  8. What are more and more bugs becoming resistant to?
  9. When did drug resistance increase by over 40 per cent?
  10. What is not happening enough?

Multiple choice quiz

1) Where did researchers test many bugs?
a) at the WHO
b) in Europe
c) in laboratories
d) in secret clinics
2) How many of the bugs that were tested were drug-resistant?
a) one in six
b) one in five
c) one in four
d) one in three
3) What have drugs been saving for many years?
a) time
b) lives
c) wildlife
d) money
4) What could be deadly in the future?
a) water
b) pandemics
c) the air we breathe
d) cuts and common infections
5) What did the WHO say a rise in antibiotic resistance could put at risk?
a) jobs
b) vaccines
c) lives
d) doctors' jobs

6) Where is drug resistance highest besides the Eastern Mediterranean?
a) Europe
b) Southeast Asia
c) South America
d) Africa
7) How many reported infections were drug resistant in Africa?
a) one in eight
b) one in seven
c) one in six
d) one in five
8) What are more and more bugs becoming resistant to?
a) herbal medicine
b) modern medicine
c) heat
d) modern technology
9) When did drug resistance increase by over 40 per cent?
a) between 2017 and 2023
b) between 2018 and 2023
c) between 2018 and 2022
d) between 2017 and 2022
10) What is not happening enough?
a) testing
b) investment
c) training
d) making drugs

Role play

Role  A – Eating Well
You think eating well is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercising, sleeping a lot or being in nature.

Role  B – Exercising
You think exercising is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): eating well, sleeping a lot or being in nature.

Role  C – Sleeping a Lot
You think sleeping a lot is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercising, eating well or being in nature.

Role  D – Being in Nature
You think being in nature is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercising, sleeping a lot or eating well.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'drugs'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'superbugs'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • warned
    • laboratories
    • kill
    • bring
    • longer
    • rise
    • large
    • highest
    • reported
    • new
    • worry
    • big

    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 - Superbugs

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'superbug'?
    3. How worried are you about bugs?
    4. What do you do to avoid bugs?
    5. What do you know about antibiotics?
    6. How often do you take drugs?
    7. What lifestyle changes can we make to keep healthy?
    8. How often do you cut yourself?
    9. What new risks to our health do you know of?
    10. What advice do you have for the researchers?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'drug'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. How often do you get ill?
    5. How can we stop superbugs spreading?
    6. What happens if drugs no longer kill bacteria?
    7. What things in the world are more worrying than superbugs?
    8. Why are scientists not testing enough new drugs?
    9. What threats might there be to our health in the future?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has (1) ____ about the spread of superbugs that are resistant (2) ____ drugs. The WHO said researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not (3) ____ the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many years. This could (4) ____ new risks to our health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly (5) ____ the future because the antibiotics will no longer kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting lives (6) ____ risk."

    The WHO conducted a large study on superbugs. It looked at data (7) ____ over 100 countries. Drug resistance is (8) ____ in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were (9) ____ drug-resistant faster than researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance (10) ____ in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional (11) ____ is that there is not enough testing being done to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future (12) ____ ".

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     warmed     (b)     warming     (c)     warned     (d)     warning    
    2. (a)     to     (b)     of     (c)     by     (d)     at    
    3. (a)     kill     (b)     die     (c)     death     (d)     dead    
    4. (a)     bring     (b)     cure     (c)     go     (d)     come    
    5. (a)     of     (b)     on     (c)     at     (d)     in    
    6. (a)     by     (b)     to     (c)     on     (d)     at    
    7. (a)     from     (b)     where     (c)     this     (d)     up    
    8. (a)     height     (b)     highs     (c)     heighten     (d)     highest    
    9. (a)     becoming     (b)     become     (c)     became     (d)     becomes    
    10. (a)     increase     (b)     increased     (c)     increases     (d)     increasing    
    11. (a)     worrying     (b)     worry     (c)     worried     (d)     worries    
    12. (a)     threat     (b)     threaten     (c)     treat     (d)     threats

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. warned about the daernw of superbugs
    2. tested many bugs in lbtsoareroia
    3. The itostcbaiin did not kill
    4. common fotnniscei
    5. no longer kill raeticab
    6. These findings are deeply ccenirnogn

    Paragraph 2

    1. The WHO ncdecdtuo a large study
    2. eaetcr new drugs
    3. resistant to modern iidsnmece
    4. an itnaalddio worry
    5. create new, tfefvicee drugs
    6. this will be a big future terhta

    Put the text back together

    (    )   "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting lives at risk."
    (    )   6 (around 17 per cent) of the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not kill the
    (    )   bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many years. This could bring new risks to our
    (    )   becoming drug-resistant faster than researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to
    (    )   health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no longer
    (    )   in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was
    (    )   kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concerning." It added:
    (    )   modern medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent
    (    )   new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat".
    (    )   of the bacteria it tested. An additional worry is that there is not enough testing being done to create
    (    )   resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study found that bugs were
    (    )   The WHO conducted a large study on superbugs. It looked at data from over 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest
    (  1  )   The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant
    (    )   to drugs. The WHO said its researchers tested many bugs in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 

    Put the words in the right order

    1. has It about warned spread the superbugs of  .
    2. It researchers said many tested in bugs laboratories  .
    3. antibiotics The not did the kill bacteria  .
    4. could This new bring to risks health our  .
    5. Common could infections deadly be the in future  .
    6. WHO The a conducted study large superbugs on  .
    7. It at looked from data 100 over countries  .
    8. study The that found were bugs drug-resistant becoming  .
    9. There not is testing enough done being  .
    10. It this said be will future a threat  .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has warmed / warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant / resist to drugs. The WHO said researchers tested much / many bugs in laboratories. The researchers said 1 in 6 (around 17 per cent) of / on the bugs they tested was drug-resistant. The antibiotics did not kill / die the bacteria. Many of the drugs have been life-saving for many / any years. This could bring new risky / risks to our health. Cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no shorter / longer kill bacteria. The WHO said: "These findings are deeply concern / concerning." It added: "As antibiotic resistance continues to rise...we're putting lives on / at risk."

    The WHO conducted a large study in / on superbugs. It looked at data from over / more 100 countries. Drug resistance is highest in Southeast Asian and Eastern Mediterranean country / countries. There, 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant. In Africa, 1 in 5 infections was resistant. The study find / found that bugs were becoming drug-resistant faster than / what researchers could create new drugs. More and more bugs are becoming resistant to modern medics / medicines. The WHO said between 2018 and 2023, drug resistance increased on / in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested. An additional / add worry is that there is not enough testing being done / doing to create new, effective drugs. The WHO said this will be a big "future threat / treat".

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    Th_  W_rld  H__lth  _rg_n_z_t__n  (WH_)  h_s  w_rn_d  _b__t  th_  spr__d  _f  s_p_rb_gs  th_t  _r_  r_s_st_nt  t_  dr_gs.  Th_  WH_  s__d  r_s__rch_rs  t_st_d  m_ny  b_gs  _n  l_b_r_t_r__s.  Th_  r_s__rch_rs  s__d  1  _n  6  (_r__nd  17  p_r  c_nt)  _f  th_  b_gs  th_y  t_st_d  w_s  dr_g-r_s_st_nt.  Th_  _nt_b__t_cs  d_d  n_t  k_ll  th_  b_ct_r__.  M_ny  _f  th_  dr_gs  h_v_  b__n  l_f_-s_v_ng  f_r  m_ny  y__rs.  Th_s  c__ld  br_ng  n_w  r_sks  t_  __r  h__lth.  C_ts  _nd  c_mm_n  _nf_ct__ns  c__ld  b_  d__dly  _n  th_  f_t_r_  b_c__s_  th_  _nt_b__t_cs  w_ll  n_  l_ng_r  k_ll  b_ct_r__.  Th_  WH_  s__d:  "Th_s_  f_nd_ngs  _r_  d__ply  c_nc_rn_ng."  _t  _dd_d:  "_s  _nt_b__t_c  r_s_st_nc_  c_nt_n__s  t_  r_s_...w_'r_  p_tt_ng  l_v_s  _t  r_sk."

    Th_  WH_  c_nd_ct_d  _  l_rg_  st_dy  _n  s_p_rb_gs.  _t  l__k_d  _t  d_t_  fr_m  _v_r  100  c__ntr__s.  Dr_g  r_s_st_nc_  _s  h_gh_st  _n  S__th__st  _s__n  _nd  __st_rn  M_d_t_rr_n__n  c__ntr__s.  Th_r_,  1  _n  3  r_p_rt_d  _nf_ct__ns  w_s  r_s_st_nt.  _n  _fr_c_,  1  _n  5  _nf_ct__ns  w_s  r_s_st_nt.  Th_  st_dy  f__nd  th_t  b_gs  w_r_  b_c_m_ng  dr_g-r_s_st_nt  f_st_r  th_n  r_s__rch_rs  c__ld  cr__t_  n_w  dr_gs.  M_r_  _nd  m_r_  b_gs  _r_  b_c_m_ng  r_s_st_nt  t_  m_d_rn  m_d_c_n_s.  Th_  WH_  s__d  b_tw__n  2018  _nd  2023,  dr_g  r_s_st_nc_  _ncr__s_d  _n  _v_r  40  p_r  c_nt  _f  th_  b_ct_r__  _t  t_st_d.  _n  _dd_t__n_l  w_rry  _s  th_t  th_r_  _s  n_t  _n__gh  t_st_ng  b__ng  d_n_  t_  cr__t_  n_w,  _ff_ct_v_  dr_gs.  Th_  WH_  s__d  th_s  w_ll  b_  _  b_g  "f_t_r_  thr__t".

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    the world health organization who has warned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to drugs the who said researchers tested many bugs in laboratories the researchers said 1 in 6 around 17 per cent of the bugs they tested was drugresistant the antibiotics did not kill the bacteria many of the drugs have been lifesaving for many years this could bring new risks to our health cuts and common infections could be deadly in the future because the antibiotics will no longer kill bacteria the who said these findings are deeply concerning it added as antibiotic resistance continues to rise were putting lives at risk

    the who conducted a large study on superbugs it looked at data from over 100 countries drug resistance is highest in southeast asian and eastern mediterranean countries there 1 in 3 reported infections was resistant in africa 1 in 5 infections was resistant the study found that bugs were becoming drugresistant faster than researchers could create new drugs more and more bugs are becoming resistant to modern medicines the who said between 2018 and 2023 drug resistance increased in over 40 per cent of the bacteria it tested an additional worry is that there is not enough testing being done to create new effective drugs the who said this will be a big future threat

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)haswarnedaboutthespreadofsu
    perbugsthatareresistanttodrugs.TheWHOsaidresearcherstestedma
    nybugsinlaboratories.Theresearcherssaid1in6(around17percent
    )ofthebugstheytestedwasdrug-resistant.Theantibioticsdidnotkillth
    ebacteria.Manyofthedrugshavebeenlife-savingformanyyears.Thisc
    ouldbringnewriskstoourhealth.Cutsandcommoninfectionscouldbed
    eadlyinthefuturebecausetheantibioticswillnolongerkillbacteria.The
    WHOsaid:"Thesefindingsaredeeplyconcerning."Itadded:"Asantibiot
    icresistancecontinuestorise...we'reputtinglivesatrisk."TheWHOcon
    ductedalargestudyonsuperbugs.Itlookedatdatafromover100countri
    es.DrugresistanceishighestinSoutheastAsianandEasternMediterran
    eancountries.There,1in3reportedinfectionswasresistant.InAfrica,1i
    n5infectionswasresistant.Thestudyfoundthatbugswerebecomingdr
    ug-resistantfasterthanresearcherscouldcreatenewdrugs.Moreandm
    orebugsarebecomingresistanttomodernmedicines.TheWHOsaidbet
    ween2018and2023,drugresistanceincreasedinover40percentofthe
    bacteriaittested.Anadditionalworryisthatthereisnotenoughtestingb
    eingdonetocreatenew,effectivedrugs.TheWHOsaidthiswillbeabig"fu
    turethreat".

    Free writing

    Write about drug-resistant superbugs for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Governments should spend money on creating drugs, not weapons. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. SUPERBUGS: Make a poster about superbugs. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. NO WEAPONS: Write a magazine article about superbugs. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on superbugs. Ask him/her three questions about superbugs. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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