11 Asian nations declared polio-free

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said 11 countries in South-East Asia were polio-free. Its website said: "This is the fourth of six WHO regions…marking an important step towards global eradication of polio – a highly infectious virus." Around 80 per cent of the world is now polio-free. One newly-certified country is India. In 2009, it had half of the world's polio cases. It hasn't seen a single case of polio for the last three years.

Polio is incurable. It attacks the nervous system and can paralyse in hours. It can result in death. A WHO doctor said it was a "momentous victory for the millions of health workers" who helped rid polio from the region. She said it showed how working together could help future generations. She warned against becoming lazy in the fight against the disease. She said polio was still a global risk and that Asia's polio-free status was still "fragile".

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47444&Cr=polio&Cr1=#.UzSxJl4uKHA
http://time.com/39919/india-declared-free-of-polio/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-WHOs-SE-Asia-now-polio-free/articleshow/32790183.cms

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.	This is the fourth of	a.	case of polio
2.	an important step towards	b.	six WHO regions
3.	a highly infectious	c.	three years
4.	One newly-certified	d.	global eradication
5.	It hasn't seen a single	e.	country is India
6.	for the last	f.	virus

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Polio is	a.	becoming lazy
2.	It attacks the	b.	still "fragile"
3.	a momentous	c.	help future generations
4.	working together could	d.	incurable
5.	She warned against	e.	victory
6.	Asia's polio-free status was	f.	nervous system

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The World Health Organization (WHO) (1) ___________________ in South-East Asia were polio-free. Its website said: "(2) ___________________ WHO regions… (3) ___________________ step towards global eradication of polio – a (4) ___________________." Around 80 per cent of the world is now polio-free. (5) ___________________ country is India. In 2009, it had half of the world's polio cases. It hasn't (6) ___________________ of polio for the last three years.

Polio is incurable. It attacks (7) ___________________ and can paralyse in hours. It (8) ___________________ death. A WHO doctor said it was a "momentous (9) ___________________ of health workers" who helped rid polio from the region. She said it showed (10) ___________________ could help future generations. She warned (11) ___________________ in the fight against the disease. She said polio was still a global risk and that Asia's polio- (12) ___________________ "fragile"

INFECTIOUS DISEASES SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about infectious diseases 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.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

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)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".

Breaking News English

Home | Help This Site