The Reading / Listening - Coronavirus - Level 0

There could be a new virus outbreak. The coronavirus started in China. It has killed 17 people. It went to the USA, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The WHO will decide if it is a global emergency. China asked people not to panic. Millions will travel across China to be with their families for the Chinese New Year.

The coronavirus came from animals in a market. It changed and spread to a human. It could change and spread more. The virus passes to people through the air. A doctor said it is like SARS, but different. It causes fever, cough and breathing problems. A 36-year-old woman from Beijing is afraid because there's no cure.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Coronavirus - Level 1,  Coronavirus - Level 2   or  Coronavirus - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/22/c_138726671.htm
  • https://www.npr.org/2020/01/21/798088813/coronavirus-in-china-spreads-by-human-to-human-transmission
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-transmission/global-alarm-mounts-as-china-virus-deaths-hit-17-idUSKBN1ZL07C


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. There could be a new
  2. The coronavirus started
  3. It has killed
  4. It went to
  5. The WHO will
  6. a global
  7. China asked people
  8. travel across China to be
  1. emergency
  2. not to panic
  3. decide
  4. 17 people
  5. virus outbreak
  6. with their families
  7. the USA
  8. in China

Paragraph 2

  1. The coronavirus came
  2. It changed and spread to
  3. It could change and
  4. The virus passes to people
  5. A doctor said it
  6. It causes
  7. breathing
  8. there's no
  1. is like SARS
  2. spread more
  3. cure
  4. a human
  5. through the air
  6. problems
  7. from animals
  8. fever

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There could (1) ___________________ virus outbreak. The coronavirus (2) ___________________. It has killed 17 people. It (3) ___________________ USA, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The WHO (4) ___________________ it is a global emergency. China asked people (5) ___________________. Millions will travel across China (6) ___________________ their families for the Chinese New Year.

The coronavirus (7) ___________________ in a market. It changed and (8) ___________________ human. It could change and spread more. The (9) ___________________ people through the air. A doctor said (10) ___________________ SARS, but different. It causes (11) ___________________ breathing problems. A 36-year-old woman from Beijing (12) ___________________ there's no cure.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Therecouldbeanewvirusoutbreak.ThecoronavirusstartedinChina.It
haskilled17people.ItwenttotheUSA,Japan,KoreaandThailand.TheW
HOwilldecideifitisaglobalemergency.Chinaaskedpeoplenottopanic.
MillionswilltravelacrossChinatobewiththeirfamiliesfortheChineseNe
wYear.Thecoronaviruscamefromanimalsinamarket.Itchangedands
preadtoahuman.Itcouldchangeandspreadmore.Theviruspassestop
eoplethroughtheair.AdoctorsaiditislikeSARS,butdifferent.Itcausesf
ever,coughandbreathingproblems.A36-year-oldwomanfromBeijing
isafraidbecausethere'snocure.

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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