Lesson Plan: The Coronavirus: What We Need to Know
I. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
- respiratory |ˈrespərəˌtôrērəˈspīrəˌtôrē| adjective relating to or affecting respiration or the organs of respiration: respiratory disease.
- virus |ˈvīrəs| noun an infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host: [as modifier] : a virus infection.
- evaluate |əˈvalyəˌwāt| verb [with object] form an idea of the amount, number, or value of; assess: when you evaluate any hammer, look for precision machining | [with clause] : computer simulations evaluated how the aircraft would perform.
- confirm |kənˈfərm| verb [with object] 1 establish the truth or correctness of (something previously believed, suspected, or feared to be the case): if these fears are confirmed, the outlook for the economy will be dire | the report confirms that a diet rich in vitamin C can help to prevent cataracts.
- transmit |tranzˈmittransˈmit| verb (transmits, transmitting, transmitted) [with object] pass on (a disease or trait) to another: (as adjective transmitted)
- lethality |lēˈTHalədē| noun the capacity to cause death or serious harm or damage: embryonic lethality observed in mice with a mutation | the increasing lethality of modern weapons.
- infectious |inˈfekSHəs| adjective (of a disease or disease-causing organism) likely to be transmitted to people, organisms, etc., through the environment.
- severe |səˈvir| adjective (severer, severest) (of something bad or undesirable) very great; intense: a severe shortage of technicians | a severe attack of asthma | damage is not too severe.
- examination |iɡˌzaməˈnāSH(ə)n| noun 1 a detailed inspection or investigation: an examination of marketing behavior | a medical examination is conducted without delay.
- Epidemics |ˌepəˈdemik| noun a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time: a flu epidemic.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
Grammar Focus: Identifying Prepositions
An international outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus has killed at least 132 people.
The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, apparently at a market selling live poultry, seafood and wild animals.
Investigators in still other nations, and in several American states, are evaluating possible cases.
Federal health officials are telling Americans not to visit the Wuhan area, and to avoid traveling to any part of China unless necessary.
Coronaviruses are named for the spikes that protrude from their membranes, which resemble the sun’s corona.
Reading Comprehension
True /False/NA-Statements
- F-The outbreak began in Wuhan, China.
- T-The coronavirus has killed at least 132 people and sickened about 6,000 so far.
- F-It appears that the outbreak started in a market selling live poultry, seafood and wild animals.
- T-The virus has turned up in more than a dozen other countries, including Japan, South Korea, France, Australia and the United States.
- F-Federal health officials are telling Americans not to visit the Wuhan area, and to avoid traveling to any part of China.
- F- Five cases have been confirmed in the United States: one in Washington State; one in Chicago; one in Arizona; and two in California.
- F-The virus can infect both animals and people.
- T- There are less severely infected people, and people who are infected who don’t get sick at all.
- T-The Wuhan coronavirus is most likely transmitted through coughing and sneezing.
- T-The main treatment is making sure the patient is getting enough oxygen, and using a ventilator to push air into the lungs if necessary.
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