Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a wildfire
    • ex. The wildfire burned and destroyed many houses.
  2. a spike
    • ex. There’s been a spike in water park visitors since summer began.
  3. asthma
    • ex. I had asthma when I was younger. But my doctor helped improve my health.
  4. respiratory
    • ex. Jake developed a respiratory disease because of smoking.
  5. prevention
    • ex. Fire prevention is important. Please make sure to take the steps to avoid fire incidents.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The smoke from Canadian wildfires has reached the United States. And it resulted in a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms, especially in the New York area. Asthma causes people’s chest to feel tight. People who suffer from asthma also have a hard time breathing. Dr. Adrian Pristas, a respiratory doctor from New Jersey, said some people with asthma needed medical help.

In relation to the wildfires, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published studies about the health impacts of the smoke. All over the U.S., ER visits related to asthma increased by 17% during the wildfire smoke between April and August. And in the state of New York, ER visits jumped 82% on June 7, the worst air quality day.

Jeffrey Acquaviva, a 52-year-old New Jersey man who has asthma, stayed at home for two and a half days to avoid the smoke from the wildfires. But the smoke still affected his health. His breathing became very difficult. Finally, he went to the hospital and stayed there for three days. His doctor said the smoke was so bad, and “there was nowhere to hide.”

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Wildfires and Fire Incidents

  • In your opinion, is your local government prepared for wildfires and fire incidents? Discuss.
  • Imagine there is a fire incident in your area. What are you going to do? Discuss.
  • Do you think it’s possible to prevent wildfires? Why or why not? Discuss.

Respiratory Health and Asthma

  • In your opinion, what can a person do to keep good respiratory health? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what actions can affect respiratory health negatively (ex. smoking, not using a mask)? Discuss.
  • What advice can you give to a person who has asthma? Discuss.