Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. alarming
    • ex. The news about the coming storm was alarming for the people living near the coast.
  2. storage
    • ex. I use a big bucket for water storage.
  3. store
    • ex. She stores her winter clothes in boxes during the summer.
  4. a breeding ground
    • ex. A dirty kitchen can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
  5. scorching
    • ex. It was a scorching day with temperatures reaching over 42 degrees Celsius.

Article

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

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There is an alarming spread of dengue in Peru because of water shortages and storage. In Piura, a poor city in Peru, people receive water for just 30 minutes daily due to shortages. So, they store water in plastic tanks. However, those tanks have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. At the same time, scorching temperatures and a lack of air conditioning force people to get out of their houses, and that is when mosquitoes attack them.

Piura is the second most affected city. Across Peru, there have been over 34,000 dengue cases in the first eight weeks of 2024. This number is twice as many as in the same period in 2023. There were also 44 deaths recorded in February alone. Because of this, Peru’s government announced a health emergency in most of its areas on February 26.

Authorities in Piura are creating special areas in hospitals for dengue patients. Most cases have mild symptoms, but dengue can also cause severe headaches, fevers, and muscle pains. Dengue is caused by Aedes Aegypti. It is a mosquito that lives in hot and wet areas.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Dengue in Peru

  • How do you think the spread of dengue in Peru can be solved (ex. by improving the water system, by teaching people how to store water)? Discuss.
  • Do you think it is important to educate people about dengue? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • How would you describe your knowledge and understanding of dengue (ex. I know how to protect myself, I have little knowledge about it)? Discuss.

Health Emergencies

  • In your opinion, what can be considered a health emergency (ex. a high case of any disease, the spread of a new disease)? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what kind of support from the government should people receive during a health emergency (ex. financial support, free medicine)? Discuss.
  • Is it important for governments to always be prepared for health emergencies? Why or why not? Discuss.