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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. an outbreak
    • ex. There was an outbreak of flu at school, so many students stayed home to recover.
  2. spike
    • ex. Ice cream sales spiked last week because of the hot weather.
  3. a cleanup
    • ex. The community has weekend cleanups to remove trash and keep their town beautiful.
  4. backfire
    • ex. The company's decision to raise prices backfired, as many customers stopped buying their products.
  5. deadly
    • ex. A deadly virus spread quickly in the town, so people had to stay indoors and wear face masks.

Article

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

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A Philippine village started a unique campaign against dengue fever in February. The village called Addition Hills offered a small reward to people who could catch mosquitoes, dead or alive. This happened after a dengue outbreak in Quezon City. According to reports, dengue spiked in the Philippines this year with 28,234 cases, which is 40% more than last year. 

Home to over 100,000 people, Addition Hills had already done cleanups and public health campaigns. But when dengue cases jumped to 42 and two students died, village leader Carlito Cernal decided to act quickly. He offered residents one Philippine peso (about ¥2.5) for every five mosquitoes they caught. When the campaign started, about 12 people went to the village office to bring the mosquitoes they caught.

Some people worry that the campaign might backfire if people start reproducing mosquitoes for money. However, Cernal said that the campaign will stop once cases go down. Dengue is a deadly disease, so Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa encourages residents to clean places where mosquitoes might live. He also said it’s important to get help from a doctor if you have any symptoms.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Dengue Fever and Outbreak

  • Has there been any dengue fever outbreak in your city/town? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the main challenges in controlling a dengue outbreak in some cities or countries (ex. lack of knowledge, lack of resources)? Discuss.
  • Do you think people in your country are well-informed about the dangers of dengue fever? Why or why not? Discuss.

Unique and Creative Solutions to Problems

  • A village in the Philippines offered rewards for catching mosquitoes. What do you think about this solution (ex. it’s dangerous, it’s a good idea)? Discuss.
  • Do you think offering a small reward is enough to encourage people to help with the unique campaign? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what other creative solutions could communities use to fight diseases like dengue (ex. a cleanup, an information campaign)? Discuss.