Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you immediately go see a doctor if you have symptoms of a certain disease? Why or why not?
- What is the importance of getting oneself tested for a disease?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- gargle /GAHR-guhl/
- accurate /AK-yer-it/
- conduct /kuhn-DUHKT/
- symptom /SIMP-tuhm/
- severe /suh-VEER/
[noun] – the action of rinsing one’s mouth and throat with a medicated solution
Use this gargle twice a day to cleanse your mouth and throat.
[adjective] – correct, exact, and without any mistakes
How can we be sure if the test result is accurate?
[verb] – to organize and perform a particular activity
Let’s wait for the others to arrive before we conduct the meeting.
[noun] – any feeling of illness or physical or mental change that is caused by a disease
Losing one’s sense of smell and taste is one symptom of COVID-19.
[adjective] – very serious
Thankfully, Ray didn’t get any serious injuries from the car accident.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Canada launches its new COVID-19 gargle test in British Columbia (B.C.) since its announcement on Thursday, September 17. Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer said at a press conference on the same date that the new test method is “one of the first of its kind around the world.” The B.C. Centre for Disease Control stated that the gargle test is as accurate as the nasal swab test and is easier to conduct on children. “This is a new saline gargle where you put a little bit of normal saline, so sterile water, in your mouth and you swish it around a little bit and you spit it into a little tube and that’s an easier way to collect it for young people,” explained Dr. Henry. Children aged 4 to 19 are priority for the gargle test, but B.C. plans to expand it to adults in the coming weeks.
The testing became in-demand when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. released a report on September 11. The report stated that children with mild to no symptoms are capable of spreading the virus. Dr. Cuc Tran of CDC wrote, “COVID-19 is less severe in children than it is in adults, but children can still play a role in transmission.” Since August, Canada has experienced a 123% increase in COVID-19 cases of patients aged 39 and below. However, Canada’s positivity rate remains at 1.4% now that the new gargle test is being implemented.
The testing became in-demand when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. released a report on September 11. The report stated that children with mild to no symptoms are capable of spreading the virus. Dr. Cuc Tran of CDC wrote, “COVID-19 is less severe in children than it is in adults, but children can still play a role in transmission.” Since August, Canada has experienced a 123% increase in COVID-19 cases of patients aged 39 and below. However, Canada’s positivity rate remains at 1.4% now that the new gargle test is being implemented.
Comprehension Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- How does the gargle test work according to Dr. Henry?
- Canada experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases by how many percent?
- When did Canada announce the use of its new gargle test?
- When was the report by CDC released?
- Who are the priority for the gargle test?
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- In your opinion, which do you think is better to have, a nasal swab test or a gargle swab test? Why?
- Do you think it is harder to test children for the coronavirus? Please explain your answer.
- If the gargle test gets approved in other countries or in Japan, are you going to try it? Why or why not?
- Should countries have other ways aside from the swab test to check if a person is positive for the coronavirus or not? Kindly share your thoughts.
- How accurate do you think the COVID-19 tests are?