An archipelago home to about 18,000 people, becomes the first in the globe to be vaccinated

admin 2021年1月15日

Intermediate

world news, world news - intermediate

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Have you heard about Moderna’s vaccine? What do you know about it?
What do you know about The Republic of Palau?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

society /suh-SAHY-i-tee/

[noun] – a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done. All the people in a country, or in several similar countries, can be referred to as a society
We must also consider the needs of the members of our society.

virus /VAHY-ruhs/

[noun] – an extremely small piece of organic material that causes disease in humans, animals, and plants
Evidence suggested that the AIDS virus was spreading very quickly in his body.

generate /JEN-uh-reyt/

[verb] – to cause something to exist
The movie has generated a lot of money.

dose /dohs/

[noun] – a measured amount of something such as medicine
It says to take one dose three times a day.

border /BAWR-der/

[noun] – the line that divides one country from another
Were you stopped at the border?

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

A group of islands in the Pacific Ocean that is one of the few regions on Earth free from Covid-19 could become one of the first societies vaccinated against the virus. The Republic of Palau, an archipelago residence to about 18,000 people, got its first cargo of the vaccine generated by US pharmaceutical firm Moderna on January 2, 2021. Shots began the following day, Palau’s Ministry of Health stated on Twitter. The first consignment has 2,800 doses of the vaccine. The medical staff will administer the vaccine into two shots, 28 days apart.

As coronavirus cases started to grow, Palau was among the first to carry out more rigid border restrictions. The Republic of Palau decided to lock the country’s borders totally by March, and it started checking citizens for the virus by April. These strict procedures were the answer to keeping Covid-19 out, Palau’s ambassador to the UN announced in May.

Comprehension Questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.

Is Palau an archipelago?
When did the first cargo of the vaccine arrive?
How many days apart will the vaccine be administered?
When did the vaccination in Palau start?
When did the Republic of Palau decide to lock its country’s borders?

Discussion Questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Why do you think The Republic of Palau was able to secure doses of vaccine for its people?
Do you think their decision to lock their country’s borders was a great move? Why?
Why do you think a person should receive 2 shots of vaccine 28 days apart?
Have you already been vaccinated before? How did you feel after the procedure?
What are the strict restrictions that you practice today in your country? Tell me about it.