Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What problems can climate change cause for health?
- Why do some places have more mosquito-borne diseases than others?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- spread /spred/
- regional /REE-juh-nl/
- large-scale /LAHRJ-SKEYL/
- accelerator /ak-SEL-uh-rey-ter/
- eightfold /EYT-fohld/
[noun] – the development or growth of something so that it covers a larger area or affects a larger number of people
The rapid spread of the virus led to a significant increase in the number of cases across the region.
[adjective] – relating to a specific area or region
The regional conference will bring together experts from various fields.
[adjective] – involving a lot of people or things; extensive
The company launched a large-scale marketing campaign to promote its new product.
[noun] – a device or mechanism that increases speed or rate
The scientist used a particle accelerator to speed up the research process and achieve faster results.
[adjective] – eight times as big or as much
The company’s profits increased eightfold over the past decade.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
A laboratory in Valencia, Spain, is tackling the spread of dengue fever and other diseases by breeding and sterilizing thousands of tiger mosquitoes, which are becoming more common due to climate change. Warmer temperatures are creating perfect conditions for these mosquitoes to spread across Europe. The Biological Pest Control Centre in Valencia, funded by the regional government, has started a large-scale sterilization program. Every week, around 45,000 male mosquitoes are sterilized with an electron accelerator and then released into the environment. The goal is for these sterilized males to mate with females, which bite humans and spread diseases. By stopping the females from reproducing, the program hopes to slowly decrease the mosquito population and reduce disease transmission.
This European effort, managed by a laboratory experienced in fruit fly control, is crucial as diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya become more common. Local mosquitoes are used in the program, where scientists separate females from males before sterilizing the males with radiation. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has noted an increase in dengue cases and local outbreaks of diseases like the West Nile virus. The tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is now found in 13 European countries, including Spain. The World Health Organization reported that global dengue cases have risen eightfold since 2000, reaching 4.2 million in 2022, a trend linked to climate change’s impact on mosquito populations.
This European effort, managed by a laboratory experienced in fruit fly control, is crucial as diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya become more common. Local mosquitoes are used in the program, where scientists separate females from males before sterilizing the males with radiation. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has noted an increase in dengue cases and local outbreaks of diseases like the West Nile virus. The tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is now found in 13 European countries, including Spain. The World Health Organization reported that global dengue cases have risen eightfold since 2000, reaching 4.2 million in 2022, a trend linked to climate change’s impact on mosquito populations.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What method is used to sterilize the mosquitoes at the lab?
- Why are tiger mosquitoes becoming more common in Europe?
- How many European countries now have the tiger mosquito?
- Which diseases are mentioned as becoming more common due to mosquitoes?
- What has the World Health Organization reported about dengue cases since 2000?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever been affected by a disease transmitted by mosquitoes? If so, how did you manage it? If not, what steps do you think are important for preventing mosquito-borne diseases?
- What do you think about the use of technology, such as electron accelerators, to control mosquito populations?
- Do you agree that large-scale mosquito sterilization programs are an effective way to reduce disease transmission?
- What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of using sterilization to control mosquito populations?
- In what ways can other regions of the world implement similar strategies to combat mosquito-borne diseases effectively?