Article for the 4th year students

 

Scientists develop COVID-19 vaccine   (13th November, 2020)

In a year that has largely been full of bad and tragic news because of COVID-19, there is finally some good news. Scientists have announced a breakthrough in the fight against the virus. The scientists are from the U.S. drug company Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech. Their researchers say they have developed a vaccine that has a 90 per cent success rate in protecting against COVID-19. The researchers also say the vaccine does not cause serious side effects. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the USA's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the vaccine was positive news. He said: "The results are really quite good, I mean extraordinary."

 Health experts say it will be months before the vaccine is widely available for people to take. It needs to be stored at temperatures of -80º Celsius. However, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla was upbeat about his company's achievement. He said: "Today is a great day for science and humanity....We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most." He added: "Infection rates are setting new records, hospitals are nearing over-capacity and economies are struggling to reopen. With today's news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis."

 

  

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The article said the year 2020 has been only bad news.     T / F
2. There is a COVID-19 vaccine from German and American companies.     T / F
3. The article said the vaccine has a 90.2% success rate.     T / F
4. A doctor of infectious diseases called the vaccine extraordinary.     T / F
5. Health experts say the vaccine will be available within weeks.     T / F
6. The vaccine has to be stored in temperatures just below freezing.     T / F
7. A drug company CEO said it was a great day for science and humanity.   T / F
8. The CEO said the global health crisis is now over.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. largely
2. finally
3. drug
4. developed
5. extraordinary
6. experts
7. stored
8. upbeat
9. significant
10. crisis

1. amazing
2. created
3. positive
4. at last
5. specialists
6. emergency
7. mainly
8. important
9. pharmaceutical
10. kept

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. In a year that has largely been full
2. there is finally
3. a breakthrough in the fight
4. researchers say they have
5. the vaccine does not cause serious
6. the vaccine is widely available
7. stored at temperatures
8. Today is a great day for science
9. Infection rates are setting
10. we are a significant step

1. side effects
2. developed a vaccine
3. closer
4. some good news
5. and humanity
6. of -80º Celsius
7. of bad and tragic news
8. new records
9. against the virus
10. for people to take

Comprehension questions

1. What kind of news did the article say this year has been largely full of?
2. What two countries are the companies that developed the vaccine from?
3. What kind of success rate does the vaccine have?
4. What did the article say the vaccine does not cause?
5. What did Dr. Fauci say about the results, in addition to "quite good"?
6. How long did experts say it would be before the vaccine is available?
7. At what temperature does the new vaccine need to be stored?
8. What did Pfizer's CEO say "today" was a great day for?
9. What did the CEO say was nearing over-capacity?
10. What did the CEO say the vaccine could bring an end to?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What kind of news did the article say this year has been largely full of?
a) medical news
b) bad and tragic news
c) pandemic news
d) doom and gloom
2) What two countries are the companies that developed the vaccine from?
a) the USA and Canada
b) Canada and Japan
c) Japan and Germany
d) the USA and Germany
3) What kind of success rate does the vaccine have?
a) 90%
b) 60%
c) 70%
d) 80%
4) What did the article say the vaccine does not cause?
a) headaches
b) re-infections
c) serious side effects
d) a pandemic
5) What did Dr. Anthony Fauci say the results were beyond "quite good"?
a) rather good
b) extraordinary
c) not too bad
d) promising

6) How long did experts say it would be before the vaccine is available?
a) months
b) years
c) weeks
d) three months
7) At what temperature does the new vaccine need to be stored?
a) -90ºC
b) -60ºC
c) -80ºC
d) -70ºC
8) What did Pfizer's CEO say "today" was a great day for?
a) science and humanity
b) research and universities
c) hospitals and clinics
d) people worldwide
9) What did the CEO say was nearing over-capacity?
a) hospitals
b) the pandemic
c) research universities
d) his InBox
10) What did the CEO say the vaccine could bring an end to?
a) economic damage
b) worry
c) disease
d) the global health crisis

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

In a year that has (1) ____ been full of bad and tragic news because of COVID-19, there is (2) ____ some good news. Scientists have announced a breakthrough in the fight against the virus. The scientists are from the U.S. drug company Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech. Their researchers say they have (3) ____ a vaccine that has a 90 per cent success rate in protecting against COVID-19. The researchers also say the vaccine does not (4) ____ serious side effects. Dr. Anthony Fauci, (5) ____ of the USA's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the vaccine was positive news. He said: "The results are really (6) ____ good, I mean extraordinary."

Health experts say it will be (7) ____ before the vaccine is widely available for people to take. It needs to be stored at temperatures of -80º Celsius. However, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla was (8) ____ about his company's achievement. He said: "Today is a great day (9) ____ science and humanity....We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most." He added: "Infection (10) ____ are setting new records, hospitals are nearing over-capacity and economies are (11) ____ to reopen. With today's news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an (12) ____ to this global health crisis."

 

 

Which of these words go in the above text?

1. (a)     big     (b)     huge     (c)     larger     (d)     largely    
2. (a)     finals     (b)     final     (c)     finality     (d)     finally    
3. (a)     developing     (b)     developed     (c)     develop     (d)     develops    
4. (a)     because     (b)     case     (c)     cause     (d)     caused    
5. (a)     body     (b)     back     (c)     head     (d)     foot    
6. (a)     quite     (b)     quit     (c)     quiet     (d)     quilt    
7. (a)     monthly     (b)     months     (c)     moth     (d)     mount    
8. (a)     upbeat     (b)     beat     (c)     beating     (d)     beats    
9. (a)     at     (b)     for     (c)     on     (d)     of    
10. (a)     dates     (b)     mates     (c)     rates     (d)     hates    
11. (a)     struggled     (b)     struggles     (c)     struggling     (d)     struggle    
12. (a)     conclusion     (b)     over     (c)     finish     (d)     end

Put the words in the right order

1. Bad   of   because   and   news   COVID-19   .   tragic
2. breakthrough   have   announced   fight   .   Scientists   a   the   in
3. drug   are   company   .   the   The   from   U.S.   scientists
4. rate   against   A   success   protecting   COVID-19   .   in   90%
5. side   cause   does   vaccine   effects   .   The   not   serious
6. is   It's   widely   available   .   months   vaccine   before   the
7. company's   achievement   .   Mr   about   his   was   upbeat   Bourla
8. development   in   milestone   program   .   vaccine   critical   This   our
9. He   infection   new   are   setting   records   .   rates   said
10. global   Bring   this   an   crisis   .   end   to   health

 

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

In / On a year that has large / largely been full of bad and tragic news because of COVID-19, there is finally / final some good news. Scientists have announced a breakthrough in / on the fight against the virus. The scientists are from the U.S. drug company Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech. Their researchers saying / say they have developed a vaccine that has a 90 per cent succeed / success rate in protecting against COVID-19. The researchers also say the vaccine does not cause seriously / serious side effects. Dr. Anthony Fauci, body / head of the USA's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the vaccine was / be positive news. He said: "The results / result are really quite good, I mean extraordinary."

Health experts  / expects say it will be months before the vaccine is widely available for / from people to take. It needs to be stored of / at temperatures of -80º Celsius. However, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla was beat / upbeat about his company's achievement. He said: "Today is a great day for science and human / humanity....We are reaching this critically / critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most / much." He added: "Infection rates are setting new records, hospitals are nearing over-capacity and / to economies are struggling to reopen. With today's news, we are a significant step closer of / to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crises / crisis."