SIXTH GRADE

1. READING COMPREHENSION
 

Nations around the world are preparing for a possible major outbreak of a

new deadly virus. The coronavirus, which started in the Chinese city of

Wuhan, has already killed 17 people. It has spread to the USA, Japan,

Korea and Thailand. More than 540 people have caught the virus and are

in hospital. The World Health Organization (WHO) is meeting to decide

whether the outbreak is a global health emergency. China is urging

people not to panic ahead of the Chinese New Year next week. Millions of

Chinese will be travelling across the country to spend the holiday season

with their families. Meanwhile, the city of Wuhan has suspended its public

transport systems to help stop the spread of the virus.

The new coronavirus is suspected to have come from illegally traded

animals in a Wuhan market. The virus mutated and spread from an

animal to a human. There are fears it could mutate and spread further.

Scientists say the virus is contagious and can be passed from person to

person through the air. Dr Linfa Wang, a virologist at the Duke-National

University of Singapore, said the new coronavirus is in the same family

as SARS, but it's different from SARS. He said people needed to look for

pneumonia-like symptoms, such as fever, cough and difficulty breathing

.

Fu Ning, a 36-year-old woman from Beijing, said: "I feel fearful because

there's no cure for the virus."

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

a. Nations are not preparing for a possible virus outbreak.

b. The coronavirus has spread to four countries.

c.Over 1,540 people are in hospital because of the virus.

d. The article said China suspended public transport in eight different cities

.

e. Scientists suspect the coronavirus came from insects in a market.

f.The coronavirus passes from person to person through the air.

g. The coronavirus belongs to the same virus family as SARS

.

h. One of the symptoms of coronavirus is breathing difficulties.