Scientists close to influenza vaccine

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Scientists are close to developing a vaccine to give life-long protection against influenza. This is good news for people who go to the doctor for an annual flu jab. Research teams successfully tested new drugs on animals. Trials will soon begin on humans. A flu expert said: "This is a leap forward compared to anything done recently. They have good animal data." He added that: "It's a very good stepping stone."

Influenza kills up to half a million people a year. Finding a vaccine is difficult because doctors have to guess which types of the virus are likely to cause the most infections. The success rate of many flu vaccines is low because there is so much guesswork. Vaccines in the U.S. reduced the risk of catching flu by just 23 per cent last year. The latest research could help create vaccines for other viruses that mutate quickly, like HIV or the common cold.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34038808
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3209469/Scientists-one-step-closer-creating-universal-flu-vaccine-New-jab-protect-against-strains-virus.html
https://www.inverse.com/article/5587-could-we-get-a-universal-flu-vaccine

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	Scientists are close to	a.	forward
2.	give life-long protection	b.	recently
3.	This is good	c.	developing a vaccine
4.	go to the doctor for an	d.	on animals
5.	tested new drugs	e.	stone
6.	This is a leap	f.	annual flu jab
7.	compared to anything done	g.	against influenza
8.	It's a very good stepping	h.	news

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Influenza kills up to half a	a.	most infections
2.	Finding a vaccine	b.	catching flu
3.	doctors have to guess which	c.	cold
4.	likely to cause the	d.	quickly
5.	success	e.	million people a year
6.	reduced the risk of	f.	rate
7.	viruses that mutate	g.	is difficult
8.	the common	h.	types of the virus

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Scientists are close to developing (1) ___________________ life-long protection against influenza. This is good news (2) ___________________ to the doctor for (3) ___________________. Research teams successfully tested new drugs on animals. Trials (4) ___________________ humans. A flu expert said: "This is (5) ___________________ compared to anything done recently. They have (6) ___________________." He added that: "It's a very good stepping stone."

Influenza (7) ___________________ a million people a year. Finding a vaccine is difficult because doctors have to (8) ___________________ of the virus are likely to (9) ___________________ infections. The success rate of many flu vaccines is low because (10) ___________________ guesswork. Vaccines in the U.S. (11) ___________________ of catching flu by just 23 per cent last year. The latest research could help create vaccines for other (12) ___________________ quickly, like HIV or the common cold.

INFLUENZA SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about influenza in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about influenza for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".

Breaking News English

Home | Help This Site