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Lesson Info

Post Type
Article
Level
Level 3 / B1
Published
Title
Ebola Outbreak Spreads Fast
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-06-20-ebola-outbreak-spreads-fast/

In this lesson:

  • Warm-up Prediction task and general discussion questions.
  • Vocab List Useful words and meanings.
  • Reading Read the main text.
  • Listen and Fill Gaps Listen for missing words.
  • Main Idea Choose the overall message of the text.
  • True or False Check understanding.
  • Multiple Choice Check understanding.
  • Words That Go Together Connect words and collocated phrases from the lesson.
  • Discussion Builder Think about how ideas relate to each other to choose connecting expressions.
  • Sentence Unscramble Reorder mixed phrases into correct sentences.
  • Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
  • Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?

a) Health teams are using a new vaccine to stop the outbreak.

b) Some football fans cannot travel to World Cup matches because of Ebola rules.

c) The virus is spreading mainly through food and water.

Electron micrograph of an Ebola virus virion.
The Ebola virus.

Ask: (1) What do you do to avoid getting sick? ((2) Have you ever gone to a sports event, or wanted to travel for one? Talk about it.

VOCAB LIST

outbreak (n.) — A time when many people suddenly get the same disease.
recover (v.) — To become healthy again after an illness.
spread (v.) — To move or pass from one person, place, or area to another.
traditional healer (n.) — A person who treats sick people using local or traditional methods, not modern hospital medicine.
conflict (n.) — Fighting or serious disagreement between groups.
infect (v.) — To make a person or animal sick with a disease.
virus (n.) — A very small germ that can make people sick.
restriction (n.) — A rule that limits what people can do.
contact tracing (n.) — The work of finding people who were close to a sick person.
body fluids (n.) — Liquids from a person’s body, such as blood.

Reading

The World Health Organization says an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is moving quickly. Health teams are working hard, but the virus is still spreading faster than they can control it.

The outbreak was announced on May 15, but Ebola may have been spreading before people noticed it. There are now about 900 confirmed cases and more than 230 deaths. Most cases are in the northeast, where conflict has already made daily life difficult.

Ebola spreads through close contact with infected people or their body fluids. This makes fast action very important. Health workers use contact tracing: they must find and check the people who were close to a sick person.

The response is growing. More than 500 treatment beds are now ready for patients. Testing teams are also working faster. Some people have recovered, which shows that early care can save lives.

However, the work is not easy. Some sick people stay at home or visit traditional healers before they go to a hospital. This can give the virus more time to spread. Health workers are also in danger. Many have become infected while helping others, and several have died.

The outbreak is also affecting life outside hospitals and villages. Some DR Congo football fans will not be able to travel to World Cup matches in the United States and Canada because of Ebola-related travel restrictions. Their team is returning to the competition after many years, but some supporters will have to watch from home.

Ebola Outbreak Spreads Fast

Level 3 Source: france24.com, bbc.com

Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Electron micrograph of an Ebola virus virion.
The Ebola virus.

The World Health Organization says an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is moving quickly. Health teams are working hard, but the virus is still spreading faster than they can control it.

The outbreak was announced on May 15, but Ebola may have been spreading before people noticed it. There are now about 900 confirmed cases and more than 230 deaths. Most cases are in the northeast, where conflict has already made daily life difficult.

Ebola spreads through close contact with infected people or their body fluids. This makes fast action very important. Health workers use contact tracing: they must find and check the people who were close to a sick person.

The response is growing. More than 500 treatment beds are now ready for patients. Testing teams are also working faster. Some people have recovered, which shows that early care can save lives.

However, the work is not easy. Some sick people stay at home or visit traditional healers before they go to a hospital. This can give the virus more time to spread. Health workers are also in danger. Many have become infected while helping others, and several have died.

The outbreak is also affecting life outside hospitals and villages. Some DR Congo football fans will not be able to travel to World Cup matches in the United States and Canada because of Ebola-related travel restrictions. Their team is returning to the competition after many years, but some supporters will have to watch from home.

Speaker: British Female  Duration: 1:53  Watch on YouTube

Two ways to use this audio:

  • Method 1: Listen for the main idea: what is the article about in one sentence? Listen a second time for more details, then try the Understanding activities below.
  • Method 2: Read the article first to learn the vocabulary and ideas. Then look at the gap-fill sentences to see what to listen for, and listen to fill them in.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

The World Health Organization says an Ebola (1) in DR Congo is moving quickly. Health teams are working hard, but the virus is still spreading faster than they can control it.

The outbreak was announced on May 15, but Ebola may have been spreading before people noticed it. There are now about 900 confirmed cases and more than 230 deaths. Most cases are in the northeast, where (2) has already made daily life difficult.

Ebola spreads through close contact with infected people or their body fluids. This makes fast action very important. Health (3) use contract tracing: they must find and check the people who were close to a sick person.

The response is growing. More than 500 treatment beds are now ready for patients. Testing teams are also working faster. Some people have (4) , which shows that early care can save lives.

However, the work is not easy. Some sick people stay at home or visit traditional (5) before they go to a hospital. This can give the virus more time to spread. Health workers are also in danger. Many have become infected while helping others, and several have died.

The outbreak is also affecting life outside hospitals and villages. Some DR Congo football fans will not be able to travel to World Cup matches in the United States and Canada because of Ebola-related travel (6) . Their team is returning to the competition after many years, but some supporters will have to watch from home.

Main Idea

Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.

Main Idea

Choose one:

  • The Ebola outbreak is spreading quickly even as the response grows. Correct answer
  • Ebola travel rules are affecting football fans from DR Congo.
  • Some sick people visit traditional healers before going to hospitals.
True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • The WHO says the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is moving quickly.
    The first paragraph says the WHO warns that the outbreak is moving quickly and spreading faster than health teams can control it.
  • Most Ebola cases are in western DR Congo.
    The second paragraph says most cases are in the northeast, not the west.
  • The article says early care can save lives.
    The fourth paragraph says some people have recovered, which shows that early care can save lives.
  • Several health workers have died while helping sick people.
    The fifth paragraph says many health workers have become infected and several have died.

True or False

1. The WHO says the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is moving quickly. TRUEFALSE True

2. Most Ebola cases are in western DR Congo. TRUEFALSE False

3. The article says early care can save lives. TRUEFALSE True

4. Several health workers have died while helping sick people. TRUEFALSE True

Multiple Choice

1. What does the article say about the start of the outbreak?

   a) It was announced on May 15, but it may have started earlier.Correct

   b) It started after the World Cup began.

   c) It was first noticed in Canada and the United States.

   d) It ended before health teams arrived.

2. Why is fast action very important in this outbreak?

   a) Because football matches are starting in DR Congo.

   b) Because hospitals have stopped testing patients.

   c) Because all people with Ebola recover quickly.

   d) Because Ebola can spread through close contact with sick people.Correct

3. What shows that the response is growing?

   a) More treatment beds are ready, and testing teams are working faster.Correct

   b) More sick people are staying home instead of going to hospitals.

   c) More football fans are asking for ticket refunds.

   d) More countries are sending football teams to DR Congo.

4. What wider effect of the outbreak does the article mention?

   a) Some players from DR Congo cannot join the national team.

   b) Some fans cannot travel to World Cup matches in the United States and Canada.Correct

   c) Some World Cup matches have been moved to DR Congo.

   d) Some hospitals are selling World Cup tickets to raise money.

Words That Go Together

Loading vocabulary activity...

Words That Go Together

Match each word with the words it goes with:

1. Watchf) from home

2. Makee) daily life difficult

3. Spreadd) quickly

4. Savec) lives

5. Visitb) traditional healers

6. Becomea) infected

a) infected

b) traditional healers

c) lives

d) quickly

e) daily life difficult

f) from home

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Contact tracing is important it helps health workers find sick people sooner.

    and / because / but / so

    Contact tracing is important because it helps health workers find sick people sooner.

  2. Some sick people wait before going to a hospital, early care can save lives.

    and / because / but / so

    Some sick people wait before going to a hospital, but early care can save lives.

  3. it doesn't seem fair if fans miss the World Cup because of travel restrictions.

    To me, / But, / For example, / So,

    To me, it doesn't seem fair if fans miss the World Cup because of travel restrictions.

Sentence Unscramble

  1. A. but B. serious illnesses C. can help, D. need E. traditional medicine F. I think G. hospital care.

    I think traditional medicine can help, but serious illnesses need hospital care.

  2. A. can be in danger B. they care for C. Health workers D. because E. during outbreaks. F. sick people

    Health workers can be in danger because they care for sick people during outbreaks.

  3. A. health care B. than C. in small towns D. in big cities. E. In my country, F. is harder to get

    In my country, health care is harder to get in small towns than in big cities.

Discussion Questions

  1. What was your reaction to this story?
  2. Why is contact tracing important during an outbreak?
  3. Why might some sick people stay at home instead of going to a hospital?
  4. What do you think about traditional medicine? Is it helpful?
  5. How dangerous are the jobs of health workers, like doctors and nurses?
  6. Do you think health care is easy or difficult to get in your country? Why?
  7. How is an Ebola outbreak different from the Covid-19 pandemic?
  8. Do you think it's fair that football fans from DR Congo can't go to the World Cup to support their team?

Answers Ebola Outbreak Spreads Fast / Level 3

Think Ahead: b

Listening: (1) outbreak, (2) conflict, (3) workers, (4) recovered, (5) healers, (6) restrictions

Main Idea: The Ebola outbreak is spreading quickly even as the response grows.

True or False:

  1. True. The first paragraph says the WHO warns that the outbreak is moving quickly and spreading faster than health teams can control it.
  2. False. The second paragraph says most cases are in the northeast, not the west.
  3. True. The fourth paragraph says some people have recovered, which shows that early care can save lives.
  4. True. The fifth paragraph says many health workers have become infected and several have died.

Multiple Choice: a, d, a, b

Vocabulary:

  1. Watch: from home
  2. Make: daily life difficult
  3. Spread: quickly
  1. Save: lives
  2. Visit: traditional healers
  3. Become: infected

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Reason. 2) Contrast. 3) Opinion.

  1. because
  2. but
  3. To me,

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. I think traditional medicine can help, but serious illnesses need hospital care.
  2. Health workers can be in danger because they care for sick people during outbreaks.
  3. In my country, health care is harder to get in small towns than in big cities.

eslnewsstories.com