ENS

Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

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

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: Main Idea, True or False, Multiple Choice

Language: Words That Go Together

Use It: Discussion Builder, Sentence Unscramble, Discussion Questions

Answers

(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.

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

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 Article Source: france24.com, bbc.com
Warm-up → or → 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  YouTube

Listen Closely

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 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 (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.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder

  1. Q: Why is contact tracing important during an outbreak?

    A:

  3. Q: Do you think it's fair that football fans from DR Congo can't go to the World Cup to support their team?

    A:
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Q: Why is contact tracing important during an outbreak?

    A: 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. Q: Do you think it's fair that football fans from DR Congo can't go to the World Cup to support their team?

    A: 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

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?

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

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, c, 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