Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Are Schools Prepared to Reopen? / Riots in Kazakhstan

[Transcript]

Are Schools Prepared to Reopen under Omicron?

New international records have been set in recent days for the number of people testing positive for coronavirus. In the United States, the majority of those new infections ⏤ 90% in some places ⏤ have been linked to the newer Omicron variant of the virus which was first identified in South Africa last Fall. Health officials say it's extraordinarily contagious, more so than other versions of COVID-19. However, there is a silver lining. Experts believe Omicron is less severe than other COVID variants, it has milder symptoms overall, and while more people may catch it, it appears to be causing fewer deaths.

Still, there've been major differences in how communities and governments have responded to Omicron spread. When it comes to schools, research has shown that in-person learning, which means to learn in a classroom with your classmates, is better for students' mental health, but concerns about Omicron's threat to physical health have renewed debate in some communities about whether schools should stay open. A teachers union has argued that the city of Chicago hasn't provided adequate resources to be in-person safely, and a teacher even claimed that she had to buy her own protective equipment.

The city, however, has argued, through masking, vaccinations, testing, and more, that school is still safer than being at home, even with record numbers of cases among students, staff, and across Chicago in recent weeks. Students have been out of class and parents have been frustrated, while this debate rambles on.

Riots in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, a country located mainly in Central Asia, has been grappling with violent protests over the past week. At least 164 people there have been killed, including dozens of demonstrators and at least 18 law enforcement officers, with more than 5,000 people reportedly being held by the government. Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency and asked other nations to help protect government buildings ⏤ some of those have been burned.

The unrest started after the price of a type of gasoline suddenly doubled. Afterward, the Kazakh government said it would limit what those prices would be, but the protests grew to include other complaints over corruption, the standard of living, poverty, and unemployment.

Home to 19 million people spread over the ninth-largest sovereign landmass, Kazakhstan stands between 2 increasingly autocratic superpowers, Russia to the North and China in the east. Large deposits of coal and natural gas, as well as a 3% chunk of the planet's oil reserves and 40% of its uranium, mean that Kazakhstan's people could be rich. However, thanks to a ruling elite in power since the fall of communism, only few people have benefited from that wealth. So, to all the remaining autocratic countries out there: “People do fight back”.

[Sentence of the day]

Experts believe Omicron is less severe than other COVID variants, it has milder symptoms overall, and while more people may catch it, it appears to be causing fewer deaths.

[Vocabulary words]

1. expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill relating to a particular subject or activity

Ex: John’s mother is an expert at dress-making.

2. severe
Something that is very serious or causing great pain

Ex: The official name for the SARS disease is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

3. mild
Not too severe or serious

Ex: She can't accept even mild criticism of her work.


Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
At this point, I believe we can only coexist with COVID
instead of trying to kill it or stop it
What’s worse than Delta and Omicron?
Scientists just confirmed the new Deltacron variant
Let’s hope it’s not a serious one that causes severe harm

Folks, next time we meet it should be around the CNY holidays
So an early happy year of the tiger to all of you
This is Ken Miao, and I’ll see you again next time. Bye!

Experts believe Omicron is less severe than other COVID variants, it has milder symptoms overall, and while more people may catch it, it appears to be causing fewer deaths.

The third vaccination started in Japan. Do you want to get it soon?