英语慢速听力【644-645】In Congo, More Women than Men Infected with Ebola
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AS IT IS
In Congo, More Women than Men Infected with Ebola
December 04, 2018
FILE - A health worker sprays disinfectant on his colleague after working at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, Eastern Congo.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing its worst-ever outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease.
More than 420 Ebola cases have been reported in eastern Congo. Just under 60 percent of those infected have died from the disease.
This is the country’s tenth known Ebola epidemic, but this one is unusual because more than 60 percent of patients are female.
Among them is Baby Benedicte. She has been alive for only one month, and her short life has already been unimaginably difficult.
She weighs 2.9 kilograms. And she is alone. Her mother had Ebola, and died giving birth to her.
Baby Benedicte has spent the past three weeks of her life in a plastic isolation container without direct human contact. She developed a higher than normal body temperature at eight days old and was moved to a hospital in the town of Beni.
Tests show that Ebola has infected more than 400 people in Beni since the beginning of August. That makes this the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, after the disease killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa between 2013 and 2016.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the poorest nations in the world. It struggles with civil and political insecurity as well as corruption. This is the 10th outbreak of Ebola to strike the country since 1976, when Ebola was first identified.
Guido Cornale is with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund. He says the size of this outbreak is clear.
“It has become the worst outbreak in Congo, this is not a mystery,” he said.
What is mysterious, however, is why more than 60 percent of cases are women, says government health official Ndjoloko Tambwe Bathe.
“This epidemic is feminized…it’s true that the female cases are more numerous than the male cases," he said.
Bathe would not predict when the outbreak might end, but international health officials have said it may last another six months. Experts are still studying why this epidemic effects mostly women and children, Cornale said.
“So now we can only guess. And one of the guesses is that woman are the caretakers of sick people at home. So if a family member got sick, who is taking care of him or her? Normally, a woman,” he said.
Or a nurse. Many of those affected are health workers. Nurse Guilaine Mulindwa Masika spent 16 days in care after a patient gave the virus to her. She says it was the fight of her life.
“The pain was constant," she said.
For the sick, the road to recovery is long and lonely. Masika and others who were infected cannot return to work until they are sure the risk of infection is gone. In the main hospital in Beni, families who have recovered live together in a large white shelter. They are kept four meters from human contact.
A nurse covered in protective clothes cares for Baby Benedicte. Her future is unclear. Medical workers are not sure where her father is, or if he is going to come for her.
She sleeps most of the day as the deaths around her continue.
I’m Susan Shand.
VOA's Anita Powell reported this story. Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
outbreak – n. a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease
isolation – n. the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others
epidemic – n. the sudden spread, growth or development of something such as a disease
guess – v. to predict; to form an opinion about something without much evidence
constant – adj. happening all the time or very often over a period of time
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AS IT IS
France Delays New Fuel Tax After Violent Protests
December 04, 2018
Demonstrators stand in front of a makeshift barricade set up by the so-called yellow jackets to block the entrance of a fuel depot in Le Mans, western France, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
France has suspended planned increases in fuel taxes for six months after violent protests in the streets of Paris and other cities.
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced the delay of the tax increases in a speech on national television.
“No tax is worth putting the nation’s unity in danger,” he said.
The prime minister also spoke of the protesters. He said that the French who have worn yellow vests “want taxes to drop, and work to pay.”
Fuel taxes had been set to rise on January 1. Philippe said the increase would go into effect six months later. He also announced that electricity and natural gas prices will not increase before May 2019.
President Emanuel Macron announced the tax increases last month. French officials said they are designed to move the country away from fossil fuels and part of an effort to fight climate change.
The demonstrations started on November 17 in Paris. Protesters wore yellow traffic vests that French drivers are required to carry in their vehicles. Since then, the “yellow vest” protests have developed into a movement against Macron.
Protests last Saturday caused heavy property damage in Paris and other French cities. Police used tear gas to control crowds. In the capital, more than 100 people were injured and more than 400 arrested.
Macron faced difficult choices
Macron is a 40-year-old former investment banker and economy minister. He has promised to reform France’s economy and increase economic growth.
However, his policies have angered many French citizens who say he does not care about most of the people. The yellow vest protesters have called him “president of the rich.”
The most violent protests took place last weekend while Macron attended the G-20 (Group of 20) meetings in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The demonstrations took place as France joins other countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland.
Macron has been a supporter of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The tax increase has been described as an effort to move France further to renewable energysources.
It is unclear whether the government’s latest moves will put an end to the protests.
Macron has said he will “never accept violence.” However, reports say he has urged Philippe to ease tensions and meet with protest groups.
The movement does not seem to be led by a known labor leader or opposition politician. That, observers say, makes it more difficult for government officials to answer.
Some officials, however, hope that the lack of clear leadership will lead the movement to break apart.
I’m Mario Ritter Jr.
Mario Ritter adapted stories from VOA News and Reuters for this VOA Learning English report. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
source -n. something that provides what is wanted or needed
vest – n. a piece of clothing usually worn over the top of the body
fossil – n. remains of an animal or plant from an earlier period in Earth’s history
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