"Can I hug you?" community nurse Joyce Jebambula asks with a smile as she welcomes me back to her village. "Of course," I say as I put my arms around her. It's an unbelievable moment. Just at the height of the outbreak more than a year ago, there was an "avoid body contact" rule here. It's now been removed. One of the most challenging parts of reporting this outbreak over the past 18 months is that I haven't been able to touch anyone in the worst-affected countries. When Ebola survivors described in tears describing losing their families, I had to almost sit on my hands to avoid reaching out to comfort them. The outbreak was declared over in Sierra Leone on 7 November. I returned for the celebrations. But despite reaching this long-awaited milestone, all is not well. Ibrahim Koroma, 21, clings to his survivor's certificate outside the home. All 17 of his family are now dead. The certificate is one of his most prized possessions. "He does not pose any risk to the community" it reads. Ibrahim tells me how his landlord has allowed him to stay in one of the rooms of his former family home until the end of the year. He says he doesn't know what he'll do after that. He does some part-time work, relying heavily on help from neighbours. His two little sisters and little brother died in the very room where he now sleeps. He says he often lies awake thinking about them, feeling very bad. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the worst on record. In past outbreaks there had only been a few hundred deaths and a few hundred survivors. It was thought Ebola could live for only three months. But research has now shown it can linger for at least nine months. Scientists are still trying to find how long it could be infectious. When interviewing Ebola survivors the author _ . A) couldn't touch them with hands B) kept comforting them with hands C) held their hands to show sympathy D) couldn't help comforting them with hands
A
There is a huge demand for shark fins in Asian countries. As a result, many sharks are caught and killed. In Palau, where more than half of tourists are drawn by diving excursions, each reef shark brings in about $179,000 in tourism revenue annually, or about $1.9 million during its lifetime. Due to overexploitation and lack of proper management, many shark species are under considerable risk of unrecoverable decline with some species having declined to near extinction in recent years. According to reports, sharks are being killed at an alarming rate of up to 273 million worldwide per year. Some experts predict that if the killing continues at the current rate many shark species will be lost forever. It can be very dangerous. Sharks are very important and they should be protected. In a study of the east coast of the United States, 11 species of sharks were eliminated from their range. Of the 14 species of ocean life that those sharks used to eat, the populations of 12 exploded and caused great damage to the ecosystem. For example, the cownose ray population was no longer kept under control by sharks and so grew out of control. As a result, the rays destroyed the population of bay scallops , their favorite food. The scallop fishery, which had been in good condition for over 100 years, was wiped out. Also, the removal of the scallops most likely had an effect on water quality as they were no longer there to perform their function of cleaning the water. Sharks play a vital role in the oceans in a way that the average fish does not. Most sharks serve as top predators at the pinnacle of the marine food pyramid, and so play a critical role in ocean ecosystems. Directly or indirectly they regulate the natural balance of these ecosystems. Sharks tend to eat very efficiently, going after the old, sick, or slower fish in a population, keeping that population healthy. Sharks help keep many populations of ocean life to the right size so that those prey species don't cause harm to the ecosystem by becoming too... After the number of cownose rays greatly increased, . A) water quality improved as well B) bay scallops grew out of control C) the health of coral reefs worsened D) the local scallop fishery was harmed
D
A few years ago, pop poets such as Murray Lachlan Young began to set poetry to rock music with some surprising results. People thought that poetry was the new rock 'n' roll. However, despite the brief popularity of a few pop poets, poetry and pop music didn't seem to mix. But are they really so different? If you look back at the origins of poetry, there is a strong connection between poems and popular music. In Greek mythology, for example, the muse Erato is pictured with a lyre in her hand, and looks just like the ancestor of the modern rock star with his electric guitar. In addition, the poets Shelley and Byron were as famous in the nineteenth century as the pop stars of today. But despite their common origins, there are many differences between poetry and pop music. Pop songs are always written for a public performance, whereas poetry often isn't. And the lyrics in pop songs sometimes have less rhythm than those in poetry. This is because the music provides the rhythm rather than the words. Pop lyrics are also simpler and often keep on saying the same thing. This repetition works well in a performance and means that pop songs are easier for people to sing and learn by heart. Both songs and poems tell a story or talk about feelings. Songs in particular deal with the different stages in a relationship, such as falling in love or breaking up. The words and ideas in songs are usually easier to understand than those in "serious" poetry. However, talented performers like Paul McCartney, or newer stars like Robbe Williams, often give simple songs more expression when they perform them. And some of the best lines from pop lyrics are as beautiful as poetry. So although pop music and poetry have many differences, they do have one important thing in common: the power to make us think about how we feel. What does the writer say about talented performers today? A) They look at poetry to find ideas for their songs. B) They think their songs are more serious than poetry. C) They give songs more meaning when they sing them. D) They consider themselves to be more popular than poets.
C