INFLUENZA

INITIATING QUESTIONS
1. What is an epidemic?
An epidemic occurs when new cases of a certain disease occur in a given human population, during a given period, substantially exceed what is "expected," based on recent experience In recent usages, the disease is not required to be communicable; examples include cancer or heart disease.

2. What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide.

3. What is an infectious disease?
is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogeni microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions.

4. What is a virus?
A virus is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a cell. Viruses infect all types of cellular life. Viruses infect all forms of life, are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and are the most abundant type of biological entity on the planet.

5. What makes the H1N1 virus a "novel" or "new" virus?
it is a new disease that was recently discovered and has been spreading worldwide.

6. How do viruses mutate?
The only way they can reproduce is by infecting a cell, the host cells would evolve to where a virus would no longer be able to infect. Cells change their surface receptors so viruses cannot attach; the viruses change their surface proteins so they can attach to the changed cell surface receptors.

7. What does it mean that this virus has "parts" from other known swine flus, human flus and American bird flus?
the swine flu could combine with the bird flu, and is much more deadly, it is less easily transmitted, but still, if it gets to the humans it would be easily transmitted.

8. How does that process happen?
if the swine flu infectates someone that already has the flu, the diseases could combine, forming stonger and more dangerous virus.
9. How is the flu vaccine created?

the flu has spread all the way to the Norhtern Hemisphere, swine flu infectates someone that already has it the diseases could combine, forming stonger and more dangerous virus.

10. Why are some viruses transmittable from human to human while others are not (avian flu)?

Bird flus recquire few mutations to spread rapidly between mammals by respiratory droplets, so it only transmits with humans that have a direct contact with birds.it's easily transmittable from human to human.

11. How does Tamiflu work?

TAMIFLU works by helping to stop the flu virus from spreading inside the body is a prescription medication for flu treatment and prevention of the flu in adults and children aged 1 year and older.

12. Scientists worry that H1N1 might become resistant to Tamiflu. How might that happen?

not enough Tamiflus for everyone.

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What is the most predictable thing about influenza?
nature of the virus that causes

2. How many people have died in Mexico? (based on the article as well as on latest news)
More than 150 people.

3. Name 3 countries where swine flu has been confirmed in the last three days.
India, Turkey, Malaysia

4. What are the symptoms of the swine flu?
fever, cough, sore throat, and nausea and can range from mild to deadly.

5. When was the outbreak of the Spanish flu?
In 1918, after the World War l.

6. What percentage of the world population died of influenza then?
50 million people

7. Why was there an emergency vaccination program in 1976?
There was an outbreak of swine flu that lead to one death and an emergency prevention program that vaccinated approximately 40 million people, provoked a public backlash.

8. Name a few actions the Mexican government has done to curb the spread of swine flu.
they closed the public and private schools, they also closed restaurants, movies, places where people run, shop, walks. they were saying that they where going to closed also streets to stop some of the pandemic.

9. What were the consequences for Mexico and Mexicans due to the actions taken by the government?
the countries are avoiding traveling to Mexico, and the tourist economy has suffered consequences.

10. What industries were particularly hard hit?
all the restaurants, cinemas, tourist, malls etc.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Mexico has shut down schools and other public spaces; do you think that was the correct thing to do? Why or why not?
yes, because it helped people to be aware of this virus, also at closing schools and restaurants they helped to prevend that more poeple get the swin flu.

2. More people die from the regular flu then from swine flu, why do you think this became a big news story?
i think that problably it was becuase the drug (heroine) became legal, so they wanted to hide that information.

3. Why did people stop visiting Mexico? Why have Mexicans been discriminated? Do you think the fear of the disease is justified?
they were affraid to get the virus, they were descriminated i think because people thought that mexicans have swin flu and they dont want to get inffected, it wasnt fear because the people that was infected went to the hospitals to get treaty and the ones that werent inffected suffered all the descrimination.

4. What questions about individual and human rights does preventing the spread of flu raise?

we can't go out to public places and we are in a kind of prision all the human rights are violated. and everything is affecting in the economy making a chaos.

Invisible children

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3VjF1OKfEE

Bag of Tricks

I. Why are plastic bags so common?
Because they are used to transport things and they are also used as constrution materials.

II. In what other ways is plastic used?
bottles, lunch for kids, supermarket things, cloth etc.

III. What are the benefits of plastic bags
They have alot of benefits for people because they can be used in all the activities that you can do like putting cloth inside a bag or to put a bottle so the water cant make a mess, or living the market you put inside all the food that you bought.

IV. What are the dangers of plastic bags?
The animals are suffering because there body can get stuck with the bags, also the turtles eat them and they can last 100 years to dissapear.

V. What has been done so far?
They are making plastic bags to help the enviroment.

VI. Has it been successful? Why or why not?
No, because they resently started the programs,right now they are trying to help the enviroment but they cannot changed in weeks.

a. What are some of the potential benefits of charging fees for and/or banning plastic bags?

reduce pollution by encouraging reusable bags, that will help the enivroment.

b. What are some of the potential drawbacks of such programs?

the plastic bags fabrics will break

c. Which benefits and drawbacks seem the most compelling? Why?

The benefit is that they will help the enivirmoent and it could be the beginning to stop the contamination, and the drawback is that they can affect the business of alot of people.

d. Would you support a local law charging fees for (or banning) plastic bags? Why or why not?

Yes, becasue that could be the beginning for a good change, helping the enviroment and trying to stop the contamination.

1. Do you agree with this new law? Why or why not?

yes, becasue that will help alot the enviroment

2. What has been done so far?

in all stores in the Mexican capital put reusable bags and they have a year to change to materials.

3. What needs to be done to enforce such a law?

i think that in every store they must have the new bags so they can get used to and they will start helping in this whole process.

4. What campaigns would you suggest?

to make some publicity aobut the bags so the people know how the bags are affecting and to try to change there habbits.

News

Teenage Gunman Kills 15 at School in Germany
Who: Kretschmer, Tim
Where: Germany, Winnenden
When: Wednesday, March 11 2009.
Why: Because a depression, Officials revelaed that Kretschmer received psychiatric care for depression.
What: Tim Kretschmer is a 17 year old guy that killed 12 people in the school and three others in the nearby town of Wendlingen. He then shot himself after a shoot-out with police.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7939528.stm

Virginia Gunman Identified as a Student
Who: Cho Seung-Hui
Where: United States, Centreville, Va
When: Monday, April 17 2007
Why: he was a loner while he had a residence established in Centreville, Va., Mr. Cho was living on campus in Harper Residence Hall.
What:The gunman who killed 32 people and himself on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/us/17virginia.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=school%20shotting&st=cse

Northern Illinois University School Shooting
Who: Stephen P. Kazmierczak
Where: Northern Illinois University, United States
When: Thursday Feb 14, 2008
Why: Because he had mental health isues
What: A 27 years old former sociology student opened fire on students in a lecture hall killing 5 before turning the gun on himself.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/steven_p_kazmierczak/index.html?inline=nyt-per

School shooting in Lousiana
Who: Latina Williams
Where: Lousiana Technical College United Sates
When: Friday, Feb 8 2008
Why: She had health problems
What: A student that killed two people and then herself.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/education/edlife/mental.html?scp=1&sq=Latina%20Williams&st=cse

Boy arrested over school shooting
Who: A boy who name was not released because he is a minor
Where: St Lawrence's primary school, England
When: Thursday, April 17 2008
Why: He found the weapon on his house, and thought that was funny.
What: An 11-year-old boy has been arrested after two children were shot with a pellet gun in their school playground in York.
The nine-year-olds were injured, but not seriously hurt, when the weapon was fired into the playground of St Lawrence's Primary School on Thursday.
One of the them was hit on the elbow, the other on his shin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7350000/newsid_7358400/7358465.stm

Sorrowful Town Honors Teen-Ager Killed in School Shooting
Who:Kipland P. Kinkel
Where: Washington United States
When: Wednesday, May 20 1998
Why: He always was saying that he was going to kill someone but no one believe because they think that kids say unsence things but i think that it was normal for him to killed people or to talk about dead.
What: A 15 year old girl opened fire in the school cafeteria killing 2 people and 22 students with big injuries.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E2D61738F935A15756C0A96E958260&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

U.S. Says Iran Has Material for an Atomic Bomb

Where? Washington
Why? becuase recently they found uranium in Iran
When? Sunday
Who? The United States
What? The United States now believes that Iran has amassed enough uranium that with further purification could be used to build an atomic bomb, the agency declared for the first time that the amount of low-enriched uranium that Tehran had stockpiled, estimated at more than a ton, was sufficient to make an atomic bomb.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/washington/02military.html?scp=31&sq=march%202&st=cse

News Analysis

1. Who is Robert Mugabe, How long has he been in power? How popular is he?
President of Zimbabwe he has held power as the head of government since 1980, as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987, and as the first executive head of state since 1987. Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as a Zimbabwe African National Union leader in guerilla warfare against white-minority rule in Rhodesia in the Bush War Emerging from this conflict, Mugabe was hailed by many Africans as a hero.

2.Who is Morgan Tsvangirai? Whicgh is/ has been his political role?
Prime minister, he the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition and he has been called a traitor on many occasions, been brutally assaulted and been charged with treason three times.

3. What happened during last year's elections? Which was the outcome?
-The Presidential Elections were held on March 29, the major candidates were Mugabe, Makoni, and Tsvangirai. Mugabe won.

4. Whis is the economic situation in Zimbabwe? How do the people feel about this?
Zimbabwe's economy is getting worst every time and the cholera is not helping, the government will now find it very difficult to raise finance, having already overspent its budget by more than 25% and with interest rates are running at more than 60%.

5. What do you think about the celebrations and the lavish party?
In my opinion i think that the president only see himself while others are suffering the cholera, he is spending time and money in his all day 85th birthday party.

A) Give the conflict a name and explain why you think it is a conflict.
A sellfish president and poor people asking for help. it is a conflict because Mugabe raised money to do a birthday party minwhile the people of his country is dying.

b) Who is involved and why?
The people of Zimbabwe and the president

c) Explain in detail why the conflict has happened.
The president made a party to celebrate his 85th birthday, he raised $250,000 to hold the party in Mugabe´s hometown Chinhoyi, minewhile the citizens suffering the cholera outbreak and he is spending that amount on birthday party´s, instead he need to start helping his citizens with the necesities.

d) Give a timeline of events (at least 5) related to the conflict.
Zimbabwe president raised money for his birthday ($250,000), Citizens died because the cholera outbreak, mugabe made the party on his hometown Chinhoyi, , citizens asking for help to survive, "I think it is going to be a great day for the legend and icon whose birthday we are celebrating today here," said Mugabe's, "The country might be having problems, but we need to have a day to honor the sacrifices the president has made for this country."

e) How do you think this conflict can be solved and why?
The president need to start thinking whats the best for the country, and to realize that making a party is not a good idea when others are dying, meanwhile he need to start doing hospitals to help the people and to try to get over this crisis.

Conflict

Sri Lanka
Conflict: Military says Sri Lankan forces have entered the guerrillas' de facto capital, Kilinochchi, predicting it will fall within hours.

3. Copy the headlines and the link to a news item reporting on that conflict.
Sri Lanka Says Troops Captured Rebel Center
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/world/asia/03lanka.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sri%20lanka%20Kilinochchi&st=cse

4. Summarize the news item in your own words in 5 - 8 sentences. (identify the main ideas)
they announced the capture of the de facto rebel capital, dealing at least a serious symbolic to the ethnic Tamil separatists ambition to create a homeland of their own.

5. Describe the conflict.
Government troops capture the northern town of Kilinochchi, held for ten years by the Tamil Tigers as their administrative headquarters. President Mahinda Rajapakse calls it an unparalleled victory and urges the rebels to surrender.

6. Which ones are the roots of the conflict?
the ethnic Tamil separatists’ ambition to create a homeland of their own.

7. a) Who is involved in the conflict?
president Mahinda, people of the town Kilinochchi and the tamil tigers
b) Where is it happening? Kilinochchi
c) When did it happen and how long has it been going on? last friday

Pakistan: A Nation Divided

Which is its location?
Pakistan is located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East.

What countries does it border with?
It borders with the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, Afghanistan and Iran in the west, india in the east and China in the northeast.

What does the geography say about the country?
The climate is characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. Pakistan has four seasons: a cool, dry winter from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November.

What is the dominant religion?
Muslim

Which other exist?
Sunni, Shi'a, Christian, Sikhs, Hinduism, Parsi, Buddhist

What are the different ethnic groups?
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Indo- Aryan, Arab, Baloch, Afghan, Muhajir.

Which ones are the main customs and traditions?
Many cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors. The national dress of shalwar qamiz is originally of Central Asian Women wear brightly coloured shalwar qamiz, while men often wear solid-coloured ones. In cities western dress is also popular among the youth and the business sector.
There are many festivals celebrated annually in Pakistan: Pakistan Day (23 March), Independence Day (14 August), Defence of Pakistan Day (6 September), Pakistan Air Force Day (7 September), the anniversaries of the birth (25 December, a national holiday) and death (11 September) of Quaid-e-Azam, birth of Allama Iqbal (9 November) and the birth (30 July) and death (8 July) of Madar-e-Millat. Labour Day, ( May Day), Several important religious festivals are celebrated by Pakistani Muslims during the year; the celeberation days depend on the lunar Islamic calendar. Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar, is characterised by daytime fasting for 29 or 30 days and is followed by the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. In a second festival, Eid ul-Adha, an animal is sacrificed and the meat is shared with friends, family, and the less fortunate. Both Eid festivals are public holidays, serving as opportunities for people to visit family and friends, and for children to receive new clothes, presents, and sweets. Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians in Pakistan also celebrate their own festivals and holidays.


How is this his life different from yours?
our differences are alot because i really like to spend time with my school friends, go partying with them and just have fun. also, he like politics and im not very interesed in that types of things.

Which custom caught your attention?
they cannot eat pork, he cannot be with girls.

How does his religion affect his way of acting?
As a Muslim, Minhaj is forbidden from many things like drinking alcohol, eating pork and to order vegetarian dishes. he was raised to hang out only with muslims, he only do things with his family.

Name:
Zasahari
Religion:
Hindu
Ethnicity:
Punjabi

How often do you go to a religuous service? Where? Waht happens there? my family has the tradition that all mornings before any activity me have we need to pray and make our ritual.

Do you know anyone of a different religion? How do you get along? no, im not allowed to talk to other people that is not from my religion, i only spend type with hindus.

Do boys and girls hang out socially? Do you go to parties? i dont hang alot with the opossite sex, i usually stayed home unless its a family tradition.

How many people live in your house? How do you interact? my family is very big. my parents are used to have big families because its traditions and i personally think that is good becuase you have all the support requiered.

Who goes to school in your family?
my 2 brothers and me my sister stays at home helping my mom because shes the older one and the first to get out of the house, she needs to learn how to manage a house. Thats what my dad says.

How do you dress? personally i like the tradition cloth because its very colorfull and pretty but my favorite is the The choli:It is a tightly fitted blouse that ends just below the bust and is worn under a sari. It can be long sleeved or even short sleeved.

Which ones are your daily chores? every morning i do my rituals, i help my mom making breakfast, later i help my dad to organized my brothers i come back from school i do my homework and start getting ready for my family dinner.

What does it mean to be belong to your ethnic group? Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language like many other modern languages of South Asia. The Punjabi language is a descendant of Sauraseni Prakrit, which was the chief language of medieval northern India

Where are your relatives from? Pakistan and India

Do you hang out with people of other ethnicities? How do you get along? i dont hang out with other ethnicities.

Do you have to marry someone of your same ethnicity? yes, as i allready sayed my family is very traditional so they would not let me marry other from a different ethnicity.

Describe a typical tradition.
one of my favorite traditions is The Both Eith is were my mom and my dad family gather to spend time together and to childrens recieved presents and clothes. i really enojyed that period of the year because i can se my family spending time together and having a great time.

News 2

Fidel Castro

1.-who: Fidel Castro
2.-where: Havana, Cuba
3.-when: Feb, 19, 2008
4.-why: because Castro got sick in 2006
5.-what: he said "I will not aspire or accept, the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief," he resign.
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/c/fidel_castro/index.html?scp=2&sq=fidel%20castro&st=cse

Fidel contemplates his mortality

1.- who: fidel castro
2.- where cuba
3.-when: wednesday 21/Jan/09
4.- why: he wrote an article that has seen pass 10 presidents of the U.S.
5.-what: that he obsserved the events over such a long time. he received information and meditate calmly on those events." I expect I won't enjoy that privilege in four years, when Obama's first presidential term has ended."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7846670.stm

- The similar between this two articles is that Castro is sick and probably he could died in a period of 4 years.

Politics

1. Silvio Berlusconi: Italy
2. Michelle Bachelete: Chile
3. Hillary Clinton: U.S.
4. Hu Jintao: China
5. Álvaro Uribe: Colombia
6. Ehud Olmert: Israel
7. Gordon Brown: England
8. Ban Ki Moon: South Korea
9. Nocolas Sarkozy: France
10. George Bush: U.S.
11. Vladimir Putin: Russia
12. Fidel Castro: Cuba
13. Mahmoud Abbas: Palestine
14. Taro Asso: Japan
15. José Luis Zapatero: Spain
16. Kim Jong Il: North Korea
17. Barack Obama: U.S.
18. Dalai Lama: Tibet
19. Pratibha Patil: India
20. Thein Sein: Singapur
21. Robert Mugabe: Zimbabwe
22. Hamid Karzai: Afganiztan
23. Raul Castro: Cuba
24. Mohamed Osni Murbarak: Egypt
25. Dmitry Medvedev: Russia
26. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner: Argentina
27. Abhisit Vejjajiva: Thailand
28. Ignacio Lula da Silva: Brazil
29. Angela Merkel: Germany
30. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran
31. Asif Ali Zardari: Pakistan

The War between Israel and Gaza

1. - Where is Israel?
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon.

2. - Why was Israel created?
Israel was created in 1948 after the world war II, to establish official home for jewish people.

3. - Where are the Palestinian Territories?
The Palestinian territories are composed of two discontinuous regions The West Bank - to the W,N and South the West Bank shares borders with state of Israel, To the east lies the country of Jordan. Gaza Strip - is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east.

4.-What is happening in Israel and Gaza?
A war for territories; they are fighting because Israel wants Gaza, Israel attacked Hamas targets in Gaza strip in response to repeated the rocket fires from Hamas on southern Israel.

5.-How many Palestinians have died and how many Israelis?
900 palestinians and 13 israelis. 13 Jan. 2009

6.-What is Hamas?
Hamas is an Islamist parliamentary organization and political party that governs Gaza, it is also considered by the united sates a terrorist group

7.-What was the U.S. response to the attacks?
U.S. supports Israel´s decision to attack Gaza and is against of Hamas.

8.-What happened when Israel was declared a state in 1948?
They invaded them by the Armies of the Arab state, that were there neighbors.

9.-What did Israel agree to in the Oslo accords?
Israel agreed that the Palestinian Authority would be set up and committed to withdrawing from parts of the Gaza strip and the West Bank.

10.-How did Hamas come to power in Gaza?
In 2006 they won the elections by having a mayority in the Palestinian Legislative Council

"The New Meaning of an Old Battle"

a. To which "old battle" does the article's headline refer?
The one that since Israel was created they have with the Palestine.

b. What seem to be the hopes underlying Israel's assault on Gaza?
Hama´s has to be delegitimize so the Palestinian people can negociate a two state solution with Israel.

c. How would a clear Israeli victory affect the region?
A clear victory of Israel can affect his relationship with the Islamic countries of the region, that can allied against Israel. But this would make it easier for Egypt, Jordan and countries farther afield to declare common cause against Islamic militancy and its main sponsor int her region, Iran.

d. How would a clear Israeli victory affect the United States?
The international peackeeping force made up of Turkish and Arab troops could clear the way for a restoration of political control in Gaza, and can help the U.S. recover of the recession.

e. Why does Iran have much at stake in the outcome of the current crisis?
The countries surrounding would attack Iran because it´s the only other country aside from Israel that would be really affected, because this country has the same principles that Hamas has.

f. How likely is it that the Israeli assault will be successful?
Israel has a big possibility of wining because now they are more prepared and they have the support of the United States.

g. What are some of the divisions in the Middle East that this conflict has highlighted?
There are 2 sides. One includes the Arabs, which are Palestine, Iran and Lebanon. The in the other side is formed by Israel that is supported by US, Egypt, and Jordanian.

h. What happened in Lebanon in 1982? How are the Gaza attacks similar?
The Gaza attacks were reminiscent of the gamble Israel took, and largely lost, in Lebanon in 1982. It invaded to eliminate the threat of Yasir Arafat’s forces, which were then encamped on its northern border.

i. In what ways might the attacks on Gaza backfire?
History suggests that they may fall like they did in 1982, and also if Iran interferes, the situation will get even worse.

j. Why does Mr. Abbas say he will walk away from the peace talks begun by President Bush in 2007?
Mr. Abbas, already deeply mired in a rivalry with Hamas, could find himself further isolated from Palestinian sentiment the longer the Israeli assaults continue.

k. What lessons has Israel learned from Lebanon?

1.- lower expectations
2.- Depriving hamas of the chance to declare victory 3.- To prepared better.

m. In what way is the timing of this renewed battle beneficial?
Before the President Obama inauguration on Jan. 20

n. How will the Obama administration be able to capitalize on the situation in Gaza?
Obama will be able to capitalize on the cease-fire to renew a push for a permanent settlement.

-What is going on in the photograph?
A woman is inside of a building destroyed watching how her house and all her things are gone.

-Who is pictured?
A woman asking for help

-What can you learn about how the main subject in the photo is feeling from his or her facial expression?
Aterrorized of how everything can be lost in a minute.

-What might this person be feeling, given what is going on in the photograph?
Sad because she loose everything and disappointed that people can do that type of things.

-What might this person want to say to the "opposite side"?
Stop violence

news 1

Obama presses for action on the economy

Who: Obama
Where: George Mason University, Washington
When: Thursday
Why: To pass sweeping economic stimulus measures, including a tax cut and an infusion of as much as $800 billion
What: To act quickly in the economy goverment crisis