Epidemics throughout history

陕西宝鸡中学 邱麟茸

体裁 文章词数 难度 建议用时信息性文本 533 ★★ 9 分钟

难词探意

1.cholera /'kɒlərə/ n.霍乱

2.bubonic plague 腺鼠疫

3.smallpox /'smɔːlpɒks/ n.天花

4.Antonine Plague 安东尼瘟疫（又称伽伦瘟疫）

5.measles /'miːzlz/ n.麻疹

6.afflict /ə'flɪkt/ v.使痛苦；折磨

7.the Eastern Mediterranean 东地中海

8.Constantinople 君士坦丁堡（罗马帝国首都）

9.Sub-Saharan Africa 撒哈拉以南非洲

Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox,and influenza are some of the most brutal killers in human history.And outbreaks of these diseases，especially smallpox， which has killed the most people in its long existence, pose a great threat to man.

Antonine Plague

Cause: unknown

Also known as the Plague of Galen, the Antonine Plague was an ancient pandemic that affected Asia Minor, Egypt, and Greece.Italy is thought to have been either smallpox ormeasles,though the true cause is still unknown.This unknown disease was brought back to Rome by soldiers returning from Mesopotamia around 165.

Plague of Justinian

Cause: bubonic plague

Thought to have killed perhaps half the population of Europe, the Plague of Justinian was an outbreak of the bubonic plague thatafflictedthe Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean port cities, killing millions of people in its year long reign of terror.Generally regarded as the first recorded incident of the bubonic plague,the Plague of Justinian left its mark on the world, killing up to a quarter of the population of the Eastern Mediterranean and destroying the city of Constantinople, where at its height it was said to have killed an estimated 5,000 people per day and eventually resulting in the massive deaths of the city's population.

The Black Death

Cause: bubonic plague

In the 14th century an outbreak of the plague ravaged Europe, Africa, and Asia, with countless people killed during the pandemic.Thought to have originated in Asia, the plague most likely jumped continents via the fleas living on the rats that so frequently lived aboard merchant ships.

Third Cholera Pandemic

Cause: cholera

Generally considered the most deadly of the seven cholera pandemics, the third major outbreak of cholera in the 19th century lasted for several years.Like the first and second pandemics, the Third Cholera Pandemic originated in India, spreading from the Ganges River Delta before tearing through Asia, Europe, North America and Africa and ending the lives of over a million people.

Flu Pandemic

Cause: influenza

In the early 20th century a deadly outbreak of influenza tore across the globe, infecting over a third of the world's population and ending the lives of millions of people.Of the 500 million people infected in the pandemic, the mortality rate was estimated at 10% to 20%, with a lot of deaths in the first 25 weeks alone.Influenza had always previously only killed juveniles and the elderly or already weakened patients, but this time， it began infecting healthy young adults.

HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Cause: HIV/AIDS

First identified in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976, HIV/AIDS has truly proven itself as a global pandemic.Currently there are still many people living with HIV.The vast majority of those are in Sub-Saharan Africa,where part of the population is infected.Between 2005 and 2012 the annual global deaths from HIV/AIDS dropped.

Reading Check

1.Which disease has killed the most people according to paragraph 1?

A.Cholera.B.Bubonic plague.C.Smallpox.D.Influenza.

2.The cause of_______remains a puzzle till today.

A.Antonine Plague

B.Plague of Justinian

C.Third Cholera Pandemic

D.HIV/AIDS Pandemic

3.Which of the following pandemics might lead to an empire's breakdown?

A.Antonine Plague.

B.Plague of Justinian.

C.The Black Death.

D.Third Cholera Pandemic.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Generally regarded as the first recorded incident of the bubonic plague, the Plague of Justinian left its mark on the world, killing up to a quarter of the population of the Eastern Mediterranean and destroying the city of Constantinople, where at its height it was killing an estimated 5,000 people per day and eventually resulting in the massive deaths of the city's population.

【翻译】_____________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】句中的regarded as...plague 为过去分词作状语；killing up to...of Constantinople 为现在分词作结果状语，where 引导的是一个非限制性定语从句，修饰先行词the city of Constantinople。