TRANSCRIPT
United States officials say that it is still safe to visit Florida even though it's just become the first state on US mainland confirm the cases of the Zika virus transmitted by local mosquitoes, but the British government has now advised pregnant women to consider postponing any nonessential trips to the state. Laura Becca reports from Washington. "Health officials had warned it would only be a matter of time, but now there is evidence that Zika carrying mosquitoes are on the US mainland. Four people are thought to have contracted the virus in Miami, no mosquitoes have been found to carry Zika. But other methods of transmissions such as being bitten in another country or having sex with an infected person have been ruled out. The state of Florida has announced more aggressive mosquito control efforts and politicians are keen to assure tourists it's safe to visit."
VOCABULARY
1. contract v. (medical 医) to get an illness 感染（疾病）；得（病）。如：
to contract AIDS / a virus / a disease感染艾滋病 / 病毒 / 疾病
2. transmission n. the act or process of passing sth. from one person, place or thing to another 传送；传递；传达；传播；传染。如：
the transmission of the disease这种疾病的传播
the risk of transmission传染的危险
3. rule out: to state that sth. is not possible or that sb. /sth. is not suitable 把…排除在外；认为…不适合。例如：
Police have not ruled out the possibility that the man was murdered. 警方尚未排除那个男子是被谋杀的可能性。
The proposed solution was ruled out as too expensive. 建议的解决方案被认为花钱太多而遭否决。
4. aggressive adj. angry, and behaving in a threatening way; ready to attack 好斗的；挑衅的；侵略的；富于攻击性的。例如：
He gets aggressive when he's drunk. 他喝醉了就喜欢寻衅滋事。
a dangerous aggressive dog 一 条危险的恶犬
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and mark the following statements T (true) or F (false). Correct any that are false.
1. Florida became the first state on US mainland to have the Zika virus transmitted by local mosquitoes. United States officials argue that it is still safe to visit the state, but the British government has now advised pregnant women to consider postponing any nonessential trips to the state.
2. According to Laura Becca from Washington, the health officials had warned it would only be a matter of time, but now there is evidence that Zika carrying mosquitoes are on the US mainland.
3. Four people are thought to have contracted the virus in Miami, no mosquitoes have been found to carry Zika.
4. Other methods of transmissions, such as being bitten in another country or having sex with an infected person, haven't been ruled out.
5. The state of Florida has announced more aggressive mosquito control efforts and politicians are keen to assure tourists it's safe to visit.
SUGGESTED ANSWERS
| Question | Answer (T / F) | Correction |
| 1 | T | United States officials say that it is still safe to visit Florida even though it’s just become the first state on US mainland confirm the cases of the Zika virus transmitted by local mosquitoes, but the British government has now advised pregnant women to consider postponing any nonessential trips to the state. |
| 2 | T | Laura Becca reports from Washington. Health officials had warned it would only be a matter of time, but now there is evidence that Zika carrying mosquitoes are on the US mainland. |
| 3 | T | Four people are thought to have contracted the virus in Miami, no mosquitoes have been found to carry Zika. |
| 4 | F | But other methods of transmissions, such as being bitten in another country or having sex with an infected person, have been ruled out. |
| 5 | T | The state of Florida has announced more aggressive mosquito control efforts and politicians are keen to assure tourists it’s safe to visit.” |
来源：刘立军