“You know, the other day we had a bright sunny day as we do today in New York, after many days of gloomy darkness and cold. And I went outside to get some milk. And saw the streets were full of people. And they were all young people who’d somehow gotten the message that this is only dangerous for old people.”

Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author the 1995 book The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World out of Balance. She’s been on the pandemic beat for decades. She was interviewed recently on the new Sustain What webcast launched last month by longtime journalist Andrew Revkin. He now runs an initiative on communication and sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute.

“The misinformation that’s come out is just incredible. And a lot of politicians are the major vehicles of this misinformation. They’ve somehow gotten the word that young people can’t get sick, young people can’t die, they won’t be hospitalized. It’s really not a problem. It’s only, only old people, like me, that can get sick and die, so what the heck, I’ll go ahead and go out and wander around and go jogging and hang out with my friends in the park for a picnic. And if I get infected it’s no biggie. Well, it is a biggie! Because you can infect others. You can pass your virus on. You perpetuate the epidemic. And, yes, you can get sick. Forty percent of the seriously ill hospitalized people in New York City, right now, which is the epicenter of the entire global pandemic at this moment, forty percent of them are under 50 years of age. So, this notion that it’s just old people, dead wrong. And, so the consequences of any statement by any leader that isn’t rooted in solid science, or if the solid science is uncertain, doesn’t state the uncertainty, is socially irresponsible, is costing lives, is actually killing people.”

The entire webcast is archived on YouTube, with the title, “The Press and the Pandemic: Tips from Pulitzer Winner Laurie Garrett.”

1. biggie n. (informal) an important thing, person or event 重要的人（或事物）；大事；大人物

2. perpetuate v. （动词 + 名词短语）(formal) to make sth. such as a bad situation, a belief, etc. continue for a long time 使永久化；使持久化；使持续。例如：to perpetuate injustice持续造成不公正

Q1: Why were the streets full of young people in New York?

A. They believe Coronavirus is only dangerous for old people.

B. They went outside to get some milk.

C. They went outside to enjoy the sunshine.

D. They believe Coronavirus is only dangerous for sick people. 

Q2: Which of the following statements about Laurie Garrett is FALSE?

A. She is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author.

B. She has been on the pandemic beat for decades. 

C. She was interviewed recently.

D. She now runs an initiative at Columbia University.

Q3: Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. A lot of politicians are the major vehicles of this misinformation.

B. You can infect others if you get infected. 

C. 50% of the seriously ill hospitalized people in New York City are under 50. 

D. The notion that Coronavirus is only dangerous for old people is absolutely wrong.

Q1: A。细节题。命题出处：“You know, the other day we had a bright sunny day as we do today in New York, after many days of gloomy darkness and cold. And I went outside to get some milk. And saw the streets were full of people. And they were all young people who’d somehow gotten the message that this is only dangerous for old people.”

Q2: D。推断题。命题出处：Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author the 1995 book The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World out of Balance. She’s been on the pandemic beat for decades. She was interviewed recently on the new Sustain What webcast launched last month by longtime journalist Andrew Revkin. He now runs an initiative on communication and sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute.

Q3: C。细节题。命题出处：“The misinformation that’s come out is just incredible. And a lot of politicians are the major vehicles of this misinformation. They’ve somehow gotten the word that young people can’t get sick, young people can’t die, they won’t be hospitalized. It’s really not a problem. It’s only, only old people, like me, that can get sick and die, so what the heck, I’ll go ahead and go out and wander around and go jogging and hang out with my friends in the park for a picnic. And if I get infected it’s no biggie. Well, it is a biggie! Because you can infect others. You can pass your virus on. You perpetuate the epidemic. And, yes, you can get sick. Forty percent of the seriously ill hospitalized people in New York City, right now, which is the epicenter of the entire global pandemic at this moment, forty percent of them are under 50 years of age. So, this notion that it’s just old people, dead wrong. And, so the consequences of any statement by any leader that isn’t rooted in solid science, or if the solid science is uncertain, doesn’t state the uncertainty, is socially irresponsible, is costing lives, is actually killing people.”