BBC News Review: Threat from new superbug reviews

June 11, 2022



A new superbug has been discovered in the US. Neil and Sian look at how the world’s media is reacting and pick out the words and phrases you need to talk about the story. For more, visit our website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/upper-intermediate/unit-26/session-2

The story

Health officials in the United States say a superbug resistant to all known antibiotics has been found in the country for the first time.

The case involves a woman infected with a strain of the e-coli bacteria resistant to Colisten, an antibiotic of last resort.

Laura Bicker – BBC News

The female patient tested positive for a strain of e-coli that’s resistant to the antibiotic known as colisten. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it was an old antibiotic, but the only one left to treat what they described as a “nightmare bacteria”.

Researchers are worried that the antibiotic resistant gene found in the bacteria known as MCR1 could easily spread. That could create a superbug capable of evading all types of antibiotics.

The deadly strain has already been found in China and Europe. Officials say unless there’s urgent action and more research, some infections could eventually become untreatable.
Key words and phrases

resistant
not affected or harmed by something

antibiotics
a drug that is used to kill harmful bacteria and to cure infections

strain
(here) a group of closely related plants or animals

superbug
a type of bacteria that cannot be treated using antibiotics

nightmare
terrible

drug-proof
resistant to drugs

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12 Comments
  1. You both are awesome

  2. Thanks dear

  3. Could we use superbug term for virus ?

  4. where is Shawn? This is the year of 2019. And when I searched BBC learning english, there is no Shawn. Did Shawn quit?

  5. Thank you appreciate your efforts but would you please write the spelling only at least in the description 🙂

  6. Thank you~!!! I love the new lady.

  7. thank you!!

  8. Superbug. It does sound bad.

  9. Hello and welcome to News review, the program where we give you words and expressions
    you need to talk about the news.

    Hi, Im Neil, joining me today is Shune, Hi Shune, Hi Neil.

    so, what's the story you've got for us?

    Today, we have health story. something that causes illness and humans cannot be cured.

    something that causes illness and humans cannot be cured.
    it sounds serious, let's find out more from BBC world service News bulletine.

    =============================================
    health officials in the United States say superbug resistance to all known antibiotices has been found in the country for the first time.
    the case involves a woman infected with a strain of ( ) bacteria resistance to ( )
    and antibiotic ( )

    =============================================

    so, scientists in America have found new superbug, which is a bacteria that cuases illness in human and can't be cured with antibiotics.

    allight, you've been looking around the news media , the website.
    and what are the words you've found we need to understand this story?

    Ok, I found three words. and they are superbug, nightmare and drugproof.

    ok,
    so that superbug , a type of bacteria that cannot be treated using antibiotics.
    nightmare. here meaning terrible,
    and drugproof meaning resistance to drug.

    so, you've been looking around and how are these being used in Headlines?

    ok, so, first headline I found is from the forbes and it is
    "Dreaded Superbug found for first time in U.S. patient – A physician's perspective"

    so, superbug ,made up of two words, this super and bug.
    bug!! it's an insect! isn't it?

    it can be an insect. but here it definitely does not mean insect.
    here it means a bacteria that causes or virus that causes illness.

    I see, super now that, Im also confused , that means great, wonderful,
    doesn't it?

    it can mean great or wonderful but it definitely doesn't mean that here.
    so as a prefix here, it means larger or more powerful than normal.

    ok, can you give me some other examples of words containing that uses of super?

    and for example if we describe someone as superhuman,
    they are more powerful than you're average human.
    maybe they fly or they can run very fast.

    ok, and another one?

    for example, super natural is another one we can use,
    something which is above and beyond what exists in nature.

    Ghost! , Ghost exactly , mindreading that kinda thing. talking of ghost.

    Next expression, next word.

    ok, next word is nightmare. and in CNBC , they have this headline.
    " 'Nightmare bacteria' superbug found for first time in US "

    right, so, nightmare , I had nightmare last night. oh dear.
    yes, arien came down to smash my window , took me into space
    I never saw anyone again.

    it sounds supernatural and scary.

    that was a bad dream.
    but this thing you're talking about is not a little bad dream, is it?, it's real.

    no, so why nightmare?

    well, a nightmare is a bad , scary dream.
    and we also use the word nightmare as a noun or adjective to say that
    to describe something that's very very bad. and so terrible.

    Have you ever had a nightmare recently?

    umm. not recently I sleep pretty well generally.

    how about your journey in this morning?

    ahh, that kind of nightmare! I have had a nightmare journey,
    not when I was sleeping but this morning I had a nightmare journey into work.

    it was delayed.

    all the trains were canceled, it took me three hours instead of two.
    which was a nightmare anyway

    what a nightmare! it is like that.

    and we can say mightmarish as well to describe that

    yes, we can also say that.

    allight , your final headline then.

    ok, so, the final headline is from PPS newshour.
    "New 'superbug' becomes first drug-proof bacteria to hit U.S"

    ok, dug-proof! what's that about?

    ok,so, drug meaning medicine here , and proof that surfix proof means resistant to
    or protected against.
    so this bacteria is resistant to medicine. it's drug-proof.

    right. I like hiking , did you know that?

    No, I didn't know that, but that's interesting

    if you go hiking in this country , especially in north.
    it rains a lot. so I need to wear.

    so you need to wear water-proof clothing to protect you from the rain.

    and wind, so, wind-proof clothing also.

    (me saying, is there anyone who has got a app for a bad-grammar-proof ? )

    that's right, that's right.

    and police officiers who go into dangerous area with lots of gun crime.

    umm. what do they need to wear?

    ok, they need protection from the bullets from the guns.
    they need to wear a bullet-proof vest to save their life.

    here is my favorite proof.
    I bought a piece of furniture that need to be constructed by me.
    this struction is very simple , there weren't even any words , just little diagrams.
    it was so clear that even idiot like me can do it.

    they were idiot-proof instructions.

    and did it work? did you build your furniture?

    actually no I don't think they found idiot#@%#$ !!, it was my scale.

    no comment!

    let's find out more about this story from BBC's Laura Bicker

    ======================================================
    news listening
    ======================================================

    face book challenge.

    bye bye.

  10. Thanks for your posting.

  11. رائع شكرا BBC

  12. Hi,i want friend get record conversation sound with me,please you have it?

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