LEMON TREE

Countries Struggle to Decide When to Return toWork

April 15, 2020

Exercise 1- Vocabulary

1. governor - n. a person who isthe leader of a state, province, etc.

He waschosen first governor of the state of New Jersey in 1776, and was regularlyre-elected until his death in 1790.

2. gasoline - n. a liquid madefrom petroleum and used as a fuel

Each leafblower had, strapped to his back, a small gasoline motor that blewair to sweep up leaves.

3. isolate - v. to put or keepsomeone in place that is away from others

Slowlearners were isolated from fast learners.

4. fabric - n. the basic structureof something

A roughlysewn piece of fabric was tied around her eyes.

5. focus - v. to direct or keepattention on something

thisgeneration has made the environment a focus of attention

6.  inflict - v. to cause harm

She iswrong to inflict her beliefs on everyone else.

Countries Struggle to Decide When to Return toWork

Governmentsaround the world are struggling to decide when people can return to work. Thecoronavirus pandemic has closed businesses and factories and damaged economies.

Workers insome nonessential businesses returned to their jobs Monday in Spain. SouthKorean officials, however, are warning that new infections could appear ifrestrictions are lifted. And officials in the United States are debating whenbusinesses can reopen in the world’s biggest economy.

Thedecisions are difficult to make, especially on a national level. Some areas arehit harder and at different times than others.

Britain,Japan, parts of the United States and other places are still seeing dailyincreases of deaths or infections. Both Italy and Spain have seen drops inrecent days.

In theUnited States

The U.S.has more confirmed cases and deaths than any other nation. On Monday, JohnsHopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center reported that the country hadmore than 558,000 infections and more than 22,000 deaths.

PresidentDonald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to reopen the economy as soon aspossible. On Monday, the president said it was his decision when to reopen theU.S. economy, and not the decision of state leaders.

Spain

SpanishPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the coronavirus crisis “threatens to destroylives and at the same time destroy the economic and social fabric ofour country.”

Spain’sgovernment is permitting workers to return to some manufacturing and buildingjobs. Stores and services remain closed. Office workers are urged to keepworking from home. The nationwide state of emergency, set to continue for atleast two more weeks, prevents people from leaving home for anything other thanfood and medicine.

What aboutpoor economies?

Pakistan’sPrime Minister Imran Khan has urged the world’s wealthy countries andinternational organizations to provide debt-relief for poor nations.

Last week,Oxfam warned thatthe coronavirus pandemic could push half a billion people into poverty. Thecharity organization asked richer nations to give at least $2.5 trillion tohelp.

It said,“Unless developing countries are also able to fight… the crisis will continueand it will inflict even greater harm on all countries, rich andpoor.”

Questions:

1. What struggle do companies aroundthe world have nowadays?

2. What countries have decrease innumber of inflicted persons?

3. Who said that coronavirus threatensto destroy lives and at the same time destroy the economic andsocial fabric of thecountry?

4. Why do countries around the worldstruggle to decide the appropriate date for workers to go back to work?