Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a seizure
    • ex. The boy had a seizure in class, so the teacher quickly called for an ambulance.
  2. a symptom
    • ex. A fever is a common symptom of the flu, along with a cough and a sore throat.
  3. life-threatening
    • ex. A snake bite can be life-threatening if you don’t get help quickly.
  4. fumes
    • ex. In science class, we learned that some cleaning products can release harmful fumes.
  5. air out
    • ex. After painting the room, we opened the windows to air out the paint smell.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Eight children became sick during a church concert near Harvard University on July 22. The children showed signs similar to a seizure and were taken to local hospitals. The concert happened at St. Paul’s Parish in Harvard Square. A French youth choir, Chœur d’Enfants d’Île-de-France, was performing. Around 70 other people were at the concert, but they did not get sick.

The fire department said the children’s symptoms were not life-threatening. And by the next day, all eight children were feeling better and allowed to go home. The fire department’s team checked the air inside the building and found no dangerous chemicals. However, the team thinks cleaning products used before the event may have released fumes that caused the problem.

Because of this, the church was aired out to make sure it was safe. The youth choir is on a 2025 U.S. tour and had planned a free concert of French and other songs. St. Paul’s Parish received messages asking for a comment on the situation. But the Harvard Catholic Center said questions should be sent to the fire department.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Children Attending Events

  • What kind of events do a lot of children attend in your country (ex. concerts, festivals)? Discuss.
  • Eight children experienced seizure-like symptoms during a church concert. If you had a child, would you allow him/her to attend a concert? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think should be done to ensure that children attending big events are safe? Discuss.

Safety and Air Quality

  • How well do you ensure the safety of air quality in your home (ex. I don’t check the air quality at home)? Discuss.
  • According to the fire department, fumes from cleaning products used before the concert could have caused eight children to have seizures. How can this incident affect your use of cleaning products? Discuss.
  • Do you think it would be helpful to announce air quality information in public spaces? Why or why not? Discuss.