News feed：Universal virus testing
【明報專訊】THE Universal Community Testing Programme (普及社區檢測計劃) ended this past Monday. More than 1.7 million tests have been tested. Over hundreds testing centres had been set up territory wide, allowing citizens to undergo free testing in their community. The purpose of the programme was to track down asymptomatic patients (無症狀患者) and identify invisible chains of transmission (隱形傳播鏈). Some praised the government's efforts in gauging the pandemic situation, while others suspect that the programme was inefficient due to the low participation rate.
◆Shinzo Abe's resignation
SHINZO ABE (安倍晉三), Japan's Prime Minister (PM), is to resign. At 65, he suffers from ulcerative colitis (潰瘍性大腸炎), an inflammatory bowel disease (炎症性腸病). Japan's longest-serving PM, he will have served for nine years by the end of this year, including his first term, surpassing the tenure of his grandfather and former PM Nobusuke Kishi (岸信介). His legacy includes Abenomics (安倍經濟學), a string of economic policies to increase government spending and carry out structural reforms.
◆Humans' loneliest relatives
THE government of Hainan Province announced in a press conference that the Hainan black-crested gibbon (海南長臂猿), a gravely endangered primate (靈長類) species, had welcomed a new cub. Called the loneliest relatives of humans, their new family member helped breathe new life into the lonely community.
■Gear up
(1) The testing programme was specifically designed for a handful of citizens.( True / False )
(2) Shinzo Abe has served as PM for nine years.( True / False )
(3) The Hainan black-crested gibbon is ( A. an endangered species / B. a new species / C. a dangerous species ).
(Answers on next text)
■Glossary
universal (adj) 普及的
surpass (v) 超越
legacy (n) 留下的功績
gravely (adv) 非常
[Smarties' Power English 第284期]
Infographic：Transportation in Hong Kong
【明報專訊】◆How much does it cost to travel from Hong Kong to Macau by heli... 詳情
