Sick People in New York City

紐約市出現病例


Introduction

Health workers in New York City are looking for the cause of a sickness called Legionnaires' disease. Some people in the Upper East Side are sick.

紐約市的衛生人員正在尋找一種稱為「軍團症」的疾病原因。上東區有一些人染病了。

Main Body

Eighteen people have this sickness. Health workers think the bacteria come from a cooling tower on a building. They are testing the water in these towers now. The Mayor says the drinking water in homes is safe.

有 18 人患有這種疾病。衛生人員認為細菌來自一座大樓的冷卻塔。他們目前正在檢測這些塔中的水。市長表示住家的飲用水是安全的。

In 2025, many more people got sick in Harlem. Seven people died then. Because of this, the city wanted more tests for cooling towers. They wanted to check the towers every 30 days.

在 2025 年,哈林區有更多人染病。當時有 7 人死亡。因此,市政府希望對冷卻塔進行更多檢測。他們希望每 30 天檢查一次冷卻塔。

Old people and smokers are at high risk. People with lung problems are also at risk. If you visited Central Park in June and have a fever or a cough, go to a doctor.

年長者和吸菸者風險較高。肺部有問題的人也面臨風險。如果您在六月造訪過中央公園,且目前有發燒或咳嗽,請就醫。

Conclusion

The city is still looking for the source of the sickness. The city water is safe to drink.

市政府仍在尋找疾病的來源。城市的自來水是可以安全飲用的。

Vocabulary Learning

⚡️ Focus: The 'State' of Things (The Verb To Be)

In this story, we see how to describe people and things using am/is/are. For A2 learners, this is the foundation of every sentence.

1. Describing People

  • Some people... are sick.
  • Old people... are at high risk.

2. Describing Objects/Places

  • The water... is safe.
  • The city... is still looking.

🛠 Quick Pattern: Person → State

When you want to say how someone feels or what their status is, use this simple map:

  • I \rightarrow am (I am sick)
  • He/She/It \rightarrow is (The water is safe)
  • They/We/You \rightarrow are (People are at risk)

Note: Use is for one thing (The Mayor) and are for many things (Eighteen people).

Vocabulary Learning

cause (n.)
The reason why something happens
Example:The police are looking for the cause of the fire.
bacteria (n.)
Very small living things that can sometimes make people sick
Example:You should wash your hands to kill bacteria.
safe (adj.)
Not dangerous
Example:It is safe to walk in this park during the day.
risk (n.)
The possibility of something bad happening
Example:Smoking increases the risk of heart disease.
fever (n.)
When your body temperature is too high because you are sick
Example:The child has a high fever and needs to rest.
cough (n.)
The sound you make when air comes quickly out of your throat
Example:He has a bad cough and a sore throat.
source (n.)
The place where something starts
Example:The river is the source of the water for the city.
Practice A2 words in a crossword