III.ReadingComprehension.(2x15=30)Passage1(1)ThehumanitariancrisisinSyriahasreacheda“horrifyingnewlevel,”accordingtoaU.N.official.(2)That’showMarkLowcock,theUnitedNationsunder-secretary-generalforhumanitarianaffairsandemergencyreliefcoordinator,describedconditionsinnorthwestSyria,basedoneyewitnessaccountsfromU.N.staffinandaroundIdlibprovince.(3)Idlibhasbeenunderairattackforyears,buttheintensityofthoseattacksisnowworseandtherearenewgroundattacksaswell,saysRobertFord,formerambassadortoSyriaundertheObamaadministrationandnowaseniorfellowattheMiddleEastInstituteinWashington,D.C.Asthelastoppositionstronghold,theprovinceishometoabout3millionpeople,halfofthemrefugeesfromotherpartsofSyria.(4)Thislatesthumanitariancrisisinthe9-year-oldconflictwasbroughtonbyfightingthathasescalatedsinceDecember,withSyrian,TurkishandRussiantroopsattackingoppositionforces.Idlibhasseenairstrikesaswellasshellingfromartilleryandground-basedmissiles.(5)What’smore,temperatureshavedroppedbelowfreezingmanynightssinceDecember,andheavysnowhasfallen,mostrecentlyinmid-February.(6)Lowcock’sreportsaidthevastmajorityofthosedisplacedarewomenandchildren,manyofwhomaresleepingoutsidebecausetherefugeecampsarefull.“Mothersburnplastictokeepchildrenwarm.Babiesandsmallchildrenaredyingbecauseofthecold,”wroteLowcock.(7)ZaherSahloul,aphysicianandpresidentandco-founderofaidorganisationMedGlobal,waslastinIdlibinJanuaryandsaidthatwithsolittleroom,peoplearesleepinganywheretheycan,includingtentsinarefugeecampsetupinasoccerfieldandtinyclassroomsinschools.Manychildrenhadrespiratoryillnessesbecauseoftheovercrowdingandcold.Whenthereisnospaceinindoorstructuressetupasshelter,familiespitchtents,ofvaryingstrengthandquality,ofteninthemudthataccumulateswhenrainhitsthesnow.Morerainisexpectedthisweek.(8)Sahloul,acriticalcarephysician,saysamongthepeoplehemetinrefugeecampswasagirl,Ahlam,whosaidshewas12,collectingbranchesthatherfamilywouldburntoheattheirtent.Another12-year-old,whosaidhernamewasAsma,toldhimshehadbeendisplacedseventimesandwaswalking2milestoschooleachway.“IwishIcouldwalknotinthemud,”AsmatoldSahloul.(9)ManyofthenewlydisplacedhavehadtomovetonewlocationsinIdlib.OthersareheadednorthtowardtheTurkishborder,thoughTurkeyisnotacceptingnewrefugees.(10)Aidorganisationsareontheground,butmanylocalaidworkers,andtheirfamilies,facethesameharshconditionsasthosetheyaretryingtohelp,saysChristyDelafield,spokeswomanforaidgroupMercyCorps.Liketherefugees,theyarelivingintentsorareonthemovebecauseofthefighting.(11)Inhisreport,Lowcocksaidthatequipmentandfacilitiesofaidworkerswerebeingdestroyedandthattheaidworkersthemselveswereamongthoseinjuredandkilled.(12)Addingtothedifficultyforaidorganisations,saysRobertFord,isthattheSyriangovernmenthastakenovertwomainhighwayssotheaidgroupsnowdependonslowerbackroadstodeliversupplies.(13)Thenumbersofdisplacedpeoplehavegrown—fromhundredsadaybeforeDecembertothousandsadaynow,accordingtoU.N.spokesmanFarhanHaq.41.HowmanypeopleinIdlibarerefugeesfromotherpartsofSyria?
III.Reading.(2x3=6)GileadSciencesisreportingsomepreliminaryresultsfromtheuseofitsantiviraldrugremdesivirintreatingpatientswithCOVID-19.Thestudy,publishedFridaybytheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine,evaluatedtheresponseof53patientsgivenremdesivironacompassionateusebasis.Thirty-sixshowedclinicalimprovement,whileeightgotworse.Patientswhowerenotonaventilatortendedtodobetterthanthosewhowere.Sevenofthe53died.Allwereinseriousconditionandneededsomekindofoxygensupport,includingmechanicalventilation.ThepatientsreceivedthedrugbetweenJan.25andMarch7ofthisyear.Halfthepatientswerefollowedfor18daysorless.Thepatientswerestudiedinhospitalsaroundtheworld:22intheUnitedStates,22inEuropeorCanadaand9inJapan.Morethanhalfthepatientsinthestudyexperiencedsideeffectfromthedrug,rangingfromarashanddiarrheatoacutekidneyinjury.Astheauthorsnote,severalfactorsmakeithardtointerprettheresultsonthestudy.Thesmallnumberofpatients,therelativelyshortdurationofthefollow-upandthelackofacontrolgroup—peoplewhoreceivedaplaceboinsteadoftheactivedrug.Severallargecontrolledstudiesareunderwaythatcouldprovidemoredefinitiveevidenceofwhetherthedrugisusefulornot,andunderwhatcircumstances.11.Whatisremdesivir?