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Hantavirus on a Cruise Ship

healthMay 6, 2026·97 words·1 min read

This is a A1 (beginner) English article about hantavirus on a cruise ship. Read the article below, then check the key words and test your understanding with 4 exercises. You can also listen to the audio and tap any word to see its meaning.

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Hantavirus on a Cruise Ship
Three people died on a cruise ship near Africa. The ship was on a long trip. Doctors say a rare disease made them sick. The disease comes from mice and rats.
Mice and rats can spread the disease to people. People can breathe it in. The first sick feeling is like the flu. But it can become very dangerous. Sometimes the lungs fill with water.
One man who died was 70 years old. His wife died later in South Africa. Doctors are helping the sick people on the ship. They say most people have nothing to fear.

Key Vocabulary

n.
a sickness
adj.
not common; not often seen
v.
to give to many people
adj.
can hurt or kill people
v.
to take air into the body
Vocabulary Translations· 5 words · 12 languages

Every definition is context-aware — translated based on how the word is used in this article, not a dictionary.

diseasen.

a sickness

bệnhdoença病気hastalıkenfermedadchorobaمرضziekteболезнь疾病질병
rareadj.

not common; not often seen

hiếmraroまれなnadirrarorzadkiنادرzeldzaamредкий罕见的드문
spreadv.

to give to many people

lây lanespalhar広めるyaymakpropagarrozprzestrzeniaćينشرverspreidenраспространять传播퍼뜨리다
dangerousadj.

can hurt or kill people

nguy hiểmperigoso危険なtehlikelipeligrosoniebezpiecznyخطيرgevaarlijkопасный危险的위험한
breathev.

to take air into the body

hít thởrespirar呼吸するnefes almakrespiraroddychaćيتنفسademenдышать呼吸숨 쉬다

Check Your Understanding

Question 1: True or False

1

The disease comes from mice and rats.

2

Many people died on the ship.

3

The first sick feeling is like the flu.

4

The wife died on the ship.

Question 2: Multiple Choice

How many people died on the ship?

Question 3: Multiple Choice

Where did the man's wife die?

Question 4: Matching

Tap a word, then tap its meaning.

Dictation Practice

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Memorize Practice

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