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H1N1 flu stops Italians kissing saint's blood



NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - Fear of H1N1 flu will stop devout Neapolitans from performing the time-honored ritual of kissing the blood of their patron Saint Gennaro when the city's annual festival begins later this month.
The decision to forbid kissing of the glass phial containing the saint's blood was taken reluctantly by ecclesiastical and city authorities on Monday, and has brought protests from local politicians.
The phial will be put on display in the city's cathedral for a week from September 19 and the faithful will be allowed to touch it only with their foreheads.
Marco Di Lello, national coordinator of the Socialist Party, said the ban would "fuel the psychosis (over flu) which risks becoming unstoppable," and appealed to the archbishop of Naples to try to have the ban revoked.
Last week, a 51-year-old man became Italy's first fatal victim of the H1N1 flu virus, popularly known as swine flu, when he died in a Naples hospital.
In one of Italy's best-known festivals, Saint Gennaro's dried blood is said to liquefy twice a year, 17 centuries after his death. Some Neapolitans fear disaster may strike the city if the "miracle" does not occur.
Legend has it that when Gennaro was beheaded by pagan Romans in 305 A.D., a Neapolitan woman soaked up his blood with a sponge and preserved it in a glass phial.
The substance usually turns to liquid on September 19, the saint's feast day, and on the first Saturday in May. The "miracle" was first recorded in 1389, more than 1,000 years after Gennaro's martyrdom.
More scientifically minded skeptics say the phenomenon is due to chemicals present in the phial whose viscosity changes when it is stirred or moved.
Italy has not been among the nations hardest hit by the H1N1 flu virus, which has spread to at least 177 countries and caused at least 2,800 deaths, the World Health Organization says.


http://www.reuters.com/article/internal_ReutersNewsRoom_ExclusivesAndWins_MOLT/idUSTRE5872DG20090908



1.Based on the title and the picture, describe in some words, what the text is about.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

2.Based on your previous knowledge, what words do you expect to find in the text?
swine flu saint health panic
die virus victims disorder
dying hospital psychologist out of control


3.Read the text, and check whether the statements are true or false.

•According to the text, the Saint´s blood makes miracles.
•Saint Gennaro was hanged by Pagans.
•The festival has become famous during the years.
•Catholicism is these people’s religion.
•Marco di Lello talked to the Archbishop to try to stop the prohibition.


4.Marco Di Lello, national coordinator of the Socialist Party, said the ban would "fuel the psychosis (over flu) which risks becoming unstoppable".
Do you agree that preventing certain costumes in people’s routine can make they become psychotics over flu? What is the limit people should have when preventing their lives from the current problem?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


5.Complete the sentences taking into consideration what is presented in the article.

a)The prohibition of kissing the glass phial is considered__________________________________________by the church.
b)It is believed that the saint’s blood_________________________________________________________
c)It is said that the real cause for the blood to become liquid in a specific date is_____________________________________________________________







6.Refer to the highlighted words in exercise 5 and fill in the gaps below:
The Present Passive __ formed by VERB BE (am, is, are) + VERB PAST PARTICIPLE.
This verb tense ___ used to focus on ‘what’ rather than ‘who’ and to give importance to the fact and not to the person who is responsible for the action.
7. Complete with the words given in their correct form of the Present Passive:
Take write consider prohibit avoid

a.Articles as “H1N1flu stops Italians kissing saint’s blood” ____ _________ by journalists.
b.Devout Neapolitans ____ ___________from performing the time-honored ritual of kissing the blood of their patron Saint Gennaro.
c.The direct contact with saliva from so many different people ____ _________ a problem, as it can contribute to the infection of the flu.
d.In Brazil and other countries, people who present the symptoms ____ _______ to the hospital as soon as possible.
e.Meetings which provide agglomeration of people ____ _______ in most cities.
8.Knowing that this kind of “miracle” is seen as a fraud and according to the text “More scientifically minded skeptics say the phenomenon is due to chemicals present in the phial whose viscosity changes when it is stirred or moved.” write down why you think they think this way and give your own opinion about this quote.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.“The decision to forbid kissing of the glass phial containing the saint's blood was taken reluctantly by ecclesiastical and city authorities Monday, and has brought protests from local politicians.” Why do you think this decision was taken reluctantly:
( ) Because the church and authorities were worried about population’s healthy
( ) Because politicians were worried about fall in tourism
( ) Because people won’t stop kissing St Gennaro’s glass blood
( ) Because it could cause fall in tourism and it would bring fall in economy, what would be terrible for the politician’s pocket.




10.In the last paragraph “Italy has not been among the nations hardest hit by the H1N1 flu virus, which has spread to at least 177 countries and caused at least 2,800 deaths, the World Health Organization says, there’s a message implicit. If you pay attention, this speech has to be with a political and religious idea. Which message is this?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________