近期台灣新冠病毒（COVID-19）疫情升溫，每日確診病例屢創新高，造成人心惶惶。為了降低民眾的不安全感，政府在四月六日發表台灣未來的防疫策略，本週就讓我們來從路透社對此事件引述的文章，學習疫情相關與多益測驗中常考的單字吧！
重症清零 zero severe cases
Taiwan’s goal at this stage is to seek zero severe cases and to manage mild cases effectively.
Photo: Pixabay 照片︰Pixabay
（台灣現階段的目標是「重症清零，輕症管控」為主。）
severe「嚴重的」是標準修飾狀態的形容詞，可用來修飾疾病、問題或是負面的狀態，因此severe cases「重症」也就是confirmed cases「確診數」中的嚴重案件，相對的「輕症」就可以用mild cases形容。
日前，在病毒尚未變種前，多數國家都期盼要達到「清零」（zero-COVID 或 COVID-zero），但經過三年下來，zero-tolerance strategy「零容忍策略」的狀況似乎遙不可及，並且造成全球醫療及人心疲累，因此本次台灣政府提出「重症清零，輕症管控」的策略，期望達到非放任病毒肆虐式的「與病毒共存」的控管疫情策略。
與病毒共存 coexisting
It is not “coexisting with the virus” that allows it to wreak havoc, but effective epidemic control and management.
（不是放任病毒肆虐式的「與病毒共存」，而是有效的疫情控管。）
coexist with the virus「與病毒共存」的概念，是二○二一年在疫情反覆延燒後，許多專家與研究提出的建議。coexist「共存」是由字根「co-」與exist 搭配出的詞彙；通常與字首「co-」、「col-」、「com-」、「con-」搭配的單字，都有together、with「共同、相互」的含意，如coordinate「協調一致」、commiserate「同情」、collaborate「合作」、contaminate「汙染」……等。
此外，本句還有一個重點︰wreak havoc「造成重創」也是在新聞中經常出現的詞彙。wreak「造成、引起（災禍等）」搭配havoc「大破壞、浩劫」，表示「造成重創」的意思。
War, sanctions and a weakened ruble wreaked havoc on the fortunes of the country’s richest people.
（戰爭、制裁和盧布貶值對該國（俄國）最富有的人的財富造成重創。）
政府表示，要讓國民能有正常生活，就是要有積極的防疫措施（active epidemic preventions），即提升台灣的疫苗覆蓋率（the vaccine coverage rate）與充足的醫療量能（sufficient medical resources），包括快篩試劑（rapid antigen）、抗病毒藥物整備要持續增加。
如何描述確診病例攀升？
Taiwan aims for zero serious COVID cases as infections edge up.
（隨著感染人數升溫，台灣的目標是「重症清零」。）
edge表示「徐徐地移動」，因此edge up代表「逐漸上升」的意思。這個動詞可以用於描述「處理圖表上數字和情勢走向」的情況，也是多益測驗金融財務情境不可或缺的詞彙。
On April 1, Taiwan broke the 100 level for the first time in 2022 with 104 local COVID cases. Just four days later on April 5, Taiwan surpassed the 200 mark with 216 cases. Taiwan has now exceeded the 1,200 mark with 1,209 cases on Friday, prompting fears of exponential growth in local COVID infections.
（四月一日，台灣以104例本地COVID病例，在二○二二年首次破百。僅僅四天後的四月五日，台灣就以216例病例超過兩百例。台灣週五有1,209例病例，已超過一千兩百例，引發人們對當地COVID感染呈指數增長的擔憂。）
break、surpass、exceed都有「超過（數量、範圍）」之意。從三月底開始，每日的確診數字都會和某個基準點相比，這幾個詞彙就相當實用。此外，要描述某種趨勢向上或數字飆升時，也可以使用rise、surge、soar、skyrocket等動詞，而要說明趨勢向下或數字驟減，則可用decline、plunge、plummet、crash 、collapse、dive等字。
Oil prices surge over escalating Ukraine-Russia tension.
（因烏克蘭與俄羅斯的緊張局勢升級，油價飆升。）
Hedge funds investing in Russia plunge amid invasion of Ukraine.
（在烏克蘭入侵時，投資俄羅斯的對沖基金暴跌。）
surge表示「遽增、急遽上升」；plunge代表「遽降、猛跌」，兩者皆可當名詞與動詞使用。若要表示達到「最高點、高峰」，則使用peak。在四月七日的媒體報導中，即多用此字來顯示未來兩個月中，新冠確診的人數將會到達高峰狀況。
Taiwan’s COVID cases could peak in 2 months.
（台灣的COVID病例可能在兩個月內達到頂峰。）
Once an Omicron surge begins, it takes about one to two months to reach a peak.
（一旦Omicron變異株開始激增，大約一到兩個月就會達到巔峰。）
與「高峰、巔峰」相反之義就是「觸底、跌至谷底」hit rock bottom。
The COVID-19 vaccine push in some countries appears to have hit rock bottom.
（在某些國家的新冠病毒疫苗推廣似乎觸底了。）
疫情強勢來襲，面對這場不時何時會結束的「病毒戰爭」，大眾必定期盼這波變種病毒盡快結束！The wave of infectious diseases will hit bottom soon in the near future!
【多益模擬試題】
1. As the COVID-19 virus variants tighten their grip around the world, demand for rapid antigen tests ________ subsequently.
(A) contaminates
(B) soars
(C) surpasses
(D) plunges
2. Studies have shown that the main sources of pollution in most advanced countries are fossil fuel-powered transportation and energy production. They also ________ havoc on the countries’ most vulnerable and marginalized communities.
(A) coexist
(B) collapse
(C) peak
(D) wreak
【解析】
1. 正解 (B)。語意為「隨著新冠變種病毒嚴重肆虐全球，快篩的需求隨之激增。」本題為字彙題，依照語意與用法，需要搭配描述狀況的動詞，故選(B)「飆升」。
(C) surpasses「超過」需要搭配數字或標準，故非正解。
2. 正解(D)。語意為「研究顯示大多數先進國家的主要污染源是以化石燃料為動力的交通運輸和能源生產為主。他們（汙染源）也對這些國家最脆弱和邊緣化的社區造成重創。」本題為字彙搭配題，要選擇搭配havoc的動詞，wreak havoc on sth／sb
「對（某事物／某人）造成重創」，故(D)為正確答案。
文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
In today’s digital age, every click and swipe generates data, and the need for reliable and efficient data management has become critical. This is where data centers come into play. Data centers include servers, storage drives, networking equipment, and other hardware to manage, process, and store vast amounts of digital information. __1__ For that reason, some companies are pursuing an unusual idea: placing data centers under the surface of the ocean. What makes underwater data centers cheaper than traditional land-based ones? For one thing, the cool temperature of the ocean means that companies can cut down on the high cost of
A: Apart from BTS’ J-Hope and EXO’s Xiumin, Hong Kong singer Eason Chan is holding six concerts in Kaohsiung. B: And versatile British musician Jacob Collier is visiting Taiwan for the first time, performing in New Taipei City tonight. A: US singer Lauv and rock band LANY will also stage individual shows in Kaohsiung next week. B: Plus, Singaporean singer JJ Lin will hold two concerts at the Taipei Dome in early June. A: Which show are you going to? A: 除了BTS的J-Hope和EXO的Xiumin，香港歌王陳奕迅正在高雄熱唱6場。 B: 而多才多藝的英國歌手雅各柯里爾首度訪台，今晚即將在新北開唱！ A: 美國歌手洛夫、搖滾樂團藍尼下週也分別在高雄演出。 B: 此外新加坡歌王林俊傑則將於6月初，首次挑戰台北大巨蛋嗨唱兩場。 A: 你想去聽誰的演唱會？ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
US President Donald Trump on Monday last week signed the TAKE IT DOWN ACT (Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act), bipartisan legislation that enacts stricter penalties for the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, sometimes called “revenge porn,” as well as deepfakes created by artificial intelligence. The measure, which goes into effect immediately, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and later gained the support of First Lady Melania Trump. Critics of the measure, which addresses both real and artificial intelligence-generated imagery, say
1. 我不夠快。 ˇ I wasn’t fast enough. χ I wasn’t enough fast. 註：enough用作副詞時，一般放在它修飾的形容詞或其他副詞後面。例如： The tea is hot enough.（茶是夠熱。） He did not work hard enough.（他不夠用功。） 但enough用作形容詞時，前置或後置都可以。例如： There is enough food (/food enough) for us. 2. 今晚七時我們將開董事會。 ˇ We are having a board meeting at seven o’clock this evening. ˇ We are having a board meeting this evening, at seven o’clock. χ We are having a board meeting this evening at seven o’clock. 註：如果有多個時間副詞，一般單位大的放在單位小的後面。例如： I was born in May 1939. The meeting was held at five o’clock yesterday afternoon. 但如果大的單位是說話者強調的重點，則可以放在前面，但後面要有逗號，表示停頓。例如： He arrived yesterday afternoon, at about five o’clock. 3. 我生於麻州波士頓。 ˇ I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. χ I was born in Massachusetts, Boston. 註：一般而言，地點副詞的位置，範圍大的放在範圍小的後面。例如： Before
RSS