The document discusses Marc Koska's invention of a new syringe design intended to prevent the reuse of syringes and reduce disease transmission. Koska was motivated to create a new syringe after learning that 1.3 million people die each year from diseases spread through needle injections using unsterilized syringes. His new syringe design automatically retracts the needle after use, making it impossible to reuse and preventing the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, especially in developing nations where syringe reuse is common due to lack of resources. Koska has now set up multiple factories worldwide to produce the new syringes at low cost.

1. Listening comprehension
www.ted.com
Marc Koska ‘1.3 million reasons to re-invent the syringe’
Vocabulary:
to sort
to unwrap
unskilled
a G.P.
a syringe
undercover
an orphanage
to pick up
to injure
to spread
to prick your finger
to come up with an idea
AIDS
Watch the short report and answer the following questions:
(1) Why did Koska decide to create a new syringe?
(2) How many people die from malaria a year?
(3) How many deaths are there a year due to re-used syringes?
(4) Explain what happened to the two young Indian girls in the report.
(5) Why does Koska say that the doctor is considered as second to God?
(6) What problem did the undercover video show?
(7) What percentage of injections given in India are unsafe?
(8) What do the kids in Pakistan do with the used syringes?
(9) What happens to the used syringes in China?
(10)
What alarming anecdote did Koska talk about with regard to Indonesia?
(11)
How does Koska’s invention work?
(12)
How many factories around the world are producing his new invention?
(13)
How much does the new syringe cost compared to a coca cola?
(14)
What is the role of Safepoint?
Discussion:
Were you aware of this problem before watching the report?
Had you already heard of this new invention?
How could these new syringes be promoted?
Is there anything we as individuals could do to promote this new invention?
Go on to the site www.ted.com and take a look at ‘comments on this talk.’
to load
to trust
hence