VCR 3 Vocabulary
Muyan Pan
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from lesson 3.
Originated from England, smallpox became a _________ threat when it was found in the southern parts of China within a week.
The Word
pandemic (adj.)
Spreading throughout a wide geographic area; worldwide.
Note: This word is most commonly used when discussing about diseases, but this word can be used to discuss anything that is widespread like people or culture.
Root
DEMOS <G. "people"
Synonyms
- transmittable
- infectious
- contagious
- universal
Antonyms
- limited
- confined
- noncommunicable
- focused
endemic vs epidemic vs pandemic
All three words have the same root: demos which mean people.
endemic- "in"
epidemic- "among"
pandemic- "all"
If we are talking about diseases, then
- endemic disease is a disease that is found in one particular area or within a particular group of people.
- epidemic disease is a disease that is found in a larger area or in greater amount of people than what is expected.
- pandemic disease is a disease that is found worldwide.
pandemic diseases
- smallpox
- Yellow Fever
- plague
- Rift Valley Fever
Which one of the sentences uses the bold-faced word incorrectly?
A. After Einstein's discovery of the Theory of Relativity, the idea of relating force, mass, and light speed became pandemic shocking everyone on the planet.
B. After the Indian tribes were destroyed by Europeans, tribe members became pandemic as they spread among the colonies.
C. Federal governments will develop a solution to a disease before it becomes pandemic.
D. Apple made a huge profit when Iphones were made because Iphones became pandemic within days which brought in a huge market.
Answer
The incorrect sentence was B. The correct word there should have been epidemic. Even though the natives were spread out in a larger area than before, they still remained in America, so pandemic would not be correct.