pandemic : 전국적으로 퍼지는/hit : 때리다, 부딪치다 /suffered : 경험하다, 견디다, 괴로워하다, 겪다, 입다 /outbreak : 발발, 돌연한 발생, 격증 / financial : 재정의 /hit : 때리다, 타격/organisers: 주최측/ estimated 평가하다, 어림/cost : 비용, 대가, 희생/ Yen : 엔(일본의 화폐 단위)/undoubtedly : 의심할 여지없이, 확실히/ tsunami: 도산사태 /significant : …을 의미하는, 상당한 /sudden :뜻밖의 /halt : 정지, 멈춤/ unprecedented : 전례가 없는/ hock : 충격, 쇼크, 충돌, 격동, 진동

The global spread of COVID-19 is playing havoc with sports events worldwide. After the WHO designated the coronavirus as a pandemic, many sports associations have taken measures to curb the spread of the virus. Major sporting events are being suspended on a daily basis. European football is coming to a standstill as Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A and other major leagues have suspended games for the coming weeks. The Champions League could be suspended until next summer. In other sports, the first grand prix of the Formula 1 season has been cancelled in Australia; and the National Hockey League and National Basketball League have been suspended until further notice.

Sport is already being hit in Japan. The nation's 15-day spring sumo tournament is being held behind closed doors in Osaka and a national high school baseball tournament has been cancelled.

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, have officially been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to postpone the Olympic Games by a year is likely to hit Japan's economy, which has already suffered due to the coronavirus outbreak. But how much financial hit will the country suffer after postponing the Tokyo Olympics 2020 to 2021? At the end of 2019, the organisers of the Games had estimated a total cost to be around 1.35 trillion Japanese Yen and undoubtedly it's a huge amount.

Japan’s economy is likely to take a major hit because most of the spending has already happened for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Covid-19 has created a worldwide economic tsunami resulting in millions of job losses. The coronavirus has caused significant parts of Asian, European and the US economies to shut down. The sudden halt to business is resulting in serious economic & financial damage. Mark M. Zandi is chief economist of Moody's Analytics says Covid-19 is an unprecedented global pandemic and economic shock.

 ▪ Talk!! Talk!!

1. According to the article, what is causing serious economic and financial damage?

2. What did the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics say about Covid-19?

3. Do you think halting businesses and suspending sporting events could do more harm than good? Why?

4. What was your first reaction upon knowing that your country was hit by coronavirus?

5. How did your city government handle this kind of situation?