The change shows progress on ending the epidemic(adj.流行的,传染的,流行性n.时疫,疫疾流行,(风尚等的)流行,流行病) for both countries. However, not everyone is sure the countries shouldreopen their schools.
Sampson(null) Wesseh(null)'s kids ask him every day. "Papa(null), when will we return to school?"
Mr. Wesseh(null) is gladthe Liberian(null) government plans to reopenschools in February. Authorities(n.权威,威信,权威人士,权力,职权,典据,著作权威) shut them in July 2014 when the number of Ebola(n.埃博拉病毒) cases increased quickly.
"My kids have been sitting home doing nothing,playing, running here and there. Nothing like education has been going on...Themore the children sit home, the more they get dull(adj.感觉或理解迟钝的,无趣的,呆滞的,阴暗的vt.使迟钝,使阴暗,缓和vi.变迟钝,减少)."

Officials say schools will have safety measures in place.They will provide thermometers(n.温度计,体温计) to check children's' temperature(n.温度) and chlorine(n.[化]氯) for hand washing.
But some Liberian(null)parents say they may keep their children home a while longer.
Mother Christine(null)Thomas says she wants the World Health Organization to declare Liberia(n. 利比里亚（西非国家）) Ebola(n.埃博拉病毒)-free before she returns her children to school.

"My fear here is that if the children go to schooland they come down with Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒) it will not be too good for the parents. We will be feeling bad, So weare hoping and praying that there will be a little bit of debate(v.争论,辩论n.争论,辩论) on the opening of schools."
Is this decision(n.决定,决心,决议,结果,果断,坚定) putting children in adangerous situation?
In Guinea(n.几尼（英国的旧金币，值一镑一先令）), teachers are also concerned. They worry about thecrowding in their schools. It is hard to prevent contact between children.
Teacher Amadou(null)Diallo(null) says the children play togetherduring breaks at school.

No one can stop them from doing that. The students alsoshare food. He thinks it is too dangerous to reopen schools at this time.
A person can get Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒) from contact with the body fluids(n.流动性,流度adj.流动的,不固定的,可改变的,可另派用场的,流畅的) of an infected(vt.[医]传染,感染) person. Public health experts(n.专家,行家,[军](特等)射手adj.老练的,内行的,专门的vt.在...中当行家,当专家) say most usual contactbetween people is not very dangerous.

Several teachers in Guinea(n.几尼（英国的旧金币，值一镑一先令）) told VOA that they have been trained on Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒), along with 80,000 of theirco(null)-workers.
Civil(adj.全民的,市民的,公民的,国民的,民间的.民事的,根据民法的,文职的,有礼貌的) society groups said theywould protest(n.主张,断言,抗议v.主张,断言抗议,拒付) if the schools did not reopen.
These groups say they will go out to schools and check onsafety measures. They will make sure there are hand-washing stations. Thegroups will check to see that schools are taking students' temperatures(n.温度) every day. A high temperature(n.温度) is an early sign of Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒).
Schools were only shut for five months in Guinea(n.几尼（英国的旧金币，值一镑一先令）) and Liberia(n. 利比里亚（西非国家）). However, the schools haveproblems that may continue.
First, students may be fearful(adj.可怕的,吓人的,恐怕的,严重的) about attending school. They may worry about catching the disease. Also,schools may have financial(adj.财政的,金融的) difficulties. Officials used money from school budgets(n.预算vi.做预算,编入预算) to fight the spread of Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒).

In Sierra(n.[地]齿状山脊,[鱼]马鲛) Leone(n. 利昂（塞拉利昂货币单位）n. (Leone)人名；(英、葡、德、意)莱昂内), schools remain closed. Wongani(null)Grace(n.优美,雅致,优雅) Nkhoma(null) Taulo(null) is Chief of Education at the United NationsChildren's Fund. She says teen(null)pregnancies(n.怀孕) are rising in Sierra(n.[地]齿状山脊,[鱼]马鲛) Leone(n. 利昂（塞拉利昂货币单位）n. (Leone)人名；(英、葡、德、意)莱昂内). She says UNICEF(null)is also investigating(v.调查,研究) reports from the country of increased child labor(n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工,分娩,阵痛vi.劳动,努力争取(for),苦干vt.详细分析,麻烦).
"The impact(n.碰撞,冲击,冲突,影响,效果vt.挤入,撞击,压紧,对...发生影响) of the virus(n.[微]病毒,滤过性微生物,毒害,恶毒) on the education system could be something that reallyreverses(n.相反,背面,反面,倒退adj.相反的,倒转的,颠倒的vt.颠倒,倒转) the gains that Sierra(n.[地]齿状山脊,[鱼]马鲛) Leone(n. 利昂（塞拉利昂货币单位）n. (Leone)人名；(英、葡、德、意)莱昂内) has made over the years."

While schools are closed, Liberia(n.利比里亚（西非国家）) and Sierra(n.[地]齿状山脊,[鱼]马鲛) Leone(n. 利昂（塞拉利昂货币单位）n. (Leone)人名；(英、葡、德、意)莱昂内) are using radio(n.<美>无线电通信,无线电接收装置,无线电广播设备v.用无线电发送) and television(n.电视,电视机,电机学,电视广播事业) to broadcast(n.广播,播音v.播撒(种子),广播(无线电或电视)广播播送,播放) at-home lessons. However, these lessons are not a goodsubstitute for a classroom(n.教室). Not all children have radios(n.<美>无线电通信,无线电接收装置,无线电广播设备v.用无线电发送) or televisions(n.电视,电视机,电机学,电视广播事业).
Ms(null). Taulo(null) says that when schools do reopen in Sierra(n.[地]齿状山脊,[鱼]马鲛) Leone(n. 利昂（塞拉利昂货币单位）n. (Leone)人名；(英、葡、德、意)莱昂内), teachers may need to put in extra hours. They may evenneed to have weekend(n.周末,周末休假adj.周末的vi.度周末的) and holiday classes to help kids complete their study.
I'm Jill(null) Robbins(null).

Words in This Story
authorities(n.权威,威信,权威人士,权力,职权,典据,著作权威) - n. (plural(adj.复数的)): people who have power to make decisions(n.决定,决心,决议,结果,果断,坚定) and enforce rules and laws
thermometer(n.温度计,体温计) - n. an instrument(n.工具,手段,器械,器具,手段) used for measuring temperature(n.温度)
chlorine(n.[化]氯) - n. a chemical that in its natural form is a greenish(adj.呈绿色的)-yellow gas and has a strongsmell (used to kills germs(n.微生物,细菌))
reverse(n.相反,背面,反面,倒退adj.相反的,倒转的,颠倒的vt.颠倒,倒转) - v. to cause (something,such as a process) to stop or return to an earlier state
Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Writea comment in the comments section. What is your opinion about the schoolsreopening after being closed by Ebola(n. 埃博拉病毒)?