Alpha, Beta, Delta... these Greek letters used to only appear in our math classes but are now in use in news headlines.

Now, it’s Lambda. As the Delta variant (变 体) spreads throughout communities in Asia, Europe and the United States, another variant, Lambda, is spreading rapidly throughout South America, Forbes reported on Aug 10.

On May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a naming system for variants of COVID-19 that uses letters of the Greek alphabet (字母表). Before that, the public had to call a variant its scientific name or refer to it based on where it was identified.

For example, a variant of COVID-19 identified in South Africa in late 2020 was called variant 501Y.V2 or B.1.351. Media also called the same virus “the South African variant”. Now, everyone calls it “Beta”.

Compared to complicated scientific names, the Greek letters are much easier to remember. “It is a lot easier for a radio newsreader to say ‘Delta’ than bee-one-six-one-seven-two,” Jeffrey Barrett, a UK statistical geneticist told Nature.

WHO hopes this change will help stop the stigma (污名) associated with geography-based names. “I can understand why people just call it ‘the South African variant’ — they don’t mean anything by it,” Salim Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist in South Africa, told Nature. “The problem is, if we allow it to continue, some ill-intentioned people may take advantage of it.” “No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting variants,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead, wrote on Twitter.

As the virus is still evolving, 11 variants have been named so far. What if the 24 Greek letters are not enough? “We will possibly run out of the Greek alphabet, but we’re already looking at the next series of names,” Van Kerkhove told The Telegraph. “We’re actually considering star constellations(星座).”

Currently, the Virus Evolution Working Group and WHO’s legal team are double checking proposals to “make sure we don’t upset anyone with these names”, Van Kerkhove told The Telegraph.

【小题1】What do Lambda and Delta have in common?

A．They are both chosen by Greek scientists.

B．They are both confusing to understand.

C．They are both Greek names of varieties of COVID-19.

D．They are both the places where COVID-19 was found.

【小题2】What does Salim Abdool Karim probably agree with?

A．The virus should be named after the place where it is found and spread.

B．No country should detect or study COVID-19 without WHO’s permission.

C．People felt uncomfortable when they call COVID-19 “the South African variant”.

D．Some people with bad intention may judge other countries reporting COVID-19.

【小题3】Why are scientists looking for the next series of names?

A．Because the naming system in use is not convenient.

B．Because the variants may outnumber the Greek letters.

C．Because people are more curious about star constellations.

D．Because it is illegal to rename the variants with letters.

【小题4】What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce new ways of renaming COVID-19 varieties.

B．To describe how scientists identified the varieties of COVID-19.

C．To explain why some people prefer geography-based names.

D．To arouse people’s awareness of more COVID-19 varieties.

【小题5】In which part of a magazine could you find this passage?

A．Science.	B．Travel.
C．Sports.	D．First Aid.