Answer to Question 1
Over the past decade, there have also been deadly outbreaks of influenza that have
generated global concern. What makes influenza different from other global diseases
is the frightening ease with which it spreads. Some strains, such as avian flu, spread
from birds to human beings. Experts believe that this disease is spread through the
direct handling of chickens and the processing of meat, and worry that a new strand
may spread easily from human to human (Mo, 2013). Another recent deadly strain,
known as H1N1 or swine flu, crossed the species barrier between pigs and people.
First appearing in Mexico in March 2009 and then spreading quickly to the United
States, by its peak in 2010 it had appeared in at least 214 countries and overseas
territories. Although the pandemic is now over, it highlighted the challenges faced by
public officials as they seek to identify and enact protective measures for the
population. A number of countries, particularly China and Russia, took vigorous
quarantine measures against people who had traveled to countries suffering from high
numbers of infected people.
Answer to Question 2
Although globalization has narrowed the distance between the world's people, some
have gained and others have lost ground. The global village is not proving to be an
equally hospitable home for everyone. Indeed, levels of satisfaction with cascading
globalization vary widely, as do the levels to which countries and people are linked
by globalization's multiple forces. Winners in the game downplay the cost of global
integration, and critics deny globalization's benefits. The debate about globalization's
problematic impact is intensifying, but without resolution, as contenders are hardening
their positions without listening to the counterarguments.
