The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS, 非典), which has no known cure for 【C1】______ afflicted by it, has brought widespread panic to Singaporeans and has 【C2】______ altered the pattern of their daily life. The famous saying of President F.D. Roosevelt that 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself' aptly described the present 【C3】______ of mind of a large cross-section of Singaporeans and those in the worst-hit areas like Guangdong and Hong Kong. How does this much fearful illness impinge on the collective psyche of Singaporeans and how do they 【C4】______ with it? It is, I believe, fair to say that it has 【C5】______ both the nobler and weaker sides of the Singaporean character. First, the well-deserved praise for the 【C6】______ and caring healthcare givers, both in the public and private sectors. They have 【C7】______ the pressure of it, especially during the early stage, with some of them 【C8】______ it and some are still fighting for their lives. 【C9】______ the much higher risks of contamination, they have continued to put their own safety aside, and that of their families too, and have 【C10】______ to perform. their professional responsibilities to the fullest. On the 【C11】______ side, numerous fellow Singaporeans have treated their healthcare professionals like plague. Our nurses, who 【C12】______ wear their uniforms in public with pride, had to endure taunts and hostile stares. Some even 【C13】______ them consciously. There were other overt discriminatory treatments meted out to medical staffs, which were utterly 【C14】______ and inexcusable. Fortunately, these unthinking Singaporeans were the 【C15】______ .Nonetheless, their attitudes have brought shame to the nation. At the other extreme, a large number of Singaporeans have already totally abstained 【C16】______ social activities with the coming of SARS. The repeated use of the term 'super-infector' 【C17】______ the health authorities and the media to emphasize the transmission of this disease from one patient to numerous others was rather unfortunate and showed the 【C18】______ of sensitivity to the feelings of this poor victims and their family, especially when they were 【C19】______ agents in such transmission process. The transmission cycle could have 【C20】______ in a more sympathetic way which would still get the message across, and yet not stigmatize the unfortunate victims, who would have to live with this traumatic memory permanently. 【C1】