Text 8 Fake Needles but Real Knives

№1. Что вы знаете о нетрадиционных видах медицины? Какие они бывают? Эффективны ли они? Напишите свое мнение в 3 - 4 предложениях.

Alternative medicine is a healing practice that does not connect with traditional medicine. It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence. Alternative medicine methods may be based on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or new opened ways of healing. I don’t believe in alternative medicine but some people sure that it can save their life.

№2. Прочтите текст, обращая внимание на ключевые слова.

2064 Знаков

The effect of a patient's mind in medical procedures can be as powerful as drugs and real surgery. This is the well known placebo effect. But how can doctors differentiate between the healing power of the mind and that of chemicals and scalpels? The logical thing to do is to fake the procedure with one group of patients and compare results with a second group that got the "real thing." Of course, ethical problems come to the fore because doctors are supposed to cure people and not to pretend to. The ethical dimension is accentuated when real knives are employed and real blood flows.

Our first item is not invasive but interesting nonetheless.

Placebo acupuncture. Many physicians scoff at acupuncture. Placebo experiments could prove its efficacy. To this end, special placebo needles have been invented. Like the fake daggers used on the stage, the points are blunt and retractable. The acupuncture patient feels a pinprick and thinks he or she sees the needle penetrating the skin, but it's all fakery.

At the University of Heidelberg, 52 people with rotator cuff tendinitis were split into two groups; 25 were punctured with real needles, the rest just thought they were. In this experiment, the first group showed much greater improvement than those treated with the fake needles. Real acupuncture was more powerful than the placebo effect.

Now if we can only figure out how real acupuncture works!

(Lawton, Graham; "Needle Match," New Scientist, p. 10, December 4, 1999.)

Placebo surgery. Because of the ethical questions, placebo surgery went out of style 40 years ago. A revival is now underway. One promising treatment for Parkinson's disease requires the drilling of holes in the patient's forehead and injecting fetal cells deeply in the brain. This is certainly a far cry from the fake acupuncture needles!

One patient, who knew she was involved in a placebo experiment, was lightly sedated during the real drilling. After the holes were completed, she heard the surgeon ask for the fetal-cell implants. Because of this, she was certain she had received the complete procedure. Afterwards, she felt that her condition had definitely improved. But it was all a charade. The doctor did not insert the implants. Her symptoms soon returned. The placebo effect was only temporary.

However, some of the younger patients who did get the total procedure did receive permanent benefits. The doctors knew, therefore, that the procedure holds out some promise.

(Cohen, Philip; "All in the Mind," New Scientist, p. 18, August 7, 1999.)

№3. Определите какое из нижеприведенных утверждений верно (t), а какое не верно (f). Не верное утверждение исправьте.

1. The effect of a patient's mind in medical procedures that can be less powerful than drugs and real surgery is well known as placebo effect. F

The effect of a patient's mind in medical procedures can be as powerful as drugs and real surgery

2. The ethical dimension is skipped when real knives are employed and real blood flows. F

The ethical dimension is accentuated when real knives are employed and real blood flows.

3. The acupuncture patient feels a pinprick and thinks he or she sees the dagger penetrating the skin, but it's all fakery. F

The acupuncture patient feels a pinprick and thinks he or she sees the needle penetrating the skin, but it's all fakery.

4. Because of the ethical questions, placebo surgery went out of style in the 1970-s. T

5. The placebo effect can last for many years with no returns. F

The placebo effect was only temporary.

№4. Сопоставьте слова с их определениями.

scalpel - a small sharp knife used by a doctor for doing an operation.

dimension - the physical state of a person

acupuncture - a medical treatment from China that involves putting special needles into particular parts of the body.

pinprick - a quick pain that you feel when a needle is pushed into your skin.

surgery - a treatment in which a doctor cuts open someone's body.

disease - an illness that affects people or animal, especially one that is caused by infection.

fake - to pretend that something has happened when it has not.

condition - a part of a situation, especially when it influences the way you think about the situation.

symptom - a sign that someone has an illness.

benefit - an advantage you get from the situation

1. a medical treatment from China that involves putting special needles into particular parts of the body.

2. a small sharp knife used by a doctor for doing an operation.

3. to pretend that something has happened when it has not.

4. a quick pain that you feel when a needle is pushed into your skin.

5. a sign that someone has an illness.

6. a part of a situation, especially when it influences the way you think about the situation.

7. an advantage you get from the situation

8. a treatment in which a doctor cuts open someone's body.

9. the physical state of a person.

10. an illness that affects people or animal, especially one that is caused by infection.

№5. На основе прочитанного текста составьте 5 вопросов.

1. Do you agree that the effect of a patient's mind in medical procedures can be as powerful as drugs and real surgery?

2. How is it named?

3. What does the acupuncture patient think when he feels a pinprick?

4. Was real acupuncture more powerful than the placebo effect?

5. Do you believe that the placebo effect can last for many years with no returns?

Text 9

№1. Посмотрите на картинку. Чем суданские пирамиды отличаются от египетских? Опишите свои предположения в 3 - 4 предложениях.

I think that pyramids in Sudan are smaller than in Egypt. Also they are tighter. But I can’t say anything about their age.

№2. Прочтите текст, сравните его со своими предположениями.

THERE ARE MORE PYRAMIDS in SUDAN THAN ALL of EGYPT.