U pper Body

At the top and front of the upper body, just below the neck is the collar bone. On the front side of the upper body is the chest, which in women includes the breasts. Babies suck on the nipples of their mother's breasts. Beneath the ribcage are the stomach and the waist. The navel, more commonly referred to as the belly button, is located here as well. On the inside of the upper body are the heart for pumping blood and the lungs for breathing. The rear side of the upper body is called the back, inside which the spine connects the upper body to the lower body.

U pper Limbs (arms) The arms are attached to the shoulders. Beneath this area is called the armpit or underarm. The upper arms have the muscles known as triceps and biceps. The joint halfway down the arm is called the elbow. Between the elbow and the next joint, the wrist, is the forearm. Below the wrist is the hand with four fingers and one thumb. Beside the thumb is the index finger. Beside the index finger is the middle finger, followed by the ring finger and the little finger. At the ends of the fingers are fingernails.

L ower Body

Below the waist, on left and right, are the hips. Between the hips are the reproductive organs, the penis (male) or the vagina (female). At the back of the lower body are the buttocks for sitting on. They are also commonly referred to as the rear end or the bum (especially with children). The internal organs in the lower body include the intestines for digesting food, the bladder for holding liquid waste, as well as the liver and the kidneys. This area also contains the woman's uterus, which holds a baby when a woman is pregnant.

L ower Limbs (legs) The top of the leg is called the thigh, and the joint in the middle of the leg is the knee. The front of the lower leg is the shin and the back of the lower leg is the calf. The ankle connects the foot to the leg. Each foot has five toes. The smallest toe is often called the little toe while the large one is called the big toe. At the ends of the toes are toenails.

R ead the two letters and answer these questions:

Which writer:

a follows the doctor’s advice?

b thinks the doctor could give better advice?

Dear Doctor I read your newspaper column every week and, frankly, I think you’ve got it wrong. It’s not being healthy that makes us happy, it’s the other way round. If someone is happy and enjoying themselves and taking pleasure out of life, then they are going to be healthy. Recent research shows that people who feel little or no guilt about their lifestyle have less heart trouble, go to the doctor less often, and get ill less often. In other words, it’s not so much what we do as how we feel about it. As a result, I think you should stop telling people what is bad for them, what they shouldn’t eat and where they’re going wrong with their lives. You should be encouraging people to feel good about themselves, be positive, worry less and do what they want. Andrew C, Newcastle

Dear Doctor I always find your column very interesting. Over the years you have given me very useful advice about how to live a healthy life. However, sometimes I wonder how many people follow your advice. There must be a lot of people who smoke and drink too much, who eat too much sugar and salt and fat, and who generally have a very unhealthy lifestyle. Surely the government can do something about these people. They are costing our health service huge amounts of money. If they looked after themselves properly, they wouldn’t need medical treatment so often. Angela M, Brighton

True or false?

Mark these sentences T (true) or F (False).

1. Andrew thinks health and happiness are not connected.

2. He had done some research into the effect of happiness on health.

3. He thinks the doctor should try to make people happier rather than healthier.

4. Angela thinks a lot of people ignore the doctor’s advice.

5. She thinks the health service spends a lot of money on these people.

6. She thinks the government should let them look after themselves rather than provide a health service for them.

Read the text and learn it off by heart.

A Medical Examination

A medical examination is compulsory for all those wishing to enter a university. John visited his neighborhood clinic to get the necessary medical clearance. When he arrived there were a few people waiting in the waiting-room. They soon got to talking since mutual sympathy among patients waiting for their turn at the doctor’s has become proverbial. They were discussing various ailments and cures. The latest innovations in radio-active treatment when the door opened and the nurse called, “Next, please!”. The smile faded on John’s lips as he entered the dentist’s surgery. After he was comfortably seated in the dentist’s chair the dentist asked him:

• What’s troubling you? (What’s the trouble?)

And before he could reply that nothing was bothering him (that he had no complaints; that he had no toothache bothering him) the dentist made him open his mouth and began probing for cavities.)

• Ah, - he said finally. – Here’s a cavity that needs filling. And here’s a filling that will have to be changed. When did you have that filling? And who treated you then?

• While John was racking his brains trying to recall all these details the dentist made a sign to the nurse and reached for the drill.

Let’s break off our description at this point, for the less said about drilling the better. Having the sensation of drilling described is almost as bad as having the drill in your mouth and might be compared only with having your teeth pulled out (extracted).

When it was all over the dentist gave John a cup of some liquid and told him to rinse his mouth.

• What’s this? Water?

• No, it’s a special mouth-wash containing an antiseptic. You’ll feel better after rinsing your mouth with it.

Soon John walked out of the dentist’s surgery with what was meant to be a smile on his face.

As he waited for his turn to be X-rayed he got into conversation with his neighbor.

• Will this examination take much time?

• Oh, yes. They’re very thorough here. They listen to your heart and lungs, then they check your kidneys, liver and stomach. They overlook nothing and you’ve got to go through the necessary analysis, too. They’ll take your blood count, check your blood pressure and put you through all the laboratory tests they find necessary. And once you’re enrolled in the University they’ll have you coming regularly for medical examinations and sorts of inoculations against various diseases.

At this moment the X-ray specialist called John in and told him to strip to the waist.

Sooner than it takes to tell John stripped to the waist and was X-rayed (he had an X-ray taken). This was followed by an examination by the ear, throat and nose specialist who sat with his reflector pushed up against his forehead.

• What has happened to your voice? Where did you get that hoarse throat?

• I must have caught a cold. It was much worse a few days ago. I could not stop sneezing and I had a splitting headache from blowing my nose so often.

• Let me have a look at your throat! Say A…ah! There is no inflammation. Is it hard to swallow?

• No, I can swallow all right, but my nose is all clogged up. First I had a running nose all week, and now it’s clogged up.

• A few drops of menthol will give instant relief. When you get home drink lots of hot tea with raspberry jam and hop into bed. I’d also advise a hot-water bottle to your feet and if that does not do the tricks, try a scalding foot-bath. That should relieve the cold. Take care to avoid draughts or you’ll be having an earache next. You must take care of that cold!

Before seeing the doctor, study the following statements.

Things you can say I’d like to book a check-up, please. I’m not registered at your practice. I’m here to have a blood test. I’ve had a splitting headache all morning. It’s killing me. I’ve had a high temperature for a while now. I feel dizzy and nauseous. I have stomach cramps and diarrhoea. I can’t seem to switch off. I’m very lethargic. I feel weak and dizzy. So I need to take two spoonfuls, twice a day? So you mean I should finish the course? I don't understand what this means. Am I going to need surgery? Is it good news or bad? When will the tests results come in? How long do I have to stay in the hospital? What is the success rate? Are they going to run more tests? Is this a common problem for people my age? I'd like to discuss other options. I'm going to get a second opinion.

Things you might hear We try to see everyone within two days. We can fit you in at 2 pm. You need to fill in this form. Just drop in anytime. We do vaccinations as well. We have special clinics for diabetes sufferers. It’s all in this leaflet. You have a mild case of the flu. I think you’re suffering from depression. Take a couple of tablets every four hours or so. That should get rid of it. See me in a month. Your test results have come in. I'm afraid the prognosis isn't good. You have a long road to recovery. We have several options to discuss. The blood test came back negative. The transfusion was a success. It looks like you're ready to go home. I'd like to keep you here over night. We'll know more in a few days. You're not in the clear yet. We've ruled out diabetes. I'm hoping to get to the bottom of this soon.

TIP You can also use these expressions when you want to check you have understood.

So, you mean I should …

Right, so you’re saying I have to …

Listen and make notes what each person wants. (Audio 22, p. 18)

a something for a headache_________________________

b ______________________________________________

c ______________________________________________

d ______________________________________________

Listen to each reply and answer these questions. (Audio 23, p.18)

a What does MIU stand for?

_________________________________________________

b How much do the headache tablets cost?

_________________________________________________

c What does a new patient check-up involve?

_________________________________________________

d What time is the doctor’s appointment?

_____________________________________________

M atch the patient’s and doctor’s comments.

1. My ankle’s quite swollen, I can hardly walk on it.

2. I’ve done something to my back. It really hurts.

3. I hit my head and got this nasty bump.

4. I’ve had this nasty cough for weeks.

5. I’ve got this nasty rash. It’s really itchy.

6. It’s quite a nasty cut.

7. You’ve broken your leg, I am afraid.

8. You’ve got very high blood pressure.

1. It’s a chest infection. It should clear up with antibiotics.

2. Don’t scratch it. I’ll give you some cream for the itchiness.

3. It’s probably just sprained, but we should have it X-rayed.

4. Well, I have been under a lot of stress recently.

5. Oh no! How long will I have to have it in plaster?

6. Did you feel dizzy or lose consciousness at all?

7. Will it need some stitches?

8. I’ll get the nurse to give you some painkillers, but you’ll need to rest it. Don’t do any lifting.

Spend two minutes memorizing a-h doctor’s comments. Work in pairs.

Student A: say 1-8

Student b: close you book and say as much as you can from a-h.

L isten to the four patients talking to the doctor. Make notes about each of them under the headings below:

Patient	Symptoms	Diagnosis	Treatment
Mr Rich Brown
Ms Teresa Green
Mrs Lily White
Mr Ivor Rose

Listen to the sentences with the multi-word verbs in A. Match the verbs in A with the definitions in B.

A	B
to get over something	to increase in weight or size
to come/go down with something	to recover from an illness, shock, or surprise
to get through an amount of something	to develop the symptoms of an illness or disease
to pick something up	to use a quantity of something such as food or money
to cut something out	to reduce something, to consume less of something
to put on an amount of something	to develop an interest in something as a hobby or profession
to take something up	to recover consciousness
to cut down (on) (something)	to stop doing/using something
to pass out	to catch an illness
to come round	to faint, to lose consciousness for a short time because of lack of food or air, or because of shock

The following expressions were used in the conversations with the doctor. What do you think they mean?

1. That’s easier said than done. 5 to be/feel worn out

2. to feel off colour 6 to be/feel run down

3. to burn the candle at both ends 7 to feel under the weather

4. to take it easy 8 to feel as right as rain

Which of the expressions above could you use in the following sentences?

1. Your friend has been working very hard and you think he needs a rest.

2. You’re at work but you don’t feel very well and you want to go home.

3. Someone gives you advice which is very difficult to follow.

4. You want to tell your friend she’ll soon recover from her illness.

5. Your friend is looking tired. He works during the day and stays up late at night.

What is the difference between?

• to pick up a disease and to go down with a disease

• to wake up and to come round

• to be worn out and to be run down

What is the opposite of to pass out?

Work in pairs. Take turns to ask and answer the questions below. Try to use the multi-word verbs and expressions from the exercises above.

1. Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes do you smoke a day?

2. Have you ever tried stopping or reducing the amount you smoke?

3. Have you changed your eating habits recently (for example, reduced the amount of fatty food you eat, or gone on a diet)?

4. Would you consider doing any of the following activities to keep fit?

jogging aerobics cycling golf other

5. Are you ever out of breath? If yes, when?

6. Do you ever feel worn out or run down?

7. Have you ever fainted? If yes, explain what happened.

8. When was the last time you did not feel well? What was wrong with you?

9. When did you last have a cold? How long did it take to recover from it?

10. How healthy do you think you are?

Complete the sentence, using the words below.

sprained runny blotches bleed sore feverish temperature numb swollen itchy rash

1. My foot is badly ……………. .

2. I need some tissues. I’ve got a …………………….. nose.

3. Have you got anything for a ………………………. throat?

4. Mike often has a nose …………………… in the morning?

5. Aunt Anita has ……………….. her ankle.

6. I’ve got a high ………………………….. .

7. I feel very ………………………….. . I’m sweating a lot.

8. I have no feeling in my fingers. They are ………………………. .

9. I’ve got a bad ………………………….. on my arm.

10. What are these ………………………. all over my neck?

11. My legs are very ………………….. . I can’t stop scratching.

Match the health problems (a-f) with the symptoms (1-6).

a food poisoning 1 have a splitting headache, feel dizzy

b depression 2 have trouble sleeping, can’t unwind or relax

c hay fever 3 have stomach cramps, feel nauseous, have diarrhoea

d migraine 4 feel lethargic, lacking in energy, pessimistic

e insomnia 5 have watery eyes, sneeze a lot, feel breathless

f a fever 6 have a high temperature, shiver and sweat

What is the most bewildering disease-related story you have ever heard of?

Read the newspaper article from the Sun and share your opinion with other students.