Illness

Tony. My father is in hospital again.

Shirley. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

Pat. Yes, so am I. What is it this time?

Tony. A stomach ulcer.

Pat. Oh, dear. Are they going to operate on him?

Tony. Yes. They’re operating him tomorrow.

Shirley. I hope he’ll soon be better. We’ll go and see him on Saturday.

Pat. Give him our regards.

Tony. I will. Thanks a lot.

DEATH

Maggie. Bad news, I’m afraid.

George. Oh?

Maggie. Aunt Muriel has died.

George. I’m very sorry to hear that.

Mary. When did it happen?

Maggie. Last night.

Richard. Uuh… were you expecting that?

Maggie. No, it was very sudden.

Richard. When is the funeral?

Maggie. Tomorrow at ten o’clock.

George. Please give our sympathy to your family.

Maggie. Thanks, I will.

Exercise 4. What do you think the other person is saying. Act out the conversation.

“…Oh, I am sorry to hear that. How did it happen? …It must have been terrible. I hope it’s not too painful. … Oh dear. You must be feeling awful. Still, it’s a good thing you’ve got Doreen to look after you. …Oh, no! Not her as well! The poor girl. …It would have to happen now, wouldn’t it? I hope she’ll be all right by Saturday. … Oh, that is a shame. They’ll give her another chance, though, won’t they? … Oh that is bad luck! Look, if there is anything I can do to help …”

Exercise 5. Work in pairs Make up your own hard luck story.

Women in aids frontline

MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH FOR WOMEN AGED 20-40

AIDS is now the major cause of death for women aged between 20 and 40 in major cities in the Americas, western Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, it revealed yesterday.

A new report, “Triple Jeopardy – Women and AIDS” published by the international research institute PANOS, highlights the growing threat for women.

AIDS threatens women in three specific ways, the report argues: as individuals infected themselves, as mothers who may risk infecting their unborn children and as those who will bear the burnt of caring for those who are ill. The World Health Organisation estimates that eight to 10 million people world-wide are now infected with HIV – the virus which leads to AIDS – and that one third of them are women.

But alarming new evidence suggests that the infection rate is increasing faster among women. Recent studies in Zaire show that women aged between l5 and З0 are four times as likely to contact the disease as their male counterparts. Globally, the virus is spread mainly through heterosexual contact and women are twice as likely to contact the disease through a single exposure to an infected partner than men are.

In New York, AIDS is already the leading cause of death for young black women aged between 15 and 40.

Author of the report Judith Marisay said yesterday: “In the West the very real threat to women hasn’t really registered on public consciousness or on the policy makers.”

“Services for HIV-positive women are lagging behind and clinical trials and educational programmes are not designed with women in mind.

(by Lucie Hyndley)

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the main subject of the article? 2. What is the major cause of death for women aged between 20 and 40 in the Americas, Western Europe and Africa? 3. In what ways does AIDS threaten women? 4. How many people in the world are now infected with HIV? 5. Is the infection rate increasing faster among men or women?

Exercise 3. You are a journalist. You have to report Lucie Hyndley’s story, but you have only half the amount of space. Decide which points are most important. Summarise the news in 120 words.

Exercise 4. Render the following text into English.