THE GREATEST WEALTH IS HEALTH

Lead in

TASK 1. Look at the pictures below and say what health problems the people in them are suffering from

Have you or members of your family ever had such problems?

What do you/they usually do in situations like that?

TASK 2. Say whether you agree or disagree with the following quotations about health. Give reasons:

1. Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint (Mark Twain).

2. The human body is the only machine for which there are no spare parts (Hermann M. Biggs).

Vocabulary I

TASK 3. Read the definitions of the most widely used words for the condition of being ill or the causes of such condition, then choose the most appropriate word for the sentences below

1. an illness – a health problem that you are suffering from which makes you feel ill

2. a disease – an illness affecting humans, animals or plants, often caused by infection

3. a symptom – a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not healthy

4. a complaint – an illness that affects a particular part of your body, especially one that is not very serious - used especially by doctors or in medical books

5. a virus – a small living thing that causes infectious illnesses, or a type of infectious illness

6. a bug – an illness that people catch very easily from each other but that is not very serious

7. a disorder – an illness that prevents part of your body from working properly or affects the way you behave, especially one that is permanent or continues for a long time

8. an infection – an illness that is caused by bacteria and that affects one part of your body, such as your ears, throat, lungs, or skin

9. an ailment – an illness of condition, especially one that affects a particular part of your body (old-fashioned)

10. a malady – an illness (old use)

1. There's a __________ going around - four people in my office were sick last week.

2. I think I've picked up the __________ that's been going round the office.

3. Childhood __________ such as measles and chickenpox are highly contagious.

4. Hay fever is a common __________ in spring and summer.

5. The hospital specializes in treating __________ of the brain.

6. Travellers to India are advised to get vaccinated against infectious __________ such as typhoid before they go.

7. Minor __________ such as colds are usually best left to get better by themselves.

8. If you don't clean the wound properly you could get an __________.

9. Should doctors always tell patients that they have terminal __________ such as cancer?

10. The first __________ of hepatitis are tiredness, vomiting, and loss of weight.

11. After two years of therapy, Duane was able to conquer his eating __________.

12. Once a person is infected, they may recover naturally or they may become a chronic carrier of the __________.

13. Patients who often complain of minor __________ might have something more important on their minds.

14. He is having treatment for a chest __________.

15. Gemima's been off school with a tummy __________ this week.

16. The cream is normally used for treating minor skin __________.

17. Her chronic __________, the result of a golf injury, has provided its share of good fortune, however.

18. Men have brought __________ infection home to their wives, and the __________ has penetrated the entire society.

TASK 4. The words from ex. 3 can be used with different attributes, for example:

a disease	chronic; contagious; deadly; fatal; incurable; infectious; inflammatory; serious; transmitted; tropical
an illness	acute; chronic; depressive; fatal; infectious; long; major; mental; minor; physical; psychiatric; respiratory; serious; severe; short; terminal
a symptom	clinical; gastrointestinal; mental; mild; physical; psychiatric; respiratory; severe
a complaint	common; chest; minor; skin;
a virus	chronic; deadly; ebola; human; HIV; live
a bug	flu; nasty; stomach; a 24-hour flu bug
a disorder	eating; heart; lung; mental; stomach; psychiatric
an infection	mild; slight; severe
an ailment	minor; physical; trivial, various
a malady	chronic; common

Answer the questions using the collocations from the table above:

1. Why does Jenny have to spend a fortnight in the same hospital two or three times a year?

2. When had you better not come too close to a friend of yours even if you really want to?

3. How would one characterize a disease that kills people without any hope of recovery?

4. Harry had some red spots of his hands, cheeks and neck. How did his mother describe his problem to the doctor on the telephone?

5. Mark had eaten a lot of exotic dishes he wasn’t used to, and the next day he felt sick. What did he have?

6. In a science fiction novel the government creates a special settlement for some people who are ill after being in contact with aliens, not allowing anyone to even approach the barred. What does the government try to stop spreading?

7. What is usually considered to be initial information to start a patient’s case history?

8. Sometimes it’s called “the living creature that haunts the African continent like a shadow”. Do you know what it is?

9. What type of infection should we be most aware of in winter?

10. What do people who come to live in hot climates are prone to?

TASK 5.

1. Which of the following symptoms are characteristic of stomach disorders and which are signs of a respiratory illness? Which can be found in both cases?

diarrhea irritation in the throat fatigue

chills muscular aches constipation