Loss withdrawn miss comfort sleepless

When Susan’s cat was killed by a car, she burst into (a) ______and began to (b)______ so loudly that the neighbours next door heard her. She was (c)____ by the (d) ______. Her mother tried to (e) ______ her, but Susan’s (f) ______ was so great that it was three days (and three (g) ______nights) before she began to (h)______ enough to eat normally. Even then she talked to no one and was silent and (i) ______ for weeks. I think she’ll always (j) ______her pet.

b) Nervousness

Blush sweat tongue-tied embarrassment shy

Nerves stammer tremble tranquillizer faint

I have to tell you that my (a) ______ aren’t very good. Last week I went for a job interview and my hands began to (b) ______, my palms started to (c) ______ and

my face was red because I always (d) ______ with (e) ______ on these occasions.

I’ve always been very (f) ______ with other people. When I was asked questions, I

was completely (g) ______ and I could only (h) ______. I felt (i) ______ and wished I had a (j) ______to calm me down. I didn't get the job. A pity. I would like

to have been a television newsreader.

4.15. Read these extracts from a leaflet contained in a packet of headache pills and match the words in bold to their definitions below.

If your answer to any of the following questions is YES, then you should tell a doctor or pharmacist before taking these pills.

· Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?

· Are you sensitive to any of the ingredients in these pills?

· Do you suffer from liver, kidney or heart problems?

· Do you suffer from haemophilia or other problems with your blood not clotting properly?

· Are you taking any other medicines - particularly for blood pressure, anticoagulants for thinning the blood, antidepressants, cortico-steroids, anti-epileptic drugs?

· Are you asthmatic?

· Are you suffering from dehydration?

· Do you suffer from or have you suffered from a stomach ulcer?

WARNING:

DO NOT EXCEED THE STATED DOSE

Medicines may cause unwanted side effects in some people. If, after taking this medicine for the first time, you have an asthma attack or bronchospasm (= difficulty in breathing), gastro-intestinal hemorrhage (= vomiting of blood or passing of dark, tarry stools), stop taking these pills and consult a doctor or pharmacist.

 

(a) medical term for (formal) excrement or (informal, childish) pooh

(b) forming a partly solid lump

(c) painful infected area on the skin or inside your body

(d) not having enough water in your body

(e) feeding a baby with milk from woman’s breasts

(f) unexpected effects in addition to the intended one

(h) reacting quickly or more than usual to something

4.16. Read the short passage about the health system of Britain. Match the words and expressions in bold to their definitions below.

British Healthcare System

In Britain, healthcare is paid for through taxes and national insurance payments taken directly from wages and salaries. The government decides how much will be spent on the National Health Service, but a lot of people feel they do not spend enough. Hospital treatment and visits to a family doctor (or GP) at a surgery or clinic are free, but there is a prescription charge. Dentists and opticians charge fees. Private healthcare is available, and a large number of insurance schemes exist to enable people to ‘go private’.

 

(a) small centre with just two or three doctors

(b) choose private healthcare

(c) general expression for all of the services offered by hospitals, clinics, dentists, opticians, etc.

(d) large centre with several doctors and kinds of services

(e) tax paid by most adults which covers the costs of healthcare for everyone

(f) charge for the medication the doctor prescribes, which you pay at a pharmacy

(g) British name for the service that covers hospitals, clinics, dentists, etc.

(h) doctor who looks after people’s general health

4.17. a) Put each of the following verbs in the correct space in the instructions.

a) move raise lower turn hang stand

1) ____ with your feet apart. Let your arms ___ by your sides.

2) ____ your arms above your head.

3) ____ your body first to the left, then to the right. (Don’t ____ your feet.)

4) ____ your arms to your sides again.

b) touch lean hold bend bring straighten

1) Sit on the front part of the chair, with your feet on the floor.

2) ____ the sides of the chair.

3) ____ back against the back of the chair.

4) ____ your knees, and _____ them up to _____ your chest.

5) ____ your legs and lower them to the floor again.

 

b) Using the words from the exercises above, give instructions how to do the exercises shown in the pictures below..

4.18. a) Study the following metaphors and idioms relating to health and keeping fit. Think of similar Russian idioms or proverbs. Explain their meaning in English. b) Use the metaphors to make up your own sentences.

a) Medical metaphors

Problems and bad situations in society or other aspects of people’s lives are often talked about as if they were illnesses.

The word symptom is often used when talking about problems in society.

The current spate of car thefts is a symptom of a deeper underlying problem.

This behaviour is symptomatic of his general lack of self-confidence.

The causes of a problem can be diagnosed and the outlook for a situation can also be referred to as the prognosis in the same way as we talk about the prognosis of an illness.

ailing means having a lot of problems;

rash of something means “a number of similar things happening at the same time”;

World Cup fever means great excitement;

at fever pitch, to reach fever pitch refers to a point of very high intensity;

a jaundiced view (of smth.) - unenthusiastic or skeptical because of previous bad experiences;

to carry the scars of / be scarred by means “be permanently affected by a negative experience”;

b) Sport and fitness metaphors

I scored an own goal (= made things worse rather than better) when I told my boss it had only taken me a day to write the report. Now she wants me to write several a week.

My boss always seems to be moving the goalposts (= changing the rules), which makes it very difficult to know what he wants.

The new EU laws aim to provide a level playing field (= fair situation)for all member states.

He’s too young to be in the running (= seriously considered)for such a job.

The two main parties in the election are still neck and neck (= level with smb. and equally likely to win) in the opinion polls.

Politicians often skate around (= don’t talk directly about)a subject.

The students all sailed through (= passed very easily)their exams.

ACQUIRING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

4.19. Read the dialogues and discuss the questions below with a partner.

A Visit to the Doctor

Doctor: Well, what's the matter with you, Mr. Walker?

Mr. Walker: You’d better ask me what is not the matter with me, doctor. I seem to

be suffering from all the illnesses imagin­able: insomnia, headaches, backache, indigestion, constipa­tion, and pains in the stomach. To make things still worse, I’ve caught a cold, I’ve got a sore throat, and I’m constantly sneezing and coughing. To crown it all, I had an accident the other day, and hurt my right shoulder, leg and knee, and nearly broke my neck. If I take a long walk, I get short of breath. In fact, I feel more dead than alive.

Doctor: I’m sorry to hear that. Anyhow, I hope things aren’t as bad as you imagine. Let me examine you. Your heart, chest and lungs seem to be all right. Now open your mouth and show me your tongue. Now breathe in deeply, through the nose... There doesn’t seem to be anything radically wrong with you, but it’s quite clear that you’re run down, and if you don’t take care of yourself, you may have a nervous break­down and have to go to hospital. I advise you, first of all, to stop worrying. Take a long rest, have regular meals, keep to a diet of salads and fruit, and very little meat. Keep off alco­hol. If possible, give up smoking, at least for a time. Have this tonic made up and take two tablespoonfuls three times a day before meals. If you do this, I can promise you full re­covery within two or three months.

Mr. Walker: And if I don’t, doctor?

Doctor: Then you’d better make your will, if you haven’t yet done so.

Mr. Walker: I see. Well, thank you, doctor. I shall have to think it over and decide which is the lesser evil: to follow your advice or prepare for a better world.

 

At the Dentist’s

Nell: Hello, is that you, Bert? Nell here. I'm so glad I've found you in.

Bert: Hello, Nell. How’re things?

Nell: Fine. Listen, Bert. I’m bursting with news. Just imagine - yesterday I had the first real patient of my own.

Bert: You don’t say so! Who was it?

Nell: A nice old dear with a lot of teeth to be pulled out. It’s such wonderful practice for me!

Bert: Are you quite sure that some of his teeth couldn’t be filled?

Nell: None of them! I sent him to have his teeth X-rayed, so it’s all right.

Bert: How did you manage to get such a marvellous patient, I wonder?

Nell: He came with a bad toothache. It had been bothering him for a day or two already.

Bert: Were there no other dentists in the surgery?

Nell: No, I was the only one. It was Sunday.

Bert: Poor old thing! I hope you didn’t try to pull out all his teeth at once, did you?

Nell: Don’t be silly. I just chose the easiest one to begin with.

Bert: I see... And how did you get along?

Nell: Wonderfully. I tested his blood pressure and gave him a couple of injections, though he said that my smile worked better than any injection.

Bert: Oh, he did, did he? And he didn’t have a heart attack after the tooth was taken out? It would have been natural for an old man.

Nell: No, he just felt a bit sick and giddy. I gave him a tonic and told him to stay in bed for a while and take his temperature.

Bert: Perhaps I’d better drop in and check his heart? I’m on sick leave now and can do it at any time.

Nell: You needn’t. I’ll ring him up and in case he’s running a high temperature, I’ll let you know. But I do hope he won’t. The day after tomorrow he’s coming again.

Bert: Are you sure he’s not going to make an appointment with some other dentist?

Nell: I don’t think he will. When he was leaving, he said he looked forward to having all his teeth pulled out and he would keep them all as souvenirs to remember me by.

Bert: Well, I wish you good luck then. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye for now, Nell.

Nell: Good-bye, Bert. I’ll let you know how things are going on.

 

Questions:

1. What do you usually do when you get sick?

2. How often do you go to see the doctor? What specialists do you usually visit?

3. Do you always follow the doctor’s prescriptions?

4. How often do you visit the dentist? What problems with your teeth do you usually suffer from?

5. How would you feel when treated by a young doctor, who might have not very much experience? Have you ever been treated by such?

6. What usual treatment do Russian patients get from dentists?

 

4.20. a) Are you or any of your friends or relatives hypochondriac? Can a hypochondriac be treated or cured? Read the text and discuss these questions and the situation described in the text with a partner. b) Find a synonym to the word ‘doctor’ used in the text. c) Ask 7-10 questions about the text and be ready to retell the story.