LESSON 1
BODY PARTS
Passage 1
1
Passage 2
2
Passage 3
Your heart is really a muscle. It's located a little to the left of the middle of your chest,
and it's about the size of your fist. There are lots of muscles all over your body - in
your arms, in your legs, in your back, even in your behind. But this muscle is special
because of what it does - the heart sends blood around your body. The blood
provides your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs. It also carries away the
waste that your body has to get rid of.
Your heart is sort of like a pump, or two pumps in one. The right side of your heart
receives blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs. The left side of the heart
does the exact opposite: it receives blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the
body. By the time you're grown up, your heart will be beating (pumping) about 70
times a minute.
How does the heart beat? Before each beat, your heart fills with blood. Then it
contracts to squirt the blood along. When something contracts, it squeezes tighter -
try squeezing your hand into a fist. That's sort of like what your heart does so it can
squirt out the blood. Your heart does this all day and all night, all the time. Every day,
an adult heart pumps 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of recycled blood by filling and
contracting. The heart is one tough worker!
Questions:
1. Where is your heart located?
2. Where else you can find muscles in your body besides the heart?
3. Why do we need a heart?
4. Which organ(s) work directly with heart?
5. What’s the function of a heart?
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LESSON 2
PATIENT’S COMPLAINTS
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Reading Exercise: Mobile Phones
Do you think mobile phones are bad for your health? Find out why some health
professionals are worried about mobile phone use in the reading practice exercise
below.
Can talking on a mobile phone be hazardous to your health? It is difficult to know for
sure. Some research suggests that heavy users of mobile phones are at a greater
risk of developing cancerous brain tumours. However, many other studies suggest
there are no links between cancer and mobile phone use.
The main problem with the current research is that mobile phones have only been
popular since the 1990s. As a result, it is impossible to study long-term exposure to
mobile phones. This concerns many health professionals who point out that certain
cancers can take over twenty years to develop. Another concern about these studies
is that many have been funded by the mobile phone industry or those who benefit
from it.
Over five billion people now use mobile phones on a daily basis, and many talk for
more than an hour a day. Mobile phone antennas are similar to microwave ovens.
While both rely on electromagnetic radiation (EMR), the radio waves in mobile
phones are lower in frequency. Microwave ovens have radio wave frequencies that
are high enough to cook food, and they are also known to be dangerous to
human tissues like those in the brain. The concern is that the lower-frequency radio
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waves that mobile phones rely on may also be dangerous. It seems logical that
holding a heat source near your brain for a long period of time is a potential health
hazard.
Some researchers believe that other types of wireless technology may also be
dangerous to human health, including cordless phones, wireless gaming consoles,
and laptop or tablet computers with wireless connections. They suggest replacing all
cordless and wireless devices with wired ones where possible. They also say that
many cordless phones can emit dangerous levels of Electromagnetic Radiation even
when they are not in use. They even suggest keeping electronic devices such as
desk-top and tablet computers out of the bedroom, or at least six feet from the head
while we're sleeping.
A growing number of health professionals worldwide are recommending that mobile
phone users are on the side of caution until more definitive studies can
be conducted. They use the example of tobacco to illustrate the potential risks. Many
years ago, people smoked freely and were not concerned about the effects of
cigarettes on their health. Today, people know that cigarettes cause lung cancer,
though it is still unknown exactly how or why. Some doctors fear that the same thing
will happen with mobile phones. In May 2016, the UK's Independent newspaper
reported on research by the US government's National Toxicology Program that
showed a slight increase in brain tumours among rats exposed to the type of radio
frequencies commonly emitted by mobile phones. This doesn't prove that mobile
phones can cause brain tumours in humans, but it does show that it's possible. As a
result, many experts now recommend texting or using head sets or speaker phones
instead of holding a mobile phone to the ear.
Answer the questions based on the text above!
1. According to the text, do mobile phones lead to brain tumours?
Yes, definitively
Definitively not
Too early to say
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2. The text mentions the 1990s because this was when mobile phones
were invented
caused cancer
became popular
3. Why does the article mention microwave ovens?
They also use EMR
They cause tumours
They can be wireless
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the article?
video game consoles
digital televisions
laptop computers
5. If mobile phones are shown to be hazardous, the mobile phone industry's profits
will
increase
decrease
stay the same
6. Which are NOT a form of electromagnetic radiation?
sound waves
radio waves
microwaves
7. Many experts say electronic devices should be at least six feet from our heads
when we're
keeping them
using them
sleeping
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8. Many health professionals say we should be careful until _______ studies on
safety are done.
definitive
logical
scientific
9. How is mobile phone use compared to tobacco use in this article?
Both cause brain tumours
Both need long-term studies
They are equally hazardous
10. Which is recommended when using a mobile phone?
Holding it to your ear
Doing a handstand
Using a headset
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LESSON 3
GIVING DIRECTIONS
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10
LESSON 4
HEALTH PROBLEMS
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12
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Reading Exercise: Fitness Pill
Do you hate going to the gym or exercising? Have you heard of something called the
fitness pill or exercise pill? Find out all about it in the reading practice exercise
below.
These days there are pills for just about everything. If you can't sleep, take a pill. If
you're sad, take a pill. If you're in pain, take a pill. But what about people who
are overweight or lack fitness? The best solution for these people is to exercise, but
many people don't want to exercise or are unable to exercise. Drug companies are
always looking for new pills to sell, and many have spent lots of money on
developing a pill for these people too. In the 1990s, scientists working for one of
these companies found a new drug that gave mice some of the same benefits as
exercise. Newspapers began reporting on this new drug, calling it the "fitness pill" or
"exercise pill". They said it could "build muscle, increase stamina, and even burn fat."
The reports said that mice with no previous fitness training could run much longer
distances after being given the drug. They said there was evidence that the drug
could also help humans by improving fitness and building up muscles. Many people
who read these articles wanted to try the pills, but reports about problems with the
drug soon began appearing. Researchers found that mice had an increased chance
of developing cancer after taking it. This meant the drug would never
be approved for human use and the drug company stopped developing it.
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Medical researchers are still looking for a drug similar to the one found in the 90s.
They're trying to find a new drug with the same benefits that doesn't also cause
cancer. They believe such a drug would have many uses, including important
medical uses. It could benefit people who can't get out of bed due to ill health. It
could also benefit people with diabetes and those with diseases that cause muscle-
wasting. Medical researchers also believe such a drug could benefit the average
adult as well. Most adults say they don't have enough spare time to do the 40
minutes of daily exercise that doctors recommend. For these people, a so-called
fitness pill or exercise pill could be the best solution. But others might say they're
cheating by taking a pill instead of exercising. Would you take such a pill if it meant
you no longer had to jog, swim or use a treadmill to stay fit?
Many people in the world of sports are concerned about a pill like this. They fear that
some athletes might use it as a performance-enhancing drug. Even though the drug
discovered in the 90s was never approved for human use, some athletes may have
used it to cheat. Top athletes already go through extensive drug testing before
national and international events, but until sports authorities know about a new drug,
it won't be tested for. Some people think top athletes who pass drug tests might still
be cheating, and in some cases this has been shown to be true. The world-famous
swimmer and Olympic gold-medalist Michael Phelps knew this, so he offered to go
through extra drug testing before the 2008 Olympics. He knew that many people
would suspect his amazing strength and stamina came from using performance-
enhancing drugs, so he felt he had to prove that it came from hard work and training
alone.
1. The fitness pill could help people become
fitter
taller
overweight
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2. The pill could also help people lose
fitness
muscles
weight
3. Where would you expect to see people on a treadmill?
in bed
in a gym
in a hospital
4. Mice with no previous ________ ran longer after taking the fitness pill.
training
schooling
spare time
5. People who can't get out of bed due to _______ could also benefit.
good health
ill health
lack of sleep
6. How much time should adults spend exercising each day?
40 minutes
5 minutes
none
7. Many people fear athletes might use the fitness pill to enhance their
performances
drug tests
sports
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8. Michael Phelps is a world-famous Olympic gold-medalist in
drug testing
strength and stamina
swimming
9. Drugs that still haven't been approved for human use shouldn't be
tested
of benefit
taken
10. Who first discovered the fitness pill?
athletes
scientists
fitness trainers
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