Illnesses

1: Vocabulary Building

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Keywords	Main word	Example sentence
influenza, infectious disease, bad cold, fever, pains, weakness, virus	flu	Tom had the flu last week and had to stay in bed for three days.
broken bone	broken arm	She got a broken arm when she fell off her bike.
sharp pain in the head	headache	I have a headache after working on the computer all day.
fire, red skin	be burned	The child was burned when he touched the hot stove.
fever, degrees over 37°C, thermometer	temperature	The doctor checked my temperature with a thermometer.
sun, inflammation of the skin	be sunburned	After a day at the beach, my shoulders were sunburned.
injured by a weapon, suffering injury, damaged	be wounded	The soldier was wounded during the battle.
wound caused by something sharp, knife, blood	cut	I got a cut on my finger while cutting vegetables.
injure wrist or ankle, suddenly twisting	sprain	She has a sprain in her ankle after falling during the football match.
disease, children, blisters or spots on skin	chickenpox	Many children get chickenpox before they are ten years old.
infectious disease, children, painful swellings in neck	mumps	My brother had mumps when he was seven years old.
painful and red, in the neck	sore throat	I can't speak well because I have a sore throat.
pain in the tooth	toothache	He went to the dentist because of his terrible toothache.
hot liquid or steam, to burn	be scalded	The baby was scalded when hot tea spilled on her hand.
pain in the stomach, digestion problems	stomach ache	After eating too much ice cream, I had a stomach ache.
unable to sleep	insomnia	My grandmother has insomnia and often can't sleep at night.
pain inside the ear	earache	The child was crying because of an earache.
heart stops working normally	heart attack	His grandfather survived a heart attack last year.
continuous pain in the back	backache	After lifting heavy boxes, I had a backache for two days.
serious disease, tumour, growing cells, often death	cancer	The doctor helps patients with cancer at the hospital.

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Common Illnesses and Injuries

When people get sick, they can have many different illnesses. The flu is an infectious disease like a very bad cold. People with the flu often have a fever, pains, and feel weak.

Sometimes people have injuries too. You can get a broken arm if you fall badly. Many people sometimes have a headache, which is a sharp pain in the head. If you touch something very hot, you can be burned and have red skin.

When you are sick, the doctor often checks your temperature with a thermometer. A normal temperature is 37°C. If you stay too long in the sun without protection, you can be sunburned.

In accidents, people can be wounded or injured. A cut happens when something sharp like a knife damages your skin and causes blood to come out. If you twist your ankle suddenly, you can get a sprain, which is very painful.

Children often get illnesses like chickenpox, which causes spots on the skin, or mumps, which causes painful swellings in the neck. A sore throat is when your throat is red and painful, but it is not mumps.

Other common problems include toothache (pain in a tooth), being scalded (burned by hot water or steam), and stomach ache (pain in the stomach). Some people have insomnia, which means they cannot sleep well. Earache is a pain inside the ear.

More serious health problems include a heart attack, when the heart doesn't work normally, backache, which is continuous pain in the back, and cancer, a serious disease where abnormal cells grow in the body.

Questions:

What are two symptoms of the flu?
What happens when you stay too long in the sun without protection?
What is a sprain?
What illness causes spots on a child's skin?
What is insomnia?
What is the normal body temperature?
What is a heart attack?

True/False Statements:

Chickenpox only affects adults.
A sore throat and mumps are the same illness.
A sprain happens when you twist your ankle or wrist suddenly.
Insomnia means you sleep too much.
The flu is a type of infectious disease.
A toothache is a pain in your head.
Being scalded means being burned by hot liquid or steam.

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Personal Questions

1. Have you ever had the flu | a broken arm | a headache | a stomach ache | a sore throat?

Model answer (flu): Yes, I had the flu last winter. I felt very bad for one week. I had a high temperature and my whole body hurt. I stayed in bed and drank a lot of water. The doctor gave me medicine to help me feel better.

2. What do you do when you have a headache | backache | toothache | earache | stomach ache?

Model answer (headache): When I have a headache, I like to rest in a quiet, dark room. I sometimes take a pain medicine if it's really bad. I also drink water because sometimes headaches come when I don't drink enough. If it doesn't get better, I call my doctor.

3. How often do you get a cold | flu | sunburned | cuts | headaches?

Model answer (cold): I get a cold about two times a year, usually in winter. I try to wash my hands often to avoid getting sick. When I feel a cold coming, I drink hot tea with honey. My colds usually last for about five days.

4. How do you prevent getting the flu | sunburned | cuts | sprains | insomnia?

Model answer (sunburned): To prevent getting sunburned, I always use sunscreen when I go outside on sunny days. I try to stay in the shade during the hottest time of day. I also wear a hat and sunglasses to protect my face and eyes.

5. What is the worst case of flu | headache | stomach ache | sore throat | sunburn you've ever had?

Model answer (stomach ache): The worst stomach ache I ever had was after eating at a new restaurant. I felt very sick for two days. I couldn't eat anything and I had to drink only water. My mother made me some special tea that helped a little bit.

6. Do you know anyone who has had a heart attack | cancer | broken arm | chickenpox | mumps?

Model answer (broken arm): Yes, my cousin had a broken arm last summer. He fell from his bike during a race. He had to wear a cast for six weeks. It was difficult for him to write and play sports. Now his arm is completely better.

7. What do doctors usually recommend for the flu | a sprain | a cut | a temperature | insomnia?

Model answer (sprain): For a sprain, doctors usually recommend rest and putting ice on it. They say you should not walk on a sprained ankle. Sometimes they give you a special bandage to support it. They also recommend pain medicine if it hurts a lot.

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One-Minute Talking Points

Flu

What is the flu? (infectious disease, virus)
Last time you had it?
What symptoms did you have?
How did you treat it?
How long did it last?
How did you catch it?
Ways to prevent the flu?
Worst flu experience?

Broken Arm

What causes broken arms? (falls, accidents)
Ever had one yourself?
What happens at the hospital?
How long does healing take?
Activities difficult with broken arm?
Know anyone with this experience?
How painful is it?
Ways to protect from breaks?

Headache

What causes headaches? (stress, tiredness)
How often do you get them?
What do they feel like?
Your ways to treat headaches?
Worst headache you've had?
Foods that cause headaches?
Activities to avoid during headaches?
Best medicine for headaches?

Sunburn

How do people get sunburned? (sun exposure)
Ever been badly sunburned?
How does sunburn feel?
Best treatments for sunburn?
Ways to prevent getting sunburned?
Worst places to get sunburned?
How long does sunburn last?
Dangers of frequent sunburns?

Sore Throat

What causes a sore throat? (cold, infection)
How does it feel?
Best drinks for sore throat?
Foods to avoid with it?
How long does it usually last?
Home remedies you know?
When to see a doctor?
Prevention methods you use?

Stomach Ache

Common causes of stomach aches? (food, stress)
Last time you had one?
What helps you feel better?
Foods that upset your stomach?
Worst stomach ache experience?
How do you know it's serious?
Medicines that help stomach aches?
Prevention tips you follow?

Insomnia

What exactly is insomnia? (sleeping problems)
Ever experienced sleep problems?
What keeps you awake?
Your bedtime routine?
How does lack of sleep affect you?
Best ways to fall asleep?
Foods/drinks that cause insomnia?
Technology's effect on sleep?

Heart Attack

What is a heart attack? (heart problem)
Warning signs to know?
Risk factors for heart attacks?
Ways to keep heart healthy?
Know anyone who experienced one?
Emergency steps to take?
How doctors treat heart attacks?
Lifestyle changes after heart attack?

Chickenpox

What is chickenpox? (children's disease, spots)
Did you have it as child?
How does it feel?
How is it treated?
Is it dangerous? Why/why not?
How long does it last?
How do people catch it?
Can you get it twice?

Cancer

What is cancer? (serious disease, cells)
Types of cancer you know?
Early warning signs?
Prevention methods people use?
Treatments you've heard about?
How does it affect families?
Support for cancer patients?
Progress in cancer research?

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People should see a doctor when they are sick

Linkers: It's true, but..., I agree because..., I don't agree..., On the other hand..., For example...

For

A doctor can find the real problem and give the right help — keywords: doctor, check, diagnose
Doctors give medicine that makes you better faster — keywords: medicine, prescription, heal
Seeing a doctor can stop small sickness from becoming serious — keywords: early, prevent, serious
A doctor gives advice on rest, food, and care at home — keywords: rest, advice, recover
Doctors help stop illnesses from spreading to other people — keywords: infection, stop spread, safe

Against

Many small colds or mild aches get better at home with rest — keywords: home, rest, fluids
Going to the doctor can be expensive for some people — keywords: cost, money, pay
Clinics are often busy and you may wait a long time — keywords: wait, queue, time
Doctors may give antibiotics when they are not needed — keywords: antibiotics, too much, worry
A pharmacist or nurse can help with simple problems without a doctor — keywords: pharmacy, nurse, advice

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