PART III. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

Exercise 37. Read and translate the following text.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are an integral part of our lives. Vitamins have been proved to protect us from a number of different diseases. Many of the beneficial effects of vitamins (especially C, E and A) on our health have been linked to their antioxidant properties. These vitamins work in concert with each other. Vitamin A has many unique benefits but mostly is a very effective antioxidant. Vitamin A, also called retinol, helps your eyes adjust to light changes when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A mostly comes from animal foods.

But some plant-based foods supply beta-carotene, which your body then converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is very important for maintaining good vision. A vitamin A (retinol) deficiency can cause night blindness (even total blindness) and a greatly lowered resistance to infection.

Vitamin B12 has very important benefits because a deficiency can lead to serious health complications such as nerve damage, weak muscles, depression, memory problems, fatigue, anemia, and stunted growth in children. Other benefits include the formation and regeneration of red blood cells. Vitamin B1 works with other B vitamins to release the energy we get from food.

Vitamin C antioxidant which helps to protect against free radicals, fight infection, boost iron absorption, and maintain healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and gums. Vitamin C has many benefits you may already be aware of including a pivotal role in the production of collagen, an ability to help the healing of wounds. Vitamin B6 also helps to maintain a healthy nervous system and produce mood-regulating serotonin. Also needed for the formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells and antibodies that help fight infection. Vitamin E is protects of cell membranes as well as maintaining healthy skin, immunity, nerves, muscles and red blood cells.

Vitamin K has good benefits such as blood clotting and helping to strengthen bones and counter osteoporosis. Vitamin K also helps to build and maintain strong bones.

Vitamin B12 is required for the normal activity of nerve cells, and works with folate and vitamin B6 to lower blood levels of homocysteine, a chemical in the blood that is thought to contribute to heart disease.

Thiamin (B1) involved in the release of energy from carbohydrate. It is important for the brain and nerves, which use glucose for their energy needs. Folate involved in the formation of blood cells. Folate reduces the risk of Neural tube defects in babies.

Exercise 38. Find the words in the text that match the definitions below:

1. one of a group of natural substances in food that you need to be healthy;

2. helpful or useful;

3. qualities of something;

4. to change something slightly so that it works better, fits better, or is more suitable;

5. a thin sheet of tissue that covers some parts inside the body;

6. an amount of something that is ready to be used;

7. when you do not have enough of something;

8. the ability of your body to not be affected by illnesses;

9. to let something (e.g. a substance) flow out from somewhere;

10. a medical condition in which your blood does not contain enough red cells.

Exercise 39. Write 10 questions to the text covering the main points of the text. Your group-mates must be ready to answer them.

Exercise 40. These sentences all give very good advice, but they have been divided into separate halves. Match the half-sentences in column A with the half-sentences in column B to make twenty sentences which are correct, complete and true.

GOOD ADVICE

Exercise 41. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words from the box.

1. I broke out in ___after I ate that potato casserole.

2. The doctor was concerned about my ___ of skin cancer.

3. The child was rushed into the ___ after he had a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting.

4. We had two ___ pregnancy tests, so we didn't know we were having a baby.

5. The doctor made a ___error when he wrote the wrong prescription.

6. He is very___, and his temperature is near danger point.

7. People who have the ___ should not visit hospital patients.

8. Flowers are not allowed in the ward to avoid the risk of ___ being brought in.

9. The disease is part ___ and part environmental.

10. That ___ on your shoulder is starting to worry me.

11. People who smoke are at greater risk of having a ___.

12. ___ can be passed down from the mother to her fetus.

13. Her ___ went away when she started eating better.

14. Your wrist is ___ and needs a cast.

15. This cream is for ___ use only. Do not get it near your ears, eyes, or mouth.

Exercise 42. Read the magazine article below which gives you advice about the prevention and treatment of colds. Fill in the gaps with the best word: a, b, c, or d to form a coherent, logical and grammatical text.

The cold and flu season is back again, so it’s time to _1_ up on prevention and treatment. _2_ to popular belief, cooler weather doesn’t cause colds. What is more likely is that we stay indoors more, giving viruses _3_ to spread from person to person. In addition, the cold months are associated _4_ low humidity, and the dry air makes the nasal cavity more susceptible to bugs. Consequently, cases of colds and flu surge between the beginning of autumn and spring (the _5_ adult gets two to four respiratory infections a year; children even more). Because the season is upon us, it is a good _6_ to revise a few cold and flu tactics.

To prevent an infection, the best defence is a good offence. The first step is to _7_ physical contact with the cold sufferer. When someone with a cold sneezes, coughs or sniffles, _8_ your distance. Hugging, kissing and shaking hands are sure ways to catch a cold.

Exercise 45. Answer the following questions:

1. What do YOU do to prevent illnesses?

2. What do you think you should start doing to be healthier?

3. How old are/were your grandparents? What was their lifestyle like?

4. Read the following words and phrases connected to our modern way of life. Decide if you think each thing is healthy or unhealthy. Explain why. Then add your own ides to each group.

5. Some people believe that our modern lifestyle is very unhealthy. However, we tend to live longer than 100 years ago.

What do you think about this statement?

Prepare arguments to support your opinion, then discuss the issue with your group-mates, responding to their counterarguments, as well.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 2380