Discussion Focus. 1What might the doctor ask you?

1 What might the doctor ask you?

a What would you say if the doctor asked you the following

questions?

1) What do you complain of?

2) Where do you feel (the) pain?

3) Have you ever had any operation?

4) How much alcohol do you drink?

5) Do you smoke? How many cigarettes a day?

6) Are you taking any medication?

7) Are you allergic to anything (any antibiotics, etc.)?

8) Do you have any mental problems in your family?

9) When did you last have a medical check?

b Work with a partner. Role-play a conversation between a

doctor and a patient. Think of other questions which may arise

in this sort of dialogue. Use the vocabulary of the previous

exercises.

2 What does the doctor prescribe?

Read the sentences in A and B carefully. Say which doctor’s

advice in A will be good for the patients with their health

problems in B

A

a) Take one three times a day after meals.

b) Take a teaspoonful last thing at night.

c) Rub a little on before going to bed each night.

d) We’ll get the nurse to put a bandage on.

e) You’ll need to have some injections before you go.

f) I’ll ask the surgeon when he can fit you in for an operation.

g) You’ll have to have your leg put in plaster.

h) I think you should have total bed rest for a week.

B

1. Anne with bad sunburn.

2. Jo who’s broken her leg.

3. John who’s off to the Tropics.

4. Paul with flu.

5. Liz with a bad cough.

6. Sam who needs his appendix out.

7. Rose suffering from exhaustion.

8. Alf who’s sprained his wrist.

3 Every year scores of viruses attack people seasonally and the

most harmful of them are those of flu.

Discuss with your partner the following questions:

1) Do you happen to know the origin of the word ‘flu’?

2) Have you ever had flu?

3) Do you often catch flu?

4)What is the nature of flu?

5) What is your experience of being laid up with flu?

6) How does it feel to be having flu?

7) Do you think it is possible to avoid flu? If yes, how?

4 Read the leaflet telling us what we should know about flu.

Do the tasks that follow.

You’ve got your own defence system

here’s how to make it work

You’re feeling rotten – weak, shivery, with an aching head, back and limbs. Your temperature’s up over 38°C (100°F). Probably you’re sweating a lot, you’ve lost your appetite and you feel sick. You’ve got flu.

So what do you do?

There’s no quick cure. Flu – influenza – is caused by a virus. And viruses can’t be killed with antibiotics. Only the body’s own defence system can get rid of them. So for most of us there’s no point in seeing the doctor when we’ve got flu. But while a bout of flu lasts, which may be anything from 24 hours to several days,

here’s what you should do.

Stay indoors, keep warm, and keep away from other people as much as possible so you don’t pass on the infection.

Have plenty of cool drinks – water, fruit drinks, milky drinks. About 2-3 litres a day.

If you feel shivery or feverish, with a temperature over 38°C (100°F) or aches or pains, try taking soluble aspirin every 4 hours during the day. And rest in bed if you can.

Try to have 3 light meals a day. But don’t force yourself to eat if you’ve lost your appetite.