Unit 1

Unit 1 The Human Body

1. Warm-up

A FEW PROVERBS
Explain the following proverbs. What Slovak proverbs about health do you know?

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

The best doctors are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet and Dr Merryman.
Health is never valued till illness comes.

2. Reading
Task 1

Decide if the following statements are true (T)or false (F), then read the text and answer
the questions.
a) The heart and the lungs are situated within the thoracic cavity.
b) The thorax lies above the diaphragm.
c) The internal organs contained in the thorax are the heart, the lungs, the trachea and the
urinary bladder.
d) The pelvic cavity lies below the abdominal cavity.
e) The inner side of the hand is called the forearm.

The human body consists of a bony skeleton and muscles. The three main parts of the body
are: the head, the trunk and the limbs (extremities).

The head is composed of the cranial and facial parts. It contains the brain, the centre
of the nervous system. The cranium is partly covered with hair. The parts of the face are the
forehead, the temples, the ears, the eyes with eyebrows, the cheeks, the nose, the jaw, the
mouth and the chin. The main parts of the mouth are lips, the tongue, the teeth, the palate and
the gums. The eyes are protected by eyelids and eyelashes. The eyes are the organs of sight.
The nose of smell, and the ears are the organs of hearing. The nerves of the skin are organs of
touch. The five senses are: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

The head is attached to the trunk by the neck. The trunk includes the chest (in front),
the back, the shoulders and the abdomen. The internal organs which we cannot see, are the
heart, the lungs, the stomach, the liver with the gall-bladder, the pancreas, the spleen, the
kidneys and the small and large intestines (bowels).

The arms and legs are called the limbs. The upper extremity (arm) consists of the upper
arm, the elbow, the forearm, the wrist and the hand with four fingers and one thumb. The
inner side of the hand is called the palm. The finger nails protect the finger tips.

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The lower extremity (leg) is attached to the pelvic girdle. It is composed of the thigh,
the knee with patella, the shin, the calf, the ankle and the foot. Each foot has a heel, a sole and
five toes.

The movement of the body is produced by the expansion and contraction of the muscles. The
muscles are connected with the bones by sinews, the bones are bound together by ligaments.
Organs of the body are positioned within spaces called cavities.There are these cavities in the
human body: cranial, spinal, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic.

A body system consists of a group of organs that form different systems as:
1. The musculoskeletal system - composed of the skeletal system and the muscle
system. It provides a framework for the body and protects vital organs. The purpose of
this system is a movement caused by contraction and extension of muscles.
2. The circulatory system - it is the heart and a network of blood vessels: arteries,
capillaries and veins.
3. The digestive system the mouth, oropharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine,
large intestine and the anus.
4. The respiratory system the nose, nasopharynx, trachea, bronchi and the lungs.
5. The urinary system the kidneys, ureters, bladder and the urethra.
6. The nervous system the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, autonomic nerves.
7. The endocrine system it consists of seven glands and its function is to produce
hormones.
8. The reproductive system is divided into the males and the females systems. The
males reproductive system consists of the testes, epididymis, seminal vesicles and the
prostate; and the females: the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus and the vagina.
9. The integumentary system consists of the skin, lymph channels and lymph nodes.

Task 2

Answer these questions.

1. Which are the main parts of the human body?
2. Describe the parts of the head.
3. Describe the parts of the trunk, the upper and lower extremities.
4. Name the five cavities.
5. Which organs can we find in the thoracic and the abdominal cavities?

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Figure 1.1 Internal organs (available on< http://www.

sciencekids.co.nz.>)

Figure 1.2 Parts of the body (available on< http://www.buzzle.com/articles/human-body-

diagram.html>)

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Task 3

Complete the sentences with the reference to the reading passage.

1. The face is made up of these parts:

2. The trunk consists of the two cavities:
3. The main internal organs in the trunk are:
4. The upper extremity is divided into:
5. The parts of the lower extremity are:

Task 4

Multiple-choice test.

1. Which of the following body cavities contains the heart?

a) spinal b) thoracic c) cranial d) abdominal
2. Where can we find the wrist in the body?
a) on the arm b) on the leg c) on the thorax d) on the head
3. The part of the face is used for breathing and smelling is called the
a) mouth b) ear c) eye d) nose
4. The part of the arm is called
a) the shoulder b) the back c) the foot d) the calf
5. Some of the organs of reproduction are found in the
a) pelvis b) thorax c) back d) cranium

3. Grammar Presentation
Using the expressions: consist of, contain, is situated, is made up, comprise, is referred to, is
attached, is composed of, join, include. Observe the examples:
- The human body consists of a bony skeleton and muscles.
- The head is composed of the cranial and facial parts.
- The head is attached to the trunk by the neck.
- The trunk includes the chest, the back, the shoulders and the abdomen.
- The head contains the brain.
- The upper extremity is made up of the upper arm, the elbow, the forearm, the wrist
and the hand.
- The hand comprises four fingers and one thumb.

Task 1
Replace the underlined words with other suitable words from the text.

1. The head consists of the cranial and facial parts.

2. The upper extremity is divided into the shoulder, the upper arm, the elbow, the
forearm, the wrist and the hand with four fingers and a thumb.
3. The trunk consists of the chest (in front), the back, the shoulders and the abdomen.

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4. The face is made up of the forehead, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the cheeks, the mouth
and the chin.
5. The head is attached to the trunk by the neck.

4. Communication Activity
(Role-play)
Imagine you are on a three-year study stay in Scotland. You don't feel well and you
should go to see a doctor. Your friend has recommended Dr. Brown to you. Phone Dr.
Brown to make an appointment with him.

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Vocabulary
abdomen [bdmn] brucho
abdominal [bdominl] brun
ankle ['kl] lenok
arch [a:] klenba (chodidla), oblk
calf [ka:lf] pl. calves [ka:vz] ltko
cavity [kviti] dutina
cervical [s:vikl] krn
collar-bone [kol(r) bun] kna kos
cranial [kreinil] leben
cranium [krenim] pl. crania [kreini] lebka
diaphragm [daifrm] brnica
dorsum [do:sm] priehlavok
elbow [elbu] lake
extremity [ikstremti] konatina
eye [ai] oko
eyebrow [aibrau] oboie
eyelid [ailid] vieko
face [feis] tvr
facial [fei()l] tvrov, lcny
foot [fu:t] pl.feet [ fi:t ] noha (doln as), chodidlo
forearm [fo:ra:m] predlaktie
forehead [forid] elo
head [hd] hlava
heart [ha:t] srdce
heel [hi:l] pta
hip [hip] bok
human [hju:mn] udsk
cheek [i:k] lce
chest [est] hrudnk
chin [in] brada
integumentary [integjumentri] kon, kryc
intestine [intestin] revo
kidney [kidni] oblika
large intestine [la:d intestin] hrub revo
larynx [lrinks] hrtan
lateral [ltrl] bon
limb [lim] konatina, d
liver [livr] pee
lungs [laz] pca
mouth [mau] sta
muscle [masl] sval
neck [nek] krk
nose [ nuz] nos
oesophagus [ i:sofgs] paerk
ovary [uvri] vajenk

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pancreas [pnkris] podaldon aza

patella [ptel] jabko, patela
pelvis [pelvis] panva
pharynx [frinks] hltan
posterior [postiri(r)] zadn
principal [prinspl] hlavn
rectum [rektm] konenk, rektum
scalp [sklp] skalp
sense [sens] zmyslov, zmysel
shin [in] hole
shoulder [[ould] - rameno
shoulder blade [ould(r) bleid] lopatka
shoulder girdle [ould(r) g:d()l] ramenn pletenec
sinew [ sinju:] acha
small intestine [smo:l intestin] tenk revo
sole [soul] chodidlo
spinal cord [spainl ko:d] miecha
spleen [spli:n] slezina
sternum [stnm] hrudn kos
stomach [stamk] aldok
temple [templ] slucha, spnok
thight [ai] stehno
thoracic [o:rsik ] hrudn
thorax [o:rks] hrudnk
thumb [am] palec
thyroid gland [airoid glnd] ttna aza
toe [tu] prst na nohe
trachea [trki] priedunica
trunk [trank] trup
upright [aprait] vzpriamen
urinary bladder [jurinri] bld] moov mechr
vagina [vdain[ould] pova
vein [vein] ila
vertebra pl. ae [v:tbr / -i:] stavec
vertebral column [v:tibrl kolm] chrbtica
vessel [vesl] cieva
vital [vaitl] ivotn
waist [ weist] ps
wrist [rist] zpstie

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