Unit

(A ) Look at the picture. This person is obese, a way of saying that they are so overweight that it is dangerous
to their health. All across the developed world obesity is becoming a serious issue.
Can you think what the reasons for this might be?

Before answering this question, think about the following:

• In most families, how many parents work?
• Do working parents have time to cook food?
• What food is easy to prepare?
• Do a lot of people work in offices today?
• Do people who work in offices have very active days?
• What sorts of hobbies do children have today?
• Do they play a lot of computer games?
• Do they watch a lot ofT.V.?
• Do they lead very active lives?
• Are children influenced by advertising?
• What types of food are advertised the most?
• What types of food cost the most in shops?
• What types of food are the least expensive?

Hopefully, this list of questions should have helped you find the answer(s) to the original one. Now, let’s look at that
again: Why is obesity such a big problem today in the developed world?
Think of as many reasons as you can and write them down in the box below.

- Most homes have two working parents and they have no time to cook

(B) Compare your list with your partner’s. W rite down any points
A sedentary lifestyle
you may have missed. Then ask each other these questions.
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, this
• Why is fast food so popular today? means that you are not very active
• Do we lead more sedentary lifestyles today than in the past? in your day-to-day life. A person
• What types of food are the best for our health? who sits in front of a computer all
• Are healthy foods affordable? day at work and watches T.V all
• What problems do obese people have in their day-to-day lives? evening leads a sedentary lifestyle.
• What more serious problems can obesity lead to over time?

(C ) Which of the following foods do you think has the most calories? Put the foods in order from I -5 based
on how many calories you think they contain, 1 being the most calorific.

(i) a doner kebab (D

(ii) a Big Mac (2)
(iii) a large cola fizzy drink (3)
(iv) 6 chicken wings (4)
(v) a medium pizza (5)
Now compare your answers with your partners and try to justify them. Then ask your teacher to confirm the actual
correct answers.
 (D ) Look at the picture. This model is extremely thin.

Discuss the following questions with your partner:

• Are young girls put under a lot of pressure to look ‘good’?

Who/what puts pressure on them?
• Do you think models are of a ‘normal’, healthy weight?
• Why don’t magazines use bigger models?
• Are ‘slim’ people more popular?
• Do people who are overweight get picked on?
• Is being overweight a sign of laziness?
• Which is worse; to be slightly underweight or to be slightly overweight?
• What problems can be caused by young girls trying to look like models?

A n o rex ia
If you are anorexic, you have a fear of becoming fat and do not eat
enough food. As a result, you become very weak and thin, and risk
death if the condition gets serious.

(E ) Read the text below.

Young Sm okers
Every year about 165,000 young people take up smoking in Britain; that works out at around 450 a day. In fact,
proportionately, more young people smoke than do those aged 30-plus. Nearly one in every ten I I - to 15-year-
olds describe themselves as regular smokers. That figure is one in every five for 15-year-olds taken on their own,
and, by the age of 19, one quarter of all teens smoke regularly. Alarmingly, only 40% of underage smokers said they
found it difficult to purchase cigarettes. That means that 6 in every 10 found it relatively easy to do so, despite the
fact that it is illegal for shopkeepers to sell cigarettes to under-18s. Young girls are more likely to have tried a cig­
arette or become regular smokers than young boys today. More 20- to 25-year-olds smoke in Britain than any
other age group.

(i) What evidence is there according to the text to suggest that smoking among young people continues to be
a serious problem? Write the evidence down in short points (in note form) below.

I: ___________________________________________________________
2: _______________________________________________________________________
3: ______________________________________________________________
4: ______________________________________________________________
5: ______________________________________________________________
6: _______________________________________________________________________
7:
8:

(ii) Now, try to answer the following question:

Smoking amongst young people is not the problem it once was. Do you agree?

Ask your partner the question and then switch roles.

Remember: (I) make a statement, (2) explain the statement, and (3) provide evidence to support your opinion.
(F ) Look at the following list. It shows possible reasons Peer Pressure
why young people might start smoking. Peer pressure is pressure put on you by people
your own age to do something, or a feeling
Discuss the list with your partner and decide what the main that you should do something because a lot of
reasons are. Try to come up with one or two reasons of your people your age are doing it.
own as well.

(i) Parents or siblings are also smokers.

(ii) They think smoking makes them look cool and mature. (v) They smoke to deal with the stress of school.
(iii) Their friends are doing it.
(vi ) ________________________________
(iv) Other people their age put pressure on them to smoke
(vii ) ________________________________
(G ) Read the text below.

The root of the problem

Children are three times more likely to smoke if their parents or siblings are smokers. And it seems that it is far
too easy for them to find cigarettes, with very few shopkeepers obeying the law and refusing to serve underage
children. Another factor in the rise in the number of young smokers is the affordability of cigarettes for young peo­
ple. These days, young people have a lot of spare cash and can easily afford to pay for the cost of a packet. In a
survey of 12- to 15-year-olds carried out recently, it was also found that very few of them were aware of the seri­
ous health problems associated with smoking. But for many young people, the decision to smoke is mostly based
on what their friends are doing - if their friends smoke, so will they.

(i) List the causes of the problem as identified in the above text in note form. Then write a proposed solution down
next to each problem, as in the example.
parents or siblings smoke need to get parents and siblings to quit

(ii) Now try to answer the following question:

How can we get young people to stop smoking?

Ask your partner the question and then switch roles.

Remember: ( I) make a statement, (2) explain the statement, and (3) provide evidence to support your opinion.

(H ) What are the long-term health problems associated with smoking? Read the text and then list them on the right.

Smoking and Your Health

There are about 4,000 dangerous chemicals in every cigarette. Of
these, at least 80 are known to be cancer causing. The most com­
mon form of cancer suffered by smokers is of the lungs. However,
other types, such as oral and stomach cancer, have also been known
to occur. If you smoke, you are also five times more likely to have a
heart attack from middle age on, and you are also more prone to
suffering a stroke. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to miscar­
riage and is also related to cot death, the mysterious condition
where a seemingly healthy baby dies in its sleep. Regular smokers
also risk damaging their reproductive capacity and may become
sterile. The ash from cigarettes can sometimes lodge in the eye as
well, which can lead to retinal detachment and blindness.
(ii) Now try to answer the following question:

What long-term damage to a person’s health can smoking cause?

Ask your partner the question and then switch roles.
Remember: (I) make a statement, (2) explain the statement, and (3) provide evidence to support your opinion.

(I) (i) Smoking is a serious addiction. What other types of addictions can you think of? Write them in the space
provided below.

(ii) Discuss the following questions with your partner.

Addiction
(1) What type of addiction is the most serious? If you are addicted to something, you do that some­
(2) What reasons might a person have for drinking a lot? thing regularly and could not easily stop doing it by
(3) Is drug taking a problem in your neighbourhood? choice -you keep wanting more and more of it.
(4) Is gambling a less serious addiction than drug taking?

(J) Match the words in Table A with their meanings in Table B.

Table A p- to cause stress and strain to a joint without dislocating it

sprain - the place where a surgeon operates on patients

consultant someone who receives treatment and leaves hospital the same day

fracture a small break in the bone

cut a disease that has spread across a large area and affected many people
scan -
the method a doctor uses to try to help a patient recover to full health
epidemic
when you go to the doctor to make sure that you are still healthy
treatment
check-up someone who must remain in hospital for treatment for at least one night

inpatient a test or examination of part of the body using technology

outpatient an open, injured area of skin

theatre a doctor who is an expert in a specific area

 A D a y to R em em b er

It was the final of the inter-schools soccer tournament, and I had scored two goals playing a blinder in midfield.
I was dictating play; passing well; I was on fire. It was turning into one of the best days of my life.

And then it happened. A crunch and snap; someone had come in hard from behind. I felt my leg go from under
me and lost ( I ) _______consciousness_____ When I woke up briefly, I was in an (2 )_______________________
or something as far as I could make out. Then I drifted back into sleep again. My mother told me the rest...

I was rushed to (3 )________________________ , with a suspected (4 )_________________________, having been

taken off the football field on a (5 )________________ ________in a comatose state. Everyone was pretty wor­
ried.

The doctors brought me straight into (6 )________________________ and (7 )_________________________; it

was a very bad injury. I had just come to, my mum said, moments before the surgery was about to commence,
only for the strong (8 )________________________ to kick in and put me back into a deep, deep sleep. Not only
was my lower leg shattered in eight different places, but my knee was (9 )________________________ , too, and
had to be put back into position.

For a while, they had thought that they would have to (1 0 )________________________ , but luckily I had the
best doctor in the country looking after me. Thank goodness my mum had taken out ( I I ) _____________________;
otherwise we would never have been able to afford to go (1 2 )________________________ for treatment.

I woke up about three hours later, tired and sore, but all in one piece. The doctor kept me in hospital for
(1 3 )________________ ________for about a week before I was released. I had ( 14 )_________________________
on my leg and needed to use (1 5 )________________________to walk, but at least I still had it! In time, the doc­
tor said, it would be as good as new.

The doctor gave me a ( 16 )________________________ for some strong ( 17 )_________________________ as he

said it would be very sore for a while. He also prescribed some ( 18 )________________________ to help me get
my strength back and some (1 9 )________________________ to fight infection.

I was very nervous after all the trauma, and perhaps this induced an attack of (2 0 )______________________,
which I hadn’t had since I was eight years old. On seeing my breathing difficulties, the nurse quickly brought me
an (2 1 )________________________ .

What a week this was turning about to be...

broken leg Accident and Emergency health insurance

crutches prescription consciousness
inhaler antibiotics theatre
asthma painkillers operated
stretcher steroids amputate
dislocated anaesthetic observation
ambulance private plaster
(L ) Talk about the following questions with your partner.

• Have you ever been badly injured? What happened?

• Have you been in hospital before for an operation (or something else)? What happened?
• What is the most painful thing that has ever happened to you?
• Do you have any ongoing conditions like asthma?
• What about allergies - do you have any of those?

Share your experiences with the rest of the class.

Then discuss these questions as a class, or with your partner.

• Are there any hospitals in your area?

• What is the standard of healthcare like in your country?
• Is healthcare expensive in your country?
• Do you have private health insurance? Why do people decide to take out private health insurance?
• Is the work of a doctor difficult?
• Would you like to be one?
• Why is the job of a nurse important - what role does he/she play?

(M ) Look at this question:

Should the best medical care be free for all?

(i) Write down as many reasons as you can think of to support each side of the argument, ( I) Yes and (2) No, as in
the example.

( I ) Yes (2) No
it s a government service - we pay for it through taxes top-class medical care is extremely expensive - someone

has to pay for it and the government cannot afford to

(ii) Now, try to answer the question. Ask your partner the question and then switch roles.

You should look at both sides of the argument before giving your opinion. Use linking words of contrast to examine
both sides of the argument (On~the one hand ... but on the other... etc.)

Sto ck Phrases: When you want to indicate that you have considered both sides of
the argument before giving your opinion.

• Weighing everything up, I have come to the conclusion... • All things considered, I believe...
• Having looked at it from both sides, I have drawn • Having looked at it from both angles,
the conclusion that... it now seems to me...
• Taking everything into account, I have concluded that... • Taking everything into consideration, I’ve decided...
 (N ) Look at the pictures. They show different activities
people do to keep fit. Discuss with a partner:

• What do you do to stay fit and healthy?

• Why is exercise important?
• What do you think /s the best form of exercise?
• Is it important to look good?
• What are the benefits of leading an active lifestyle?

(O ) Put the activities listed in the box in the right column

of the table according to the verb they take. Some
can be put in more than one column.
cycling badminton hopscotch
karate rounders teg
gymnastics RE. rugby
hill walking fencing aerobics
athletics swimming weights
sky diving jogging press-ups
snorkelling tennis

K arate

Look at the pictures. They show different kinds

of food. Discuss with a partner:

• What do you consider a healthy diet?

• What foods are particularly good for you?
• What foods are particularly bad for you?
• Why is maintaining a healthy diet important?
• 4Everything in moderation.' Do you agree
with this idea when it comes to eating?
• Do you eat home-cooked meals often?
• Which do you think are better for our
health - home-cooked meals or bought meals?
• Which meal is the most important of the day
in your opinion?
 Speaking Test 10
P art I
The examiner will ask you some questions about yourself.
Let's talk about Your Eating Habits.
How often do you eat fast food?
What's your favourite type of fast food?
Do you snack a lot? What kinds of snacks do you eat?
Do you have breakfast everyday? Why / why not?
What time do you usually eat dinner at?
What do you eat for lunch when you are at school?

The examiner will then ask you some questions about one or two other topics. See the example below.
Now let's talk about Your Health.
What kinds of exercise do you do regularly?
When and how often do you brush your teeth?
Do you play any sports competitively?
When was the last time you went for a check-up at the doctor's? Did you have any problems?
What time do you get to sleep at most nights? How many hours of sleep do you get each night?

P art 2
The examiner will give you a topic on a card like the one below and ask you to talk about it for one to two minutes.
Before you talk you have one minute to think about what you want to say. The examiner will give you some paper
and a pencil so you can make notes if you want to.

Describe a time when you had to go to the doctor’s/hospital

You should say:
• what was wrong with you
• how you felt at the time
• what happened at the doctor’s/hospital
and explain what treatment you were given to help you get better.

The examiner may ask you one or two more related questions when you have finished, like those given in the
example below.
Do you tend to get sick often?
Have you ever been very seriously ill?
Do you like going to the dentist's?
How regularly do you go for a check-up at the doctor's and dentist's?

P art 3
The examiner will ask you some more general questions which follow on from the topic in Part 2.
Why is obesity such a big problem today?
What needs to be done to stop obesity levels growing?
This country's health system is very good - do you agree?
What could be done to improve the nation's health system?
Does everyone have a right to free healthcare?
Do you think rich people get a better quality of healthcare than poor?
How can eating healthily and exercising regularly benefit your life?