B2 – Upper Intermediate
Larynx or more commonly known as the “voice box is the organ responsible for speech. It also is important in breathing and swallowing.
Laryngeal cancer patients go through the ordeal of not being able to breathe, swallow, or speak on their own. Hence, a total larynx transplant should be performed on them. Unfortunately, larynx transplantation is not performed on patients with active cancer.
Marty Kedian is just one of many cancer of the larynx patients who was lucky enough to successfully undergo one and now on his way to recovery.
Listen to the audio and read the transcript about Marty Kedian’s larynx transplant.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “to keep up something” mean? “His voice sounded rough, but he was able to keep up a discussion for an hour.” Give a synonym and use this phrase in a sentence.
- What does “to push the boundaries” mean? “We want to be able to push those boundaries, but do it as safely and ethically as we can.” Use the idiom in your own sentence and give a synonym.
- What does “tracheostomy” mean? “His tracheostomy will remain in place for at least a few more months.” Use this word in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What are your thoughts on larynx transplant? What might be the pros and cons of this kind of surgery?
- Share your thoughts on this, “Doctors have not fully accepted these larynx transplants because people can survive without a larynx.”
- “Kedian would not let doctors remove his entire larynx to cure the cancer because he wanted to read bedtime stories to his granddaughter, with his own voice rather than what he called robotic-sounding speech devices.” Share your thoughts on this.
- Talk about the time you or someone you know had some problems with your/their voice box and/or voice.