Tag: health and medicine

Improve Your Energy Levels

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In this fast-paced, modern world, maintaining optimal energy is crucial. We are always on the go, juggling work, family, and personal time. Not managing our energy well can leave us feeling exhausted and drained all the time.

Read the article to learn the seven habits that will drastically improve your energy levels.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/habits-improve-energy-levels_l_6351a3a1e4b04cf8f381628e

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “slump”. “Unable to overcome the afternoon slump?” / “When it’s not present, you can experience an energy slump.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘slump‘ in a sentence.
  2. What does “to catch enough ZZZs” mean? “It goes without explaining that catching enough ZZZs is key to boosting your energy throughout the day.” Give a synonym and use this idiom in a sentence.
  3. What does “paradoxical effect” mean? “However, drinking too much caffeine can have a paradoxical effect, leaving you lethargic.” Make a sentence using this phrase.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Among the seven habits, which one do you find the most challenging to incorporate into your routine? Why is that?
  2. How exhausting is your current day-to-day life?
  3. How do you currently manage your energy levels in your daily life?
  4. How do you manage stress in your life, and do you think effective stress management can influence your energy levels?
  5. What is your opinion on this, “Stress has a huge impact on your physical well-being.”?

Spain Does Not Have a Fentanyl Problem

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Fentanyl and Xylazine mixture is by far the deadliest drug threat in the USA. It is commonly known as the “zombie drug” because of its mental and physical manifestation on its users. There is an alarming rise in deaths linked to this drug mixture.

In Spain, however, this doesn’t seem to be a problem despite ranking fourth as the country with the most fentanyl consumption within the OECD.

Let’s read the article and know more as to why Spain doesn’t suffer the same fate as the USA.

https://www.thelocal.es/20230810/why-does-spain-not-have-a-fentanyl-problem

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the adjective “potent” mean in this context? “… it’s 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
  2. Define the verb “dispense“. “These reports are sent to an administrative body, which then controls how much it dispenses.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “fill the gap” mean? “Europe’s heroin market may soon be in short supply, however, making way for drugs like fentanyl to fill the gap.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What kind of drug is Fentanyl and how is it compared with heroin and morphine?
  2. What are the reasons why Spain doesn’t have a widespread Fentanyl abuse?
  3. According to the article, what is the medication dispensing process for pharmacies in Spain?

Sick Houses

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We are living under the notion that staying indoors could shield us from outdoor pollutants. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when most people around the world were confined to their homes, we felt safer. However, being indoor isn’t tantamount to pollution-free condition. There are homes with level of air pollution that is as high or even exceeds the legal outdoor limits.

Let’s read the article and know more about what makes a sick house.

http://headsupenglish.com/index.php/advanced-english-students/advanced-mini-lessons/173-sick-houses

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define the adverb “adversely“. “Did you know that your house could adversely affect your health?” Give two synonyms and use it in a sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of the word “malaise“? “It’s a home that contributes to or brings about allergies, malaise, migraines, and/or colds.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “solitary” mean? “And although it doesn’t come down to a solitary factor, the pollutants accumulate…” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are sick houses?
  2. Aside from health risks, what other effects could sick houses have on its dwellers?
  3. How do you keep your home free from indoor pollution?
  4. In your opinion, which areas in your country have more sick houses?

Healthcare

B1 – Intermediate

Access to free healthcare is a basic human right. However, even in rich countries, they are not provided. Because people can’t afford it, they have no choice but to not go to a hospital to get treated.

In an ideal world, everyone should get free medical treatments and medicines. The question is, is this ever possible?

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about healthcare.

https://listenaminute.com/h/healthcare.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “healthcare” mean? “Every country must provide free healthcare to its citizens.” Use the word in a sentence.
  2. What does “afford” mean here, “He went with lots of Americans who couldn’t afford healthcare in America.” Use ‘afford’ in this context in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”treat” mean here, “Amazingly, the Cuban hospitals treated them all for free and gave them medicine.” Use ‘treat’ in this context in your own sentence. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree with this, “Every country must provide free healthcare to its citizens.”? Explain your point.
  2. Is it possible to provide everyone with free healthcare? Why or why not?
  3. Why do you think rich countries don’t provide free healthcare to everyone?
  4. Talk about the healthcare system in your country.
  5. What are the most important health care issues in your country?

Women Need to Eat Differently in Their 40s

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to aging and hormone changes, women’s bodies undergo significant modifications as they reach their forties. The shifts in metabolic processes, physique, bone composition, and overall wellness are caused by these adjustments. It becomes increasingly important for women to take charge of their eating regimens in order to maintain a healthy state at this stage of life.

Examine the underlying causes prompting women to alter their eating patterns in their 40s and access the recommended guidelines for making dietary changes to support enduring health and vitality through the link provided.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-dietary-needs-after-40_l_64b17d85e4b0dcb4cab2da14

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “holy grail” mean in the sentence, “If you’re a woman who’s in her mid-40s, you’ve probably witnessed a number of fad diets and nutritional holy grails over the past few decades.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “window of opportunity” mean in the sentence, “Health experts call the time of life a window of opportunity, she said.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  3. What does “lower the bar” mean in the sentence, “So give yourself permission to lower the bar and make a most-of-the-time ‘good enough’ your standard, instead of striving for perfection every time.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do women need to eat differently when they reach their 40s?
  2. How can women adapt their diets to support their metabolism in their 40s?
  3. How does heart health become a priority for women in their 40s, and what dietary adjustments can support it?
  4. What are some other lifestyle factors besides diet that women should consider to maintain well-being in their 40s? Please share.
  5. What can be done to promote awareness of the importance of adapting their diets for better health during this life stage? Talk about it.

Dream Stage of Sleep

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Sleep is a vital component of human life that has a big impact on both our mental and physical well-being. Our sleep rhythms include rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep at various stages throughout the night. Vivid dreaming is a hallmark of REM sleep, which is important for memory consolidation, emotional control, and cognitive functions.

To learn more about the ideal dream stage duration during sleep and its significance for overall sleep quality, click the link.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hours-rem-sleep-need_l_64a6f95ae4b0e87d6552ff3d

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “a host of” mean, “REM sleep is beneficial for a host of important reasons.”? Give a synonym and use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “check out” mean in the sentence, “With that said, you’ll want to get these checked out by a sleep doctor or specialist to see how underlying health conditions, medications and other sleep-related disorders may be affecting your sleep cycle.”? Give a synonym and use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does “worth a chat” mean in the sentence, “It’s also worth a chat if you’re just generally having a rough time getting rest.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the dream stage of sleep and why is it important?
  2. Is there a recommended percentage of sleep time that should be spent in the dream stage? Talk about it.
  3. How does the optimal duration of the dream stage differ across different age groups?
  4. How does the dream stage impact memory consolidation and learning?
  5. What are the potential effects of disrupting or inhibiting the dream stage on emotional well-being and mental health?

Climate Change Cause More Diseases

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The effects of climate change are hotter temperatures, stronger storms, loss of species, and food supply issues to name a few.

As temperatures get higher and higher, mosquitos now plague new places and Europe is no exception.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about how climate change worsen some mosquito-borne diseases.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2023/ep-230525

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase “critical window” mean? “Sometimes parents don’t know about this critical window, and when they bring the child to the hospital, it’s difficult for us to help.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does the idiom “part of the jigsaw/puzzle” mean, “Manisha also talked about the link between poverty and dengue, which is an important part of this jigsaw isn’t it, because as more and more people move to cities and live in cramped conditions, with poor sanitation, then more and more people are exposed to dengue, so there’s something of a domino effect here.” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “domino effect” mean, “These provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos creating a domino effect.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does climate change have anything to do with mosquito-borne diseases?
  2. Share your thoughts/reaction to this: “The domino effect means that dengue is spreading not just in Asia, but in parts of the world which didn’t have it before, including France, Spain, and Italy.”.
  3. Talk about another disease caused or spread by insects or animals. Discuss its symptoms and treatment.
  4. Talk about other diseases that are made worse by climate change.
  5. How else does climate change impact human health?

Climate Change Extends Allergy Season

B1 – Intermediate

Spring may be such a lovely season for most. But for some people who have pollen allergies, it is a nightmare. 

Due to climate change, spring could arrive weeks earlier and could be longer too. This means allergy or hay fever season will also last longer.

Read the article about how climate change extends allergy season.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2303/230320-allergies-4.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is “hay fever”? “This is because pollen from flowers bring allergies like hay fever.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “trajectory” mean, “The scientists said this was not surprising, given the trajectory our planet is on.”? Give a synonym and use “trajectory” in your own sentence.
  3. What does “to act on something” mean, “Acting on climate change will help people’s health.”? Give a synonym and use “to act on something” in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this news about climate change making allergy season last longer?
  2. What are other allergies that you know of? Talk about them.
  3. Do you or anyone you know suffer from any kind of allergies? Speak about how you or they feel during an allergy attack.
  4. What other health problems do people have during spring?
  5. How else does weather / climate change affect people’s health?
  6. How else does weather / climate change affect your health?

Easy to be Thin in Japan

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In a world where obesity rates are on the rise, Japan stands out as a remarkable exception. Renowned for its slender population, Japan has consistently held one of the lowest obesity rates among developed nations. The question stands, “What factors contribute to the ease of maintaining a thin physique in the Japanese society?”.

Watch the video on why it is easy for Japanese to stay thin.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the word “establishment” mean here, “As of 2017, there are over 243,000 fast food establishments in America.“? Give another meaning of this word and use ‘establishment’ in your own sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “walking distance” mean, “For most, these places are in walking distance.“? Give a synonym of ‘walking distance’ and use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does the phrase “over and over” mean, “It’s going to be much easier to stick to healthier options if you aren’t getting bored of having to eat the same thing at the same places over and over.“? Give 2 synonyms of ‘over and over’ and use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your opinion, which factors discussed in the video do you believe are the most influential in maintaining a slim figure in Japan? Are there any other factors that you think should be considered?
  2. What are the key dietary factors that contribute to the ease of maintaining a slim figure in Japan? How does the traditional Japanese diet differ from the diet in your country?
  3. What’s your country’s food environment like?
  4. While Japan’s low obesity rates are notable, is it realistic or desirable for other countries to replicate the same level of slimness? Why or why not?
  5. Explain why people’s diet is a societal concern.

Skin Gets Crepey as You Get Older

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Our physical features undergo transformations as we get older and one obvious shift is the gradual occurrence of crepey skin. The concept refers to skin thinning and wrinkling that has the look and feel of crepe paper. Although crepey skin is an inevitable consequence of the aging process, appreciating its deeper causes will allow us to gratefully acknowledge the nature of our bodies complexities and potentially take proactive steps to prevent it.

Click on the link to uncover more about the underlying causes of crepey skin and the best ways to care for our skin as we get older.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/crepey-skin_l_648227d3e4b025003edc406e

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “snaps right back” mean in the sentence, “The elastic fibers, they start off very strong. Twenty-something-, 30-something-year-olds, their skin snaps right back.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.
  2. What does “ward off” mean in the sentence, “Wearing sunscreen may seem like the obvious way to ward off crepey skin, but Francis said another method may be more effective.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does “last line of defense” mean in the sentence, “I always tell people, think of sunscreen as your last line of defense.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is crepey skin and how does it differ from other signs of aging?
  2. Can genetics influence the likelihood of developing crepey skin? If so, how?
  3. What are some preventive measures individuals can take to minimize the appearance of crepey skin?
  4. How significant is maintaining healthy skin to you?
  5. What is your personal skincare routine like? Please share.