Tag: health and medicine

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Spain has ordered all high-risk areas to keep their poultry indoors starting November 10, 2025, after a surge in bird flu cases across Europe. The government said the move is a precaution to prevent farmed birds from coming into contact with infected wild birds.

The order affects several regions in the southwest, center, and north of Spain. While it may temporarily impact free-range farming, officials stress that keeping poultry indoors is necessary to protect animal health and prevent major outbreaks.

Read this article to know more about this restriction amid rising avian flu cases.

https://phys.org/news/2025-11-spain-poultry-indoors-bird-flu.html

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “to confine something indoors” mean? “Spain will confine poultry indoors in several regions starting Monday in response to escalating cases of avian influenza across Europe, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday.” Use it in a sentence.
2. What does “to prompt concern” mean? “The virus can spread through bird droppings and saliva, as well as contaminated food and water, prompting concern among farmers and health authorities.” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does “free-range” mean?  “Free-range poultry farming will be banned in these zones starting November 10, save for exceptional cases. No end date has been set.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is avian flu? What are all the information you know about it?
2. What are some effects of avian flu on humans?
3. What do you think about Spain’s decision to keep poultry indoors?
4. How might this rule affect poultry farmers and industry?
5. In your opinion, how important is it to balance food production with animal health and safety?

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

Malta has seen a rise in youth obesity and inactivity rates over the past years. 

As part of a government-backed push for a fitter generation, starting 2026, young people ages 16-21 can avail of a free 6-month gym membership. No catch, no lottery.

The objective is not only to promote fitness among the youths, but to start building the habit among youngsters from a very young age.

In the long run, this won’t just be another policy, but a means of prevention against future national health crisis.

Read the article about Malta’s national health initiative.

https://timesofmalta.com/article/free-gym-membership-young-people-officially-launched.1109164

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What is a “gym enthusiast”?  “Abela, a gym enthusiast himself, said around 12,000 young people can benefit from the initiative, in which the government will be investing €2 million.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym.
2. What does “to seize an opportunity” mean? “Abela encouraged eligible youngsters to seize this opportunity.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
3. What does “to echo someone’s sentiments” mean? “Sports Minister Clifton Grima echoed Abela’s sentiments, saying the measure demonstrates how investing in sport and youth can unite the community around a healthy and positive lifestyle.” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about Malta’s free gym membership for people ages 16-21?
2. Should other countries consider adopting the same initiative? Why or why not?
3. What could be the impacts of this initiative in the citizens’ heath and wellness long term?
4. Share your insights about this: We want to bring about a change in mentality – in how we view physical activity from an early age.
5. How does the government in your own country encourage and support physical activity as part of the citizens’ lifestyle? What health and fitness programs do you have in your country?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

As we step into 2026, healthy living is evolving beyond the basics of diet and exercise into a more integrated, mindful, and sustainable approach.

Read the article to know why recent research by American College of Sports Medicine, the top trend in fitness is not just movement it’s how movement, technology, rest, and recovery work together.

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “outpace” mean? “Although guidelines exist for evaluating wearables, rapid innovation often outpaces validation.” Use it in a sentence.
2. What does “wearable” mean? “When applied with intention, wearables enhance individualized coaching and help reinforce healthy habits over time. ” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does “reinforce” mean? “Exercise professionals should consistently reinforce the unique role of exercise in sustainable weight outcomes and position themselves as trusted partners in this process. ” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s one healthy habit you’d like to start or improve this 2026?
2. Do you think using fitness trackers really helps people stay consistent with exercise? Why or why not?
3. How do you usually take care of your mental health or manage stress?
4. Which do you find harder to maintain, eating healthy or getting enough sleep?
5. How do you balance living healthy with enjoying your favorite comfort foods or lazy days?

B2 – Upper Intermediate 

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that declining immunization coverage and delays in vaccination are putting children at serious risk.

Read the article to know a sharp rise in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.

https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/item/28-05-2025-resurgence-of-preventable-diseases-threatens-children-in-east-asia-and-the-pacific?

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “t0 miss out on something” mean? ” In the first months of 2025, countries like Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Viet Nam have reported a sharp rise in measles cases compared with the same period last year, signalling that far too many children are missing out on life-saving vaccines.” Use it in a sentence. Give a synonym.
2. What is an “underserved community”? “It highlights the vulnerable children who are being left behind — those who haven’t received even a single dose of vaccine, living in underserved communities, missed by routine immunization and vaccination campaigns.” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does “systemic failure” mean? “The resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in East Asia and the Pacific reflects deeper, systemic failures.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Did you hear that some preventable diseases are making a comeback in East Asia?
2. Can you guess how many measles cases were reported in the Philippines earlier this year?
3. What other diseases do you think the article mentioned besides measles?
4. Why do you think more kids are getting these diseases again?
5. How do you feel about the fact that fewer children are getting vaccinated nowadays?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The WHO warns that roughly one in six laboratory confirmed bacterial infections globally are now resistant to antibiotic treatments. From data collected between 2016 and 2023 across more than 100 countries, around 40 % of samples showed antibiotic resistance. It signals that investments in new antibiotics, better diagnostics and stronger stewardship of existing ones are becoming ever more critical.

Read the article to know why antibiotic resistance threatens to make common infections difficult or impossible to treat.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-27204988

Vocabulary Questions:

1. Explain what the term “post-antibiotic era” means. “Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era.” Use the term in a sentence.
2. What does “last-resort drug” mean? “One of them – carbapenem – is a so-called “last-resort” drug used to treat people with life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and infections in newborns, caused by the bacteria K.pneumoniae.” Use the term in a sentence.
3. What does “wake-up call” mean here, “Ultimately, WHO’s report should be a wake-up call to governments to introduce incentives for industry to develop new, affordable antibiotics that do not rely patents and high prices and are adapted to the needs of developing countries.” Use the phrase in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever heard of antibiotic resistance before? What do you think it means?
2. Why do you think some countries are experiencing higher levels of resistance than others?
3. Do you think people are aware of the proper way to use antibiotics? Why or why not?
4. How do you feel knowing that common infections may become harder to treat in the future?
5. What steps do you think individuals or governments can take to help solve this problem?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

This article discusses a 2025 update from the EAT-Lancet Commission, reporting that adopting a more plant-based, flexitarian diet could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths per year worldwide. The diet emphasizes whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, with limited animal products.

Read the article to know why the report also highlights that nearly half of the global population currently cannot afford a healthy diet so structural changes are needed to make this more accessible.

https://www.foodandwine.com/planetary-health-diet-eat-lancet-report-2025-11826819?

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “premature death” mean? “The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission reports that adopting a more flexitarian diet could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths annually and save trillions in healthcare expenses.” Use it in a sentence.
2. What does “a sweeping study” mean? “In early October, The Lancet published the updated EAT-Lancet Commission, a report that builds on the highly popular 2019 EAT–Lancet Commission, a sweeping study that brought together scientists, nutrition experts, and environmental researchers from more than 30 countries in what they describe as the “most comprehensive global scientific evaluation of food systems to date.” ” Use it in a sentence.
3. What does “prescriptive diet” mean? “And it’s really a diet that any culture, anywhere, can adapt to their tastes and local flavors. The Planetary Health Diet isn’t a restrictive or prescriptive diet.“ Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about the idea of a mostly plant-based diet to improve global health?
2. Would you be willing to eat less meat if it meant living a longer and healthier life?
3. What plant-based foods do you enjoy the most?
4. Do you think this kind of diet is affordable and realistic in your country?
5. How can governments or communities make healthy diets easier for people to follow?

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Messy handwriting by doctors has caused worry and public discussion recently. When prescriptions or medical notes are hard to read, it can lead to serious problems like giving the wrong medicine, making mistakes in diagnosis, or slowing down treatment.

Let’s read the article to understand how Punjab and Haryana High Court responded to this issue.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0r88nrx70o

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What does “scrawl” mean? “The BBC has seen a copy of the judgement which includes the report and a two-page prescription which shows the doctor’s unreadable scrawl.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
2. What is the meaning of the phrase “roll out“? “Health authorities in the UK have admitted that “drug errors caused appalling levels of harm and deaths and added that roll out of electronic prescribing systems across more hospitals could reduce errors by 50%.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
3. What does “to bear fruit” mean in this context, “His campaign, seeking a complete ban on handwritten prescriptions, bore fruit when in 2016, the Medical Council of India ordered that “every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters”.? Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your insights of the court’s decision telling doctors to write legibly? Do you think the same should be done in your country?
2. Share your thoughts on this: “Legible medical prescription is a fundamental right as it can make a difference between life and death.“
3. How important is clarity in medical prescriptions?
4. What do you think about including handwriting lessons in the medical school curriculum and set a two-year timeline for rolling out digitised prescriptions?
5. Are the doctors in your country also notorious for bad handwriting? Talk about it.
6. Have you ever had any issues because of the doctor’s illegible handwriting on any of your prescriptions? Share about this instance.