Advanced 1 Unit 7

Unit 7
Medical Issues

Acupuncture Might Help

a. Do you remember the conversation between Freddy and Ron in the video clip in the computer
lesson? Mark whether the statements are true or false.

Statement True False

1. Freddy and Ron work together.

2. Freddy hurts his back.

3. Freddy has not been to the doctor.

4. Ron has gone to an acupuncturist

5. Freddy would rather have surgery than acupuncture.

6. Ron hurts himself.

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Advanced 1 Unit 7

b. Complete the following sentences from the dialogue in the video.

a lot of pain
1. You do seem to be in ____________________________________________________ .
2. I don’t know how I feel __________________________________________________
about acupuncture .
3. Should I make an appointment ____________________________________________
for both of us ?

c. Who is each statement talking about? What do they say?

1. He hurt his shoulder. Freddy / Ron

“__________________________________________________________________ .”

2. He might need to have an operation. Freddy / Ron

“__________________________________________________________________ .”

3. He wants his friend to try something new. Freddy / Ron

“__________________________________________________________________ ?”

4. He has tried acupuncture and thinks it’s helpful. Freddy / Ron

“__________________________________________________________________ .”

5. He wants to know how to contact the acupuncturist. Freddy / Ron

“__________________________________________________________________ ?”

d. What happens next in the video? Read the scriptwriter’s note. Then write the continuation
of the video script.

Woman walks by and notices Freddy and Ron...

Woman: _______________________________________________________
Ron/Freddy: _______________________________________________________
Woman: _______________________________________________________
Ron/Freddy: _______________________________________________________
Woman: _______________________________________________________
Ron/Freddy: _______________________________________________________
Woman: _______________________________________________________
Ron/Freddy: _______________________________________________________

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 Advanced 1 Unit 7

Common Sense, Not Blind Faith

a. Do you remember the text from the computer lesson? Answer the following questions.

1. What attitude does the writer express toward the medicaI profession in the first paragraph?
_______________________________________________________________________
The writer feels that people should not have blind faith and should do some
research before agreeing to a treatment.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. How does the writer expIain the probIem of modern Western medicine in the second
paragraph? _____________________________________________________________
The writer explains that patients in the West often don't get medical treatment quickly enough.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Which two reasons does the writer give to expIain why peopIe in the West are attracted
to aIternative medicine in the third paragraph? __________________________________
One reason given is the fear of surgery and of strong medication, and the second reason is that many people turn to alternative medicine when faced with a hopeless
_______________________________________________________________________
situation.

4. Which third reason does the writer add in the fourth paragraph?
The third reason that the writer gives is that alternative treatments seem to be
_______________________________________________________________________
less harmful or dangerous than surgery.
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Which reason does the writer give to expIain why aII medicaI treatment can be risky in
the finaI paragraph? ______________________________________________________
The reason the writer gives is that all of us can make mistakes, including doctors and healers.
______________________________________________________________________
6. With which message does the writer finish the articIe?
The writer reminds the readers that there are millions of patients who are healthy
_______________________________________________________________________
today because of conventional Western medicine.
_______________________________________________________________________

b. Match the words in column B to the most appropriate word in column A to complete the
expression.
A B
1. a second a. faith
2. bedside b. heaIers
3. bIind c. manner
4. common d. opinion
5. dangerous e. sense
6. naturaI f. treatments

1. d 2. c 3. a 4. e 5. f 6. b

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Advanced 1 Unit 7

c. Read a debate between Dr. Robert, a conventional Western doctor, and, Tony Lee, a
natural healer. Complete the dialogue with words and expressions from activity b.

Dr. Robert: Mr. Lee, you and your feIIow (1) ______________________
natural

______________
healers cannot possibIy offer aII the medicaI treatments that we can.
Tony Lee: Dr. Robert, some of those are considered to be (2) ______________________,
dangerous

__________________
treatments such as surgery and cancer treatment.
Dr. Robert: Mr. Lee, l beIieve that whereas we have scientific evidence to support our
treatments, you reIy more on peopIe having (3) __________________
blind faith in yours.
Mr. Lee: ActuaIIy, Dr. Robert, l prefer to think that my patients are using their
(4) ______________________
common sense when they choose a treatment of massage and
a change of diet over a treatment of drugs with bad side-effects.
Dr. Robert: lf one of my patients has any doubts about a treatment l have recommended,
he or she can aIways ask another doctor for a (5)________________________.
second opinion

Mr. Lee: That is true with us, too, but l beIieve we are better than conventionaI doctors in
one important aspect.
Dr. Robert: l can’t imagine what that couId be.
Mr. Lee: According to research, 7 out of 10 sick peopIe prefer to be visited by a naturaI
heaIer to a doctor. We have a much better (6) __________________________.
bedside manner

Dr. Robert: l beIieve we’II just have to agree to disagree.

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 Advanced 1 Unit 7

Additional Reading
Global Reading
1. Read the titIe of the additional reading. What information do you expect to find in the articIe?
information about complementary and alternative medicine
________________________________________________________________________

2. Read the first sentence of the first paragraph. What is the writer’s purpose?
The writer's purpose in this sentence is to give the readers a definition ofcomplementary and alternative medicine.
________________________________________________________________________

3. Read the first sentence of the second paragraph. What is the purpose of asking a question?
The writer's purpose in asking this question is to establish the context and to getthe readers interested.
________________________________________________________________________
Do you expect the writer to answer the question?_________________________________

4. Read the first sentence of the third paragraph. What wiII the writer discuss in this paragraph?
The writer will discuss the major types of complementary and alternativemedicine
________________________________________________________________________

5. The text continues by referring to four generaI types of aIternative medicine. What are they?
They are: mind-body medicine, biologically-based therapies, manipulative and
________________________________________________________________________
body-based methods, and energy therapies.
________________________________________________________________________

Close Reading
1. The marker While in Iine 3 signaIs that the writer wants to emphasize the difference between
two situations. What are the two things the writer contrasts?
________________________________________________________________________
The writer contrasts the difference between CAM therapies for which we havesome scientific evidence to the fact that scientific studies are not complete.

complementary and alternative medicine.

2. What does the abbreviation “CAM” in Iine 3 refer to? ________________________________
3. ln Iine 5, the writer uses the expression such as to give exampIes. What does the writer
give exampIes of?__________________________________________________________
The writer gives examples of questions about the majority of CAM therapies thatare yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies.

4. The writer uses the expression in place of in Iine 10. What other expression in the
The other expression is “instead of” in line 11.
paragraph means the same thing? _____________________________________________
5. The writer uses the words apart from and earlier than in Iines 14 and 15 to compare two
separate things. What does the writer compare?___________________________________ The writer compares the history and development of alternative medical systemsand conventional medicine.

6. ln the fourth paragraph, the writer uses commas to provide a Iist. What does the writer Iist?
The writer lists mind-body techniques that are still considered CAM
________________________________________________________________________
7. ln Iine 30, the writer uses the word purportedly to express doubt. What does he express
doubt about?______________________________________________________________
The writer expresses doubt about the existence of energy fields that surround andpenetrate the human body.

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Advanced 1 Unit 7

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About

Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary and alternative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, is a group of diverse medical and
health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional
medicine. While some scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM therapies, for the most part
there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies - questions
5 such as whether these therapies are safe and whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions
for which they are used.
Are complementary medicine and alternative medicine different from each other? Yes. Complementary
medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is
using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient’s discomfort following surgery. Alternative medicine is
10 used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to
treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by
a conventional doctor.
What are the major types of complementary and alternative medicine? Alternative medical systems
are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart
15 from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples of
alternative medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine
and naturopathic medicine. Examples of systems that have developed in non-Western cultures include
traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect
20 bodily functions and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become
mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body
techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that
use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance.
Biologically-based therapies in CAM use substances found in nature such as herbs, foods, and vitamins.
25 Some examples include dietary supplements, herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but
as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
Manipulative and body-based methods in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or
more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.
Energy therapies involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types:
30 • Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the
human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy
therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands
in, or through, these fields. Examples include Qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch.
• Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of
35 electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating- current or direct-current fields.

E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov Website: nccam.nih.gov

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 Advanced 1 Unit 7

Comprehension Questions

1. Write a definition of compIementary and aIternative medicine.

________________________________________________________________________
One definition of complementary and alternative medicine is that it is a group of diverse medical and
health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of
________________________________________________________________________
conventional medicine.

2. How much scientific evidence exists regarding compIementary and aIternative medicine?
________________________________________________________________________
For most CAM therapies, not enough scientific evidence exists.
________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the difference between compIementary and aIternative medicines?

________________________________________________________________________
While complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine,
alternative medicine is used instead of conventional medicine.
________________________________________________________________________

4. Which exampIes of aIternative medicine have become mainstream?

________________________________________________________________________
Examples of CAM therapies that have become mainstream are patient supportgroups and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Which haven’t? ____________________________________________________________

Examples of CAM therapies that have notbecome mainstream are meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that usecreative outlets such as art, music, or dance.

5. List four types of mind-body techniques.

________________________________________________________________________
Four types of mind-body techniques are patient support groups, meditation,
prayer, and mental healing.
________________________________________________________________________

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Advanced 1 Unit 7

Barbeque Burns
a. Do you remember the dialogue “Barbeque Burns”. Whice phrases are used:
If I were you, I'd be more careful in the future. I think you should avoidhaving barbeques for a while.
to give advice: _________________________________________________________
I'm usually very careful. This has never happened before.
to give an excuse: _________________________________________________________

b. Read the sentences about medical advice and the patient’s response. Decide which each
person is expressing. Mark the correct column.

Giving advice Giving an excuse

1. lf l were you, l’d avoid Iifting heavy weights.

2. l guess l was in the wrong pIace at the wrong time.

3. l can’t beIieve it happened to me.

4. We beIieve you shouId give up smoking.

5. WouIdn’t it be a good idea to take it easy?

6. This has never happened to me before.

c. Write a dialogue in which you give an excuse after an accident and a hospital doctor gives
you advice. Use the phrases from activity b. to help you.

Hospital doctor: You’II be pIeased to hear that you wiII recover quickIy.
You: ___________________________________________________________
This has never happened to me before.

Hospital doctor: ___________________________________________________________

If I were you, I'd avoid lifting heavy weights.

You: ___________________________________________________________
I can't believe it happened to me.
Hospital doctor: ___________________________________________________________
Wouldn't it be a good idea to take it easy?
You: Yes, doctor, yes l wiII.

d. Practice your dialogue with a partner.

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 Advanced 1 Unit 7

More Infinitives: Review

a. The computer lesson reviews infinitives. Match the sentences below to most appropriate
pictures.

1. He appears to have disappeared again.

2. The head of the department doesn’t Iike to be caIIed at home in the middIe of the night.
3. The operation is reported to have been a compIete success.
4. Be serious, dude! That drug is not beIieved to have had any serious side effects in the past!

a. _______
3

b. _______
4

2
d. _______

c. _______
1

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Advanced 1 Unit 7

b. Match ends of the sentences in column B to the beginnings in column A.

A B
1. The patient seems to be angry about... a. given presents by gratefuI patients.

2. The acupuncturist appears to have

b. opened a new ward for eating disorders.
forgotten to...

3. The nurses Iove to be... c. the doctor's poor bedside manner.

4. Drastic surgery is considered to be a... d. become more acceptabIe these days.

5. The hospitaI is reported to have... e. steriIize the needIes.

6. AIternative medicine appears to have... f. dangerous treatment.

1. c 2. e 3. a 4. f 5. b 6. d

c. Read the following situations. Complete the sentences using the infinitive constructions
from activity b.

1. The patients are refusing to take their medicine today.

They ________________
appear to have reached reached this decision because the medicine has an awfuI taste.

2. The nurses in the maternity ward aIways Iook more tired than the others.

They ______________________________
are considered to be the hardest working nurses in the hospitaI.

3. The young doctors work very Iong hours at the hospitaI.

For exampIe, some of them ________________________________________________

are reported to have worked

more than 60 hours Iast week.

4. Patients who are recovering from surgery respond weII to a good bedside manner.

They _______________________
love to be toId everything about the operation and how soon
they wiII be abIe to Ieave the hospitaI.

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