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Medical Matters

Warm-up | Health and Medicine

Warm-up | Doctors Wouldn't go near it.

7 doctors each list one thing they most likely wouldn't do themselves. Which are they?

  • follow a low-carb diet
  • go to the doctor with a long list of symptoms
  • have a full health check
  • have cosmetic surgery
  • see a counsellor
  • smoke or drink alcohol
  • sunbathe
  • take anti-malaria pills when visiting a country where it is endemic
  • take sleeping tablets
  • take vitamin supplements
  • use alternative medicine
  • vaccinate their children against childhood illnesses like measles

Reading | What doctors won't do

Check with A-H

  • follow a low-carb diet
  • go to the doctor with a long list of symptoms
  • have a full health check
  • have cosmetic surgery
  • see a counsellor
  • smoke or drink alcohol
  • sunbathe
  • take anti-malaria pills when visiting a country where it is endemic
  • take sleeping tablets
  • take vitamin supplements
  • use alternative medicine
  • vaccinate their children against childhood illnesses like measles

Reading | Match the reasons to the headings

  1. Because it might be difficult later to stop doing this.
  2. Because the doctor may take you less seriously.
  3. Because the short-term benefit may be outweighed by long-term problems.
  4. Because you may develop another illness as a result of unnecessary treatment.
  5. Because you may end up getting treatment you didn’t really need.
  6. Because you may not necessarily be treated by a professional.
  7. Because you are doing something that is deliberately damaging.

Reaction | What doctors won't do

  • Do any of the doctors' opinions surprise you?
  • Might their opinions affect the way you behave? Why [/not]?
  • Would you ever try these alternative medicines: acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, osteotherapy?
    • What does each of these involve?

Listening | Did they have the treatment?

  • For each speaker, if so:
    • What?
    • What for?
    • Was it successful?
  • If not, why not?

Listening | Which speaker...?

Speaking | Did they have the treatment?

  • Which are popular in your country?
  • Have you ever tried any other form of alternative medicine?
  • Was your / another person's experience positive or negative?

Grammar | Gerunds or Infinitives?

Grammar | Gerunds or Infinitives?

Grammar | Gerunds or Infinitives? B2?

  • Adjective plus infinitive. Verb + Preposition + Gerund. Bla bla bla...
    • It's expected you know this at C1.

Grammar | Gerunds or Infinitives?

  • He's the youngest to win the competition.
  • He's the second person to win the competition.
    • After superlatives and words of order
      => Infinitive
  • I don't know how to win it.
    • Directly after question words, except why => Infinitive
  • There's nowhere to go.
    • Directly after something, anywhere, etc => Infinitive
  • There's not enough time [for us] to complete the task.
  • We cannot visit everything; there's too much to see.
    • After expressions with quantifiers
      => Infinitive
  • We have an agreement to share...
  • Our plan to take over the world is coming along nicely
    • After nouns formed from verbs
      => Infinitive
  • It's no use worrying about it. There's no point asking him.
    • Certain expressions using it/there, e.g. It's no good, etc.
      => Gerund

Grammar | Complex Gerunds or Infinitives?

  • She hates being told what to do. I'm tired of being lied to.
    • Passive gerund (being done) = actions done to the subject
  • I want to be promoted. My car needs to be serviced.
    • Passive infinitive (to be done) = again, action done to the subject
    • Passive gerund or infinitive based on what came before.
  • He thanked them for having helped. How wonderful to have finished all our exams.
    • Perfect gerund / infinitive (having done / to have done) to emphasize action completed in past.
      • Simple and perfect often the same, e.g. He denied stealing the money = He denied having stolen the money
  • I would love to have seen your work. I would rather have stayed in the hotel.
    • Perfect infinitive after would like, would rather, etc. to talk about an earlier option
  • I'd like to be lying on the beach. She seems to be coughing.
    • Continuous infinitive to describe actions in progress.

Listening | Infographics and Advice

 

What medical advice does each image represent?

Speaking | Reaction

  • Which advice was the most / least accurate? What surprised you?
  • Have you heard similar advice? Where does it come from? Do you take it seriously?
  • Should people be left to make their own choices or is this advice helpful?
  • Is there any health advice you strongly believe in and try to put in practice?