Health Care

Posted by MichikoNakamura Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:56:57 GMT

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Now, let's start by reading this conversation between co-workers at the office:

Michael: What's wrong with you today Michiko? You seem sluggish and your face is pale.
Michiko: I think I'm coming down with a cold.

Read these example sentences:

"You seem sluggish"

"Your face is pale"

If you are sick, you could use one of these sentences:

"I'm coming down with a cold"

"I'm catching a cold"

In America, when you catch a cold, you do certain things to help you feel better. We sometimes call them remedies. Read this next conversation and see if you can find the five remedies in this following conversation:

Mom: Peter, do you feel all right?
Peter: No, my head feels hot.
Mom: Swallow this aspirin and I'll put this towel on your forehead.
Peter: Can I have some chicken broth mom?
Mom: Yes. Now put this blanket on and sweat the fever out.
Peter: O.K. I want orange juice too. Don't forget!

　　　

Did you hear the remedies in this conversation? Read some of them again:

"Swallow this aspirin"

"Sip this chicken broth"

"Put this blanket on and sweat the fever out"

Now, read this short conversation:

Michael: Well, you're back to work! You had a pretty bad flu right?
Michiko: No, everyone makes a mountain out of a molehill. I just caught a cold.

There was an idiom that was used in this dialog. Did you hear it? The woman said,

"Everyone makes a mountain out of a molehill."

This means to make something bigger than it really is. People usually do this when they talk about someone else without really knowing all the details.   Read this example sentence:

"Don't make a mountain out of a molehill"

The common cold is just one of the few sicknesses that people get. Another one is a stomach ache.

Read this conversation:

Granddaughter: Grandpa, I have a stomach ache.
Grandpa: What have you eaten in the last few hours?
Granddaughter:   One dill pickle and 2 bowls of ice cream.
Grandpa: Ughh! No wonder! What kind of pain is it?
Granddaughter:   It's just a dull ache in the pit of my stomach.
Grandpa: Just rest and take a spoonful of this Pepto-Bismal.

There are several ways to tell someone about your stomach. For example:

"I have an upset stomach"

"My stomach hurts"

"I have a stomach ache"

There could be several reasons for a stomach ache. In this conversation, it could have been because of what she ate. The
question asked was:

"What have you eaten in the last few hours?"

There are also different kinds of pain.   A sharp pain could be from cutting yourself or when you poke yourself suddenly. A dull aching pain could feel like when you have a bad headache or stomach. And a stinging pain might be caused from a bite from an insect. Now let's practice, everyone.

Read these examples:

"What kind of pain do you have?"

"Is it a sharp, dull or stinging pain?"

"It's just a dull ache in the pit of my stomach"

Now sometimes we eat certain food to help our bodies become healthy. Read this next conversation between a mother and her son:

Mom: Larry, eat your peas and spinach.
Larry: Why?
Mom: It's good roughage for you.
Larry: What's that mean?
Mom: It just means that it'll help clean out your system.
Larry: Yuck.

One thing that will clean out your body is roughage. This is food such as bran, vegetable peel and so on.

Read this example sentence:

"Roughage will help clean out your system"

When you travel to foreign places you might have trouble with your stomach.

Read this next conversation between a husband and wife:

Michael: Ow, my stomach feels awful. I think I'm constipated.
Michiko: Try this natural herbal laxative.
Michael: No. It might give me diarrhea.
Michiko: Don't worry. You'll feel better.
Michael: All right. I'd better eat more fiber after this.

You might have heard the word constipated. It means you have trouble going to the bathroom. On the other hand, diarrhea is excessive frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Read these example sentences:

"I feel constipated"

"I have diarrhea"

A laxative is something that helps your bowel movement. Fiber also
helps. Now, read this next conversation between close friends:

Michiko: Ehhh! What's that noise?
Michael: Sorry Michiko, I just passed gas.
Michiko: Gross! You should do it somewhere else.
Michael: You want me to hold it in?! I'd be so uncomfortable.
Michiko: I'll let you off this time, but don't do it again!

Read these example sentences:

"Excuse me for passing gas"

"I just released gas but it was an accident"

Now lread this next conversation between two friends:

Michael: What's it say on the label?
Michiko: Why are you trying to watch your weight?
Michael: No, just trying to keep off the unhealthy stuff.
Michiko: Well, first you have to know what the ingredients are.
Michael: I know what protein, calcium, and potassium are but not the rest.
Michiko: You'd better look it up.

At the store you will find nutrition labels telling you what's in the product. Some things you should avoid are saturated fat and cholesterol because they can raise blood cholesterol. Also too much sodium is no good. Sodium is just another name for salt. In the conversation, Michiko said,

"What's it say on the label?"

Let's read this next conversation about taking care of your body when you eat spicy food:

Michiko: Oh my gosh. My tongue's on fire!
Michael: Here drink some water.
Michiko: It's not helping. I wonder why?
Michael: Because oil and water don't mix. You should try some bread or milk to absorb the oil.
Michiko:   How will milk help?
Michael: The milk acts as a detergent, combining with the oil and washing it away.

If some kind of food is very spicy, you can say

"My tongue is on fire!"

We learned that oil and water don't mix so use bread or milk to absorb the oil. You can also use the words "soak up." Now, let's practice, everyone. Read these example sentences:

"Bread will absorb the oil"

"The sponge will soak up the spilt water"

Read this is final conversation between a brother and a sister.

Michiko: Oh, there's nothing like a hot shower and a good shampoo.
Michael: I know what you mean.
Michiko: I'm going to sleep now.
Michael: You're going to get sick if you sleep with damp hair.
Michiko: I'll just put a towel on my pillow and sleep on that.
Michael: You're so lazy! Just blow-dry your hair!

The phrase,

"There's nothing like a hot shower and a good shampoo!"

This sentence means that it's very very good and nothing can compare. You can get sick if you sleep with wet or damp hair. Damp means slightly wet. Read this example sentence:

"You're going to get sick if you sleep with damp hair"