Fact or myth?

1. It’s difficult to ignore your mother when she tells you to “wrap up warm” or “dry your hair or you’ll get a cold”- but colds are not caused by the cold: they are caused by viruses! Walking around with wet hair or a T-shirt in winter may look silly, and will make you feel cold, but you will only get a cold or the flu, if you come into contact with an infected person. The best way to avoid viruses like these is to wash your hands regularly when there’s a bug going around.

2. Despite the huge medical advances that have been made over the last century, the common cold is still incurable and medicine does little for the symptoms either. Antibiotics won’t help as your cold is caused by one of over 200 viruses. The only time you may need them is if you develop a throat or ear infection. Otherwise, go to bed and drink lots of fluids and wait till you get better.

3. Acne is a hormonal condition which causes the skin to produce too much oil. Eating a lot of fatty foods may be bad for you in other ways, but research has failed to find any connection between diet and acne. Incidentally, washing too much can make the condition worse. It’s best just to wash gently twice a day and don’t rub the skin too hard.

Doctors have several ideas about what leads to arthritis including bacterial or viral infections and jobs which involve an overuse of your joints. Some types of arthritis can even affect children. However, no types are caused by cracking your finger joists.

Exercise 8 Translate the text with a dictionary.

Exercise 9 Answer the questions.

a) What do mothers often tell their children?

b) What is the best way to avoid catching a cold?

c) When you may need antibiotics?

d) What is the best way to deal with a cold?

e) What makes acne worse?

 

GRAMMAR COMMENT

Time and sequence

Two things happening at the same time. Pat wrote letters whileI cooked the dinner. (two actions in the same period of time) The accident happened while I was on my way to work. (Here there is a longer action “on my way to work” and a shorter action “the accident”. We can also use when or ashere.) I saw him (just) asI came out of the office. (For two very short actions we use as (not while), and we often use just as to emphasize that these two short actions happened at exactly the same moment: He opened the door just as I touched the handle)

 

 

A sequence of actions We had a great holiday. First of all we spent a few days in St. Mortiz. Then/ After that we drove down to the Italian Riviera and stayed in Portofino foe a week. Finally, we went back to Switzerland and visited some old friends in Lucerne. NOTE: If one action happens soon after the other, we often use afterwardsin place of after (that): First of all we met the others for a meal, and afterwards we went to the disco. If you want to say that something happened after a lot of time and /or a lot of problems, you can use eventuallyor in the end We took several wrong turnings and the traffic was awful, but eventually we got there.

• Cross out the incorrect answers. Sometimes both answers are correct.

Maria cleaned the kitchen as/while I did the bathroom

I had a lot of problems at the shop but eventually/ finally they agreed to give me a refund.

The phone rang while/ just as I was leaving the house

The letter arrived while/ as we were getting ready

• Complete these sentences in a suitable way.

I think I dropped the letter as__________________________________________________________

I looked up half of the words in my dictionary while _______________________________________

We had to wait for hours but eventually _________________________________________________

I saw him break the window just as_____________________________________________________

 

Exercise 10 T. 15.2. [3. p.173]

You are going to hear a Swedish woman, Anna, talking to her colleague, Dan, about his holiday. In the conversation, Dan describes an accident that his friend James had. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of holiday was it?

2. How did the accident happen?

3. Was James badly injured?

4. How did they get him to a hospital?

5. What did the doctors tell him?

Exercise 11 Put the events from the conversation in order. Listen again to check your answers.

a) He had quite a few cuts bruises.

b) It spoilt his holiday, really.

c) James went off the road into some bushes and fell off.

d) He had to have a few stitches in the cuts.

e) She took him to hospital, which was really kind of her.

f) We were going back to the hotel down a steep road.

g) He’s now found out his bike frame’s broken.

h) A woman came past in her car a minute or two later.

Exercise 12 Finish the given sentences

a) How was your holiday? You went mountain biking in Austria,____________?

b) It was great, except for Jame’s ___________.

c) James went round this tight bend too fast and he went off the road into some bushes and fell off. It was___________.

d) So what_____________?

e) How did you get _______________________________?

 

1. Choose the right variant.

He says he’s got the flu, but it’s really just a cold. He’s _________a lot at night.

a) coughing

b) beautiful

c) swollen

d) broken

2. Choose the right variant.

He’s developed ___________to cats. He starts sneezing as soon as he comes near one.

a) an allergy

b) a cough

c) sprain

d) wool

3. Choose the right variant.

She’s got a stiff neck. She can hardly________.

a) turn it

b) switch on

c) turn out

d) turn

4. Choose the right variant.

I think I’ve _________my ankle. I don’t think it’s broken.

a) sprained

b) smart

c) turn it

d) stiff