English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 20: Health

Word List
  • backache
  • bandage
  • bleed
  • cancer
  • check [examine]
  • cough
  • cut [injure]
  • disease
  • feel sick
  • flu
  • headache
  • heart [in the body]
  • heart attack
  • hurt v
  • illness
  • liver
  • lung cancer
  • lungs
  • medicine [to treat an illness]
  • operation
  • pain
  • painful
  • patient n
  • pill
  • serious [bad]
  • sore throat
  • stomach ache
  • suffer from sth
  • surgeon
  • surgery [an operation]
  • tablet
  • temperature
  • ache n, v
Exercises

20.1 ‣ Look at the underlined letters in each pair of words. Is the pronunciation the same or different? Use the index to help you.

  1. ache pain
    • same
    • different
  2. cold stomach
    • same
    • different
  3. cough through
    • same
    • different
  4. flu cut
    • same
    • different
  5. liver disease
    • same
    • different
  6. stomach operation
    • same
    • different
  7. chemist ache
    • same
    • different
  8. patient bandage
    • same
    • different

20.2 ‣ Complete the sentences with a or nothing (–).

  1. She’s got hepatitis.
  2. I’ve got cough.
  3. I’m getting _____ sore throat.
  4. Ben’s got _____ headache.
  5. Luis’s got _____ temperature.
  6. I’ve got _____ backache.
  7. Zarita’s got _____ flu.
  8. My uncle had _____ heart attack.
  9. She’s got _____ cancer.
  10. I’ve got _____ pain in my foot.

20.3 ‣ Complete the dialogues.

  1. A: Does your finger hurt?
    B: Yes, it’s very .
  2. A: What’s wrong with Dimitrios?
    B: He feels _____. I think it’s something he ate.
  3. A: Did you hit your foot?
    B: Yes, and it really _____.
  4. A: My hand’s bleeding quite badly.
    B: Well, put a _____ round it.
  5. A: Your finger’s _____.
    B: I know. I cut it using that knife.
  6. A: Does Tanya still _____ from bad headaches?
    B: Yes, she gets them all the time.
  7. A: What’s the matter?
    B: My back _____ from sitting at that computer all day.
  8. A: I understand Lena has had quite a _____ illness.
    B: Yeah. She was in hospital for over a week.

20.4 ‣

Over to you

Answer the questions. If possible, compare your answers with someone else.

  1. What do you usually do if you get a headache?
    _____
  2. How often do you get a cough or a sore throat?
    _____
  3. Have you ever been a patient in hospital? If so, what was it like?
    _____
  4. Have you ever had surgery?
    _____
  5. Are there some medicines you always keep in your home? What are they?
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Common problems

What’s the matter?What you should do
A: I’ve got a sore throat1 and a temperature.2B: That sounds like flu. You should see a doctor.
A: I’ve cut my arm; it’s bleeding.3B: Put a bandage4 round it.
A: I’ve got a terrible cough.5B: Go to the chemist and get some cough medicine [something you take to treat an illness].
A: I’ve got a headache.B: Take some tablets6 for the pain. (also pills)
A: I feel sick.7B: Go to the bathroom quickly!

B ‣ Describing pain

We can use different words to describe pain. An ache describes pain that is not always strong, but often continues. It is used with certain parts of the body.

I’ve got a headache.
Aria’s got stomach ache.
My dad suffers from [often has the pain of] backache.

For other parts of the body we often use pain.
I’ve got a pain in my shoulder/foot.

Ache can also be a verb to describe pain that continues for some time.
By the end of the day my feet were aching.

For stronger or more sudden pain, we usually use the verb hurt.
My throat hurts when I speak.
I hit my leg on the table and it really hurts / it’s very painful.

C ‣ Serious illnesses

For serious [bad] illnesses, you will probably go into hospital. A person who stays in hospital is called a patient. Many patients need an operation [when special doctors, called surgeons, cut into the body for medical reasons; also called surgery].

Lung cancer can be caused by smoking.
Heart attacks can happen very suddenly.
Hepatitis is a disease affecting the liver.

Language help

Disease is used to talk about more serious medical problems, often affecting certain parts of the body, e.g. heart disease. Illness is used to talk about serious and minor medical problems and those affecting the mind, e.g. mental illness. Disease is not used about a period of illness, e.g. He died after a long illness. (NOT He died after a long disease.)

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