Unit 5

The Science of Life

1. Listen to the recording about “World Heart Day” and fill in the gaps.

World Heart Day was created by the World Heart Federation. Its aim is to inform people around the world
that heart (1)________ ___ __________ are the world’s (2)____________ causes of death. Over 17 million people
die each year from these. Another(3) ____________ aim is to educate the world population that 80 per cent of
deaths from heart disease are premature. Most people who(4) ____________ heart attacks and strokes could live
longer if they changed their (5)____________. Fewer people would die from heart ______________(6) if they were
more (7)____________ of the main risks. These include smoking, eating an unhealthy (8) ____________ and not
exercising. Experts say heart disease will lose China’s economy around $558 billion between 2005 and 2015. Other
countries will also lose billions.
The heart is a strong, (9)______ ________. Its job is to (10)___________ blood around our body. The
heart contracts and expands in a non-stop rhythm (11) ___ _____ _____ ___ around a system of arteries and
veins. The average human (12)________ _______ around 72 beats per minute. In an average lifetime, it will beat
approximately 2.5 billion times. The average weight of a human heart is around 300g. It(13)__ ___ _____ ___ __
clenched fist. Advances in heart surgery means people can have heart replacement operations. In (14)____ ______
________, doctors can fit the heart with plastic valves and pumps to help it beat. World Heart Day is a good time for
all of us to think more about this vital organ and(15)____ __ ____ ____ keeps our heart strong and healthy.

2.Match the medical fields bellow to their areas of speciality:

1.cardiology a.eyesight
2.geriatrics b.inherited characteristics
3.paedriatics c.x-ray and ultra sounds
4.genetics d.children
5.ophthalmology e.the elderly
6.radiology f.the heart

3. Complete the sentences by filling in the correct word from the following list:
ache/ clot/ concussion/ condition/ cramp/ deficiency/ disorder/ injury/ irritation/ sprain/ wound/
predisposition;
1.The patient complained about a constant dull ............................in his back.
2.She had severe .....................in her right leg while swimming and had to be rescued by lifeguards.
3.The face cream was withdrawn from the market after several complaints of painful skin ........................
4.In a three-hour operation, doctors removed a .................from one of the patient’s main arteries.
5.Jim hasn’t broken his ankle, it’s only a bad........................
6.The recurrence of an old knee.......................kept Roger out of football for three months.
7.Even a small blow to the head can result in ....................
8.If you eat nothing but junk food you’ll end up with a serious vitamin...................
9.If the ...................has not healed in a week’s time or if there is any swelling or...............around it , see
your doctor.
10.Anorexia is an eating ......................which is common in teenagers.
11.He suffers from a rare .......................which causes his skin to blister every time he goes out in the sun.
12.His weak chest means he has a ........................... to ailments such as bronchitis.
4.Match the nouns to form collocations and use them in the following sentences:
1.life a.mortality
2.death b.food
3.birth c.ward
4.maternity d.toll
5.childhood e.rate
6.infant f.benefit
7.health g.expectancy
8.sickness h.memories
1...........................of painful visits to the dentist always make me nervous about going!
2.He claimed .......................................for 6 months when he had a slipped disc.
3.Better-equipped neo-natal units have helped to reduce ..........................
4.The ...................................following the earthquake may rise to over a thousand.
5.We visited my mother and my baby brother in the ........................
6.Increased .............................and a reduced ............................mean that the population is on average, older than it
used to be.
7.You can get organic honey at a ..........................shop.

5.Circle the correct word and explain the idioms in bold.

1.Getting your....foot/leg/arm........in the door is the difficult part; once you are in, there are very good career
prospects.
2.Don’t take his comments to............mind/soul/heart............; he doesn’t really mean what he says.
3.John is a tolerant man but their behaviour was so bad that even he finally put his .......fist/leg/foot............down.
4.How sweet! Married for thirty years and they still only have ...........ears/eyes/heart...............for each other.
5.Deadlines are getting closer and everyone is rushed off their .........legs/feet/arms.................at the moment.
6.Philip’s business must be really successful. He seems to be making money..........arm/hand/fist.............over fist.
7.Economic problems and political instability have brought the country to its.........ankles/knees/feet........
8. When the getaway car wouldn’t start the thieves took to their .....soles/heels/ankles............., with the police in
hot pursuit.
9.Without definite proof you won’t have a ...............hand/leg/finger..................... to stand on in court.
10.Mark has retired as a commercial pilot but has joined a flying club just to keep
his........fingers/hand/mind..........in.
11.Her opponent just wasn’t on her level and Stephanie won the match...........hands/eyes/head..................down.
12.You need a strong ...............abdomen/liver/stomach...............to watch those film; they’re extremely violent.
13.On her first day in Paris, Greta fell ...........heart/head/feet...........over heels in love with the tour guide.

6.Complete the gaps to form the correct phrasal verbs. Use the information from Appendix 2 on page 273.

1.Regular cleaning in hospitals is necessary to keep..............the levels of contamination.

2.Prohibiting research that involves animals may hold.........................medical science.
3.My doctor doesn’t hold.................................the theory that coffee is bad for your health.
4.Liam has always found it difficult to hold .................................a job as a nurse.
5.There have been reports of operations being held .........................as result of cutbacks.
6. The striking health industry workers are holding.........................for more money.
7. My doctor keeps ............................me about my lack of a physical fitness regime.
8.I have to make sure that I keep........................... the diet that the doctor prescribed.
9. The local health centre can only keep .......................... a limited number of workers.
10. The Minister of Health was sure that current levels of health care could be kept...........................