Student worksheet:

Porphyria (Vampire Syndrome)

Part 1: speaking

Discuss questions 1–3 with your partner or group.

1. What do you know about vampires?
2. What time of day are vampires supposed to prefer?
3. What do vampires do in order to survive?

Part 2: vocabulary

A. You’re going to read an article about porphyria. Before you read, look at the words and
practise saying them. The stressed syllables are in bold.

aversion millennia stem cell transplant

disfigurement phenomenon supportive
fang porphyria (to) surmise
fictional prevalent vampire
folklore recede

B. Complete the definitions using words from A.

1. ____________________ : group of rare metabolic disorders, characterized by blistering

of the skin and oversensitivity to sunlight
2. ____________________ : describes care which provides encouragement or help without
curing a disease
3. ____________________ : something that spoils a person’s appearance
4. ____________________ : move further away; cover less area
5. ____________________ : long, sharp front tooth often seen in animals such as dogs and
snakes
6. ____________________ : traditional stories of a particular group of people
7. ____________________ : thousands of years
8. ____________________ : a feeling of strong dislike
9. ____________________ : something that is observed to happen or exist
10. ___________________ : existing very commonly or existing often
11. ___________________ : something that is imaginary
12. ___________________ : replacement of damaged blood cells in bone marrow with
healthy ones
13. ___________________ : guess about something from available evidence

Part 3: Reading

A. Click the link to read the text. Then answer the questions.

Vampire myths originated with a real blood disorder

1. Porphyria could be the source of the vampire myth because…

A. it was reportedly caused by vampires.
B. it was found in kings and queens of Europe.
C. it has symptoms supposedly shared by vampires.

2. People with porphyria avoid going outside during the day…

A. as it causes hair loss.
B. because of the effect of sunlight on their skin.
C. due to their fear of sunlight.

3. One of the long-term effects of the condition is…

A. growing overly-long incisors that resemble the fangs of animals.
B. tooth loss.
C. shrinkage of the gums.

4. In the past, people with porphyria were advised to drink blood…

A. to improve their night vision.
B. to make up for defective red blood cells.
C. to prevent their urine becoming discoloured.

5. If people with porphyria eat garlic, it can cause

A. a recurrence of the condition and considerable pain.
B. very bad breath.
C. increased sulfur content in the blood.
6. The myth of vampires having no reflection may be linked to…
A. the lack of mirrors.
B. the Christian beliefs of the time.
C. the facial disfigurements of porphyria.

B. Complete the sentences with the words and phrases in the box.

stem cell transplant supportive myth classified physician

1. Porphyria is a rare condition for which there is no cure, however, patients can receive
_______________ care, e.g. pain relief.

2. Another treatment option is _______________ which has been used successfully in

people with a particular type of porphyria (bone marrow porphyria).

3. Several type of porphyria were _______________ in 1911 by Hans Gunter who also has
an extremely rare type of porphyria, congenital erythropoietic porphyria (Gunther disease)
named after him.

4. In 1890 George Harley, Scottish surgeon and _______________ studied a 27-year-old

who also excreted reddish urine and an "unusual nerve disturbance after taking sulphonal”.
Sulphonal is a type of sedative and sleeping medicine which is no longer used.

5. Bram Stoker may have known about the _______________ of vampires when he wrote
Tales of Count Dracula.
 30-minute lesson plan:
Porphyria (Vampire Syndrome)

Topic: porphyria (vampire syndrome)

Timing: 30–40 mins
Lesson type/focus: reading and vocabulary
Level: B2–C1
Sector: Medicine, Nursing
Medical area: symptoms, diseases and conditions, treatment
Skills Focus: Reading, vocabulary

Aims:
• developing topic-specific vocabulary
• reading for detail
Teaching notes and answer key

Part 1: speaking

Put students into pairs or small groups and ask them to discuss questions 1–3 on the
student worksheet.

Do whole class feedback to discuss and share answers.

Suggested answers
1. What do you know about vampires?
Students’ own answers
2. What time of day are vampires supposed to prefer?
night time, the hours of darkness
3. What do vampires do in order to survive?
drink human blood

Part 2: vocabulary

A. Ask students to look at the list of words. Model the pronunciation and have students say
each one aloud.
Don’t go through the meanings of the words as students are going to look at this in activity B.

B. Have students work in pairs to complete the definitions with words from A.

Go through the answers as a class.

Answers
1. porphyria 2. supportive 3. disfigurement 4. recede 5. fang 6. folklore
7. millennia 8. aversion 9. phenomenon 10. prevalent 11. fictional
12. stem cell transplant 13. surmise

Part 3: reading
A. Have students work individually or in pairs to read the text and answer the questions.
Click the link to access the article.
Vampire myths originated with a real blood disorder

Go through the answers as a class.

Answers
1C 2B 3C 4B 5A 6C
B. Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the sentences with the correct
words.
Go through the answers as a class.
Answers
1. supportive 2. stem cell transplant 3. classified 4. physician 5. myth

Resources
Stem Cell Transplant Successfully Treats Bone Marrow Porphyrias
Congenital erythropoietic porphyria (Gunther disease)
History of Porphyria
George Harley