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GENERAL ENGLISH · MEDICAL ENGLISH · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM

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1 Warm up

Discuss the questions below.

1. What might happen when an insect bites you?

2. Have you ever had a cold or the flu? What symptoms did you have and why?
3. What role do you think the immune system plays in maintaining good health?

2 Vocabulary - prefixes

Knowing the different forms of words can help you understand the meaning. The chart below shows
words based on Greek and Latin prefixes and roots.

prefix/root meaning prefix/root meaning

anti- against lymph- colourless fluid

cyte- cell macro- large

leuko- white phag- eat

Now, use the above chart to match the words on the left with their meanings.

1. antibody a. a large type of white blood cell that kills microorganisms

2. leukocyte b. a protein used by the immune system against foreign objects

3. lymphocyte c. a type of cell in the immune system

4. macrophages d. a type of cell that can ingest and digest foreign particles e.g. bacteria

5. phagocyte e. a type of white blood cell

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

3 Listening 1

You are going to listen to a passage about how the immune system works. Listen and choose the
correct answer.

1. Which of the following signs indicate your immune system is working?

a. thirst b. hunger c. fatigue d. fever

2. Leukocytes travel through the ...

a. nervous system
b. reproductive system
c. lymphatic system
d. immune system

3. The immune response must be ...

a. affordable b. adaptable c. able d. adoptable

4. Millions of antibodies are produced by ...

a. macrophages b. B-cells c. phagocytes d. antigens

4 Listening 2

Listen again and answer the questions below.

What do leukocytes do?

1.

How long does it take for the immune system to detect antigens?

2.

How many cellular groups do leukocytes have?

3.

What do the B and T cells produce?

4.

How does a high temperature and swelling help an immune response?

5.

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

5 Pre-reading activity
Discuss the following with a partner.

1. Do you know any good therapies that can cure diseases? Give examples.
2. What is your opinion on vaccines? Have you been vaccinated against COVID-19?
3. Name some of the effects of the COVID-19 virus that you have heard about. Write them in the
box below.

1.

2.

3.

6 Reading comprehension
You are going to read an article on new therapy in COVID-19 treatment. Choose the main idea for
each paragraph.

1. Paragraph 1

a. how animals fight disease

b. why people died of polio and smallpox
c. importance of animal research

2. Paragraph 2

a. COVID-19
b. importance of the llama
c. how antibodies are developed

3. Paragraph 3

a. nanobody research
b. Belgium researchers
c. importance of camel serum

4. Paragraph 4

a. manufacturing antibodies
b. how to immunise llamas
c. benefits of nanobodies

5. Paragraph 5

a. drawbacks to human antibodies

b. disadvantages to nanobodies
c. importance of the kidney

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
New COVID-19 therapy
Llama research
1.
Animal research is necessary to understand how
certain species have survived for thousands of years
and managed to combat diseases that others have
died from. For over 50 years, researchers have
been looking at how animals could be crucial in
fighting viruses. In the past, some diseases such as
smallpox and polio proved fatal because no cure was
available resulting in millions of people dying from
such illnesses. However, because of in-depth studies
on animal immune systems, vaccines were eventually
discovered to wipe out these diseases from many
parts of the world.
2.
With the recent COVID-19 virus affecting people
around the globe, scientists have been working
tirelessly to eliminate the profound effects of the
virus. One animal that has been in the spotlight
of virus research is the llama. Certain animals
from the camelid group -camels and llamas -
produce nanobodies which are a smaller form of
the antibodies that humans produce. Antibodies are
molecules produced by the body’s immune system
that fight off invading infections. Currently, one
approach to treat people suffering from COVID-19
is to inject them with antibodies taken from patients
who have already recuperated from the disease.
Although this method of using plasma from recovered
patients has been used for over 100 years for various
diseases and conditions, it is a lengthy process to
extract the required antibodies.
3.
Over 30 years ago, researchers in Belgium discovered
that camelids produced a unique property. They
were testing camel blood serum when they observed
that the animals formed regular antibodies as well as
another set of single-chain antibodies. This surprising
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breakthrough launched the use of nanobody research
in therapeutic medicine. In the past decade,
nanobody research has looked at treatments for
psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and viral infections.
4.
According to researchers, there are several
advantages to nanobodies. The first is that they
can navigate small spaces and have a better
binding ability than human antibodies. For this
reason, they are very attractive to therapeutic
developers. Another reason is that nanobodies are
also not complicated to manufacture because of the
straightforward process to produce the antibody.
This starts with immunising the llama with an antigen
and its immune system generates the antibody that
recognises it. A blood sample is taken and the mRNA
for the antibody is extracted. A significant advantage
is that nanobodies can be left at room temperature
for up to six weeks and because of their miniature
size they can be aerosolised. This means that they
can be developed as inhalers that can directly target
the lungs. Since many viruses including the COVID-
19 virus attack the respiratory system, developing
medications that focus on the lungs is vital.
5.
Nanobodies have a few limitations. As a consequence
of their tiny size, their half-lives are reduced as they
are quickly eliminated via the kidneys. Hence, this
would require a larger volume of nanobodies at a
more frequent dosage, which could result in kidney
toxicity. Another drawback is that since they are
a biological material, patients’ immune systems may
react to them.
Sources: medicalxpress.com, news-medical.net,
health.harvard.edu, ukri.org
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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

7 Scanning for vocabulary

Find words in the text that have the same meaning.

1. causing or ending in death (paragraph 1)

2. eliminate (paragraph 1)

3. extreme (paragraph 2)

4. attention from the news and public (paragraph 2)

5. get better; restored health (paragraph 2)

6. discovery (paragraph 3)

7. travel or pass through (paragraph 4)

8. attach to something (paragraph 4)

8 Reading for details

Read the article again and answer true, false or not given.

1. More people died from polio than from smallpox.

2. Llamas are related to camels and belong to the camelid group.
3. Antibodies are produced by the immune system.
4. Camelids and humans have similar antibodies.
5. Nanobody research has focused only on viruses.
6. It is cheaper to manufacture nanobodies.
7. If nanobodies are aerosolised, they can be given by injection.
8. Nanobodies can survive for over a month at room temperature.

9 Talking point
With a partner or in small groups discuss the following questions.

1. Some people are against using animals for research purposes. Why do you think they are opposed
to such research?
2. During the recent COVID-19 crisis there were some people opposed to vaccinations. What were
some of the reasons they believed that vaccines were harmful?
3. Have you or anyone you know ever had an aerosolized vaccine? Would you prefer an aerosolized
vaccine to an injection? Why/not?
4. What vaccines are required in your country? Do you think schools, companies and governments
should be able to mandate vaccinations?

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

10 Optional exercise - vocabulary

First, look at the prefixes and their meaning.

prefix meaning example

aero- air aerosolised

anti- against antibody

macro- large macrophages

micro- small microscopy

nano- extremely small nanobodies

sub- under, below subcategory

Now, fill in blanks with a prefix from the chart above to complete the word.

1. A strand of human DNA is 2.5 metres in diameter.

2. One of the roles of the immune system is to protect the body from invasion of gens.
3. Doctors recommend bic exercise to reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and
type 2 diabetes.
4. organisms require certain nutrients for growth and maintenance of metabolic functions.
5. nutrients are the types of food that your body requires in large amounts.
6. Before the discovery of biotics, many people died from a simple cut in their skin.
7. There have been many advances in the use of technology in medicine.
8. Some countries have standard healthcare because of a lack of medical professionals.
9. nutrients are essential to healthy development and disease prevention.
10. An dote is a drug that neutralises the effects of another drug or toxin.

11 Optional extension/homework
Write a 150-word paragraph on your opinion of one of the topics below.

• Why do you think people are opposed to animal research?

Give some reasons to support your answer.

• Do you think that people should be forced to be vaccinated? Why or why not?

Give reasons to support your answer.

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