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Skills Development
Lesson 5: Medicine and Healthcare
Searching for a Cure
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Skills Focus – Avoiding plagiarism
Language Focus – The passive
Vocabulary Development – Synonyms
All over the world,
scientists are searching
for cures to illnesses and
diseases. Today we are
going to read about a
possible cure for a
disease. But first, let’s
learn some new words.
A. Match the phrase on the left with its definition on the right.
1. Early stages
2. Immune system
a. to do something
b. final part of a process; towards the end
c. the collection of parts in the body that
protects us from illness and disease
d. more research
e. in the beginning; near the start
3. Carry out
4. Advanced stage
5. Further studies
B. Study the definitions of the following words and do the crossword on the
next page.
1. Vaccine
2. Cure
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Involved
Trials
Spread
Stimulate
Cells
Harmful
something you give to a person to stop a disease.
(v) to make better; to heal;
(n) something that makes someone with a sickness healthy again
to be part of something, included
tests of something new to see if it works well; experiments
to grow bigger and move to more parts
to make active
the smallest part of life that we find in any living thing
something that can hurt you
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Skills Development
Lesson 5: Medicine and Healthcare
Across
4. Teachers ask good questions to …… students to
think.
7. That new drug is being used in a …… to find out if
it can treat cancer.
8. The body is made up of billions of …… .
Down
1. I must …… the news that my dad is healthy again.
2. Honey will make you feel better, but it won’t ……
your illness.
3. The mad scientist created a drug that was
very …… . Many people died.
5. A doctor’s job can …… working long hours.
6. Many people die from malaria because there is no
effective …… .
C. Read the title of the article. Is it positive or negative? Where would you find
this article? Compare your ideas with a partner.
D. Use the words below to predict what each paragraph is about.
1. vaccine
cured
2. involved
trials
early stages
advanced stages
spread
3. stimulates
immune system
cells
harmful
4. further studies
E. Skim the article. Were your predictions correct?
every two weeks for three months, and were carefully
monitored for three years. In three of the patients in the
advanced stages of cancer, the disease disappeared and
in the others, it did not spread for five to twenty-four
months. However, no great difference was seen in the
patients in the early stages of the illness.
Promising results from
cancer study
1. A new vaccine has shown promising results in the fight
against lung cancer. In trials in Texas, the vaccine
developed by scientists at Baylor University Medical
Centre in Dallas, USA cured lung cancer in some patients
and slowed the progress of the disease in others.
3. This new vaccine uses the patient’s own immune
system. After it is injected into the arm or leg, it stimulates
the body’s immune system, which then recognizes that the
cancer cells are harmful, and attacks and destroys them.
2. Researchers have reported encouraging findings from
this small study. Forty-three patients suffering from lung
cancer were involved in these trials. Ten of the patients
were in the early stages and thirty-three in the advanced
stages of the disease. They were injected with the vaccine
4. The vaccine could be effective against other forms of
cancer. It offers great hope for the treatment of cancer in
general, although further studies are needed before such
treatment can be used widely.
Deakin, F. P. (2007). Promising results from cancer study. New Medical Journal, 32.
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Skills Development
Lesson 5: Medicine and Healthcare
F. Scan the article. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?
1. The investigation cured all the participants in the trial.
2. About forty people participated in the study.
3. Patients in the early stages of the disease recovered more quickly.
4. All patient was given the vaccine.
5. The vaccine activates the immune system.
6. This treatment may be useful for treating other cancers.
…………………
…………………
…………………
…………………
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Study Skill
Avoiding plagiarism: Plagiarism is copying someone’s work, or using someone’s ideas and
pretending they are yours. Do not copy from a text, but rephrase by changing:
 The vocabulary (using synonyms or phrases with a similar meaning)
 The sentence structure and grammar
You must always credit the source when you use another person’s ideas, opinions facts or
graphics, even if you paraphrase their words.
G. Read the summary of the article. How is it different from the original?
Discuss your answer with a partner.
A group of US researchers has carried out trials of a new vaccine which is effective
against lung cancer. Although the study was limited to fewer than fifty people, the
results were very promising. Some of the patients at an advanced stage of the disease
were cured. Each patient in the trial was given the vaccine which activated their
body’s immune system and enabled it to fight the cancer. It is hoped that other types
of cancer can be cured in a similar way.
H. Match the highlighted words from the summary with the words taken from
the original text.
1. a group of US researchers
a. Forty-three patients
b. The vaccine could be effective
against other forms of cancer. It
offers great hope for the treatment
of cancer in general
c. It stimulates the body’s immune
system, which then recognizes that
the cancer cells are harmful, and
attacks and destroys them.
d. scientists at Baylor University
Medical Centre in Dallas, USA
2. fewer than fifty people
3. enabled it to fight the cancer
4. other types of cancer can be
cured in a similar way
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Skills Development
Lesson 5: Medicine and Healthcare
I. Look at the sentences from the summary. Match the underlined words with
a synonym (word with almost the same meaning) from the box.
Write the number next to the matching word in the box.
tests
1scientists
research
encouraging
illness
made well
findings
a. A group of US 1researchers 2trials on a new vaccine.
b. Although the 3study was limited to fewer than fifty people, the 4results were very 5promising.
c. Some of the patients at an advanced stage of the 6disease were 7cured.
Study Skill
The Passive
Work in pairs. Read the active and passive sentences below.
Tell your partner what happens to…
 the position of the underlined parts of the sentences.
 the verb.
And how do we know the time of the action in the passive?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the present
Active
The doctors do tests.
Passive
Tests are done by the doctors.
The verb is
always…
We know the
time from …
In the past
Active
The doctors did tests.
Passive
Tests were done by the doctors.
J. Change these sentences to the passive.
1. Pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs.
New drugs are developed by pharmaceutical companies.
2. The government provided the funding for the study.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Scientists usually test the theories in the laboratory.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. The researchers will publish the findings next month.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Doctors have used alternative therapies for many years.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Skills Development
Lesson 5: Medicine and Healthcare
K. Match the words or phrases which are synonyms in the pairs of sentences.
There are two in each line.
e.g.
After only six months the teams research was completed.
The group’s study was finished after only six months.
1. a. The main causes of acute asthma attacks are common cold viruses.
b. Common cold viruses are the principal causes of severe asthma attacks.
2. a. Scientists use radiation to investigate details of tiny structures.
b. Scientists use radiation to study details of very small structures.
3. a. A short ten-minute walk every day can improve your health
b. A quick ten-minutes daily can benefit your health.
L. Rephrase the sentences, using synonyms and then form the passive.
e.g. Fatima used the university’s funds on modern medicine.
Fatima spent the university’s money on the latest drugs and pills.
The university’s money was spent by Fatima on the latest drugs and pills.
1. We need proof that the medicine works.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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2. They will build a huge medical centre in the near future.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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3. The chief doctor saw the effects of the medicine.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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4. European countries produce lots of drugs.
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