English For Today chapter 3: Health and Hygiene

Unit Three

Health and Hygiene

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• read and understand texts through silent reading
• listen for information
• ask and answer questions
• write the answers to questions
• practise sounds
• write paragraphs/ compositions

Printed page 21

Lesson 1: Health

Keywords: disease, essential, concentrate, possession

A. Look at and talk about the picture. Ask and answer the following questions:

Figure

Description: Two hands being washed: one hand rubs the fingers of the other, with a small object, resembling a bar of soap, held between the fingers. Water drops fall from the hands.

a. How often do you wash hands? b. Why do you wash hands?

B. Read the questions first. Then read the text and answer the questions:

1. Why is good health essential for us?
2. Why is physical exercise necessary?

Health is the condition of our body and mind. It may be good or bad. Good health means healthy body free from diseases. It is essential for everyone to lead a happy life. If we are not in good health, we cannot concentrate on any activity in our life.

A proverb goes, "Health is Wealth". It means health is equally valuable as gold or any other personal possessions. We may have vast wealth and property, but if we are not healthy, we cannot enjoy them.

To keep ourselves healthy, we have to do certain things. We have to take a balanced diet. We must exercise regularly to keep our body fit for work. There is an old saying: 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.' So, we should not keep late hours. We should go to bed early at night and rise early in the morning. Peace of mind is another condition for good health. So, we must not worry over small things of life.

Printed page 22

C. Read the text in B silently and then choose the best answer:

1. Health means the condition of

a. our body. b. our mind. c. our body and mind. d. our environment.

2. A healthy person is one who

a. is physically and mentally sound. b. eats good food. c. has a lot of wealth. d. is overweight.

3. We need to eat

a. rich food. b. balanced food. c. little food. d. lot of food.

4. The phrase 'to keep late hours' means

a. to go to bed late. b. to wake up late in the morning. c. to do things late always. d. to be late for the class.

D. Write a short paragraph about how you can maintain good health within 180-200 words:

Lesson 2: Ode on Solitude

A. Read and recite the poem:

Ode on Solitude

Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air, In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread, Whose flocks supply him with attire, Whose trees in summer yield him shade, In winter fire.

Blest! who can unconcernedly find Hours, days and years slide soft away, In health of body, peace of mind, Quiet by day,

Printed page 23

Sound sleep by night; study and ease Together mixed; sweet recreation; And innocence, which most does please, With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown; Thus unlamented let me die; Steal from the world, and not a stone Tell where I lie.

- Alexander Pope

B. Answer the questions:

1. What things does a happy man have?
2. How does he pass his time?
3. How does he wish to die?
4. How do you think you can be happy in life?

Lesson 3: Hygiene

Keywords: hygiene, godliness, achieve, spiritually, soul

A. Read the questions first. Then read the text and answer them in short:

1. What can be a hotbed of germs?
2. How many times should we brush our teeth a day?
3. What kind of water should we drink?

The word ‘hygiene’ means the practice of keeping ourselves clean. It also means to keep our home and work places clean. It is important for our good health.

Hygiene is thought to be next to godliness. It is because we cannot achieve anything physically, mentally or spiritually, if we are unclean in our body, mind and soul. Nobody likes an unclean person either. So, we must follow the rules of hygiene.

Printed page 24

First, we must keep our body clean. We should have a bath every day and wash our hair regularly. This will keep the body and hair free from dirt and bacteria.

Secondly, we should wash our clothes regularly. Dirty clothes give off bad smell and invite germs. We should wear socks and shoes when we go out to protect our feet from dust and germs. It is also important to wash our hands before meals and after using the toilet. We should brush our teeth twice a day, after breakfast and supper. We must also cut our nails regularly. Our drinking water must be safe. We can get safe water by boiling and filtering.

Finally, we should keep our surroundings and environment clean.

If we do and follow all the above things properly, we will be able to lead a healthy and happy life.

B. Read the following statements and say if they are True or False. If False, give the correct information:

1. Cleanliness is a part of good health.
2. Cleanliness is very important for mental health.
3. We need to wear socks and shoes to look smart.
4. We need to brush our teeth before meals.
5. We must keep ourselves clean.
6. We can have pure drinking water from tube wells.

C. Complete the following sentences:

1. If we are healthy, we ----------------------------- .
2. We must be clean so that--------------------------- .
3. You must take exercise to ------------------------------- .
4. Nobody likes an ------------------------------------ .
5. If we obey the laws of hygiene, we ---------------- .

D. Work in groups. Make a list of five things that you do daily to maintain personal hygiene. Share with other groups, make a poster and display it to the class.

Printed page 25

Lesson 4: A Dialogue

Keyword: prescribe

A. Talk about the picture and answer the questions:

Figure

Description: A boy stands at the side of a hospital bed. A patient lies on the bed, and a doctor leans over him with a stethoscope.

1. Who is the man lying on the examination table?
2. Who is examining the patient?

B. Read and act out the conversation:

Rabi's father, Mr Zahir Ali is not well. He has difficulty in speaking. He is now at the doctor's clinic.

Rabi : Good evening, doctor. Doctor : Good evening. How is your father today? Rabi : Not well at all. He has difficulty in breathing as before. He is having severe chest pain again. Doctor : I see. Mr Ali, could you lie down on the examination table, please? OK, let's see… Do you feel any pain here? Zahir : Ooh! Doctor : And here? Zahir : Ouch!

Printed page 26

Doctor : All right. I'm prescribing a medicine. Take one tablet in the morning and another at night before meals. I also advise you to have a chest X-ray immediately. If possible show me the X-ray report today in the evening. OK? Rabi : Ok, doctor. Thank you. Doctor : You are welcome.

C. Answer the following questions:

1. Who are talking in the dialogue?
2. Where does the dialogue take place?
3. What are Zahir Ali's problems?
4. Why can't Zahir Ali tell the doctor about his problems?
5. What does the doctor prescribe him?

D. Ask and answer the questions in pairs:

1. Did you have any stomach pain anytime before?
2. When was it?
3. What did you do to get well?

E. Suppose you visited a doctor for a stomach pain or bad cold. Make an imaginary dialogue between you and the doctor. Act it out in pairs:

Lesson 5: A Letter

Keywords: nicotine, tragedy, broke, puff

A. Read the letter silently to know what happened to Zahir Ali and tick the best answer:

10/E Purana Paltan Dhaka 1000 9 June 2013

Dear Sohel,

I am sorry, I could not reply to your letter earlier. This is because last week there was a tragedy in our family. My father died of lung cancer.

Printed page 27

He used to smoke heavily. He got the bad habit from his college days. Recently, my mother and I were very worried about father's worsening health condition. He was having continuous chest pain. The doctor showed him his chest X-ray plates. There were dark marks on his lungs. The doctor explained to him that the marks were the signs of lung cancer. He also explained that a poisonous substance called nicotine is in tobacco leaves; and cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves. When a person smokes cigarettes, this nicotine enters into his lungs with every puff. If anybody smokes cigarettes for years, this deadly nicotine causes lung cancer. Both mother and I tried to stop father from smoking. He never listened to our requests and warnings. He died an untimely death.

Let me tell you the truth. My father's death is a great shock for us. You know, we are a big family of seven. My father was the only earning member in the family. We are now broke and we don't know how we are going to survive.

Anyway, We are trying to recover from the shock by the grace of the Almighty. Write to me when you have the time. Give my regards to your parents.

Love Rabi

1. "My father's death is a great tragedy." The underlined word means a. a very sad event. b. a very strong warning. c. very serious. d. memory.

2. Rabi's family is now completely broke because a. his father had lung cancer. b. they have now no source of income. c. his father's death was heart breaking. d. his father is a chain smoker.

3. What is the primary topic discussed in Rabi's letter? a. His recent vacation b. The dangers of smoking c. A new movie he watched d. His favorite sports event

Printed page 28

4. According to Rabi's letter, what is the major consequence of smoking?

• a. improved athletic performance
• b. enhanced memory
• c. increased risk of fatal diseases
• d. better social interactions

B. Ask and answer the question. First say, then write:

1. What could be the relationship between the sender and the receiver of the letter?
2. What causes lung cancer?
3. Who do you think are the members of Rabi's family? Why do you think so?

C. Imagine you are Sohel. Now, write a reply to Rabi's letter: