All About Illnesses

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Parent Category: Upper-Intermediate Skill Builders

Category: Upper-Intermediate Skill Builders: Speaking

Written by Chris Cotter

Discuss or debate the questions below. Remember to support your answers!

• Do you regularly go to work even if you're sick? Why/not?
• Have you ever been bed-ridden? If yes, what happened and how long were you like that? If no, can you imagine being in the condition?
• Have you ever had to stay in the hospital? If yes, what happened that required the stay?
• Have you ever had an operation? If yes, tell your partner about it.

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• How many times have you been sick this year? Is that more or less than usual? Please explain.
• When you have a cold, what do you usually tend to do? Please explain.
• What are some home remedies for the common cold in your country? How effective are these remedies? Please explain.
• What do you think is the most frightening disease out there? Why do you think so?
• If your friend were sick and in the hospital, what would you do to cheer him up? What gift(s) would you buy him?
• What do you know about the following diseases?:
            1) HIV
            2) cancer
            3) influenza
            4) heart disease
            5) dementia
• Look at the following terms and use them to form your own questions to ask a partner:
            1) ER
            2) x-ray
            3) ambulance
            4) annual physicals
            5) immunizations

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• Have you ever had side effects from medicine? If yes, please explain.
• If you died prematurely, would you want your organs donated? Why/not?
• If your husband, wife, or child died prematurely, would you donate their organs? Why/not?

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• Some people have a dislike or lack of trust of doctors. How about you?
• Some people have an intense dislike or fear of needles. How about you?
• Some people have a dislike of medicine, avoiding them unless absolutely necessary. How about you?
• What do you think the "Friday Monday Syndrome" means? Discuss possible answers with a partner. Remember to support your ideas.
• "Prevent is better than the cure." What do you think this means? Discuss possible answers with a partner. Remember to support your ideas.
• What is the average age of death in your country? Has it increased or decreased in recent years? How does it compare with other countries?

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