Unit Eight Healthy Living

Preparation

Listening-centered Activities

Reading-centered Activities

Part I: Preparation

Agree or Not?Directions: Read the following quotation and discuss it in small groups. Do you agree with it or not? Give reasons for your answer.

All you need in life is good health, a bit of luck and a sense of humor. The rest is easy. — Clark Cable

Sample:

it’s hard to give a clear answer. Life is complicated. There are so many things we need. But most of them are not necessary. Take money for example. Can we live without money? I think we can. But we certainly need good health, because it is the basis of our life. Bad health would prevent us form doing anything, and may even bring our life to an end. What else do we need? Happiness! A life without happiness and smiles cannot be called life. Then what an bring us happiness? A bit of successful, to fulfill our dreams. From a subjective point of view, we should have a sense of humor, face life with bright smiles everyday, even in times of difficulty. So in a word, the quotation is very reasonable, though not totally accurate.

Talk about habits.Directions: work in groups. Describe some foods and habits which you think are healthy and some which you consider healthy. Explain why.

Sample:

Healthy foods and habits are very important to your health. Vegetables are healthy foods. They provide you with the necessary nutrients, including all kinds of vitamins which are good for your eyes, heart and your nervous system. You should eat vegetables at each meal.

All kinds of meat should be included in your diet. If you eat only vegetables you will not be strong. But, remember not to have too much mea or you will easily get fat and that’s harmful to your body.

Other foods, such as milk, fruits and water are important too. In my opinion, you should eat all kinds of foods in your daily life, including those you like and those you don’t like. And remember not to eat too much per meal for this could harm your stomach.

Good habits are also important to your health. We have to admit that as students living on campus, everyone of us has some bad habits. But we should try our best to get rid of them and develop good ones. The typical bad habit are:

1. Getting up too late in the morning. Many students get up very late, sometimes even around lunch time, so they don’t eat breakfast. This is very harmful, both to their stomach and nervous system. A good habit should be getting up early in the morning, doing some exercises and having a good breakfast. This will keep you in good spirits throughout the day.

2. Reading for too long. This will ruin your eyes. You should take a rest from time to time, such as going out for a walk after you read for one or two hours.

3. Playing games, including computer games, cards, chess, etc., for too long. It’s better to play one or tow more active kinds of sports such as football or basketball, or even badminton.

4. Going to bed too late at night. Some students like to stay up late at night and get up late the next morning. This messes up the next day. So, remember, no matter whether you feel tired or not, go to bed on time, for a good sleep is sometimes important than a good meal.

Preparing for a visit to the doctor.Direction: with your partner complete the following dialogue, in which you ask a friend to recommend a doctor to you. When you have finished, role-play your dialogue with another classmate.

Step OneYou: Where do you usually go when you are ill?

Friend: Well, I go to Dr Don Robb. But across the street from our apartment building there is a new doctor called Michael Dawson. I’ve heard he’s very good, too.

YOU: Do you know his telephone number?

Friend: I’m not sure about the telephone number, but you can find it in the yellow pages of the telephone book under “physicians”

You: Thank you.

Step TwoAMA: Hello. American Medical Association. Can I help you?

You: I want to find a doctor who I can go to.

AMA: What kind of doctor are you looking for? A general practitioner or a specialist?

You: What is the difference between a general practitioner and a specialist?

AMA: A general practitioner treats a variety of illnesses and will treat your whole family. A specialist concentrates in one area, like the heart or the skin.

You: Then I would like to find a general practitioner.

AMA: In that case, you may want to call Dr Hilton at 555-9874 or Dr Cook at 555-9400.

You: Thank you very much.

AMA: If I can help you, please call again. Good-bye.

Part II: Listening-centered Activity

Listening I:

Ex I.

Directions: listen to the talk and choose the best answer to each question you hear on the tape.

1. What is the main idea of the passage? (c)

2. How many examples are mentioned in the passage? (b)

3. What is the benefit of jogging according to the doctor? (a)

4. What is running good for according to the passage? (c)

5. Why does the speaker’s wife like fast shopping? (d)

6. How do the speaker’s friends go to their exercise class? (a)

7. Why is exercise so popular according to the speaker? (b)

8. What is the tone of the speaker? (d)

ankle, sneakers, running pants

Ex II

Directions: listen to the talk again and discuss the following questions in groups.

1. How does running help the economy according to the doctor? Do you agree with him?

Sample.

On the one hand, when people run, they need sneakers. And the more they run, the more sneakers and running pants they consume, hence a greater demand for these things and more job opportunities. Production of these things can thus be increased, which is food for the economy. On the other hand, the more people run, the more likely they may get their feet, legs, ankles and back injured. So they have to go to the doctor for their problems.

Although the doctor is just being humorous here, I think there is something in what the doctor says. So in a sense I quite agree with the doctor.

2. What is the most popular form of exercise on the campus? How do you keep fit?

Sample. The most popular form of exercise on the campus is

football among boys and tennis among girls. Every day we can see many students on the sports ground, whether it’s sunny, cloudy, or rainy. There are several tennis courts on our campus, but we have to go early in order to find a place.

I’m now too busy with my study to exercise. But from time to time I do take a walk after supper. After walking for about help an hour, I will go back to the dormitory or to the classroom to study. The walk really makes me feel better.

Listening II.

Ex I.Directions: listen to the passage and answer the following questions.1. According to the passage, what do people usually do when they have a cold or flu?

They keep themselves warm with blankets and eat chicken soup.2. When and where was chicken soup fist found to have health benefits?

Around 200 BC in Greece.3. What has modern research shown?

There is a basis for this old belief that chicken soup is helpful for the common cold.4. Why does chicken soup work?

Not known yet.5. How must chicken soup be made to make it useful for colds or flu?

Chicken soup must be made with vegetable.6. According to the passage, what is hot chicken soup rich in?

A chemical widely used in cold medicines.

manuscript, respiratory, virus, sinuses, congestion, blockage

Ex IIIDirections: listen to the passage for the third time and discuss in

groups the following questions.

1. What is the possible reason for the healthy effects of chicken soup?

SampleAccording to the passage, chicken soup contains compounds that stop the swelling. Chicken soup must be made with vegetables, and some helpful elements found in plants make the chicken soup effective.

2. What do you usually do when you have a cold or flu? Will you eat chicken soup if offered?

Samplewhen I have cold or flu, I usually drink a lot of water or take some antibiotics. When I have a bad cold or flu, I just go to the hospital. I don’t think my grandparents or parents would prepare chicken soup for me when I have cold or flu, because according to traditional Chinese medicine, chicken soup is not good for colds or flu.

Part III: Reading-centered Activity

Vocabulary

Attribute(v)

Attribute … to

e.g. He attributes his success to hard work.

Contribute

Distribute

Attribute, owe

This comedy has been attributed to Shakespeare.

Some of the most important concepts in physics owe their success to these mathematical systems.

At one’s best

e.g. 1. Come and se Hangzhou at its best.

2.Professor Brown was at his eloquent best today.

Attribute…… to

e.g. He attributes his success to good lucks.

Figure out

e.g. 1. Please figure out the total cost.

2. She couldn’t figure him out at all.

Beware of

e.g. 1. Beware of pickpockets!

2. Beware of what you do with this dangerous substance.

Structures

Structure and Organization of the Passage:

1. Introduction (Para. 1-3)

The term circadian rhythms is introduced.

A. Wingets’ case: Winget and his wife have different time clock of the body.

B. Two different explanations:

a. Behavioral scientists’ explanation: Such difference is due to personal eccentricities of early conditioning.

b. Hanlbeg’s explanation: Instead of performing at a steady, unchanging rate, our systems function on an approximately 25-hour cycle.

2. The study of circadian rhythms (Para. 4-5)

A. The sponsor of the leading work in chronobiology: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

B. Applications of circadian principle:

a. In space research: Circadian rhythms have been applied to astronauts’ work schedules on most of the space-shuttle flights;

b. In life on the earth: people can achieve their best with the least effort by coordinating the demands of their activities with their biological capacities.

3. The way of recognizing one’s circadian rhythms (Para. 6-9)

A. Taking one’s body temperature several times of a day;

B. Plotting the temperature readings.

4. The use of one’s circadian rhythms (Para. 10-18)

One can take advantage of chronobiology techniques to improve one’s health and productivity.

A. We do our best physical work when our rhythms are at their peak.

B. Precision tasks are best tackled when the body temperature is on the rise while reading and reflection are better done at the time when the body temperature begins to fall.

C. Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day for effective diet.

D. Stimulants are most effective when one is normally active, and sedatives work best when one’s naturally sedate or asleep.

E. Overcoming one’s sleep problem by consulting one’s body temperature chart.

F. Visiting a doctor or dentist as early in the day or as late in the evening as possible.

G. Adjusting one’s daily activities to diminish the debilitating effects of jet lag.

5. Conclusion. (Para. 19)

It is important to have regularity in all aspects of one’s life and to learn to act in synchronization with one’s body’s natural rhythms.

Difficult sentences

It’s barely 5 a.m, but Winger is eager to go (l.2)

It is just 5 a.m, but Winget is eager to get up.

Barely: only; just; scarcely

e.g. 1. We barely had time to catch the train.

2. I barely know her.

Our bodies operate with the complexity of clocks, and like clocks, we all run at slightly different speeds like clocks. (l.5)

Our bodies function as complexly as clocks do, and work at a bit different speeds like clocks.

Slightly: a little

e.g. He revised his composition slightly and turned it in.

Winget is a morning person.(l.6)

Winget is in his best state in the morning.

This thinking was challenged by a theory labeled chronobiology by physician-biologist Franz Halberg. (l. 8)

This idea disagreed with a theory named chronobiology by physician-biologist Franz Halberg.

Label.

e.g. People labeled his as a liar.

The cell count was higher at a given time of day and lower 12 hours later (l.11)

The number of cells was more at a particular time of day and less 12 hours later.

The phrase “at a given time” in this sentence means “at a particular time”.

Other phrases of “give”.

1. “Given……” means “considering…” or suppose/if…”

e.g. 1) Given his age, he’s remarkably a fast runner.

2) Given good weather, our ship will reach Shanghai Monday evening.

…what time of day you’re best equipped to handle the toughest challenges…(l. 23)

…in a day, when you are in your most energetic state to deal with the hardest challenges…

The word “equip” here means “ to make able, fit or prepared to”

e.g. Your education will equip you for a job.

Of course, individual variations make all the differences(l. 43)

Of course, the most important is that there are variations among individuals.

Make a/some/no/any/not much/a great deal of difference

e.g. 1. It won’t make much difference whether you go today or tomorrow.

2. Does that make any difference?

Schedule your most demanding activities when your temperature is highest. (l.48)

Arrange your time to complete the heaviest activities when your temperature reaches the highest.

Demanding adj.

e.g. A demanding job/ a demanding boss.

By contrast, reading and reflection are better pursued between 2 and 4 p.m…(l. 52)

On the contrary, it’s better to do reading and thinking between 2 and 4 p.m…

Pursue: work at; be busy with.

e.g. He pursues brain research all his life.

Your bedtime should coincide with the point at which your temperature is lowest. (l. 69)

Your bedtime should agree with the time when your temperature is the lowest.

Coincide with.

e.g. His tastes and habits coincide with those of his wife.

Abstract of this text

Abstract of the text

Our bodies run as complexly as clocks and run at sli

ghtly different speeds, while Frenz Halberg, a physician-biol

ogist, explained that our systems don’t perform at a steady a

nd unchanging rate but function on an approximately 25-hou

r cycle and he accordingly called this “circadian rhythms”. Kn

owing circadian principles can assist people to achieve their

best with the least effort by coordinating the demands of thei

r activities with their biological capacities. In a word, it is imp

ortant to have regularity in all aspects of our lives and to lear

n to act in synchronization with our bodies’ natural rhythms