You are going to hear two doctors discussing a patient. Listen and say whether the sentences below are true or false.
1. The patient could remember all his personal details.
2. The patient definitely came from Yorkshire.
3. The patient could speak French and Italian.
4. Joe thinks that the patient might have been running away from something.
5. Joe thinks that the patient was definitely unmarried.
6. The patient has been unable to make contact with anyone he knows.
7. Deborah thinks that the patient can't have hit his head.
8. Deborah thinks that the patient will never recover his memory.
Listen to the audio and complete the summary below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
The history of soap
In ancient times soap was used to clean . Soap was not seen as a means of personal hygiene until times. Ancient people had little technology but many so were probably able to discover soap by chance. Soap was probably only used in societies. There is no evidence that tribespeople at the time of the British used soap.
The history of soap has mostly been discovered from . The earliest known use of soap in 2500 BC was to wash . The Egyptians made soap by mixing salts with oil taken from . The Romans saw washing themselves as a social activity. They removed dirt using steam and a . When Pompeii was excavated, they discovered a for making soap.
You are going to hear a man asking a colleague for advice about living in Hong Kong. Fill in the gaps with model verbs and a verb from the colleague's advice.
1. You a few days to recover from jet lag.
2. You the underground system as much as possible.
3. You some Cantonese to travel on the public light buses.
4. You loose change on the ferries and the buses.
5. You to speak Cantonese in some market stalls.
6. You a work permit before you go.
7. You too casually for work.
8. You any guide books in England.
9. You lots of passport photos with you.
Read the following passage.
What Is Stress?
Most people would say they know what stress is. But for scientists who study stress, it has been surprisingly hard to define. This is because there are so many ways of looking at stress.
Some researchers have studied how our bodies react to stress. You know how your heart beats faster, you perspire more heavily, and your words do not come out right when you are placed in a stressful situation. But knowing how we feel when we experience stress does not explain it; nor does it tell us what causes it.
Other scientists have looked at stressors: events or situations that produce stress. A deadline, a poor test performance, or bothersome noises all may be thought of as stressors. Even pleasant events can be stressors. Planning a party or starting a new job can be just as stressful as being called to the principal's office.
Stress, then, can be caused by both negative and positive events, or stressors. Of course, whether an event is thought of as positive or negative is, in some ways, a matter of personal choice.
In sum, it is the way people interpret an event that makes it stressful or not stressful. This process of interpretation is called appraisal. Depending on how people appraise, or judge, circumstances, they may or may not consider them stressful.
What, specifically, causes people to appraise a situation as stressful? The answer depends on how much of a threat or challenge it appears to be. Circumstances that bring a threat or challenge to a person's sense of well-being produce stress. Those that do not threaten or challenge us are not stressful.
Looking at stress this way gives us a general definition of the concept of stress: Stress is a response to circumstances that seem threatening or challenging.
The circumstances that cause stress vary from one person to another. It all depends on how we appraise circumstances. In addition, the things that cause us stress today may not cause us stress at another time. And the opposite is true: things that once caused no stress may now be stressful.
Adapted from Basic IELTS Reading
Knowing our feelings about stress can explain what causes the stress.
Sometimes whether an event is negative or not is based on a personal decision.
Whether an event is considered stressful may be determined by the way people interpret it.
Sometimes those circumstances that are not threatening to us are also stressful.
An event or situation may not always be a stressor.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Dirt will often enter a graze caused by falling on a hard or rough surface.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
But the child may be stiff the next day because of the bruising which has occurred.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
But if the patient was knocked unconscious and cannot remember what happened, he or she should be taken to a hospital Casualty Department.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
It may be treated by calamine lotion and soluble aspirin to relieve the pain.
Read the following passage from a health education booklet.
Cuts
Bleeding can usually be stopped by applying pressure to the cut for 2 or 3 minutes. The cut can then be carefully inspected. If it has bled freely, any germs will normally have been washed away by the blood.
Apply a plaster dressing firmly, bringing the edges of the cut together so that it knits quickly. Keep dry for 1 to 3 days.
If the cut is deep and the edges cannot be pulled together with a dressing, consult the doctor or practice nurse. A tetanus injection may be needed.
Grazes
Dirt will often enter a graze caused by falling on a hard or rough surface. It must be cleaned out carefully.
After cleaning, leave the graze uncovered. Exposure to the air will cause a scab to form. This will gradually dry and fall off. It is not a good idea to apply a dressing. This may stick to the graze or make it infected.
Bruises
Bruises are very common in children. They normally get better in 7 to 10 days. Parents sometimes worry that a bone may be broken. Children's bones are rubbery and rarely break, but if in doubt consult the doctor.
If a child gets up at once after a fall and moves about normally, it is unlikely that a bone has been broken. But the child may be stiff the next day because of the bruising which has occurred.
Severe bruising can be treated by rest for 24 to 48 hours. In the case of a badly bruised leg, the limb should be raised. Lying in bed is the easiest way to do this.
A cold compress may ease a bad bruise if applied at once. This is made by soaking some material in water and applying it to the bruise.
Bruises on the head may cause anxiety. If the patient was not "knocked out" and can remember the accident, it is unlikely that serious injury has resulted.
But if the patient was knocked unconscious and cannot remember what happened, he or she should be taken to a hospital Casualty Department.
Insect Bites
These are common in the summer. They look like spots about 5mm across. They are very itchy and usually appear on exposed parts, e.g. arms and legs.
The itching can be relieved by calamine lotion.
Burns and Scalds
Minor burns and scalds cause redness of the skin. Immediate treatment by pouring cold water over a burn is often helpful. If burns cause severe blistering or break the skin, the doctor should be consulted.
Sunburn should, if possible, be prevented by avoiding long exposure and covering exposed areas adequately. It may be treated by calamine lotion and soluble aspirin to relieve the pain.
Adapted from Basic IELTS Reading
Refer to the passage and answer the following questions with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the passage.
1. What can you do to the cut to stop the bleeding quickly?
2. When the cut bleeds freely, what may be brought out by the blood?
3. What may cause a graze to become infected?
4. What types of people are likely to get bruises?
5. When may a child feel uncomfortable because of a bruise he or she gets after a fall?
6. What is the easy way suggested to treat a badly bruised leg?
7. Where could the injury be if anxiety is a symptom?