Part 1
Anna: You’re looking a little under the weather. Are you alright?
Dave: Oh god, I feel awful. I think I’m coming down with something.
Anna: What’s the matter?
Dave: I’ve had this splitting headache since last night, and I’ve been sweating and running a fever all day.
Anna: Have you thrown up?
Dave: No, but I have lost my appetite.
Anna: I think you had better go and see a doctor. I can go with you if you want.
Dave: That would be great, thanks. I appreciate it.
Anna: That’s what friends are for.
2. awful = very bad
3. ‘splitting headache’ is a headache with a very sharp pain
4. ‘throw up’ is be sick/vomit
5. ‘lose your appetite’ is not wanting to eat
6. ‘you had better’ = you should
7. ‘I appreciate it’ is a sincere thank you
Part 2
Philip: Hey, Sam, I didn’t see you at my party on Saturday.
Samantha: Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I got food poisoning and was laid up in bed all day. Friday night was worse. I couldn’t stop vomiting.
Philip: Sorry to hear that. What did you eat?
Samantha: I think it must have been the chicken burger I had for dinner.
Philip: That sucks. Although, come to think about it, I haven’t been feeling that well either.
Samantha: Really? What’s up with you?
Philip: I think it’s just a cold. The doctor said there is a bug going around. She gave me some medicine and told me to get some rest. I am feeling a bit better today, though.
Samantha: I hate being sick. Going to the doctors is one of my least favourite things.
Philip: I don’t mind going. My doctor is really cute.
2. sucks = really bad
3. ‘come to think about it’ (or ‘come to think of it’) = now that I think about this….
4. ‘what’s up’ = ‘what’s wrong?’
5. ‘a bug’ is a virus. ‘A bug going around’ usually means a lot of people getting the cold around the same time
6. …., though: when speaking, sometimes people put ‘though’ at the end instead of ‘although’ at the beginning
Part 3
I detest being ill, especially when I am on my own. When I was a child my parents would look after me, but now I am an adult and live by myself nobody cares for me. Last week, for instance, I had the flu. I lay in bed all day, sweating and running a fever, and nobody helped. Nobody made me chicken soup. Nobody brought medicine or fruit. Nobody kept me company. Being ill sucks, especially when I’m on my own. Sometimes I wish I was a child again.
Notes2. for instance = for example
3. especially = particularly
Part 4
The most common reasons for visiting a doctor:
1. Hypertension
“High blood pressure” is very common in older people, or people with an unhealthy lifestyle.
2. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
These cause coughs and colds.
3. Physical Exams
These are health checks. Some people need them for work, and others just want a check.
4. Diabetes
High blood sugar. People with diabetes must be careful about eating sugar, and often need insulin injections.
5. Sinus infection
Sinus infections make breathing difficult. People often get ‘a blocked nose’ and headaches.
6. Bronchitis
Problems with air leaving the lungs. People with bronchitis often cough a lot, or need to spit. Smoking causes bronchitis.
7. Degenerative Joint Disease
This is often called “Arthritis”. It is sore joints (knees, elbows) caused by aging.
8. Asthma
Asthma makes airways become closed (an ‘asthma attack’). Some people are born with asthma, and some people get it later.
9. Otitis (ear infections)
10. Depression
Always feeling sad, tired, or useless. Depression can also make people angry at the world.