THE DYGESTIVE SYSTEM

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DIAGRAM: Match the name of each organ with the letter that represents it

______ 1. Stomach ______ 9. Esophagus

______ 2. Gall bladder ______10. Tongue
______ 3. Oral cavity (mouth) ______ 11. Small intestine
______ 4. Liver _____ 12. Pharynx
______ 5. Large intestine ______13. Anus
______ 6. Rectum
______ 7. Salivary glands
______ 8. Pancreas

VOCABULARY PRACTICE
A. Fill in the gaps with the words from the list

duodenum, tubelike, unwanted chemicals, glands, mouth, liver, nutrients, chemical factory, anus, vitamins,
esophagus, chewing, semifluid, large intestine, killing, pancreas, enzymes, stomach, absorb, absorption,
energy

The digestive system is the series of 1 ……………… organs that convert our meals into body fuel. In all there's
about 30 feet (9 meters) of these convoluted pipeworks, starting with the 2……………. and ending with the
3…………... Along the way, food is broken down, sorted, and reprocessed before being circulated around the
body to nourish and replace cells and supply 4………………….. to our muscles. Food on the plate needs to
become a mashed-up, gooey liquid for the digestive system to be able to split it up into its constituent parts:
proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Our teeth start the process by 5………………… and
grinding up each mouthful, while the tongue works it into a ball-shaped bolus for swallowing.

Moistening saliva fed into the mouth from nearby 6……………….. starts the process of chemical digestion
using specialized proteins called 7………………….. Secreted at various points along the digestive tract,
enzymes break down large molecules of food into smaller molecules that the body is able to
8…………………….Once we swallow, digestion becomes involuntary. Food passes down the throat to the
9………………………., the first of a succession of hollow organs that transport their contents through muscular
contractions known as peristalsis. The esophagus empties into the stomach, a large, muscular chamber that
mixes food up with digestive juices including the enzymes pepsin, which targets proteins, and lipase, which
works on fats. Hydrochloric acid likewise helps to dissolve the stomach contents while 10……………………
potentially harmful bacteria. The resulting 11…………………….. paste—chyme—is sealed in the stomach by
two ringlike sphincter muscles for several hours and then released in short bursts into the
12……………………………

The first of three sections of the small intestine, the duodenum produces large quantities of mucus to protect
the intestinal lining from acid in the chyme. Measuring about 20 feet (6 meters) in length, the small intestine is
where the major digestion and 13…………………… of nutrients take place. These nutrients are taken into the
bloodstream, via millions of tiny, fingerlike projections called villi, and transported to the 14……………….
What's left in the digestive tract passes into the 15…….………………….., where it's eaten by billions of
harmless bacteria and mixed with dead cells to form solid feces. Water is reabsorbed into the body while the
feces are moved into the rectum to await expulsion.

Other organs that play a key role in digestion include the liver, gallbladder, and 16……………………The
pancreas is a gland organ located behind the 17………………. that manufactures a cocktail of enzymes that
are pumped into the duodenum. A duct also connects the duodenum to the gallbladder. This pear-shaped sac
squeezes out green-brown bile, a waste product collected from the liver that contains acids for dissolving fatty
matter. The liver itself is the body's main 18……………………….., performing hundreds of different functions. It
processes 19…………………. absorbed into the blood by the small intestine, creating energy-giving glycogen
from sugary carbohydrates and converting dietary proteins into new proteins needed for our blood. These are
then stored or released as needed, as are essential 20………………… and minerals. The liver also breaks
down 21………………………., such as any alcohol consumed, which is detoxified and passed from the body
as waste.

B. Using the key choices below, match the description given with the structure in the alimentary
canal that it describes. Choices may be used more than once.

A. Anus G. Microvilli L. Salivary Glands

B. Appendix H. Mouth (Oral cavity) M. Small intestines
C. Esophagus I. Pancreas N. Stomach
D. Gallbladder J. Pharynx O. Tongue
E. Large Intestines (Colon) K. Rectum P. Villi
F. Liver

_____ 1. Stores bile until it is secreted.

_____ 2. Fingerlike extensions in the intestinal wall that increase surface area
_____3. Two anatomical regions where mechanical digestion occurs.
_____4. Organ that mixes food in the mouth.
_____ 5. Common passage for food and air.
_____ 6. Literally a food chute; it has no digestive or absorptive role.
_____ 7. Projections of the plasma membrane of a cell that increase the cell’s surface area.
_____ 8.Produces a juice that neutralizes stomach acid and contains digestive enzymes.
_____ 9. Organ responsible for absorption of most nutrients.
_____ 10. Organ primarily involved in water absorption and feces formation.
_____ 11. Blind sac hanging from the initial part of the colon.
_____ 12. Organ in which protein digestion begins.
_____ 13. Organ into which the stomach empties.
_____ 14. Organ that receives pancreatic juice and bile.
_____ 15. Opening through which feces are expelled from the body.
_____ 16. Produces bile.
_____ 17. Produce enzymes that begin carbohydrate digestion.
_____ 18. Stores feces until they are excreted.
LISTENING – You are going to listen to Dr. Peter Attia’s speech “Is the Obesity Crisis Hiding a Bigger
Problem?”
Before, answering the comprehension questions, do the following exercises:
a. Study the vocabulary below:
Bias- preference, inclination
Lingo= dictionary
Metabolic syndrome= developing insulin resistance
Shed= get rid of
Starch= naturally abundant nutrient carbohydrate found in seeds, fruits, tubers of corn, potatoes, wheat
and rice.

b. Find synonyms for the following nouns/adjectives:

Obese Division
Benign Audacity, pride
Salvage Harmless
Partition Overweight
Hubris Rescue

c. Find the antonyms for the following adjectives:

Obese Indifferent
Contemptuous Merciless
Arrogant Lean
Compassionate Incorrect
Appropriate Respectful
Rigorous Humble, modest
Empathetic Convinced
Skeptical Imprecise

Comprehension questions:

1. What was the doctor’s position at the time of the recalled hospital experiences?
2. What was the newly-wed’s condition?
3. Explain the difference between the two ER cases as seen by the doctor.
4. What type of disease did the doctor develop?
5. Why does he mention “to follow the food pyramid to the letter”?
6. What is the insulin hormone responsible for?
7. What analogy does he use to explain his idea?
8. What are the two aspects about diet changes he mentions?
9. Why does he mention new-ideas resistance?
10. What can you learn from Dr. Attia’s experience?
READING –read the excerpt from the article below and insert the words in their right form:
Food fight: Row over saturated fat advice
A row has erupted over claims that official guidance to cut down on saturated fat had been based on
shaky evidence. In the 1970s and 80s, there was a big push away from saturated fats in the US and UK as
experts CAUTION………………….. they were bad for the heart. Scientists writing in the journal Open Heart
have now argued this advice lacked the solid scientific TRY………………………. needed to back it up.
But many experts have come to the DEFEND………………… of the original guidelines. Prof Christine
Williams, at the University of Reading, says the claim that evidence was insufficient is "misguided and
potentially dangerous". And in recent years there has been more scientific data supporting the case that
saturated fat is bad for health. Public Health England say current RECOMMEND……………………….., to keep
fat consumption to a maximum of 30% of overall energy intake and saturated fat to just 10%, should be
followed to maintain a healthy diet.
What is a healthy diet?
One thing experts agree on is that balance is key to a good diet. Modern NUTRIENT…………………….
advice makes clear that no one nutrient or food type is the outright villain - simply avoiding fat or excluding
sugar or cutting out carbohydrates is not the answer to keeping well or shedding pounds
HEALTH……………………….. And most DIET……………………….. agree there is no such thing as a super
food. No single food - however exotic - can provide all the nutrients we need.
So what should we make sure is on our plates?
These types of foods are important sources of vitamins and minerals - key to both
GROW………………. and repair. UK GUIDE……………………….. suggest eating around five portions of fruit
and vegetables a day. To help achieve this, nutritionists advise swapping a mid-morning snack for fruit, or add
a banana to breakfast cereal. But a debate is now EMERGE…………………….. over fruit juices. They do not
always contain the fibre found in whole fruit and veg. And there are increasing concerns that they often come
PACK…………………… with added sugar, piling on NECESSITY…………………………… calories and
leading to tooth decay. Current recommendations suggest drinking no more than one glass of juice every day.
Reaching for the ready meal
Processed food - people often think of ready meals. People often think of ready meals, takeaways and
pizzas as processed food. And in recent years, people have been urged to cut their TAKE………………… of
this type of foods, which are often high in saturated fats, sugar and salt. But it's worth checking labels before
throwing them all in the bin. Some CONVENIENT………………………….. foods may still contain good
nutrients and be fine to eat in moderation. Yet, your nutritional needs depend partly on your age and how
much ACTIVE………………………… you do. But what is clear as OBESE………………… levels rise is no
single food type can shoulder all the blame.

WRITING- Choose one of the topics below and write a paragraph:

‘Scientific truth isn’t final but constantly evolving’
‘Just because you don’t know what to do, doesn’t mean you’ll always do it’
You are what you eat.
Talking about an appendicitis

Instructions: work with a partner to complete the sentences using the words in the box.

Instructions: work with a partner to match the terms from the preceding text (column A) with their
contextual meanings in column B.
A B
1. Characterized A. A sequence of events that are hard to stop
2. Mild B. Blamed on
3. Resolve C. Causes
4. Attributed D. Disintegrate
5. Sources E. Distinguished / differentiated
6. Subsequently F. Emesis
7. Break down G. Next / latter
8. Leak H. Nothing by mouth
9. Cascade I. One-forth of an area
10. Rupture J. Protected
11. Localizing K. Queasiness / upset stomach
12. Quadrant L. Sensitive
13. Nausea M. Slight / minor
14. Vomiting N. To be confined / to be focused
15. Tenderness O. To break open / to burst / perforate
16. Guarded P. To get better / to clear up
17. NPO Q. To give a medication
18. Administered R. To spill slowly / escape
GRAMMAR : ARTICLES