News in Health

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SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ
1. Genetic tests
Three billion letters are in our genetic code. Changes in the code make the
order of some letters a little different than usual. These changes make
us unique.
People in one family or their distant relatives share some of the changes,
and so scientists can tell if some people are related. Genetic test companies
read the genetic code, and they can learn surprising information which can
change a person’s life.
Some people get genetic tests to find if a disease runs in the family or to
learn if they are safe to have a baby. In many cases, adopted children want
to find their biological parents, or a parent wants to prove if a child is his or
her own.
Difficult words: unique (different from the others), distant relative (a
person who belongs to someone’s family but not the close
family), adopted (when someone legally takes someone’s child to care as
their own child).
2. 2022 health news

In 2022, many health developments happened which could improve people’s
lives; here are some of these developments.
An application called HoloScenarios uses holograms to train medical
students. Holograms act as patients, and students check their symptoms,
and decide their treatments. They do this outside a hospital without real
patients.
Doctors in South Africa use a special robot to perform some of the most
difficult medical operations. The robot has four arms, which a person
controls by computer.
People with ADHD can struggle to keep their eyes on the road while driving.
A driving simulator teaches young people with ADHD to drive safely.
Special glasses monitor when the head and eyes move, and they warn the
driver if he looks away for more than two seconds.
Difficult words: hologram (an image from a laser that makes the object or
person look real), treatment (medical care for a patient), driving
simulator (a device which looks like a car, and people can use it to learn to
drive better).
Hakan DİLEK www.hakanhocaking.com @hakanhocaking

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3. Data on Sweet Drinks

A new study found that drinking soda leads to a greater risk for many
causes of death. The study surveyed over 450,000 people in 10 European
counties from 1992 to 2000.
The study found that people who drank two or more glasses of soda a day
had higher chances of dying from certain diseases, and people who drank
less than one glass of soda a day had less chances.
Experts said that drinking a lot of soda shows that you can have an
unhealthy lifestyle. However, the study’s results were the same whether you
were skinny, overweight, smoked, or did not smoke cigarettes.
Difficult words: soda (sweet drinks like coca cola, sprite, etc.), survey (ask
many people the same kind of questions to get some information).
4. Digital health
Some Americans look at their smartphones and other screens such as
computers or TVs for more than 8 hours a day. Many people sleep less than
8 hours per night. Unfortunately, screen time can tire or hurt your eyes and
brain.
Due to COVID, children are getting more screen time. Some studies show
that too much screen time can lower their language and thinking test scores
and thin the brain’s cortex. The cortex is where people solve problems or
make arguments.
The screens are also negative for their sleep, and sleep is important to their
brain’s growth. The screens make a blue light which tells their brain
to delay sleep. The blue light then keeps children more alert at night when
they should sleep.
Difficult words: thin (to get smaller), cortex (the front of the
brain), delay (to wait).
5. Goosebumps
Goosebumps are small bumps on our skin that appear when our hair stands
up. We usually get goosebumps when we are scared, excited, or angry.
Goosebumps are very useful for animals because they make them look
bigger. Then the animals are safe from predators, which helps them survive.
Also, the raised hair or fur keeps animals warm when it is cold.
Experts say that people don’t need goosebumps to survive. Goosebumps
happen when we are cold, watch a scary movie, or listen to our favorite song.
An intense emotion, such as fear or anger, makes our body make more
adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone which makes the heart beat faster, and
it causes goosebumps.
Difficult words: survive (to stay alive), fur (the short hair of some animals,
for example, a rabbit), intense (very strong or great).

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6. Dogs know how people feel

A new study shows that dogs can tell if someone feels happy or stress.
Dogs have a much better sense of smell than people. Dogs have more than
200 million nerves in the nose, but people have only about 50 million. Dogs
also have a larger part of the brain which senses smell.
Some studies suggest that dogs know how we feel and when we are sick. We
smell differently when we are sick or our emotions change, and dogs can
easily recognize the change. Dogs can sense some types of cancer, and they
also know if someone has the coronavirus.
Difficult words: nerve (a brain part that helps you sense the
world), recognize (to know who someone or what something is), cancer (a
disease in which some of the parts of the body start to grow without control).
7. New Alzheimer’s drug

Researchers tested a new drug called Lecanemab; it could slow down
Alzheimer’s Disease.
Some of the brain’s proteins are responsible for the disease; the drug
reduced some of them. The result excited experts because it has never
happened before. The study lasted 18 months, and it involved 1,800
patients.
Unfortunately, some of the patients experienced serious side effects such as
brain swelling or bleeding. Experts believed that these problems could be
easily monitored with the help of special x-rays. They said that the new drug
would change the lives of patients with Alzheimer’s.
Difficult words: swell (to become larger or rounder), bleed (to lose blood
from the body), protein (a piece of a tiny body part called a cell).
8. A smart plaster
Three students from a university in Warsaw, Poland, invented a smart
plaster.
The plaster is called SmartHEAL, and has a special sensor which checks
the pH in a wound. When doctors take off a plaster, they risk infection, and
they also damage the tissue. The process is very painful and unpleasant for
the patient.
Thanks to SmartHEAL, doctors don’t need to take the plaster off, and they
know how the wound is healing. This situation is very important with
wounds which take months or even years to heal.
The students won an award for the plaster, and they want to use the prize
money to start testing SmartHEAL on real patients. They hope that they can
start selling the smart plaster in 2025.
Difficult words: pH (a measure of how acidic something is), wound (a cut or
hole in the body), tissue (an inside part of the body which has a specific job).

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9. Young people lose hearing

British scientists published a study about people 12 to 34 years old; the
study said that more than 1 billion of them had hearing problems.
Many young people complain about nonstop ringing in their ears. Hearing
tests show no problems, but when doctors repeat the test some years later,
the hearing is worse. The main reasons are headphones, concerts, and
restaurants where the sounds are too loud for too long. The sound damages
the cells in the inner ear, and once this damage happens, you cannot
change it.
Scientists say that the safe limit for our ears is 85 decibels over a 40-hour
work week. 85 decibels are the sound of a blender, while 100 decibels are
the sound of a train. We can also suddenly lose our hearing when we
experience a very loud noise just once.
Difficult words: cell (the smallest part in the human body), decibel (the
unit which people use to measure loudness), blender (an electric mixing
machine).
10. Cuddlers help babies

More than 35 years ago, workers at a medical center in Chicago, USA,
thought about how they could help babies.
Parents were sad at the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. They
couldn’t be with their babies all the time. The hospital staff knew that babies
needed someone’s care when their parents weren’t there. The children felt
better and they were healthier when someone held them, sang, and talked to
them.
Volunteers took special training to learn how to cuddle the babies and make
them feel better. Many of the volunteers were parents whose babies also
spent time at the unit. Thanks to the volunteers, other parents didn’t
feel guilty when they had to leave because they knew that someone else
helped their child.
Difficult words: neonatal intensive care unit (a special area of the hospital
where staff look after newborn babies), volunteer (a person who does work
for no money), guilty (when a person feels bad that he did something wrong).

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11. Winter worries doctors

Doctors worry about the coming winter and so-called “triple-demic”. They
believe that cases of three big respiratory illnesses will increase again.
This year, the season of respiratory illnesses started earlier than usual.
Doctors say that one of the reasons could be the pandemic. Children spent
several years without contact with each other, and their immunity is not
very strong.
Respiratory syncytial virus RSV affects mostly children under the age of five
and adults over the age of 65. Its symptoms are very similar to flu or COVID-
19.
The coronavirus is also spreading around the world. In the US, 260,000 new
people get tested every week and over 2,500 deaths happen from it. On
Thursday, the US president asked people to get the booster vaccine before
the winter starts.
Difficult words: respiratory (breath), immunity (the ability of the body to
fight a disease), booster vaccine (a medicine that protects you and makes
the effect of a previous vaccine stronger).
12. Chemicals in Blood

Scientists tested four sunscreen products and
their ingredients. Participants of the study applied sunscreen on their
bodies for four days.
Scientists found out that six chemicals got into the participants´ blood, and
they stayed there for several days.
The amount of these chemicals were higher than the safe limits; however, it
is important to use sunscreens. They have health benefits because they
protect the skin from dangerous sunburns.
Scientists must do more research to understand how chemicals get into the
body and what effects they can have. It is necessary to make rules for
sunscreen products and to check the safety of the chemicals that they
contain.
Difficult words: sunscreen (a cream that protects the skin from the
sun), ingredient (a part of a product), participant (a person who takes part
in an activity).

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13. Russia drug scandal

Last year, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva competed at the Russian
National Championship. After the competition, Valieva tested positive for an
illegal heart drug.
Valieva said that she made a mistake, and she took her grandfather’s heart
pills. A few months later, officials allowed her to compete at the Beijing
Winter Olympics, where she won the gold medal.
Russia’s anti-doping agency started to investigate the doping scandal, and
this week, it knew the results. The agency won’t say the results because it
wants to protect the skater. Only the agency knows the results. It said it
follows all international and Russian anti-doping rules.
Difficult words: drug (a medicine), anti-doping agency (an organization
which checks if athletes take illegal medicines), scandal (an event which
makes many people angry).
14. People fight polio

Polio is a highly infectious and dangerous disease. The virus lives in
the digestive system. The virus spreads easily in places with
bad sanitation.
For more than 35 years, people almost completely destroyed the virus, but it
was difficult. Only some people show any signs of being ill, and many
infected people don’t know that they are ill. People almost destroyed the
virus, but events like the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in Pakistan made
the situation worse again.
Bill and Melinda Gates donated 1.2 billion dollars to stop polio, and some
experts said that it should stop by the end of 2023.
Difficult words: digestive system (the body parts which work with food in
the body), sanitation (keep places clean and healthy), donate (to give money
for something good).
15. Problems with E-cigarettes

Health officials say that it is important to be careful when people use e-
cigarettes. The number of illnesses connected to e-cigarettes continues to go
up in the United States.
Health officials say that they know about 450 possible cases of illnesses in
33 states. These cases can be connected to e-cigarettes. This number is two
times higher than the number two weeks ago, and five people already died in
the last two months.
The officials say that they do not know exactly what chemical is in the e-
cigarettes that is the reason for the problems. Some people smoked e-
cigarettes and also marijuana, but some people smoked only e-cigarettes.
The officials say that it is better to use only products which people buy in
stores and not in the streets.
Difficult words: official (a leader, a boss), case (a person who has some
illness).

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16. Collecting Bee Venom

People collect bee venom to make medicines and study brain diseases.
However, some methods of collecting the venom can hurt bees, and they are
already suffering from loss of places to live, diseases, and pesticides.
An Australian scientist found a new way to collect bee venom. He gives bees
a piece of glass which they sting. When they sting the glass, the bees cannot
get stuck or get hurt.
Difficult words: venom (a poison that comes from an
animal), disease (illness, things which make you ill), pesticide (a chemical
that kills insects).
17. App finds breast cancer

Two college graduates recently developed a device which could be very useful
for women. The device is called Dotplot and it checks women’s breasts for
cancer.
The two young women found that the task was difficult to self-check the
breasts at home because the information was not clear about how to do it
right. Dotplot reads the breasts with sound waves, and an app sends a
report about the scan. The app also compares the scan with previous scans,
which helps see if something changed in the breasts.
In 2021, breast cancer became the most common form of cancer. It
now accounts for nearly 12% of new cases worldwide.
Difficult words: sound wave (energy from sound), scan (a measurement
through a material), account for (to make a part of something).
18. The body’s appendix

The appendix is a small tube in our lower belly. It is on the right side, and it
is attached to the large intestine. The large intestine gets water from food,
and it moves the rest of food out of the body.
Scientists are not sure why we have the appendix. Most of them agree that it
could an important organ for the animals, which humans evolved from.
Most people can live without the body part, but studies show that it can be
important for us.
One study says that the appendix makes our body stronger because it
makes bacteria to help us eat food. People, who have no appendix can have
more severe illnesses, for example diarrhea. Another study says that the
appendix makes bacteria to help when we are ill.
Difficult words: evolve (to develop over a long period of time), bacterium (a
very small living thing, which can be useful for the body, but it sometimes
causes diseases), diarrhea (an illness in which too much liquid waste leaves
the body).

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19. Cryotherapy
This news is about whole body cryotherapy. It is a form of therapy which
helps your body to heal. The only problem is that you must spend three
minutes in a super cold chamber. The temperature in the chamber is -130
degrees Celsius.
Cryotherapy works by making the brain believe that the body is freezing. The
body then sends oxygen-rich blood to the centre of the body.
This makes you feel great. You feel relaxed and full of energy. Cryotherapy is
a big hit in New York. Customers pay about 90 dollars for three minutes.
Difficult words: cryo- (involving extreme cold), heal (to become healthy
again), chamber (a small room).
20. Doctors separate twins

In 2018, twins Arthur and Bernardo Lima were born in a Brazilian village.
They were not ordinary twins because their heads were joined together.
The twins shared part of the brain and the vein which takes blood to the
heart. Doctors spent many months to plan a surgery to separate the boys.
Thanks to virtual reality, doctors from different countries met and learn how
to perform the real surgery.
The surgery happened in Rio de Janeiro, and almost 100 medical staff were
part of it. Seven surgeries happened altogether, and the final surgery took
more than 27 hours. After the surgery, the boys could finally look at each
other.
Difficult words: ordinary (usual), vein (a body part that looks like a tube
and carries the blood through the body), final (the last).
21. Children and Screens

The World Health Organisation sent out new guidelines on physical activity
and sleep for children under 5. The guidelines repeat what many parents
already know.
Children should move more, sit less, and get enough sleep to grow up
healthy. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old should move at least
three hours a day. Babies younger than 1 year old should
move several times a day.
The WHO says that children between 2 and 4 years old should not spend
more than an hour a day watching an electronic screen. Children younger
than 2 years old should not look at electronic screens at all.
Difficult words: guideline (a rule; advice), several (some), electronic
screen (the ‘window’ into a computer/tablet/phone).

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22. COVID-19 vaccine for babies

In the coming days, US authorities may approve COVID-19 vaccines for
children aged six months to five years old.
According to officials, more than 13.5 million American children had COVID-
19 since the pandemic started in autumn 2019. 500 children already died
this year. Companies Pfizer and Moderna both made vaccines which are
appropriate for small children, and now, doctors are waiting for US
authorities to approve them.
Around 20% of parents plan to get the vaccine to their children immediately,
but some worry if the vaccine is safe. Experts say that the vaccines will
protect children against the bad effects of COVID-19, including a serious
condition of inflammation in the body. It can kill children.
Difficult words: approve (to officially agree with something), vaccine (a
medication that stops a disease), inflammation (a situation when a part of
the body becomes hot and painful).
23. Problem with Skinny Jeans

A 35-year-old woman from Australia was moving house and spent
hours squatting. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans.
Pressure built up in her lower legs and the legs swelled. The woman went to
hospital. Doctors helped her and she was able to walk on her own four days
later.
She is fine, but a condition like this can get serious – it can damage
muscles and nerves.
Skinny jeans are popular with both women and men, but they are not the
healthiest choice.
Difficult words: squat (to sit with your knees bent under you and your
bottom just off the ground, balancing on your feet), swell (when an area of
your body becomes larger than normal), condition (situation of the body).
24. Monkeypox
Monkeypox is a virus, which causes fever and a rash. It is usual in west and
central Africa, and it rarely spreads elsewhere.
Monkeypox has two main strains called the west African and the Congo
strains. The Congo strain is more dangerous, and about 10% of patients die
from it.
Now, nine European countries, the US, Canada, and
Australia confirmed monkeypox infections, which worries officials. Experts
don’t know how the virus spreads, but many cases were among gay or
bisexual men.
We have no vaccine for monkeypox, but we can use a vaccine for smallpox,
which is quite similar. The vaccine protects about 85% of people.
Difficult words: rash (red and itchy skin), confirm (to say that something is
true), smallpox (a disease, which causes fever, spots on the skin, and often
death).

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25. Microplastics in human blood

Scientists took blood samples from 22 people, and they
found microplastics in 17 of them.
This was the first time that scientists found microplastics in human blood,
but they weren’t surprised. Plastic is all around us, and it is very dangerous
for the environment. Microplastics are in the air which people breathe, and
they are even in food which people eat.
Nobody really knows what they will do to us, but there will be more
microplastics in the future. Scientists worry that when they are in people’s
blood, they could also go into their body parts.
This problem is difficult to solve, and it’ll be a great challenge for future
generations.
Difficult words: sample (a small part or piece of
something), microplastic (a very small piece of plastic), challenge (a very
difficult task or situation).
26. Asthma from Traffic

Asthma is a medical condition where you can have difficulty breathing. It is
lifelong and doctors cannot stop it.
A study says that traffic pollution is connecting to 4 million new cases of
asthma in children every year. Scientists studied this in 194 countries and
125 large cities.
Other studies also said this, but this study’s author says that this study
is comprehensive. It tells where the most polluted areas in the world are.
Some people think that we need to make new rules for pollution. We should
also have cleaner transportation.
Difficult words: pollution (smoke which comes from cars, planes and
ships), comprehensive (broad, big).
27. Bird flu in the US

In recent months, there were many cases of bird flu in Europe and Asia.
Now, it has spread to the US, too.
Health officials found the flu at a turkey farm in Indiana, and some
countries have already stopped buying poultry from the state. The flu
spread also to Kentucky and Virginia, where farmers tried to stop it. They
were afraid that the situation could be as bad as in 2015. That year, bird flu
killed 50 million birds in 15 US states.
Migratory birds often spread the disease which causes bird flu, but the flu
isn’t very dangerous for them. When the flu gets to domestic birds, it
changes and is very dangerous.
Difficult words: poultry (the meat of chickens, turkeys, and other
birds), migratory (an animal which travels from one place to another,
usually because of weather), domestic (an animal which people keep at
home or on a farm).

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28. Cockroach Farm in China

Most people don’t like cockroaches, but one man from China is
an exception. He has a cockroach farm which brings him a fortune.
He has nearly one square mile of the bugs, and one kilo of them sells for
$16. People use cockroach shells and oil in Chinese medicine to treat a lot of
diseases. However, these medical products say nothing about the
cockroaches on their information packets. The reason why is clear.
But, the farmer is proud of his cockroach farm anyway.
Difficult words: exception (he is different, not like most people), fortune (a
lot of money), packet (box in which the medicine is).
29. Nigeria destroys vaccines

Nigeria destroyed a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines because they were
too old.
Many African countries could not get enough vaccines because rich
countries bought them. Later, some countries donated vaccines which they
did not need, but these vaccines had a very short shelf life. A short shelf life
means that there was only a little time to use them.
A million doses stayed in boxes, and nobody used them. People were afraid
that they were dangerous, and they did not want them. Last month, Nigerian
officials showed a video of how workers destroyed these vaccines. It was
important for people to see that they would not get old vaccines.
With 200 million people, Nigeria has the most people in Africa. So far, health
officials administered around 13 million doses.
Difficult words: dose (an amount of a medicine), donate (to give money or
things to someone who needs it), administer (to give someone a medicine).
30. Man with a pig heart

Doctors in Maryland, US, moved a pig heart into a human. The operation
took seven hours, and doctors used a genetically-modified pig heart. There
were similar operations in the past, but they were never successful.
Last week’s operation was successful because the patient’s body did
not reject the heart immediately. The patient was doing well three days after
the operation, but it was not possible to say if he would live or for how long.
The patient was a 57-year-old man from Maryland. The operation was his
last chance because he was too sick to get a human heart. The operation
was not a usual procedure, and doctors needed special permission to
complete it.
Difficult words: genetically-modified (when scientists change the genetic
information of a living thing or its body parts), reject (to not
accept), permission (when someone allows someone else to do something).

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31. Dementia in 2050

Researchers published a study last week which said that the number of
people with dementia would triple by 2050.
The study looked at 195 of the world’s countries and territories and it
studied current developments in health laws and medications. Researchers
said that by 2050, there would be 153 million people with dementia and that
the number of cases would go up in all countries.
Dementia is a cognitive disease, which means that it changes thinking,
learning, understanding, and remembering. There are physical risks to get
dementia.
Researchers expect that there will be many cases in countries where there is
a large population and the population is aging.
Difficult words: publish (to share a document), dementia (a disease of the
brain), triple (to be three times as many).
32. Two years of COVID-19

In December 2019, scientists found a mysterious virus in Wuhan, China. A
virus is a type of illness. At that time, nobody knew that the COVID-19
pandemic had just started.
Health officials did not worry too much because they did not think that the
virus would move throughout the world. But in January 2020, COVID-19
made people sick in Europe and in the US.
People started to panic, and it was very difficult to buy normal things like
toilet paper. Scientists knew very little about the virus, and doctors did not
know how to help people with it. Hospitals were full of COVID-19 patients,
and many of them died.
In December 2020, scientists created three vaccines, and the situation
finally started to change. A vaccine is a medicine to help you fight an illness.
There were several waves of people getting sick since 2019, and in many
countries, there is a new wave now. Interestingly, the patients in hospitals
now are mostly people who did not get a vaccine.
Difficult words: mysterious (difficult to explain or understand), panic (to
suddenly feel very worried or frightened), wave (a big increase in a number).

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33. Doctors switch embryos

In 2019, Daphne Cardinal gave birth to a baby girl after an IVF treatment.
Shortly after the birth, her husband Alexander saw that the baby did not
look like them.
Daphne breastfed the baby for months, and she formed a relationship with
the baby, as did their five-year-old daughter. Then a DNA test confirmed that
the Cardinals were not the baby´s actual parents, and an IVF clinic in
California, US, switched embryos. The Cardinals met the other couple, and
about a month later, they decided to switch their babies.
The Cardinals are suing the clinic for wrong treatment and for hiding
information from them. They say that it was very difficult for them and their
daughter to give away a baby who they spent several months with.
Difficult words: IVF (a procedure during which a doctor puts a man´s
sperm into a woman´s egg in a laboratory), breastfeed (to feed a baby with
milk from a woman´s breasts), embryo (a human or animal which is only
weeks old, and it is inside its mother´s body).
34. Breast cancer donations

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, and many
organizations and charities collect money to help fight with the disease.
The pink ribbon is the official symbol of breast cancer awareness. People
who wear the pink color or the pink ribbon show support for women with
breast cancer. People donate money to charities and buy products with the
symbol. They do it because they believe that the money will go to breast
cancer research.
Unfortunately, it is not always true. In the US, no law says how the charities
or organizations use the money from the donations. It is possible that some
charities do not spend any money at all.
Difficult words: charity (an organization which gives money, food or other
help to people who need it), awareness (when people know that something
exists, and they have information about it), donate, donation (to give money
or things to help somebody who needs them; the money or things people give
to help others).

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35. Doctors separate babies

In August 2020, twin girls were born in Israel. They never saw each other
because they were joined at the head. Last week, they could look at each
other for the first time.
A team of experts from Israel and other countries spent a year planning a
surgery which would separate the girls. It was a complicated surgery, and
the team used 3D and virtual reality models to plan it. Doctors performed
this surgery only twenty times in the world, and it was the first time that
they did it in Israel.
Months before the surgery, doctors put silicone bags into the girls´ heads
which lengthened their skin. After the doctors reconstructed the skulls, they
used the new skin to close the heads. The surgery took 12 hours, and it was
successful. The girls will live normal lives.
Difficult words: joined (connected), silicone (a special metal material which
doctors can use in bodies), skull (the bones of the head).
36. People do not sleep enough

Especially in big cities, people sleep less and less, and it has a big impact on
their physical and mental health.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused people to sleep less and the quality of their
sleep was worse. The reason was stress. Many people could not do the
things which they normally did, so they got up and went to sleep at different
times. This was not good because they needed routines in their lives.
When people do not sleep enough, they are at higher risk of some diseases
such as heart disease or obesity. Less sleep also affects their mood and
thinking. Another problem is that many people think that they have to sleep
less so they can work more.
Difficult words: stress (great worry which comes when someone is in a
difficult situation), routine (when a person does usual things at usual
times), obesity (when a person is very fat, and it is dangerous for his health).
37. A new diabetes test

Australian scientists developed a new diabetes test that
finds glucose in saliva. They believed that it was very exciting, and it was
something that people hoped to make for a long time.
Scientists put an enzyme into a strip, and this enzyme turns glucose into a
signal. A special device can read the signal, and it shows the level of glucose
in the body. Scientists said that this test would change the way of making
medical tests.
It is very easy and cheap to make the test because people can print it. There
is no electronic device in it, and it contains only ink. The test is non-
invasive, which means that it is not painful.
Difficult words: glucose (blood sugar), saliva (the water in the mouth which
helps you chew and eat), enzyme (a substance which helps the body work
faster).

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38. New drug for Alzheimer’s

The company Biogen made a drug for Alzheimer’s disease, which is the first
drug which could possibly help people who suffer from the disease. It is also
the first new drug in 18 years.
Some people were excited while others said that more tests were needed
to prove the drug was safe.
The cost of the drug is $56,000 per year for one person, which could make
$1 billion for Biogen in 2022. The hope is that there will be more drugs like
this which will bring down the cost and that researchers find other
cheaper treatments.
Difficult words: suffer from (to have problems because of
something), prove (to show that something is true), bring down (to make
smaller), treatment (a medication, drug, or therapy which helps with an
illness).
39. New sensors help women

A team of scientists made three wireless sensors which helped during labor.
During labor, doctors measure many things, for example the mother´s heart
rate, temperature, pulse, and level of oxygen. It helps them know how the
woman and the baby inside her body are doing and if everything is okay.
These special sensors are on a woman´s chest, finger and belly. They
communicate with each other, and they give the doctor all the information
which he needs.
The sensors are very helpful because women could use them at home, and
doctors could check them without meeting personally. Another good thing is
that the sensors have no wires and the woman can move freely.
Difficult words: wireless (without wires or cables), sensor (a device which
measures something and how it is changing), labor (when a pregnant woman
is pushing a baby out of her body).
40. Scissors Inside Man

18 years ago, a man from Vietnam had a traffic accident. He went to hospital
and had an operation. After leaving the hospital, he was still in pain.
He often felt sharp pain in his abdomen. This lasted for 18 years. After the
18 years, doctors took an X-ray of his abdomen. The picture showed scissors
inside him. The doctors from 18 years ago had forgotten the scissors inside
him! Doctors had to remove these scissors.
The man trusted the same hospital. Doctors finally removed the scissors and
now the man is fine.
Difficult words: abdomen(the belly, the soft front part of the
body), last(exist, be), remove(take out).

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41. New Cancer Treatment

Three months ago, a teenager’s doctors found a rare brain tumour in his
brain. He is going to receive new cancer treatment at the UK’s first proton
beam treatment centre.
The proton beam targets the tumour exactly and does not damage other
parts of the brain.
The new centre will help 750 people a year, and people will open a second
one in London next year.
The teenager liked the proton beam machines and said that they were
beautiful and looked like things from the future. He thinks that they will
help him ‘really well’. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up.
Difficult words: tumour (an extra part in your body which can become
cancer), proton beam (a stream of tiny things like electricity that have
energy inside them), target (aim at exactly).
42. Gorillas Get Coronavirus

Gorillas at a zoo in San Diego, California, US, had positive tests for the
coronavirus. It was the first time that this happened in the US and maybe in
the world, too.
A person who worked at the zoo had a positive test for the coronavirus, but
he did not have any symptoms. He continued working at the zoo, and he
wore a mask when he was near the gorillas. It seems that the gorillas got the
virus from him.
The director of the zoo said that the animals were feeling well, and they did
not have serious health problems. They got vitamins, food, and plenty of
water. It was not necessary to give them any medicine.
Gorillas live in groups and there are not very many of them in the world.
Scientists worry that the coronavirus could reduce the number of gorillas in
the world even more.
Difficult words: symptom (a sign of a disease), medicine (a drug that stops
a disease or makes it less serious), reduce (to make something smaller).

17
43. Healthy HIV Patient

A patient in London had HIV. Scientists announced that they cured the
patient, and that they used a special gene therapy. There is a gene called
CCR5, and some people have a different form of this gene. It is special
because HIV does not affect it.
The patient had HIV and blood cancer. Doctors found a donor who had the
different form of the gene. They transplanted stem cells into the patient´s
body, which helped cure both the cancer and the HIV. For the last 30
months, the patient did not show any signs of HIV.
The therapy is new, and it gives hope to other HIV patients. However,
scientists said that the therapy is not suitable for all patients.
Difficult words: gene (a part of the cells in the body), donor (the person who
gives a part of his body to somebody else) stem cell (a small part of human
body that can change into many different body parts).
44. Baby Needs an Operation on Her Legs

Victoria was born with a deformity on her legs. She cannot walk because
her legs have no calf bones. This deformity is very unusual.
Her parents were really shocked. Her mother said that when she saw her
baby for the first time she was surprised. She expected a full, healthy baby
because on every scan, the doctors said that she was perfect.
Now UK doctors told Victoria’s parents that the only option is
to amputate their little girl´s legs. Her parents are now trying to collect 350
thousand pounds to take their daughter to America for a life-changing
operation. They want to save her legs. They found a doctor in the US who
could do this.
There will be three operations. These operations cannot be done in Britain
and must be done before she is two years old.
The couple collected around a hundred thousand pounds. Friends and
family are trying to collect the rest of the money. They need the money before
June when Victoria is two years old.
Difficult words: deformity (something unusual about how the body
grows), calf (a part of a leg between the knee and the
ankle), amputate (remove), scan (a picture of inside of something).

18
45. Medical 3D printing helps babies

Two doctors who work at a university hospital in Michigan, USA, kept seeing
babies die. The babies were dying because air could not pass into their lungs
– their airways were not strong. The doctors wanted to help the babies.
They met one baby who was going to die very soon from this problem. They
gave him a 3D printed airway splint. The splint kept his airway open, will
grow with him, and later will dissolve so nothing will stay in his airway.
It is three years later and that baby, along with two more babies who had the
same problem, is happy and healthy.
Difficult words: airway (air passes through this from your mouth to your
lungs), splint (a thing that holds something), dissolve (to turn into nothing).
46. Help for Medical Workers

US health care workers struggle because they do not have enough hand
sanitizer. Companies that produce ethanol can help solve the problem.
They could make millions of gallons of ethanol; however, they make ethanol
for the food industry.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not agree with their idea.
Officials do not want to allow ethanol producers to make food ethanol for
medical use. They say that it is a lower grade ethanol, and it is not safe to
put it on people´s skin.
Health officials say that the FDA should make its rules less strict because it
could help with the lack of hand sanitizer. In recent days, officials changed
rules to support companies to make medical gloves, ventilators, and
coronavirus tests.
Difficult words: hand sanitizer (a gel that has alcohol in it, and people use
it on their hands to reduce infection), ethanol (a type of alcohol), lack (when
there is not enough of something).
47. Good News about AIDS

Scientists from the USA made an important breakthrough in treating AIDS.
They used special technology which can edit the genes, and they removed
the HIV virus in nine out of 21 mice.
Now, the scientists are testing the method on primates (animals like big
monkeys), and they want to try the method with people in 2020.
Around 1.1 million people had HIV in the USA in 2016. Right now, people
can take pills which stop HIV so they do not get AIDS. However, this does
not make them healthy and they must keep taking the pills.
Difficult words: breakthrough (a big step forward in medicine), treat (to
stop AIDS or make it go away completely), gene (the information inside a
virus or inside our body which tells the virus or parts of our body what to
do).

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48. Cholera in Mozambique

Cholera is a disease which causes diarrhoea. If ill people do not get help, it
can kill them.
Last Wednesday, five people had cholera in Mozambique. On Friday, 139
people had it. There is a risk that more people will catch it. People can catch
this disease from water or food.
The World Health Organisation is trying to help. It sent 900 cholera vaccines
and 21 medical teams to Mozambique.
Difficult words: disease (a thing/virus/bacteria which makes you
ill), diarrhoea (when you have to poop very often and the poop is like water;
this sickness can kill you because you have no water in your body).
49. Sixteen-kilogram tumour

This news is about a woman from Peru. When she was 14, a tumour started
to grow in her ovaries. It grew for eight years – until her age of 22. Now,
doctors removed the tumour. It was sixteen kilograms heavy and 50
centimetres large. It made her look pregnant.
The woman talked about her life with the tumour. She couldn’t work or
study. The tumour made her breathing difficult. She could only stay at home
where she took care of her nieces and nephews.
The operation was successful and the woman is going to be fine.
Difficult words: tumour (something which grows on/in your body; this
thing is not good and is often removed), pregnant (with a baby inside the
belly), ovaries (the pair of female reproductive organs which produce
ova/eggs).
50. Full head transplant

A Russian computer scientist suffers from a rare disease which
causes severe muscle weakness. His condition is getting worse and worse
and he must get help. Otherwise, he will die.
The man plans to have a surgery – a full head transplant. During the
operation, doctors will place his head on somebody else’s body. The
operation would cost around $10 million pounds, and it would take place in
either China or the US.
The man knows that this is very dangerous – he knows that he may not
survive the operation. However, he wants to take the risk. Even if he dies, he
can still push forward medical science.
Difficult words: severe (very strong), weakness (being weak – not
strong), push forward (help by providing information).

20
51. Attack in a hospital

A 68 year-old man attacked nurses with a metal bar at a hospital in
Minnesota. He injured four medical workers.
People called police officers to the scene and they tasered the man. They
arrested him, but soon moved him back to the hospital because he was not
well. He died there.
Doctors admitted the man to the hospital because he
was delusional and confused. The cause of his death is under investigation.
Difficult words: taser (to stop somebody by using a taser which is an
electrical weapon), delusional (when you think that something is happening
that is not happening), confused (when you do not know what is going on).
52. Cryotherapy
Whole Body Cryotherapy is New York’s latest health and fitness trend, which
is meant to boost metabolism and help the body heal itself.
The treatment, which people developed in Japan and people have used in
parts of Europe for about twenty years, means that you have
to submerse yourself in extremely low temperatures of -130 degrees Celsius.
Cryotherapy works by making the brain believe that the body is freezing,
which then goes into survival mode and begins to send blood, enriched with
oxygen, enzymes and nutrients, to the body’s core.
In one of New York’s spa, customers pay about 90 US dollars for a three-
minute treatment. They wear a bathing suit, socks and gloves to protect
themselves from acute frostbite while liquid nitrogen is used to cool the air
in the chamber.
Difficult words: metabolism (how fast the body uses food), submerse (cover
completely).
53. Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings

In August 1945, the US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US said that they wanted to end World War II
more quickly and to save American lives.
However, officials estimate that 120,000 people died in Hiroshima and
74,000 people died in Nagasaki. Many people died within days after the
bombings. They had health problems connected with the radiation.
People who survived are now usually in their 80s and 90s. They still
remember the bombings, and the events are a traumatic experience for
them. However, many people have cancer, which is the main and the most
dangerous effect of radiation.
US and Japanese scientists study radiation together. Scientists check safe
radiation limits for hospitals and for space missions.
Difficult words: estimate (to guess carefully and thoughtfully), radiation (a
type of energy that is very strong and dangerous to living things), survive (to
stay alive after something bad happens), traumatic (when something makes
someone extremely upset and stressed).

21
54. Music During Operation

In 2013, doctors told musician Dagmar Turner that she had a brain tumor.
She had an attack during a concert.
Doctors wanted to kill the tumor with radiation. However, they were not
successful. The tumor grew more, and it was dangerous for the part of the
brain that controls the left hand. Doctors decided to perform an operation.
Turner explained to the doctors that for violinists, the left hand is more
important than the right hand. Doctors worried that they could damage her
brain.
Turner had an idea to play the violin during the operation. This
helped activate some parts of her brain. Doctors could see these parts, and
they did not damage the brain. The operation was successful, and Turner is
recovering well.
Difficult words: brain tumor (when a part of a brain starts to grow
dangerously), radiation (energy that doctors use to kill tumors), activate (to
make something active).
55. Herd Immunity

Herd immunity is the situation when the majority of people
become immune to a disease. Usually, 70-90% of people need to be immune
to get herd immunity. However, it is not easy to get it because some
dioseases are more infectious than others.
There are two ways to get herd immunity: a vaccine or a mass infection. To
vaccinate enough people can take years. On the other hand, if too many
people get sick at the same time, it can be a problem for hospitals.
Experts say that the best way is to make a vaccine. Before the vaccine is
ready, people should follow governments´ rules to help stop the spread of the
disease. It is clear that the coronavirus will continue to exist, and without
the herd immunity, more people could get sick again.
Difficult words: immune (when a person´s body is strong enough not to
catch a disease), infectious (how easily a disease spreads from person to
person), mass infection (when many people catch a disease).

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56. Stomach Full of Knives

A man from India started swallowing knives. He developed this habit when
he was getting better from a road accident.
Recently, the man went to hospital with a stomach ache. Doctors thought
that he had a tumour, but then they saw all the metal in his stomach by
using a camera. They asked him about it and he told them that he swallowed
28 knives.
After surgery, though, the doctors counted 40 of them. The man is now in
stable condition.
Difficult words: swallow (let something down your throat into your
stomach), develop (start), habit (something that you regularly do).
57. Girl Is Healthy Again

Joey Martin is fifteen years old, and she loves soccer. About eight months
ago, she started to have headaches. At first, doctors told her that it
was migraines. However, later, they found out that it was a brain tumor.
Joey got scared, and she imagined the long and difficult therapy that she
would have to have. However, scientists work hard to find better and more
effective ways to work with cancer. Now scientists are able to cut off the
blood supply to the tumor. Such therapy makes the tumor smaller, and the
therapy does not have so many side effects.
During the therapy, Joey´s hope was to play soccer again. It helped her get
better faster. Last month, her hope came true, and she could enjoy another
game.
Difficult words: migraine (a big headache that happens a lot, and it can
make a person feel very sick), tumor (when a part of the body starts to grow
without control), side effect (an effect of a drug or therapy that is usually
unpleasant).
58. Tired Eyes

People are spending a lot of time in front of their TVs and computers. The
reason is the coronavirus, which makes people stay at home.
Experts say that more screen time can make our eyes tired. When we stay
too close to the screen, we do not blink so often. We miss 2 – 3 blinks every
minute, which makes 120 – 180 blinks in one hour. Our eyes get dry and
red, we cannot see well, and we can have headaches.
There is a 20-20-20 rule that can help our eyes. When we look at a screen
for 20 minutes, we should take a break and look at something 20 feet away
for 20 seconds. It is also possible to buy reading glasses or eye drops at a
drugstore to help our eyes.
Difficult words: screen time (the time that people spend in front of a PC or
TV), blink (to shut and open the eyes quickly), eye drops (a kind of liquid
medicine that people put in their eyes).

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59. Badly Injured Man

A year ago, a man woke up from sleep with his body burning. He thought
that it was hot water at first, but then he felt acid in his mouth. His ex-
girlfriend, who is now serving 17 years in prison, carried out the attack.
It was a miracle that Daniel survived. A third of his skin had to
be transplanted, and doctors had to remove his right eye. He will live with
his scars forever, but his ex-girlfriend will be free one day.
Daniel, however, will not be alone. He has found love again with the carer
who nursed him after the cruel acid attack. Daniel says that Anna loved him
from their first day together. She even gave up her job to be with him. Anna
says that Daniel is an amazing person – clever, funny, and easy to fall in love
with. The scars do not mean anything to her because she is happy to be with
him. She even speaks of destiny that they met.
Difficult words: transplant (replace with something), nurse (take care of;
help) destiny (fate – something that is going to happen).
60. Wear Red Day

The American Heart Association created Wear Red Day. On the first Friday of
February, people in America wear red clothes to make others aware about
heart disease in women.
In the US, heart disease kills one in three women every year, which is more
than all the cancers together. Doctors worry because younger and younger
women have heart disease. Many women in their 20s and 30s already have
some kind of heart disease, which was unusual ten or twenty years ago.
Heart disease is about 80% preventable, which means that people can often
stop it from happening. The most important things are a healthy diet and
enough exercise. People should eat enough grains, fruit and vegetables and
drink less sugary drinks. More important things are to stop smoking, get
enough sleep, and see friends.
Difficult words: aware (knowing that something exists), cancer (a disease
when a part of the body starts to grow without control), diet (the food which
somebody eats).

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61. Snake Massage

A spa in Cairo, Egypt, uses snakes to help people reduce muscle and joint
pain.
The massage takes 30 minutes and first, a masseur puts oil on a client´s
back and face. Then he puts around 28 non-venomous snakes on the back.
The snakes move smoothly on the back and face. The owner of the spa said
that the snakes could feel the pain in a person´s body, and they moved over
the painful places. He also said that the massage helped better blood
circulation, and it made people feel happier.
Some people are scared at first, but after a while, they start to enjoy the
massage, and they can relax. Some people also feel good about themselves
that they overcame their fear of snakes.
Difficult words: masseur (a person whose job is to give a massage to
people), non-venomous (an animal that is not dangerous when it bites
somebody), blood circulation (the transport of blood through the body).
62. Actress with Cancer

Shannen Doherty is a star of TV shows “Beverly Hills, 90210” and
“Charmed”. This week, she spoke openly about her health problems. She is
fighting with breast cancer.
Doctors first diagnosed Doherty with cancer in 2015. The actress was very
open about the disease and she shared many details on social media. She
was happy when she got healthy again. However, one year ago, she became
ill again. She continued working on the new shows of “Beverly Hills, 90210”,
and only a few people knew about her health problems.
Doherty decided to share the diagnosis because of a case with an insurance
company. In 2018, fires damaged her house in California. She thinks that
court documents can give details about her health, and she wants to tell the
truth herself.
Difficult words: open (to tell a lot of information honestly), cancer (a
serious disease when small parts in the body start to grow without
control), diagnose (when a doctor tells somebody what their health problem
is), insurance company (a company that pays money when there is an
accident or damage).

25
63. Ebola Vaccine

A US drug company got an approval from the European Commission to sell
the first Ebola vaccine.
Ebola is a very infectious disease which kills more than a half of people who
get ill. The main symptoms are fever, pains, diarrhea and bleeding.
Ebola killed more than 11,000 between 2013 and 2016. Currently, there are
3,000 cases of Ebola in Congo and more than 2,000 people died there. The
vaccine is almost 98% effective and the drug company already gave 250,000
vaccines to people in Congo.
The company says that this is a historical moment and very good news for
the whole world.
Difficult words: approval (a process when something becomes possible by
law), infectious (able to be passed from one person to
another), effective (with a good result).
64. Canadian woman has a problem

A woman from Canada did not feel well, so she went to a hospital. Doctors
told her that she was only suffering from stress, and they sent her away.
The woman was in her car when the same problems appeared again. She
could not feel the left side of her face. It was hard for her to move her arm,
as well. The woman was having a mini stroke. She tried to breathe slowly,
but it did not help. Later, she visited a different hospital and the doctors
helped her there.
Difficult words: stroke (when an artery to your brain is
blocked), breathe (to take air into your body and send it out again).
65. Man Has a New Face

In 2018, a 22-year-old named Joe DiMeo from New Jersey, US, had a serious
car crash.
Joe suffered burns on more than 80% of his body. His lips and eyelids were
burned, and doctors had to amputate his fingers. Joe spent more than three
months in a coma. When he woke up, he started to exercise a little.
Joe underwent a surgery during which doctors transplanted his face and
hands. Both body parts came from the same person, and it was the first
such surgery in the world which was successful. It took place in New York
and a team of 140 people worked for 23 hours. After the surgery, Joe said
that there was always a reason to be happy.
Difficult words: amputate (to cut off an arm, leg, or fingers), coma (when a
person has an accident and he looks like he is sleeping, but his body does
not react to anything), transplant (to take an organ or another body part
from one body and put it in another body).

26
66. Girl with leukaemia

Leukaemia is one of the most common childhood cancers. One girl spent the
first year of her life fighting it. Doctors tried chemotherapy and bone
marrow transplants, but these methods failed.
The doctors had to try something completely new. They took
healthy cells and added genes which kill cancer. They also removed DNA
from the cells, so the girl’s body could not see them and attack them.
The new method worked and the girl is much better now. Her mother said
that she is very energetic.
Doctors must further test the method so they can use it on more patients.
Difficult words: bone marrow (the material in the middle of some
bones), cell (the smallest part of a living thing), gene (a part of a cell which
controls it).
67. Girl Donates Organs

Back in 2012, a 13-year-old girl from England decided to become an
organ donor in case of her death. She was perfectly healthy, but she
suddenly died just weeks after her decision.
It was very hard for her parents to respect her wish. The thought of donating
their little girl’s organs made them feel ill. However, they did respect her
decision.
Her organs (the heart, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, small bowel and liver) were
donated to a record eight people. Five children were among them. A five-
year-old boy received part of her liver, and he lives because of her brave
decision.
Difficult words: donor (a person who donates – gives
something), decide (think about something and then do it), decision (an act
of deciding something).
68. Boy has new hands

Doctors had to amputate the arms and feet of an American boy. He was two
years old and had a serious bacterial infection.
With prosthetic legs, he is able to walk, run and jump.
Now, he underwent an eleven-hour operation, and he became the youngest
person to receive a double hand transplant.
He has weeks of therapy ahead, but soon he will be able to pick up small
objects. The boy’s immune system will have to be suppressed so his body
does not reject the hands.
Difficult words: amputate (to cut off), prosthetic (a part of your body that
is not natural), supress (to make weaker).

27
69. Ice Bath

A Dutchman, Wim Hof, created The Wim Hof Method which combines ice
bathes, breathing, and mental exercises.
Wim Hof holds many world records related to cold water. He swam 67 meters
under ice, and he climbed the highest mountain in Africa only in shorts.
If you want to practice ice bathing, the most important thing is the right
breathing. Then you can get into cold water and practice mindfulness and
meditation. Mindfulness is a state when you focus only on the present
moment. Meditation helps you feel calm and relaxed.
The method has many good effects on your body. Your body becomes
stronger, healthier, and you feel younger. You sleep better and your body will
easily recover from an illness.
Difficult words: mental (related to your mind and thinking), focus (to think
about or do only one thing and nothing else), recover (to become healthy or
feel good again).
70. Obesity and Coronavirus

Doctors say that there is a connection between obesity and serious COVID-
19 cases.
There was a study that included 5,200 people who were sick with COVID-19.
More than 30% of them were obese, and there was a high chance that these
people would end up in hospital. This explains why some communities have
more serious problems with COVID-19.
In the US, more than 42% of people are obese, and these are mainly Black
and Hispanic people. This is the reason why so many sick people are Black
or Hispanic.
Doctors know why obese people have more serious health problems when
they catch the coronavirus. These people often have diabetes or heart
problems, which makes it harder to fight COVID-19. Also, it is hard for obese
people to breathe because of the fat around their lungs.
Difficult words: obesity (when someone is very fat), obese (very
fat), diabetes (a disease in which the body cannot control sugar).

28
71. Lungs Transplant

A baby girl from Britain was seriously ill in her first month of life. She was
really small and sick. She had problems breathing and she was always in
hospital.
Today, she is a healthy child thanks to a new pair of lungs.
Doctors transplanted them when she was just five months old.
Usually, children can wait for years for a donor. In some cases, the donor
never comes, but this girl was lucky – her match came within days. The
operation was not easy because the lungs were so small.
The girl is now home, happy and healthy, but her parents know that for their
baby to live, other parents lost their child.
Difficult words: transplant (take an organ and put it into another
body), donor (a person whose organ is used for transplantation), match (a
donor match is a person whose lungs are good for her).
72. Ear on the Arm

A Chinese man lost an ear during a car accident, but doctors are trying to
help him.
They took cartilage from his ribs and made the cartilage into an ear. They
then put the ear under the skin of the man’s arm. It needs to grow there for
at least three months. In the end, they will transplant it onto his head.
The patient has had many operations since the accident, not only for his ear,
but also for his skin and cheeks. He hopes that the operations will bring him
back a normal life.
Difficult words: cartilage (a flexible material of the body), ribs (the bones of
the chest).
73. Knife in the Head

A taxi driver in Peru had an argument over a motorbike with another man.
The man stabbed the taxi driver in the head. He later admitted to the crime
and police arrested him.
The taxi driver was walking around confused, but he remained conscious.
He even walked by himself into a hospital with the knife in his head.
The doctors operated on him and removed the knife.
Difficult words: stab (cut with a knife), admit (say that you did
something), confused (if you are confused, you do not know what is
happening), conscious (if you are conscious, you do not fall asleep).

29
74. A New Face

On December 23, 2006, a man was so depressed that he wanted to die. He
put a gun below his chin and tried to kill himself. He survived
and instantly knew that he had made a terrible mistake.
His face was destroyed and he did not want his face to stay this way. He
needed a face transplant. His doctor found a face donor and after a 56-hour
operation, he had a new face from another man. The transplant gave him a
new nose, cheeks, mouth, lips, jaw, chin, and even teeth.
Difficult words: instantly (immediately; right after), donor (someone’s dead
body from which doctors take body parts), cheeks (the ‘sides’ of your
face), jaw (the bones for your chin and teeth).
75. Operation Changes Her Life

A medical team in the US did an operation that changed the life of a baby.
Dominique was born with four legs and two spines. They were parts of a
twin.
The twin was connected to the back of Dominique’s neck. There were legs
that moved and feet that came out of the back of her neck. This was
extremely dangerous for the baby.
Thanks to the hard work of a medical team, she got a new chance at life.
One of the doctors said that the operation was very difficult. The most
critical part was the connection of the two spines. After that, the doctors
knew that the operation would be successful.
Dominique left the hospital five days after the surgery. She is now in the care
of an American foster family. People expect that she can live a full and
normal life now.
Difficult words: spine (the line of bones down the centre of the back), foster
family (people who are not a natural family, but look after the baby).
76. Badly Injured Man

A year ago, a man woke up from sleep with his body burning. He thought
that it was hot water at first, but then he felt acid in his mouth. His ex-
girlfriend, who is now serving 17 years in prison, carried out the attack.
It was a miracle that Daniel survived. A third of his skin had to
be transplanted, and doctors had to remove his right eye. He will live with
his scars forever, but his ex-girlfriend will be free one day.
Daniel, however, will not be alone. He has found love again with the carer
who nursed him after the cruel acid attack. Daniel says that Anna loved him
from their first day together. She even gave up her job to be with him. Anna
says that Daniel is an amazing person – clever, funny, and easy to fall in love
with. The scars do not mean anything to her because she is happy to be with
him. She even speaks of destiny that they met.
Difficult words: transplant (replace with something), nurse (take care of;
help) destiny (fate – something that is going to happen).

30
77. Diana and HIV

The public did not always understand AIDS, and people did not want to
touch HIV patients. Princess Diana was one of a few people who changed
everyone’s perception.
She visited hospitals, talked to the patients and was not afraid to touch
them. Mildmay Mission Hospital is one of the hospitals that Diana visited.
On the 20th anniversary of her death, the hospital held a party. It
celebrated her life and legacy.
Difficult words: perception (the way that you think about
something), anniversary (the date on which something
happened), legacy (the changes to the world, which a person makes).
78. Conjoined Twins Born in Palestine

In the Gaza Strip, Palestine, conjoined twins were born at a hospital. They
are joined in the middle of their body, but they have separate heads and
lungs.
The hospital cannot perform a separation surgery, as one neonatal doctor
explained. He said that no hospital in Palestine can perform such a
complicated surgery. However, the twins can receive the surgery in the USA
or Saudi Arabia.
Many conjoined twins die after 24 hours, but these twin girls are still alive
and eating.
Difficult words: conjoined twins (twins whose bodies are
together), separation surgery (when doctors cut the twins to make two
normal bodies), neonatal (relating to new-born babies).
79. Baby Has 25 Heart Attacks

A baby’s heart was not working correctly, and doctors told the parents that
their child may die. However, the baby defied the odds when
he survived 25 cardiac arrests in one day.
He had two operations, and a doctor said that it was amazing how quickly
the baby got better.
Eighteen months later, the baby is still doing well and his parents are very
proud of him. His mother said that he enjoys life, and his father said that
the baby survived to do something special.
Difficult words: defy the odds (do something that is very
unlikely/surprising/amazing), survive (live through a deadly or difficult
time), cardiac arrest (when the heart stops, a heart attack).

31
80. Roundup and Cancer

Monsanto is a company which sells a popular herbicide called
Roundup. Roundup kills weeds around the plants that you want to grow. A
court said that an ingredient in the herbicide made a man get cancer.
People are not sure what the ingredient does to people. The World Health
Organisation said that it could hurt people. Bayer, the parent company of
Monsanto, said that this is not true. It said that if its products are not safe,
it will change them.
In the USA, there are 11,000 cases against Bayer because of problems from
its herbicides.
Difficult words: herbicide (a product that kills plants), weed (a plant that
you do not want to grow but it grows with your plants anyway), case (when
you get a lawyer and officially say that something is illegal).
81. Pig Virus in China

China is the largest producer of pork, but it is having a big problem at the
moment. There is an epidemic which is killing its pigs.
Last August, people first discovered the virus in China, but 1 million pigs are
dead now. The virus is deadly and when a pig catches it, it is going to die.
China thinks that one third of its pigs are going to die by the end of this
year.
The virus also spread to Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia where around
95,000 pigs died.
Difficult words: pork (pig meat), epidemic (when many people or animals
get ill), spread (move, get).
82. Ebola in Congo

There is an Ebola outbreak in Congo, and from August 2018 until now,
there are more than 2,000 cases of the illness.
This is the second largest outbreak and around 1,300 people are dead so far.
The World Health Organisation wants to end the outbreak, but there are
problems. Some people do not trust the vaccine, there can be conflicts in
some regions and sometimes people attack doctors. Doctors Without Borders
had 130 attacks.
Difficult words: outbreak (a sudden large ‘happening’ of an illness), case (a
situation when someone has a sickness), illness (a sickness – when bacteria
or virus make you feel very bad).

32
83. Smallest Baby

A woman was pregnant with her baby at 23 weeks (about 6 months) when
she did not feel well. She thought that it was part of her pregnancy, but it
was preeclampsia and her blood pressure was very high.
The baby had to be born soon, and doctors said that the baby girl would not
survive. However, the baby is alive today after six months.
A nurse said that the workers help the babies as much as they can, but the
babies have to be strong outside the womb. The mother says that ‘she is the
smallest baby, but she’s mine’.
Difficult words: preeclampsia (a serious problem that pregnant women can
get that can hurt the woman and the baby’s organs), blood pressure (how
much the blood presses in the body – this is important medical
information), womb (where the baby grows inside its mother).
84. People and Vaccines

British scientists reached out to many people across the world to learn their
opinions on vaccines. Most people said that vaccines are safe and effective.
However, poorer countries are more certain about vaccines than richer
countries.
The researchers say that people do not trust vaccines in places where
vaccine-preventable diseases are coming back. That is not because the
vaccines are bad, but because fewer people are giving vaccines to their
children.
The WHO said that this problem is one of the top 10 problems in global
health this year. The scientists want to continue to study this issue.
Difficult words: vaccine (medicine that helps your body fight a disease
before the disease makes you sick), preventable (something which can be
prevented – stopped before it happens), issue (a problem).
85. Dengue Fever

Recently, heavy rains and floods hit Bangladesh, killing at least 61 people,
and over 800,000 people had to leave their homes.
The wet environment means that there are now many mosquitoes which
transmit diseases. One of the diseases is the dengue fever. It is a lot like
having the flu, but you can die from the dengue. Eight or more people died in
Bangladesh of dengue this year, and more than 13,000 are sick with it. Last
week, there were over 1,000 cases of dengue in just 24 hours.
Bangladesh told CNN that the outbreak is the worst since 2000. Dhaka, the
country’s capital, was hit the hardest, and hospitals do not have enough
room for all the sick people.
Difficult words: environment (a place), disease (something bad which
happens to your body because of viruses or bacteria), outbreak (when many
people suddenly catch a disease).

33
86. Epidemic in Africa

In Congo, many people are sick from measles which is a very deadly disease.
This year, more than 3,500 children died from measles. This is more than
during the epidemic of Ebola.
An organization says that this new epidemic is very big and it spreads fast.
There have been over 180,000 cases in Congo this year. The government is
quickly helping. The plan is to give medicine to almost 825,000 young
children.
In 2018, there were 129,000 cases of measles in the world. In 2019, there
have been more than 360,000 cases which is much more than last year.
Difficult words: measles (a sickness that makes you weak and puts spots
on your body), epidemic (when many people are sick from a
disease), Ebola (a sickness that makes you bleed inside your body).
87. Vape Illness Reason

In the US, health officials said that vitamin E acetate may be a cause for the
sudden increase of illnesses from vape products.
Product makers put vitamin E acetate into many food and skin products,
and it seems safe for these uses. However, when you heat it and inhale it, it
seems to create problems when you breathe.
The health officials said that investigators tested samples from 29 patients
who were sick from vape products. The investigators found vitamin E acetate
in 100% of the samples. Almost all of the patients also said that they used
their vape products to vape the drug THC. Some makers of bootleg THC
vape products add vitamin E acetate to the products.
Difficult words: inhale (to breathe in), sample (some collected information
so an investigator can test it) bootleg (illegal).
88. Measles Emergency Ends

On Saturday, the Samoan government canceled the state of emergency,
which started in November 2019. During this time, young people could not
go to school and public places, and the government wanted to vaccinate
all citizens.
In 2013, 90% of Samoan babies got the measles vaccine, but the number fell
to 30% in 2018. People did not want to get the vaccine because they believed
some false information about it. Also, in 2018, there was a scandal when
two children died after they got badly prepared vaccines, and the government
stopped vaccinating people.
Officials say that there were 5,600 cases of measles since the start of
the epidemic last year. Measles killed 81 people, and most of them were
children.
Difficult words: citizen (a person who lives in a country or a
town), scandal (an action or event that makes many people angry because it
is wrong or bad), epidemic (a quick start of a disease when many people
become ill).

34
89. HIV Vaccine

An HIV vaccine experiment started in 2016 in South Africa to see if it could
stop HIV’s development in HIV-negative volunteers. The vaccine was based
on an experimental vaccine from Thailand which showed protection from
HIV.
On January 23, a safety review organization said that 129 people who took
the vaccine had HIV, and 123 people who took a placebo also had HIV.
Since it did not seem like the vaccine stopped HIV’s development, it did not
seem effective.
One of the people who worked on the vaccine said that people will continue
to work on the fight against HIV in South Africa and around the world.
Difficult words: vaccine (a medicine that cures an illness), placebo (a
medicine that researchers use to find out if another medicine does its
job), development (a change, a process, progress).
90. Hurt Service Members

Last month, the US killed an important Iranian general after the US
president authorized the killing. In response, Iran attacked a US military
base in Iraq.
At first, the president said that no one at the base was hurt or killed in the
attack, but later he said that some of them had “headaches.”
After that, the Defense Department said that 64 people had mild
traumatic brain injuries. Recently, the Department said that 109 service
members had the injuries. 76 people had help and went back to work.
Difficult words: authorize (to formally allow), Defense Department (the
part of a government that protects a country and its people), mild traumatic
brain injury (when something makes your body shake so hard that it hurts
your brain a little bit).
91. Coronavirus and Business

The past week was very bad for the markets. The New York Stock
Exchange saw a big fall; it was the worst fall since the global financial crisis
in 2008. This happened in the US, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
Experts say that the main reason is the coronavirus. It has
a negative impact on business, shopping centers, and tourism. On Friday,
the World Health Organization said that the risk of the virus is extremely
high. It is a problem for all of the world.
There are more than 83,000 people ill in the world; most of them are in
China. However, the US government said that the risk to people in the US is
low.
Difficult words: market (a place where business happens), The New York
Stock Exchange (a place in New York where big companies do
business), negative impact (a bad effect, something that makes bad things
happen).

35
92. Coronavirus Vaccine

An unnamed government official told a news organization that a clinical
trial to make a coronavirus vaccine can begin soon. It will happen at
a research facility in Seattle, Washington, USA.
The news organization said that 45 young and healthy volunteers will receive
different doses of shots of the vaccine. This is to see if the vaccine has
serious side effects.
This is a big step to make a coronavirus vaccine. However, health officials
say that it can take 18 months to prove if the vaccine works.
Difficult words: clinical trial (a medical test to see if a medication or a
treatment helps problem), research facility (a place where scientists or
doctors do tests and experiments), dose (an amount of medication or other
substance).
93. Coronavirus in Royal Family

Doctors diagnosed Prince Charles with the coronavirus. He has mild
symptoms and apart from the coronavirus he is in good health. It is not
clear when he became ill because he has attended many public events
recently.
Charles is 71 years old, and he is Queen Elizabeth II´s eldest son. He is
the first in line to the British throne. His wife, Camilla, tested negative for
the coronavirus, and the couple left for Scotland where they stay indoors,
and they do not meet other people.
In the UK, the coronavirus is spreading fast. The Queen, who last met with
her son in the middle of March, moved out of London. The 93-year-old queen
is healthy, and she is staying at Windsor Castle currently.
Difficult words: diagnose (when doctors say that somebody has a specific
disease or health problem), mild symptoms (when an illness is not very
strong), first in line (the first person who will get something).
94. US Medical Workers

A report says that between 10% and 20% of US people with the coronavirus
are medical workers. Between February 12 and April 9, there were about
9,300 medical workers with the coronavirus, and 73% of the positive
patients were women.
Most cases were not very serious, and patients did not need to stay in the
hospital. However, 27 medical workers died from the coronavirus.
The number of ill medical workers is probably much higher because not all
patients said what their jobs were. The report suggests that all patients
should report their jobs because this could help control the coronavirus. It
is also necessary to protect the health and safety of medical workers.
Difficult words: positive patient (a patient who has a specific
illness), report (to give a piece of information), safety (when someone or
something in safe).

36
95. Coronavirus App

The companies Google and Apple are working together. They want to make a
software that will help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
People who want to use the system must install a special app in their
phones. This app connects people via Bluetooth, and it traces people who
have the coronavirus.
If a person has the coronavirus, he can decide to share this information on
the app. Other users will get notifications if they came into contact with
this person.
Many countries in the world came up with a similar idea. However, they
usually had problems with privacy or connection. Google and Apple hope
that they can solve these problems and that their software will work well.
Difficult words: trace (to find the place where someone or something
is), notification (when someone gets a message that informs him about
something important), privacy (when someone keeps his personal
information for himself).
96. Tired Eyes

People are spending a lot of time in front of their TVs and computers. The
reason is the coronavirus, which makes people stay at home.
Experts say that more screen time can make our eyes tired. When we stay
too close to the screen, we do not blink so often. We miss 2 – 3 blinks every
minute, which makes 120 – 180 blinks in one hour. Our eyes get dry and
red, we cannot see well, and we can have headaches.
There is a 20-20-20 rule that can help our eyes. When we look at a screen
for 20 minutes, we should take a break and look at something 20 feet away
for 20 seconds. It is also possible to buy reading glasses or eye drops at a
drugstore to help our eyes.
Difficult words: screen time (the time that people spend in front of a PC or
TV), blink (to shut and open the eyes quickly), eye drops (a kind of liquid
medicine that people put in their eyes).

37
97. Interpreters in Hospitals

Many COVID-19 patients in US hospitals are immigrant workers. Often,
they stay away from their families and they do not speak English very well.
Some hospitals use interpreters who help these patients communicate with
hospital staff.
Some interpreters communicate with patients by phone or video. Such
communication is difficult because COVID-19 patients have problems with
speaking loudly. Also, there are noisy fans and machines in their room. That
is why some hospitals prefer interpretation in the hospital room.
COVID-19 patients can feel very sick, and it is very difficult for them if they
cannot understand what is happening to them. Interpreters help them feel
better, and they often risk their own health.
Difficult words: immigrant (a person who comes to live and work in
another country), interpreter (a person who translates what someone says
to another language), interpretation (when a person is translating what
someone is saying to another language).
98. Italy After Coronavirus

Italy was among the most affected countries by the coronavirus in Europe.
More than 230,000 people became sick, and more than 33,000 people died.
Now, it seems that the situation is getting better. On Wednesday, Italy
opened its borders to tourists from neighboring countries.
It was very difficult for Italians to stay at home during the
coronavirus pandemic. Italians are very lively and sociable; they love to go
out, eat in restaurants, and meet friends. Now, they are starting to live
normal lives again, and they are happy about it. It is necessary to follow
some rules that stop the spread of the coronavirus; however, Italians feel free
and full of hope.
Currently, there are about 600,000 holiday bookings in Italy. The number is
not very high; however, officials believe that it is the start of better times.
Difficult words: neighboring (next to or near a place), pandemic (an illness
or a sickness that makes many people in many countries sick at the same
time), sociable (when someone is friendly, and he likes to meet other people).

38
99. Herd Immunity

Herd immunity is the situation when the majority of people
become immune to a disease. Usually, 70-90% of people need to be immune
to get herd immunity. However, it is not easy to get it because some diseases
are more infectious than others.
There are two ways to get herd immunity: a vaccine or a mass infection. To
vaccinate enough people can take years. On the other hand, if too many
people get sick at the same time, it can be a problem for hospitals.
Experts say that the best way is to make a vaccine. Before the vaccine is
ready, people should follow governments´ rules to help stop the spread of the
disease. It is clear that the coronavirus will continue to exist, and without
the herd immunity, more people could get sick again.
Difficult words: immune (when a person´s body is strong enough not to
catch a disease), infectious (how easily a disease spreads from person to
person), mass infection (when many people catch a disease).
100. Protests and Health

Protests are very stressful for both protesters and people who watch the
protests on TV. People can eat or drink more, they can feel sad, or they can
have problems going to sleep.
Experts warn that protesters can have health problems a long time after the
protest ends. People who protest against racism are physically and mentally
tired. These people go to many protests, and they feel that their work never
ends.
Some protests can be calm; however, sometimes, the situation gets serious.
Police shoot at protesters, and there is a lot of violence.
It is not easy to process anger and pain. Experts say that protesters need to
look after their mental health. It is good to meditate, go to a psychologist, or
write in a journal.
Difficult words: process (to get over something unpleasant), meditate (to
think deeply and be quiet for some time), journal (when a person writes in a
notebook or ca computer what he does every day and how he feels).

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2. 2022 health news

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3. Data on Sweet Drinks

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6. Dogs know how people feel

7. New Alzheimer’s drug

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9. Young people lose hearing

10. Cuddlers help babies

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11. Winter worries doctors

12. Chemicals in Blood

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13. Russia drug scandal

14. People fight polio

15. Problems with E-cigarettes

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16. Collecting Bee Venom

17. App finds breast cancer

18. The body’s appendix

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20. Doctors separate twins

21. Children and Screens

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22. COVID-19 vaccine for babies

23. Problem with Skinny Jeans

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25. Microplastics in human blood

26. Asthma from Traffic

27. Bird flu in the US

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28. Cockroach Farm in China

29. Nigeria destroys vaccines

30. Man with a pig heart

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31. Dementia in 2050

32. Two years of COVID-19

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33. Doctors switch embryos

34. Breast cancer donations

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35. Doctors separate babies

36. People do not sleep enough

37. A new diabetes test

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38. New drug for Alzheimer’s

39. New sensors help women

40. Scissors Inside Man

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41. New Cancer Treatment

42. Gorillas Get Coronavirus

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43. Healthy HIV Patient

44. Baby Needs an Operation on Her Legs

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45. Medical 3D printing helps babies

46. Help for Medical Workers