This reading is to help develop health vocabulary in English:
Yearly Checkup
Pierre was feeling nervous. Today was his yearly checkup at his doctor’s office. His doctor will perform a physical examination.
Pierre likes his new doctor better than his last one. His new doctor’s name is Dr. Swanson. Pierre asks Dr. Swanson many questions about his health. Dr. Swanson answers Pierre’s questions very thoroughly. Sometimes Pierre doesn’t exactly understand what she’s saying. Luckily, Dr. Swanson is a very patient woman. She explains her answers to Pierre using different terms. When she does this, Pierre understands her perfectly. This makes him feel safe and informed.
The Exam
At this checkup, Dr. Swanson takes Pierre’s blood pressure. She tells him that it’s one-twenty-five over seventy-five (125/75). “Is that good?” he asks her.
“That’s great,” she responds. She then uses an otoscope to look at his eyes. The otoscope shines a bright light into Pierre’s eyes. Dr. Swanson moves around looking at his eyes from different angles. She then inserts the otoscope into his ears and looks for any redness. Next, she blows air steadily into his ears through a tube. This is to check the pressure behind his eardrum. His eardrum moves a little from the air.
Dr. Swanson asks Pierre to open his mouth and say Ahhh, which he does. She shines the light into the back of his throat, looking for redness, swelling, and irregularities. His throat looks healthy.
Dr. Swanson takes out her stethoscope and puts the earpieces into her ears. The stethoscope is used to listen to Pierre’s heart. She wants to check Pierre’s lungs, so she tells him to take a deep breath.
Next, Pierre lies down so that Dr. Swanson can check his abdomen. She pushes on his abdomen and asks him if he feels any pain.
Pierre takes off his shirt. Dr. Swanson looks at the skin on Pierre’s shoulders and back. She is checking for skin cancer. His skin looks good.
The results
“So, what do you think, doc?” Pierre asks her.
“Everything looks great. You’re healthy and you seem excellent,” replies Dr. Swanson.
“Phew! Thanks, Dr. Swanson. I was so nervous.” Pierre explains.
Questions
1. Is Dr. Swanson a good doctor? Why?
______________________________________________
2. Why is Pierre so nervous
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
3. Is Pierre healthy? How do you know?
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Health Vocabulary from the Reading
Use these words to fill in the blanks:
| throat | abdomen |
| otoscope | cancer |
| lungs | inserts |
| eardrum | checkup |
| earpieces | pain |
| eyes | stethoscope |
| mouth | blood |
| physical | redness |
| blows | skin |
Pierre was feeling nervous. Today was his yearly ______________ at his doctor’s office. His doctor will perform a ______________ examination.
At this checkup, Dr. Swanson takes Pierre’s ______________ pressure. She tells him that it’s one-twenty-five over seventy-five (125/75). “Is that good?” he asks her.
“That’s great,” she responds. She then uses an otoscope to look at his eyes. The ______________ shines a bright light into Pierre’s ______________. Dr. Swanson moves around looking at his eyes from different angles. She then ______________ the otoscope into his ears and looks for any ______________. Next, she ______________ air steadily into his ears through a tube. This is to check the pressure behind his ______________. His eardrum moves a little from the air.
Dr. Swanson asks Pierre to open his ______________ and say Ahhh, which he does. She shines the light into the back of his ______________, looking for redness, swelling, and irregularities. His throat looks healthy.
Dr. Swanson takes out her stethoscope and puts the ______________ into her ears. The ______________ is used to listen to Pierre’s heart. She wants to check Pierre’s ______________, so she tells him to take a deep breath.
Next, Pierre lies down so that Dr. Swanson can check his abdomen. She pushes on his ______________ and asks him if he feels any ______________.
Pierre takes off his shirt. Dr. Swanson looks at the ______________ on Pierre’s shoulders and back. She is checking for skin ______________. His skin looks good.
Health Vocabulary in Context
Use these words to fill in the blanks:
| throat | abdomen |
| otoscope | cancer |
| lungs | insert |
| eardrum | checkup |
| earpieces | pain |
| eyes | stethoscope |
| mouth | blood |
| physical | redness |
| blows | skin |
- An ophthalmologist is a doctor for your ______________.
- ______________ is what we feel when something hurts.
- We breathe using our ______________.
- The stomach and small intestines are in the ______________.
- ______________ is when cells grow out of control.
- ______________ covers the outside of our whole body.
- When I swallow, food goes down my ______________.
- An ______________ uses a bright light to help a doctor see.
- If you have an infection, you will probably have ______________ and swelling.
- A ______________ exam is an inspection of the body.
- ______________ means put into.
- Every year, we must have a ______________.
- A ______________ is used to listen to sounds inside the body.
- Our heart pumps ______________ throughout our entire body.
- The ______________ is the part of the body that helps us hear.
- The doctor puts ______________ into her ears to listen.
- At the dentist, you must open your ______________.
- When the wind ______________ in the winter, it is chilly.
Listening
Answers
- Eric said that his wife, Katherine, had gotten sick over the summer break.
- At first, the doctors at the hospital didn’t know what she was suffering from.
- After extensive tests, they determined her illness to be a bacterial infection and prescribed her antibiotics.
- The warning label on the antibiotics said that they had many side effects, including upset stomach.
- Katherine noticed hers was upset within a few hours of taking the first dose.
- Her stomach was off for a few days and she became quite dehydrated.
- However, by the fourth day, she was fine and after ten days on the powerful medicine, she made a full recovery.
- She has since returned to work and continues to do daily activities just like she did before she became sick.
- John is relieved and grateful to the doctors who helped her out.
- He hopes that level of illness never happens to his wife again and also that he never catches that type of bacterial infection himself.