English for Academic Purposes II Lesson 6: Revision

Read the text “The Healing Power of Electricity” and choose one of these topic sentences for each of the paragraphs.

  1. The effects of the electrical charge are very slow.
  2. In fact, this is a rediscovery of an old medical observation.
  3. Scientists have discovered how the body uses electricity to heal cuts.

THE HEALING* POWER OF ELECTRICITY

…… When a person’s skin is cut, an electrical signal forms at the edge of the wound* and remains there until the wound heals. This electrical signal stimulates special skin cells to move to the wound. These cells then heal the damage at the cut.

…… These healing skin cells move at a speed of about fifty micrometers an hour, which is approximately one millimeter a day. However, experiments have shown that by controlling the weak electricalsignals that arise naturally, the movement of the healing skin cells can be speeded up by around fifty percent. As a result, the healing process is more rapid.

…… In the mid-1880s, in his laboratory in Berlin, Germany, thescientist Emil Du Bois-Reymondmeasured and recorded a significant electrical charge across a wound in his arm. At that time this discoverydid not receive much attention and the scientific community did not believe that it was important. However, an international team of scientists led by Aberdeen University in Scotland have now confirmed the German scientist’s observations and have explained the process behind it. Their findings are published in the scientific journal Nature.

Complete these notes. Put ONE word from the text into each of the gaps.

*heal: to make better. *wound: cut or other damage to the surface of the body

According to The Healing Power of Electricity, are these sentences TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN (i.e. there is no information on the subject)?

7) The healing skin cells move faster when the cut is deep. ______

8) The healing skin cells move at exactly 50 micrometers per hour. ______

9) It is possible to increase the speed of the healing process. ______

10) Scientists immediately understood the importance of Emil Du Bois-Reymond’s work. _____

Use ONE word from the text in each of the gaps to make correct sentences according to theinformation inThe Healing Power of Electricity.

While experimenting in his 11) ______in Berlin, Emil Du Bois-Reymond made a very interesting 12) ______. He found that the body produces electricity to 13) ______wounds in the skin.

Choose  the best summary of the textThe Healing Power of Electricity.

1. ___Scientists have found that natural electricity in the body moves special skin cells to heal wounds. These special skin cells move very slowly, but scientists have found that by controlling the electricity, they can speed up healing by approximately fifty percent. Actually, a German scientist first discovered the body’s healing electric charge over a hundred years ago, but it was not considered significant.

2. ___ International scientists headed by Aberdeen University have discovered that electrical charges that occur naturally in the body move special skin cells to heal wounds. These special skin cells move extremely slowly - just fifty micrometers an hour - but the scientists have found that by controlling the electrical signals, they can make the healing process roughly fifty percent faster.

3. ___ International scientists have found that the body’s natural electrical charges move special skin cells to heal wounds. Tests also show that the slow movement of these healing skin cells can be increased by controlling the electrical signals to make the healing process faster. This process was first noticed in the 19th Century by Emil Du Bois-Reymond, who became famous across the world for the discovery.

Work in pairs. Compare your answers. Did you choose the same one? What is wrong with other summaries?

Choose words and phrases from the box to complete the passage comparing medical treatment in the UK in 1910 and 2010.

In 1) ______1910 and 2010, doctors in the UK tried their best to heal people. 2) ______, there are many differences between medical treatment in the UK in 2010 and medicaltreatment in that country a hundred years earlier. First of all, regarding the3)______, in 1910 there was just one doctor for every two thousand people, whereas in 2010 there werethree doctors for every thousand people. Secondly, concerning hospitals, in 1910 the hospitals in the UK were 4)______and the equipment used was 5)______. In contrast, in 2010 hospitals were very hygienic and had a range of technical equipment. Thirdly, in terms of the medicines used, medicines in 2010 were much more 6)______than those used a hundred years earlier. Finally, considering operations, in the UK in 1910 operations often involved pain and were unsuccessful, while in 2010 the vast majority were 7)______.

Look at the information about schools in the UK in 1910 and 2010. Write a paragraph to compare them.

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