IDIOM CONNECTION
Medical Idioms and a Sick Boy
Introduction
Do you know anyone who was very sick recently?
Reading
The little boy came down with the flu at the beginning of the month. He was usually in the best of health so his mother was surprised when he began to show signs of an illness. When she took his temperature, she found that he was running a fever that was very high. When the illness took a turn for the worse she began to worry that he would not pull through. She went to the hospital and the staff were able to nurse her child back to health. After several days he was back in the schoolyard playing with the other boys and girls.
Reading Questions
Answer the following questions. The answers can easily be found in the reading above.
1. What did the little boy come down with?
2. Was he usually in the best of health?
3. Was his mother surprised when he began to show signs of an illness?
4. Who took his temperature?
5. Was he running a fever?
6. Did the illness take a turn for the worse?
7. Did his mother worry that he would not pull through?
8. Did the staff nurse him back to health?
Making Connections and Idiom Meanings
Some of the idioms have another meaning or are connected to another meaning. Use this information to help you choose the correct meaning for each of the following idioms:
Your score is: ___ out of 8
Statement and Response
Your score is: ___ out of 8
Grammar Focus
Your score is: ___ out of 8
Discussion Questions
Answer the following questions using the idioms from this section:
1. Have you recently come down with a cold?
2. Do you often miss time from work or school when you come down with a cold?
3. Do you think that you are in the best of health?
4. Are most of your family members in the best of health?
5. Have you ever felt sick but showed no signs of any illness?
6. Have you ever had a sick pet that did not show any signs of an illness?
7. Have you ever taken someone’s temperature?
8. Have you taken your own temperature recently?
9. When was the last time that you were running a fever?
10. Have you ever run a high fever?
11. Do you know anyone whose illness suddenly took a turn for the worse?
12. Have you ever had an illness that took a turn for the worse?
13. Do you know anyone who was so sick that he or she did not pull through?
14. Do you know any movies where the main character did not pull through?
15. Did your mother ever nurse you back to health when you were sick?
16. Did you ever nurse a sick person back to health?
Role Play
Student A: You are traveling with your friend. Your friend suddenly comes down with the flu and is running a high temperature.
You are trying to nurse your friend back to health.
Student B: You believe that you are not really sick and you resist all of the efforts of your friend to try and make you rest and stay calm.
Different Remedies
There are different treatments for various sicknesses in different families and in different countries.
What different treatments can you have for the following:
1) a cold
2) the flu
3) a headache
4) hiccups
5) a toothache