4.16. Read the short passage about the health system of Britain. Match the words and expressions in bold to their definitions below. British Healthcare System

In Britain, healthcare is paid for through taxes and national insurance payments taken directly from wages and salaries. The government decides how much will be spent on the National Health Service, but a lot of people feel they do not spend enough. Hospital treatment and visits to a family doctor (or GP) at a surgery or clinic are free, but there is a prescription charge. Dentists and opticians charge fees. Private healthcare is available, and a large number of insurance schemes exist to enable people to ‘go private’.

(a) small centre with just two or three doctors

(b) choose private healthcare

(c) general expression for all of the services offered by hospitals, clinics, dentists, opticians, etc.

(d) large centre with several doctors and kinds of services

(e) tax paid by most adults which covers the costs of healthcare for everyone

(f) charge for the medication the doctor prescribes, which you pay at a pharmacy

(g) British name for the service that covers hospitals, clinics, dentists, etc.

(h) doctor who looks after people’s general health

4.17. A) Put each of the following verbs in the correct space in the instructions.

a) move raise lower turn hang stand

1) ____ with your feet apart. Let your arms ___ by your sides.

2) ____ your arms above your head.

3) ____ your body first to the left, then to the right. (Don’t ____ your feet.)

4) ____ your arms to your sides again.

b) touch lean hold bend bring straighten

1) Sit on the front part of the chair, with your feet on the floor.

2) ____ the sides of the chair.

3) ____ back against the back of the chair.

4) ____ your knees, and _____ them up to _____ your chest.

5) ____ your legs and lower them to the floor again.

b) Using the words from the exercises above, give instructions how to do

the exercises shown in the pictures below..

4.18. A) Study the following metaphors and idioms relating to health and

keeping fit. Think of similar Russian idioms or proverbs. Explain their

meaning in English.

b) Use the metaphors to make up your own sentences.

a) Medical metaphors

Problems and bad situations in society or other aspects of people’s lives are often talked about as if they were illnesses.

The word symptom is often used when talking about problems in society.

The current spate of car thefts is a symptom of a deeper underlying problem.

This behaviour is symptomatic of his general lack of self-confidence.

The causes of a problem can be diagnosed and the outlook for a situation can also be referred to as the prognosis in the same way as we talk about the prognosis of an illness.

ailing means having a lot of problems;

rash of something means “a number of similar things happening at the same time”;

World Cup fever means great excitement;

at fever pitch, to reach fever pitch refers to a point of very high intensity;

a jaundiced view (of smth.) - unenthusiastic or skeptical because of previous bad experiences;

to carry the scars of / be scarred by means “be permanently affected by a negative experience”;

b) Sport and fitness metaphors

I scored an own goal (= made things worse rather than better) when I told my boss it had only taken me a day to write the report. Now she wants me to write several a week.

My boss always seems to be moving the goalposts (= changing the rules), which makes it very difficult to know what he wants.

The new EU laws aim to provide a level playing field (= fair situation) for all member states.

He’s too young to be in the running (= seriously considered) for such a job.

The two main parties in the election are still neck and neck (= level with smb. and equally likely to win) in the opinion polls.

Politicians often skate around (= don’t talk directly about) a subject.

The students all sailed through (= passed very easily) their exams.

ACQUIRING COMMUNICATION SKILLS