Why Food Allergies are on the Rise

"Food allergies have risen to an absolutely crazy extent", according to Grahan Rook, emeritus professor of medical microbiology at University College London, and hospital admissions figures in the US, Australia and Europe, are part of the data that prove that strong statement. This BBC Future article discusses two hypotheses -the hygiene hypothesis and the dual-allergen exposure theory- that try to explain this sharp increase in food allergies around the world, and the environmental factors that affect the response of our immune system to certain products. The length, technicality and textual complexity of this article, make it suitable for C2 students.

The more interesting new words you will come across in this article are: on the rise, risky, a minor reaction, itching, swelling, a mild, severe [reaction], anaphylaxis, a state of shock, wheezing, dizziness, vomiting, pulse, blood preasure, to drop, airways, hospital admissions, [increased] threefold, to see [a 72%] rise in [the number of hospital admissions], to be aware of [food allergies], to pinpoint, self-reported data, food intolerance, prevalence, the "gold-standard" test for [a food allergy], to involve [feeding], a [clinical] setting, time-consuming, costly, to come [with risks], peer-reviewed sources, the rate, the range [of foods], to widen, to go by the name of ["the hygiene hypothesis], to give a wide berth, appalling, siblings, hay fever, eczema, declining [family size] household amenities, cleanliness, the gut, [to increase] the likelihood of [meeting] the microbiota, [born by] caesarian section, the birth canal, [an allergic] disorder, to lower the risk, to develop an allergy, to coin [a phrase], biocide-treated timber, plasterboard, to bear [no relation to], a failure, dual-allergen exposure, a detour [into], to end up with [guidance], dust, to trigger [a response], an infant, early-onset [eczema], to handle, a window of opportunity, an EpiPen, to caution [women] against [eating peanuts], pregnancy, a conclusive link, to change tack, barely, vulnerable to [food allergies], to deprive ourselves [of Vitamin D], a Goldilocks [scenario], amid [a rise in food allergy cases], to yield, promising [results].

Abelone Kelley October 31, 2020 0

Covid Symptoms: Is it a Cold, Flu or Coronavirus?

Autumn is coming to the Northern hemisphere, children are going back to school and coughing, sneezing or runny noses are also back in our households.  If you have any of those symptoms, you may also worry that you have caught the coronavirus. You can watch this short BBC News video (1':51") below to find out the differences between these three respiratory illnesses.  It is not very difficult, and there are automatic subtitles, so it is recommended for B2 students and above.

You will come across basic health vocabulary like: a blocked nose, a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough, flu, (a) temperature, (a) fever, to self-isolate with your household, sneezing, to catch your sneeze, the spray, to infect [others], tissues, a loss of taste, a coughing episode, to have trouble breathing, to spread [covid 19], a nasty cold, to put you down, social distancing, masks, handy.

If you want more information, you can read the written version of the story here, there are more new words, and many links to other related health stories. Some of the new words are: to fight off, a thermometer, chest, armpit, to tuck, to tug, squeeze, muscle aches, chills, tiredness, a stuffed nose, a heavy cold, to feel unwell, a coughing fit, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, [sneeze] droplets, the [flu] jab, the run-up [to winter], to present with [respiratory symptoms], a [skin] rash, a mild/ severe [symptom], [to feel] breathless.

If you want a lesson plan with its key for B2 students, and a printable version of the article, you can click here.

Abelone Kelley September 24, 2020 0

Sam Giambalvo, a Nurse and a Moving Embrace at the 7:00 Clap

This is a "human interest" story from Humankind, a USA Today video channel on YouTube and Facebook that features "uplifting stories about kindness, triumphs and special relationships". 

Sam Giambalvo is a travelling nurse who tells an emotional story at the 7:00 clap back in June 2020. She speaks fast, standard American English, but there are subtitles, which can be very helpful. You will hear lots of expressions related to feelings, for example: sirens, applause, honoring, frontline workers, to pass away, ER, to follow your feelings, comforting, I lost it, let me be upset, a split second, to get me through the shift, to give a hug, to look forward to something, a terrace, a storey, to hold a sign, to wave for you, to point at you, he fist pumps, he'll blow kisses, sirens wailing, joyous, appreciation, to sprint out there, to show up, God is blessing us, break, upbeat music.

 

This video can be recommended to C1 students (with the subtitles).

Abelone Kelley July 26, 2020 0

100,000 Mink to be Culled in Aragon

The BBC reports that 100,000 mink are going to be culled in a farm in Puebla de Valverde (Teruel) because they have been infected with coronavirus, after Joaquín Olona, agriculture minister for the Aragon region, announced the decision yesterday.  The outbreak was discovered back in May, when the wife of a farm worker was infected with the virus.  It is not clear, though, if transmission from animals to humans and viceversa is possible.  Similar cases have been found in the Netherlands and Denmark, major producers of mink for their fur. Click here if you want more details of the story.

This report is suitable for B2 students.  You will find interesting words and expressions in context like mink, to be culled, an outbreak, to contract the virus, to test positive, to be bred for their fur, hotspots, to stress [an idea], unwittingly, an unsubstantiated theory, to pass on a disease, to be slaughtered.

Abelone Kelley July 17, 2020 0

"Shirley" Starring Elisabeth Moss

Elisabeth Moss plays the role of writer Shirley Jackson in the movie Shirley, which began to stream on virtual cinema platforms on June 5th.  Here you can read and listen to a 7 minute review of the film by Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang, broadcast on NPR's Fresh Air. Film reviews are usually very rich in language, and when they are broadcast on the radio, they are particularly difficult to understand for the density of information, as they are usually literary essays read out loud, so both the audio and the text are classified as C2.  You will come across words like bond, fraught, glimpse, to chime, to deserve, script, loosely, insight, bout, to pursue, chore, vicious, to thrive, to get back on track, to root, wrinkle, muse, stand-in, layers, dizzyingly, jagged, close-up, to swerve, handheld, score, to pulse, to grapple with, conundrums, to blur, uncannily, to excel at, exertion, to tease out, odd, tenderness, prickly, to awe, to bind, to cheat on somebody, to endure to chafe against something, and snobbery. 

You can also do a listening comprehension exercise based on the interview that Elisabeth Moss gave to NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday when she was promoting her film The One I Love.  The pace of this 5 minute, 7 sec radio interview is fast, but natural, and the language is rather colloquial, you will find words like time-shifting, impressive, rom-com, widespread, to set up, plot, crossroads, to send off, retreat, to reset, hijinks (high jinks), to ensure, to end up doing something, boundaries, shooting, breakneck, naive, calculating, gullible, weird, show runner, roles, to get something down, to work on something.  In the file you will find a recording of the interview, the script, a multiple-choice listening task and the key.  You will also find a lesson plan for both the film review above and this radio interview. The listening and speaking task has been designed for C1 students.

If you still want to listen on, you can click here to find a 47 minute long interview to Elisabeth Moss from NPR's Bullseye with Jesse Thorn.  As there is no script, this interview is recommended for C2 students or for experts.

Abelone Kelley June 11, 2020 0