Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. humidity
    • ex. In summer, the air feels sticky because of the high humidity.
  2. an organ
    • ex. The heart and lungs are important organs in the human body.
  3. a strain
    • ex. She felt a strain in her muscles after playing soccer all afternoon.
  4. pump
    • ex. I used a machine to pump air into the balloon.
  5. confusion
    • ex. The driver hit his head in a car accident. It caused him to experience confusion.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Heat waves in the U.S., Mexico, India, and the Middle East are getting worse. High temperatures and humidity are dangerous to the human body. Therefore, different health experts are explaining how heat affects people. Researchers have found out interesting information about our body temperature.

The body’s normal temperature is about 37°C. However, just an additional 4° can cause heatstroke. Heatstroke causes organs to fail. During this emergency situation, medical workers should try to lower the patient’s temperature within 30 minutes. They can place a patient in cold water. But if this isn’t possible, doctors also use sprays or ice packs. Heatstroke can be deadly and is often hard to notice right away.

Heat causes heart strain as well. When it’s hot, the heart works harder to pump blood to lower the body temperature. This can be deadly too, especially for people with heart problems. Heat also affects the brain. It can cause a person to experience confusion. This can be dangerous because a person may not realize that he or she is ill.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Effects of Heat

  • Heat waves in the U.S., Mexico, India, and the Middle East are getting worse. What’s the situation like in your country? Discuss.
  • The article mentions that heat can cause confusion. Based on your experience, how does extreme heat affect your ability to focus and think clearly? Discuss.
  • What activities do you find too tiring to do when it’s very hot outside (ex. jogging, gardening)? Discuss.

Heatstroke

  • Heatstroke can be deadly and is often hard to notice right away. How important is it for people to be aware of the dangers of heatstroke? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you saw a person showing signs of heatstroke. What would you do (ex. call the hospital, try to lower their temperature)? Discuss.
  • What advice would you give your friends and family members to prevent heatstroke? Discuss.