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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. pervasive
    • ex. TV has a pervasive influence on our culture.
  2. take a toll
    • ex. Working late every night can take a toll on your health, and make you feel very tired.
  3. vertigo
    • ex. The doctor explained that vertigo can make people feel like the room is spinning around them.
  4. disrupt
    • ex. The loud noise from the construction site disrupted our class. We had to stop the lesson for a while.
  5. blink
    • ex. My eyes feel dry, so I keep blinking to make them feel better.

Article

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

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Digital screens are pervasive, appearing everywhere from work to home and school. According to the American Optometric Association, most Americans spend more than seven hours a day looking at screens. And that can take a toll on their eye health. Too much screen time can cause dry or watery eyes, fuzzy vision, and headaches. Some people even experience vertigo.

These problems happen because looking closely at a screen for a long time makes the muscles in the eyes work hard. If the eyes don’t take breaks, these muscles can get tired. Experts say that the blue light from screens doesn’t cause permanent damage to the eyes, but it can still make the eyes feel uncomfortable. Eye problems can disrupt work and family life.

To help reduce eye strain, experts suggest taking breaks using the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps the eyes relax. They also recommend blinking more often and using eye drops. Additionally, changing your desk setup and avoiding screens before bed can improve eye comfort and sleep quality.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Digital Screens

  • How many hours a day do you usually spend looking at a digital screen? Discuss.
  • Have you ever experienced any problems with your eyes after using a screen for a long time? Discuss.
  • Why do you think digital screens are so common in our daily lives? Discuss.

Eye Health

  • Do you intentionally pay attention to your eye health? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • What eye care tips from the article do you think would be most helpful for you (ex. 20-20-20 rule, blinking)? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think spending too much time on screens can lead to eye problems? Why or why not? Discuss.