The-Digestive-System-British-English-Teacher

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MEDICAL ENGLISH · MEDICAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
THE
DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
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1 Warm up
Discuss the questions below in small groups.
1. Name some parts of the digestive system.

2. Do you eat three meals a day or does it change depending on the day? Why or why not?
3. Do you know anyone who has problems while eating? What happens?
4. When do you get stomach aches? What causes them? How do you get relief?
2 Vocabulary
Match the word with the correct definition in the right column. Check your answers with a partner.
1. intolerance (n) a. a kind of sugar found in milk
2. lactose (n) b. make into smaller pieces
3. digest (v) c. the inability to eat a particular food without getting sick
4. diarrhoea (n) d. feeling a heaviness in the stomach area
5. bloated (adj.) e. the part inside a cell that controls the qualities one gets from
their parents
6. break down (v) f. change food into substances your body can use for energy
7. genes (n) g. lack of food availability in a region for a long period of time
8. famine (n) h. condition in which waste from the body is eliminated in liquid
form rather than solid
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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Fill in the gaps using the words from above.
1. When he was a child, he could not certain vegetables.
2. He ate so much that he felt very at the end of the meal.
3. There are several new products on the market for people who have a difficult time digesting
.
4. The patient had developed an to many different foods.
5. In winter months, many children get viruses that cause stomach upset and .
6. The digestive system helps us to food so it can be turned into energy.
7. Climate change has caused in certain areas of the world.
8. Our carry information about qualities and characteristics that can be passed from
generation to generation.
3 Listening for general information
You are going to hear an interview about lactose intolerance. As you listen, tick off the food items
that are mentioned.
milk ice cream
cheese sugar
eggs chicken
almond rice
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4 Listening comprehension
Listen again and decide whether the statement is true or false. Check your answers with a partner.
1. Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest dairy products.
2. A special substance called lactase breaks down the sugar in milk.
3. People who are lactose intolerant experience digestive problems such as fever and stomach ache.
4. Researchers are not sure how many people are lactose intolerant.
5. Cultures that farmed animals developed an ability to digest dairy products.
6. Some people in Ethiopia and Kenya are also able to digest milk.
7. There are limited lactose-free products available.
5 Vocabulary
Match the words with the definitions on the right.
1. get rid of (phr. v) a. throw away, be free from something
2. glue (n) b. not being affected by a certain disease
3. small intestine (n) c. substance needed for living things to grow
4. discomfort (n) d. happening over a large area or affecting many people
5. nutrient (n) e. a sticky substance to hold things together
6. stock (v) f. pain or a feeling of not feeling comfortable
7. widespread (adj.) g. have a supply of goods
8. immune (adj.) h. an organ in the digestive system responsible for absorbing

nutrients
9. sensitive (adj.) i. reacting quickly to something

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Use the words above to fill in the gaps. There are two extra words.
1. The patient experienced a lot of following the surgery.
2. People over the age of 70 do not have a very strong system, so they can get a
virus very easily.
3. When people go on extreme diets to lose weight quickly, they often lack proper .
4. Because of his severe allergies, he had to many items in the house.
5. COVID-19 is so in the community that they had to close the schools and stores.
6. The hospital decided to extra medicine in case there is not enough next month.
7. He has to have a very plain diet as his stomach is very after the surgery.
6 Reading for general information
Read the text about the protein called gluten quickly and answer the questions below. Check your
answers with a partner.
Which paragraph explains what gluten is?
Which paragraph mentions products with gluten?
Which paragraph mentions enzymes?
Which paragraph talks about celiac disease?
Which paragraph discusses gluten intolerance?
Which paragraph discusses wheat allergy?

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Gluten
A simple plant protein causes problems
1. In the past decade, food shelves have been stocked digestive discomfort when they consume gluten but
with gluten-free products. But what exactly is gluten they do not have any damage to their small intestine.
and why has there been a sudden interest in getting Although these people might feel bloated, their
rid of products with this ingredient? bodies are able to process and absorb nutrients.
2. Gluten is a sticky protein which is found in grains Some people also experience brain fog, headaches
such as wheat, barley and rye. When it is used and tiredness. These symptoms often appear
to bake products, it acts like a glue and also gives within 30 minutes of consuming gluten and can
bread and cakes a soft quality. Gluten is found in last a couple of days. The number of people who
many store-bought products including bread, cakes, experience gluten intolerance has been increasing
cereals, cupcakes, muffins, crackers, and even pasta in the past two decades. Researchers estimate that
and noodles. Because of its widespread use in about 18 million people worldwide are sensitive to
many products, it can cause a problem for certain gluten.
individuals who are unable to digest it.
3. When we eat, our digestive system is filled with 5. Some people have an allergy to wheat. Individuals
different substances (enzymes) to help us digest food. with wheat allergies might show symptoms similar to
Protease, an enzyme, helps break down proteins that gluten intolerance but also have itchy skin, sneezing
we consume. However, it is unable to reduce gluten and asthma. This condition can be diagnosed by
completely. This results in gluten entering the small allergy testing.
intestine undigested. In some people, this undigested
gluten causes an immune reaction that damages the 6. The best treatment for all these conditions is to avoid
intestine and blocks it from absorbing nutrients. This gluten. Since there are many food items and medicine
is called celiac disease. Individuals with this condition with gluten as an ingredient, this can be difficult. Your
may feel bloated and have mild to severe stomach doctor will recommend that you work with a dietician
pain and diarrhoea. They may also suffer from weight to help plan your meals. Most patients report a
loss and poor nutrition because of a loss of important change in symptoms within days of eliminating gluten
vitamins. Celiac disease affects approximately 1% of from their diet.
the world’s population.
4. Another disorder is called gluten intolerance. Sources: Medical News Today, NHS, Live Science,
Individuals with this condition may feel some Cleveland CLinic

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7 Reading for comprehension
Read the text again and answer the questions below. When you are finished, check your answers
with a partner.
1. What grains contain gluten?
2. Name four products that contain gluten.
3. What does protease do?
4. What is celiac disease?
5. What are the symptoms of celiac disease?
6. What is gluten intolerance?
7. How soon do symptoms appear and how long do they last?
8. How many people around the world are sensitive to gluten?
9. If someone has a wheat allergy, what other symptoms could they have?
10. What is the recommended treatment for these conditions?

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8 Pronoun reference in context

Look at the sentences below which have been taken from the text. Decide what the bolded pronoun
refers to. Check your answers with a partner when you are finished.
Example: What does "this" refer to?
But what exactly is gluten and why has there been a sudden
interest in getting rid of products with this ingredient?
Answer: gluten
1. Gluten is a sticky protein which is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. When it is used
to bake products, it acts like a glue and also gives bread and cakes a soft quality.
2. Gluten is found in many store-bought products including bread, cakes, cereals, cupcakes, muffins,
crackers, and even pasta and noodles. Because of its widespread use in many products, it can
cause a problem for certain individuals who are unable to digest it.
3. This is called celiac disease. Individuals with this condition may feel bloated and have mild to
severe stomach pain and diarrhoea.
4. Some people also experience brain fog, headaches and tiredness. These symptoms often appear
within 30 minutes of consuming gluten and can last a couple of days.
5. Individuals with wheat allergies might show symptoms similar to gluten intolerance but also have
itchy skin, sneezing and asthma. This condition can be diagnosed by allergy testing.
6. The best treatment for all these conditions is to avoid gluten. Since there are many food items and
medicine with gluten as an ingredient, this can be difficult.
7. Most patients report a change in symptoms within days of eliminating gluten from their diet.

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9 Grammar point
Quantifiers are used before nouns to show the amount.
Part 1: Look at the paragraph below and decide which word to use to fill in the gap. Check your
answers with a partner.
1
There are diseases related to the digestive system. One of these is celiac disease.
2
people who have this disease have the following symptoms: stomach discomfort,
3 4
energy, diarrhoea and poor nutrition. There are gluten-free products
5
on the market now. However, people complain that there is not taste and very
6
products are actually satisfying.
Part 2: Now, form questions with the following words. Check your answers with a partner.
1. How/time/take/digest a meal?
2. How/medicine/is/taking/his condition?
3. How/he/weigh?
4. How/dairy products/consume/each day?
5. How/hours/exercise/each week?
6. How/milk/drink/each day?
7. How/glasses/water/drink/each day?
Part 3: Fill in the gaps with many, much, little or few. Check your answers with a partner.
1. He has very patience when he has to spend the day indoors.

2. There is not information on how to use the new equipment.
3. There are plants that can cause allergies.
4. She does not have patience to learn new technical skills.
5. He has not had luck in finding a job.
6. There are very people who are able to work in that environment.
7. Although he cut himself badly, there was very blood on the floor.

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10 Talking point
In small groups, discuss the questions below.
1. Dairy is an important food source in many cultures. What types of food do you think can replace
dairy items as a source of calcium?
2. Have you seen gluten-free or lactose-free products in the store? What types of products were
available?
3. If you had to follow a gluten-free diet, what food would you miss? Why?
4. Why do you think gluten intolerance has been increasing this century?
11 Optional extension
Choose one of the topics below and write a 100-word paragraph. Give examples to support your
ideas.
(1) If you had to follow a gluten-free diet or lactose-free diet, what food would you miss the
most? Why? Give examples to support your ideas.
(2) Why do you think gluten intolerance has been increasing this century? Give examples to
support your ideas.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
Transcripts
3. Listening for general information
Brian: Good afternoon. Dr Carla Shapiro, a gastrointestinal specialist, is with us today to talk
about digestive problems. Welcome to our program.
Dr Carla: Thank you for having me.
Brian: It seems that many people have digestive issues. Can you tell us about one of the common
issues that you see?
Dr Carla: I would say that lactose intolerance is a very big problem for many people. This means
that people are unable to digest dairy products such as milk and ice cream.
Brian: Why does this happen?
Dr Carla: All babies have a special substance called lactase which helps to break down the sugar
in milk so the body can use it for energy. However, researchers discovered that in
some people lactase production slowly decreases. So, when these individuals consume
dairy products, they experience digestive problems such as bloating, stomach aches and
diarrhoea.
Brian: What percentage of the world is lactose intolerant?
Dr Carla: Actually, research has shown that about 68% of the world’s population has some degree
of lactose intolerance. People in northern Europe do not suffer as commonly from this
problem as say someone from Eastern Asia.
Brian: So why do some regions have this condition and others don’t?
Dr Carla: Recent research has indicated that over 5,000 years ago, when some cultures started
farming rather than hunting for food, those that raised cows, sheep and goats seemed
to develop this ability to consume dairy products. Perhaps they began to rely on animal
milk to fight famine.
Brian: So over time, these people could drink milk as adults?
Dr Carla: Yes, that is what research shows. In fact, scientists believe cultures that started to use
animal milk kept the ability to break down lactose and over time it changed their gene
structure.
Brian: So, this is seen in all European cultures?
Dr Carla: Mostly, but some groups in Ethiopia and Kenya and a few other places also have this ability
because these groups began to farm and raise animals, especially cows and goats.
Brian: So, some people can eat dairy products and others have to avoid them?
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Dr Carla: Yes, that is right. However, this intolerance can happen at any time. For example, even in
European countries, we see young patients who are unable to digest milk.
Brian: So, what alternatives are available for those people who are lactose intolerant?
Dr Carla: There are different types of dairy-free milk products available like soya, almond and rice.
Also, the food industry has introduced many lactose-free products so people can still enjoy
a lactose-free version of ice cream. There’s also a tablet that you can take to help break
down lactose. This can help some people.
Brian: Well, our time is up for today. I would like to thank you so much for joining us today, Dr
Shapiro.
Dr Carla: Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure talking with you.
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Key
1. Warm up
5 mins.
Students will discuss questions in small groups. Q1 – mouth, esophagus, stomach, large intestine, small intestine,
2. Vocabulary
5-10 min.
Students will match words with definitions. Then they will do the gap-fill with the new vocabulary. Have them
check answers in pairs.
1. → c. 2. → a.
3. → f. 4. → h.
5. → d. 6. → b.
7. → e. 8. → g.
Gap-fill
1. digest 2. bloated 3. lactose 4. intolerance

5. diarrhoea 6. break down 7. famine 8. genes
3. Listening for general information
5 mins.
Students will listen for the food items mentioned in the listening on lactose intolerance (inability to digest lactose
- milk sugar). You could ask students if they have heard of this condition prior to the listening activity. Check for
the comprehension of "gastrointestinal".
Remind students that the word dairy is from lesson 3 (The Skeletal System).
✓ milk ✓ ice cream

✓ sugar ✓ almond
✓ rice
4. Listening comprehension
5 -7 mins.
Students will listen again and answer the questions. Have them check their answers in pairs.
1. True 2. True 3. False 4. False

5. True 6. True 7. False
5. Vocabulary
5 mins.
Students will match words with the definitions. Please note that small intestine is C2 and discomfort is C1. However,
these words are common in medicine and will be needed in future lessons. It may be a good idea to point out that
some texts give definitions within the text. Look at paragraph 3 – the word "enzymes" is in brackets. This indicates
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a definition. The following sentence "Protease, an enzyme,..." also shows the definition by use of commas. This is
an important reading strategy when dealing with complex texts. Students should be aware of the different ways
words can be defined within a text.
1. → a. 2. → e. 3. → h. 4. → f. 5. → c. 6. → g. 7. → d. 8. → b. 9. → i.
Gap-fill
1. discomfort 2. immune
3. nutrients 4. get rid of
5. widespread 6. stock
7. sensitive
6. Reading for general information
5-7 minutes.
Students will quickly read and answer the questions. Have them check their answers with a partner. Check
answers with whole class before doing the reading comprehension.
Which paragraph explains what gluten is? 2 Which paragraph mentions products with gluten? 2
Which paragraph mentions enzymes? 3 Which paragraph talks about celiac disease? 3
Which paragraph discusses gluten intolerance? 4 Which paragraph discusses wheat allergy? 5
Full sources
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21622-gluten-intolerance
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312898
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/
https://www.livescience.com/53265-what-is-gluten.html
7. Reading for comprehension
7 mins.
Students will read the text again and answer the questions. Have them check their answers in pairs before checking
with the whole class.
1. wheat, barley, rye

2. bread, cake, cereals, cupcakes, muffins, crackers, pasta and noodles
3. protease helps break down proteins that we consume
4. a condition where the body has an immune reaction to gluten and it damages the small intestine
5. feel bloated, have mild to severe stomach pain and diarrhoea
6. a discomfort from eating products with gluten
7. 30 minutes after eating gluten and last a couple of days
8. 18 million
9. itchy skin, sneezing and asthma
10. avoid gluten products
8. Pronoun reference in context
5 mins.
Students will look at the pronoun references in the text.
1. gluten 2. gluten
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3. celiac disease 4. brain fog, headaches and tiredness

5. wheat allergies 6. avoid gluten
7. most patients
9. Grammar point
7-10 mins.
This exercise will look at quantifiers: many, much, little, few. It will review when to use them in statements and
question form.
Part 1
1. many 2. Many
3. little 4. many
5. much 6. few
Part 2
1. How much time does it take to digest a meal? 2. How much medicine is he taking for his condition?
3. How much does he weigh? 4. How many dairy products do/does you/he/she
consume each day?
5. How many hours do you exercise each week? 6. How much milk do you drink each day?
7. How many glasses of water do you drink each day?
Part 3
1. little 2. much 3. many 4. much 5. much

6. few 7. little
10. Talking point
5-7 min.
In small groups, students will discuss the questions below.
11. Optional extension
25-30 mins.
Students will choose a topic and write a 100-word paragraph. Check their work for errors.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

MEDICAL ENGLISH · MEDICAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

Discuss the questions below in small groups.

1. Name some parts of the digestive system.

1. intolerance (n) a. a kind of sugar found in milk

2. lactose (n) b. make into smaller pieces

4. diarrhoea (n) d. feeling a heaviness in the stomach area

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Fill in the gaps using the words from above.

1. When he was a child, he could not certain vegetables.

2. He ate so much that he felt very at the end of the meal.

4. The patient had developed an to many diﬀerent foods.

6. The digestive system helps us to food so it can be turned into energy.

7. Climate change has caused in certain areas of the world.

3 Listening for general information

milk ice cream

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

1. Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest dairy products.

2. A special substance called lactase breaks down the sugar in milk.

5. Cultures that farmed animals developed an ability to digest dairy products.

7. There are limited lactose-free products available.

1. get rid of (phr. v) a. throw away, be free from something

2. glue (n) b. not being aﬀected by a certain disease

3. small intestine (n) c. substance needed for living things to grow

4. discomfort (n) d. happening over a large area or aﬀecting many people

5. nutrient (n) e. a sticky substance to hold things together

6. stock (v) f. pain or a feeling of not feeling comfortable

7. widespread (adj.) g. have a supply of goods

8. immune (adj.) h. an organ in the digestive system responsible for absorbing

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

1. The patient experienced a lot of following the surgery.

4. Because of his severe allergies, he had to many items in the house.

6 Reading for general information

Which paragraph explains what gluten is?

Which paragraph mentions products with gluten?

Which paragraph mentions enzymes?

Which paragraph talks about celiac disease?

Which paragraph discusses gluten intolerance?

Which paragraph discusses wheat allergy?

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

7 Reading for comprehension

1. What grains contain gluten?

2. Name four products that contain gluten.

3. What does protease do?

4. What is celiac disease?

5. What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

6. What is gluten intolerance?

7. How soon do symptoms appear and how long do they last?

8. How many people around the world are sensitive to gluten?

10. What is the recommended treatment for these conditions?

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

8 Pronoun reference in context

Example: What does "this" refer to?

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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM