Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Sore throat. Aches. Sudden fever. Most of us have experienced the symptoms of this well-known disease: the flu. For many healthy people, having the flu may be nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. But for others, including children, the elderly, and those with health problems, getting the flu is no laughing matter. For people at risk, the flu can be deadly.
Because getting the flu can be so serious, health officials urge people to get vaccinated for the flu. These officials hope to prevent flu epidemics and pandemics. But not everybody feels comfortable getting vaccinated. Some people are afraid of how the vaccine might affect their health. Listen to Sara and Lily share their thoughts about the flu and the flu vaccine in this health English lesson.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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Sara: Lily, I have to tell you something which I probably shouldn’t even admit.
Lily: What?
Sara: I’ve never had the flu.
Lily: Really?
Sara: Never.
Lily: Me neither. Come to think of it.
Sara: We must be really lucky people.
Lily: I think so. Because aren’t you always hearing about how people are getting the flu, or there’s an epidemic coming, or…
Sara: I know, and everyone’s always freaking out about trying to get flu vaccines. And then I wonder if I should get one because maybe I’m tempting fate in some way or pressing my luck by not getting a vaccine, but then I don’t want to get a vaccine if I don’t need to. It’s this whole… It’s like this cycle.
Lily: Yeah, exactly, and it happens every single year around this time, right? Do they have any medication besides the shot? Like, can you get stuff over the counter?
Sara: Maybe you can take regular cold medicine. I don’t know if it helps. I’ve definitely been around people who’ve had the flu and they seem really miserable. They’re achy, right? Sometimes they’re nauseated and they’re throwing up.
Lily: Fever.
Sara: Fever. Yeah, it seems like a pretty terrible disease. Let’s just try to never get it, okay?
Lily: I think that sounds like a plan.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Present Perfect Tense" from this lesson
Quizzes
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Discussion
Sara and Lily have never gotten the flu. This is surprising because the flu is a common disease.
Sara is not sure if she should get a vaccine or not. Sara and Lily are not sure if there is other medicine that can help, but they are sure that the flu is a disease that they don’t want to get.
Have you ever had the flu? Has there ever been a flu epidemic where you live? Do you think that not getting the flu vaccine is tempting fate, or do you think that it isn’t good to get the flu vaccine if you are not sure if you need it?
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