Writing Assignment: At the Hospital (Solution)

Posted on 2012/02/25
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at the hospital

 

1. What is the man in the picture doing?
He is visiting a baby, and he has his hand on the baby’s head.

2. What sort of covering is the man wearing?
He is wearing some scrubs.

3. Why is the man wearing scrubs?
The man is wearing scrubs because the baby has to be in a sterile environment, and be protected from germs.

4. Where is the baby?
The baby is lying on a small baby hospital bed.

5. Why doesn’t the man pick up the baby?
The baby is hooked up to a lot of tubes and various monitors.

6. Why aren’t there other visitors for the baby?
The number of visitors is limited, and only the baby’s parents or close relatives can visit.

7. Is this a regular hospital room?
No, this is a neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU).

8. Is the baby’s condition critical?
Yes, the baby is rather sick.

9. How many tubes are hooked up to the baby?
We see a couple of big tubes coming out near the baby’s head, and there are several other tubes on the baby’s body.

10. What sort of monitors is the baby hooked up to?
The baby is hooked up to a heart rate and blood pressure monitor, as well as monitor that checks the baby’s respiration.

11. How do the monitors help the nurses see how the baby is doing?
The monitors help the nurses by keeping track of the how the baby’s blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate (vital signs) are doing.

12. What would the monitors do if the baby’s blood pressure or heart rate goes too high or too low?
If the baby’s vital signs go too high or too low, the monitors will sound an alarm to alert the nurses that there is a problem, and the baby needs attention.

13. What kinds of information would the nurses write down in the patient’s chart?
In the baby’s chart the nurses would write down the heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, in addition to other information like what kind of medication the baby is being given, and when the last time was that the baby received some medication.

14. What sort of things would the nurses do to take care of the baby?
In addition to watching the baby’s monitors and recording the information, the nurses would give the baby medication, change the IV when necessary, change the baby’s bandages and cleanse the baby’s incisions, or change the baby’s catheter and empty the urine bag.

15. What does a nurse use a stethoscope for?
The nurse uses the stethoscope to listen to the baby’s heart, lungs, and intestines.

16. How does the nurse take the baby’s temperature?
The nurse uses a thermometer to take the baby’s temperature.

17. How would a sick baby like this be fed?
A sick baby like this would probably be fed intravenously, or possibly through a nose tube.

18. How would a sick baby like this be given medicine?
A sick baby like this would be given medicine intravenously.

19. What do the nurses or doctors do if the baby needs extra blood?
If the baby needs extra blood, the doctors or nurses would give the baby a blood transfusion.

20. How long do you think it will be before the baby can go home?
Since the baby is so sick, it will probably be a few weeks before the baby is well enough to go home.

Paragraph: At the Hospital

Write a brief paragraph about the time that you, or a friend or relative, were in the hospital. How was the stay in the hospital? Were the doctors and nurses friendly and helpful?

When our first baby was born, she was very sick because of a condition called meconium aspiration. This happens when the baby has a bowel movement inside the womb and then inhales the fecal matter. This can be a very serious condition, because the meconium coats the lungs and makes it difficult for the baby to get enough oxygen. Our baby needed to be transferred to another hospital where the doctors could operate on her to hook her up to an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine to give her lungs a chance to heal and recover. While she was on the ECMO machine, she was in NICU, so we had to wear scrubs to visit her. The visiting hours were limited, and only parents and grandparents could visit, just two at a time. After three or four days, she was able to come off the ECMO machine, but she still needed to be in NICU until her vital signs were healthy. About twelve days after she was born, she was able to come out of NICU and be transferred back to the local hospital, but she still was unable to come home. She had to gain weight and learn how to nurse or feed from a bottle. Eventually, she was healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital, and we took her home on Christmas Eve, over three weeks after she was born.

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Writing Assignment: At the Hospital

Posted on 2012/02/24
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at the hospital

 

Vocabulary

private hospital room
semi-private hospital room
operating room
recovery room
waiting room
emergency room
intensive care unit (ICU)
neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU)
nursing station
staff
nurse
doctor
shift change
intravenous (line) (IV)
IV tree
surgery
medicine
antibiotic
anesthesia
monitor
alarm
nose tube
oxygen tube
intubation
blood transfusion
catheter
stethoscope
thermometer
bedpan
blood pressure
heart rate
(body) temperature
pulse
sterile
bandage
gauze
needle
shot
patient chart
hospital bed
call button
hospital gown
hospital ID bracelet
scrubs
critical
scar
infection
visiting hours

1. What is the man in the picture doing?
2. What sort of covering is the man wearing?
3. Why is the man wearing scrubs?
4. Where is the baby?
5. Why doesn’t the man pick up the baby?
6. Why aren’t there other visitors for the baby?
7. Is this a regular hospital room?
8. Is the baby’s condition critical?
9. How many tubes are hooked up to the baby?
10. What sort of monitors is the baby hooked up to?
11. How do the monitors help the nurses see how the baby is doing?
12. What would the monitors do if the baby’s blood pressure or heart rate goes too high or too low?
13. What kinds of information would the nurses write down in the patient’s chart?
14. What sort of things would the nurses do to take care of the baby?
15. What does a nurse use a stethoscope for?
16. How does the nurse take the baby’s temperature?
17. How would a sick baby like this be fed?
18. How would a sick baby like this be given medicine?
19. What do the nurses or doctors do if the baby needs extra blood?
20. How long do you think it will be before the baby can go home?

Paragraph: At the Hospital

Write a brief paragraph about the time that you, or a friend or relative, were in the hospital. How was the stay in the hospital? Were the doctors and nurses friendly and helpful?

 

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Grammar Basics: Unit 20 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part II (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/02/24
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Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the present perfect.

Example:

Did Kelly go on vacation yet? ==> Has Kelly gone on vacation yet?

1. I haven’t told my father yet that I lost my job.
2. Tim has already shoveled the snow from the sidewalk.
3. Sam’s just taken a shower.
4. Have you just gotten home from work?
5. Oh, I’ve already put away the groceries.
6. Have you changed the baby’s diaper yet?
7. We’ve just bought a new dishwasher.
8. Steve’s already graduated from college.
9. Dave hasn’t voted yet.
10. I’ve just turned on the radio.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the simple past.

Example:

The guests have already come! ==> The guests already came!

1. Matt didn’t eat dinner yet.
2. The TV repairman just left.
3. Mr. Jones is not in. He already left for the day.
4. Do you want to talk to Bill? He didn’t go to bed yet.
5. Help! I was just robbed!
6. She already celebrated her birthday.
7. The baby didn’t get any teeth yet.
8. The baby just said “Dada” for the first time.
9. Did you talk to your cousin yet?
10. Mary already returned the books to the library.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 20 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part II

Posted on 2012/02/23
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There are three adverbs that are often used together with the Present Perfect and the Simple Past: just, already, and yet.

just = “a short time ago”

Examples:

Tom just came home from school.
Tom’s just come home from school.
Sally’s not here – she just left a few minutes ago.
Come in! I just finished cleaning the kitchen.
It’s weird that Mark called me – I was just thinking about him.

already = “before you/I expected”

Examples:

The children have already done their homework, and are now playing in the back yard.
I already baked a cake for tomorrow night’s party.
John’s in bed already. He got up at 5:30 this morning, so he was pretty tired.
Hello, Mr. Smith. I do believe we’ve already met.
Hurry up and get dressed! The guests have already come!

yet = “until now”

Examples:

Have you done your homework yet?
Did you do your homework yet?
I haven’t seen the new Indiana Jones movie yet.
Bob’s been at his job for five years, and hasn’t gotten a promotion yet.
Did Kelly go on vacation yet?

 

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the present perfect.

Example:

Did Kelly go on vacation yet? ==> Has Kelly gone on vacation yet?

1. I didn’t tell my father yet that I lost my job.
2. Tim already shoveled the snow from the sidewalk.
3. Sam just took a shower.
4. Did you just get home from work?
5. Oh, I already put away the groceries.
6. Did you change the baby’s diaper yet?
7. We just bought a new dishwasher.
8. Steve already graduated from college.
9. Dave didn’t vote yet.
10. I just turned on the radio.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the simple past.

Example:

The guests have already come! ==> The guests already came!

1. Matt hasn’t eaten dinner yet.
2. The TV repairman’s just left.
3. Mr. Jones is not in. He’s already left for the day.
4. Do you want to talk to Bill? He hasn’t gone to bed yet.
5. Help! I’ve just been robbed!
6. She’s already celebrated her birthday.
7. The baby hasn’t gotten any teeth yet.
8. The baby’s just said “Dada” for the first time.
9. Have you talked to your cousin yet?
10. Mary’s already returned the books to the library.

 

There are three adverbs that are often used together with the Present Perfect and the Simple Past: just, already, and yet.

just = “a short time ago”

Examples:

Tom just came home from school.
Tom’s just come home from school.
Sally’s not here – she just left a few minutes ago.
Come in! I just finished cleaning the kitchen.
It’s weird that Mark called me – I was just thinking about him.


already = “before you/I expected”

Examples:

The children have already done their homework, and are now playing in the back yard.
I already baked a cake for tomorrow night’s party.
John’s in bed already. He got up at 5:30 this morning, so he was pretty tired.
Hello, Mr. Smith. I do believe we’ve already met.
Hurry up and get dressed! The guests have already come!

yet = “until now”

Examples:

Have you done your homework yet?
Did you do your homework yet?
I haven’t seen the new Indiana Jones movie yet.
Bob’s been at his job for five years, and hasn’t gotten a promotion yet.
Did Kelly go on vacation yet?

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the present perfect.

Example:
Did Kelly go on vacation yet? ==> Has Kelly gone on vacation yet?

1. I didn’t tell my father yet that I lost my job.

2. Tim already shoveled the snow from the sidewalk.

3. Sam just took a shower.

4. Did you just get home from work?

5. Oh, I already put away the groceries.

6. Did you change the baby’s diaper yet?

7. We just bought a new dishwasher.

8. Steve already graduated from college.

9. Dave didn’t vote yet.

10. I just turned on the radio.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the simple past.

Example:
The guests have already come! ==> The guests already came!

1. Matt hasn’t eaten dinner yet.

2. The TV repairman’s just left.

3. Mr. Jones is not in. He’s already left for the day.

4. Do you want to talk to Bill? He hasn’t gone to bed yet.

5. Help! I’ve just been robbed!

6. She’s already celebrated her birthday.

7. The baby hasn’t gotten any teeth yet.

8. The baby’s just said “Dada” for the first time.

9. Have you talked to your cousin yet?

10. Mary’s already returned the books to the library.

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Culture Focus: American Presidents

Posted on 2012/02/22
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In the U.S., the third Monday in February is a national holiday called “Presidents’ Day.” This year it was on February 20.  It is a day set aside to honor those men who have served our country in the highest position of leadership. Originally, February was noted for having the birthdays of two of our most well-known Presidents: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22). Several years ago, it was decided that rather than taking two separate days off that were relatively close together, it was better to combine them into one holiday that could honor all the Presidents. Thus, Presidents’ Day was born. It is a holiday where schoolkids, banks, and government workers (including the post office) get a day off, but most everyone else works.

We like to say that any child can grow up to be President, but in reality there are some eligibility requirements that a potential candidate must meet. According to the U.S. Constitution, a President must be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

A President can be elected to office at most twice. Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms, but after his presidency, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, instituting presidential term limits.

If the President becomes sick or otherwise unable to fulfill his duties, the Vice President is authorized to take his place until he recovers. This is how Gerald Ford became President in 1974, making him the only man to serve as President without being elected either to that office or the office of Vice President. Ford was appointed Vice President in 1973 by President Nixon when Nixon’s original Vice President, Spiro Agnew, resigned. Nearly a year later, Nixon himself resigned, and Ford became President.

Other Presidential trivia:

  • William Henry Harrison (9th President) served the shortest presidency. He gave a lengthy inaugural speech (105 minutes) outdoors in March without wearing a hat or overcoat. Consequently, he developed pneumonia and died about 32 days after being elected.
  • John Tyler (10th President) was the president with the most children – 15!
  • James Buchanan (15th President) was the only President that never married.
  • Grover Cleveland (22nd President) was the only President to be married while in the White House. He was also the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms (22nd President and 24th President).
  • Teddy Roosevelt (26th President) is the one from whom we get the name of the child’s toy “teddy bear.” He was also the first President to call the Presidential residence the “White House” – before that, it had been called the Executive Mansion, or the President’s House.
  • William Taft (27th President) was the first President to own a car.
  • Harry S Truman (33rd President) used to get up at 5 a.m. to practice the piano for two hours.
  • John F. Kennedy (35th President) was the first Roman Catholic to be elected President. He was also the youngest elected President.
  • Ronald Reagan (40th President) was the oldest elected President.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 19 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part I (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/02/22
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Exercise: Rewrite the sentences, using the present perfect for the verbs in parentheses.

Example:

Tom is not at work. He (left) for the day. ==> Tom is not at work. He’s left for the day.

1. Jack has cut the grass.
2. She has baked a cake for tomorrow’s party.
3. We have exercised this morning.
4. Kelly has eaten supper with her friends.
5. Have you washed the clothes?
6. The light bulb has burned out.
7. Mary has been in an auto accident.
8. The dog has been fed.
9. Archeologists have dug up a dinosaur bone.
10. Customers have come to the store for a free book.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences, using the simple past for the verbs in parentheses.

Example:

Tim (has gone) to bed. ==> Tim went to bed.

1. The plane came to a complete stop.
2. Sally finished reading War and Peace.
3. Everyone went home for the day.
4. The senator already gave his speech.
5. The clock stopped.
6. These books were checked out from the library.
7. The luggage was put on the train.
8. Matt got first place in several tennis tournaments.
9. The baby took his first steps.
10. My favorite TV program was canceled.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 19 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part I

Posted on 2012/02/21
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So far, we have looked at two ways to talk about past events: the Simple Past, and the Present Perfect. The question is: How can I tell when I need to use Simple Past, and when I need to use Present Perfect?

Present Perfect:
The Present Perfect is used for an action in the past that has a result that is still in effect now.

Examples:

The mechanic has fixed the car. (= The car is fixed now.)
The rain has melted away the snow. (= The snow is melted now.)
I have cleaned the basement. (= The basement is clean now.)
Jim was very sick last week, but he’s gotten better. (= His condition is better now.)

Simple Past:
The Simple Past is used when we are talking about an action in the past with a finished time – something whose results are not necessarily still in effect now.

Examples:

The mechanic fixed the car. (= The car was fixed yesterday, three days ago, last week, last month, etc.)
The rain melted away the snow. (= The snow melted yesterday, three days ago, last week, last month, etc.)
I cleaned the basement. (= I cleaned the basement yesterday, three days ago, last week, last month, etc.)

Note: The Simple Past can also be thought of as a narrative (“story-telling”) tense:

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She was a naughty little girl who didn’t listen to her mother. One day, she went for a walk in the woods and came upon the house of the three bears….

Sometimes, however, the Simple Past could be used as well as the Present Perfect:

I’ve finished my homework. // I finished my homework.
I’ve lost my book. // I lost my book.
Sam’s bought new shoes. // Sam bought new shoes.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences, using the present perfect for the verbs in parentheses.

Example:

Tom is not at work. He (left) for the day. ==> Tom is not at work. He’s left for the day.

1. Jack (cut) the grass.
2. She (baked) a cake for tomorrow’s party.
3. We (exercised) this morning.
4. Kelly (ate) supper with her friends.
5. (Did) you (wash) the clothes?
6. The light bulb (burned) out.
7. Mary (was) in an auto accident.
8. The dog (was) fed.
9. Archeologists (dug) up a dinosaur bone.
10. Customers (came) to the store for a free book.

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences, using the simple past for the verbs in parentheses.

Example:

Tim (has gone) to bed. ==> Tim went to bed.

1. The plane (has come) to a complete stop.
2. Sally (has finished) reading War and Peace.
3. Everyone (has gone) home for the day.
4. The senator (has) already (given) his speech.
5. The clock (has stopped).
6. These books (have been checked) out from the library.
7. The luggage (has been put) on the train.
8. Matt (has gotten) first place in several tennis tournaments.
9. The baby (has taken) his first steps.
10. My favorite TV program (has been canceled).

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Education Focus: Homeschooling

Posted on 2012/02/20
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For this week’s educational focus, I want to take a look at homeschooling. In the U.S., it is legal to teach your children at home rather than send them to a school. A growing number of parents have decided to homeschool their children. It is difficult to determine how many children are being homeschooled, since many states don’t require homeschoolers to register. Estimates range from 900,000—2,000,000, but a reasonable estimate would put the figure in the neighborhood of 1.2 million children being homeschooled as of 2007.

As stated above, it is legal in all 50 states to homeschool children; however, different states have different requirements for homeschooling. Some states require that a parent obtain state certification in teaching; other states don’t require teacher certification, but insist that homeschool students take the same yearly assessment tests as the ones given to public school students. Still others require that homeschool students follow a state-approved curriculum, or be “in class” a certain number of hours a day or a certain number of days per year. In Illinois, homeschools are considered “private schools,” and there are only two requirements: 1) that the branches of education or subjects taught in a private school be equivalent to those being taught in the public schools, and 2) that the daily instruction of a child in a private school be in the English language. This makes Illinois one of the easiest states in which to homeschool your children, since there is minimal government interference, and parents have maximal control over what and how their children are taught.

The reasons why parents choose to homeschool are essentially the same as why parents opt for private over public schools: Concerns for the quality of education, concerns over violence in school and negative influences from peers, regards for religious beliefs, and interest in alternative teaching philosophies are all reasons why some parents choose homeschooling.

Naturally, people have concerns regarding homeschooled children. Do they do as well academically as students attending a public or private school? How can homeschooled children develop a healthy social life without the interaction of their peers in a regular school setting? How can parents offer the same variety and depth of instruction as regular schools? These are valid concerns, but they do not pose as much of a problem as people generally think. Let’s look at these concerns one by one.

Concern #1: Academics – Do homeschooled students do as well academically as students attending a regular school? Since not all parents are trained to be teachers, or even have a college degree, are they qualified to teach their children at home?

Answer: Believe it or not, the level of parental education or lack of teacher qualification has little, if any, negative effect on homeschool children’s academic performance. In fact, studies indicate that on a national basis, homeschoolers perform at least one grade level higher than their counterparts in private and public schools. One reason for this might be that by being schooled at home, children benefit from the individual instruction and attention – individual instruction and attention that are simply impossible in a class of 25 or more students. Other reasons might be that with individual instruction, children can concentrate on areas or subjects that need additional attention, rather than waste time reviewing concepts that the child has a good grasp on.

Concern #2: Social Development – Are homeschooled children able to develop a healthy social life without the interaction of their peers in a regular school setting?

Answer: Most homeschooled children in fact have better social skills than those of their peers in regular school. People tend to think that homeschool students are isolated from others, sitting at a desk at home for several hours a day. In reality, homeschoolers are generally a very interactive group, whether it’s getting together for joint field trips with other homeschoolers or taking swimming lessons at the local YMCA. Many homeschoolers also participate in co-op classes, where (for example), they get together once a week to study chemistry, or some other class in a more advanced subject. Consequently, homeschoolers tend to have better interaction not only with their peers, but with young and old alike. This is in contrast to a regular school setting, where students’ social interaction is limited almost exclusively to their own peer group, and thus is an artificially induced social group.

Concern #3: Depth and Variety of Instruction – How can parents offer the same variety and depth of instruction as regular schools?

Answer: There are various ways for parents to provide a broad, liberal education. As mentioned earlier, many homeschoolers participate in co-op classes for subjects like chemistry, physics, foreign languages, and other advanced subjects. Some colleges allow homeschooled students to enroll in specialty subjects. And of course the Internet gives homeschoolers access to information, materials, and online classes in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago. Additionally, homeschoolers have the time and freedom to pursue areas of interest to them, instead of focusing on taking classes and earning credits for graduation.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 5 (solution)

Posted on 2012/02/20
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Crossword - Basic Vocabulary 5 (solution)

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 5

Posted on 2012/02/19
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Crossword - Basic Vocabulary 5

Across
1 Built something (4)
3 How old someone is (3)
6 Since, then (2)
7 Enough (12)
11 Period of time (3)
12 Fuel for cars (3)
14 A group of sentences (9)
15 Possessive for it (3)
16 2000 lbs, or 1000 kg (3)
17 Coins and paper money (4)
18 Useful thing when it rains (8)
21 Something nice to have, but not necessary (6)
22 Gave something out to everyone (11)

Down
1 Something hard to understand (10)
2 Little magical helper (3)
3 Part of a circle (3)
4 Related to electricity (10)
5 Small flying animal, like a flying mouse (3)
6 Timid, nervous around people (3)
8 Thin, flat pieces of cloth or paper (5)
9 Get better (7)
10 Buildings along the shore that give light and guidance to ships (11)
13 Guard soldier (6)
19 Lines of things (4)
20 Get knowledge of a subject (5)
22 Small verb (2)
23 Small preposition (2)

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