Medical Visit

Verbs: to be, study, have, want, see, talk, call, make, tell, arrive, ask, fill in, show, wait, take, check, come, listen, look, drink, sleep, write, get, visit, go

Sheila is an international student and studies in a business program.  She is sick.  She has a sore throat.  She wants to see a doctor.  Then, she talks to her international student adviser about her health insurance. In the U.S., health insurance is necessary for international students.

Sheila calls the school clinic to make an appointment. She tells her symptoms to the clerk on the phone. When she arrives at the clinic, the clerk asks her to fill in the patient information form and she shows the clerk her insurance card. She waits in the waiting room.

The nurse calls her name and takes her to the examining room. The nurse checks her blood pressure and takes her temperature. The doctor comes into the examining room. He listens to her heart and looks in Sheila’s throat. He tells her to drink more water and sleep more. He also writes her a prescription to get medicine from the pharmacy. After Sheila visits to the clinic, she goes to the pharmacy to get her medicine. Then she goes back home and takes a rest.

First Aid

I.   First aid kit   

Verbs: to be, include, prepare,
First aid kit is important for every household and every place.  The first aid kit includes emergency supplies and medication for minor sickness and accidents.  You can prepare your own first aid kit by the following items:

·         Two pairs of non-latex gloves

·         Sterile pad

·         Tweezers

·         Adhesive bandage

·         Tape

·         Gauze

·         Hydrogen peroxide

·         Antibacterial ointment

·         Elastic bandage

·         Ice pack

·         Thermometer

·         Scissors

·         Aspirin or other pain reliever

·         Anti-diarrhea medication

·         Antacid (for upset stomach)

·         Burn ointment

II.   Basic first aid – minor cuts

Verbs: have, follow, clean, apply, clean, use, put, change

When you have minor cuts, you can follow the information below to clean your wounds.

·         Apply direct pressure with clean cloth or sterile dressing
      on the wound

·         Clean wound with water

·         DO NOT use soap

·         Use antibacterial ointment

·         Put the bandage to cover the wound

·         Change bandage daily

Types of illness

Verbs: to be, have, keep, feel, make, blow, control, sleep

Allergy -
It is a bad reaction to animals, dust, foods or plants.
You may have red eyes, runny nose and sneeze a lot.

Coughing -
Coughing keeps your throat and airways clear.
You may feel itchiness in your throat.

Dizzy -
You will feel everything is turning around.

Fever -
Your body temperature is high. You are sweating all over.

Flu-
Flu is a virus. Usually the flu makes you sick for a long period of time.
You may have fever, headache, runny nose and sneeze a lot.

The fever is the important difference between a cold and the flu.

Runny Nose -
You have an itchy and watery nose.
You blow your nose a lot.

Sneeze -
You cannot control the reaction. Your nose feels full, you want to blow.
You feel something itchy in your nose.

Insomnia-
You are not able to sleep at night.

Rash -
Red spots on the skin.
You may feel uncomfortable and itchy.

Emergency – 911

Verbs: to be, reach, call, send

911 is an emergency call.  With these three numbers, you can reach the fire department, the police, or an ambulance.  It is a crime if you call 911 for non-emergency purpose.

Short conversation

911:  911

You: Fire! My name is John Lu.  My address is 578 Colonial Park drive, Roswell GA 30075.  My phone number is 404-123-0000.

911:  Any weapons?

You:  No weapons.

911:  We will send the fire department.

You:  OK.

Hobbies and Games

Verbs: have, to be, help, open, keep, enjoy, get, feel, stay, play, do, spend, create, learn, set, make, remember, find

Do you have any hobbies?  In the United States, hobbies and games are common in everyone’s daily life.  Hobbies can help to open people’s mind and keep a healthy life.

 The favorite outdoor activities are camping, fishing, gardening, and barbeque.  People enjoy outdoor activities during weekends with family and friends.   In American culture, weekends are important.  It is usually a family time to get together. 

When the weather is bad or people feel like staying home, they enjoy indoor activities.  The favorite indoor activities are playing video games, board games, poker, reading, and doing crafts.  Hobbies help to spend time wisely.

       Why are hobbies important?  Hobbies can create a special time among families and friends.  It is important for everyone to have their own hobbies.  People can learn to set goals and make decisions.  So, remember to find you a hobby today!

Sports

Verbs: to be, start, play, learn, like, watch, begin, end, have, finish, eat, fly, cheer

Sports are important in the United States.  The most popular team sports are American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey.  Children start to play sports at early ages.  They learn the values of justice, fair play, and team work when playing sports.  Many Americans like to watch games, either on the field or on TV.

 

The Atlanta football team is the Atlanta Falcons.  The football game season begins in September and ends in late January or in early February.  The Super Bowl is the championship game.  Many people will have parties to watch the Super Bowl. The Atlanta baseball team is the Atlanta Braves.  Spring is the baseball season.  Turner field is the home of the Atlanta Braves since 1997. 

The Atlanta Hawks is the Atlanta basketball team.  The season starts in fall and finishes around summer.  Atlanta ice hockey team is the Atlanta Thrashers.  The game season is between winter and spring.  Sport fans eat hot dogs and pizza when they watch games.  Some fans will fly team flags to cheer the team.  

      

Transportation

Verbs:  to be, have, go, fit, want, drive, use, sell, go, like, ask, answer, returns, get, drive, need, call, take, like, plan, visit, listen, get up

Anne is a new international student in Atlanta.  She has to go to school everyday.  After two weeks, the bus schedule does not fit her school schedule.  It is not convenient for her.  So, she wants to drive from her apartment to school.  She uses different ways to find a car, such as car dealers, www.craglist.com, and Carmax.  Car dealers sell different types of vehicles.  She goes to a car dealer for a test drive.  She likes a compact car.  She asks many questions about this car.  The sales person answers her questions.  She really wants this car.  She has to have her identity documents with her.  So, she returns to her apartment and gets those documents.  Now, this car is hers.

            She cannot drive her car back home.  She needs to have the car insurance first.  She calls the insurance company to get insurance ready.  In the United States, you must have insurance before you drive your car.  You will get the car title in the mail.  You have to take this title, insurance card, and emission test result with you and get the car tag from local tag office/DMV.

            Now, Anne has her own car.  She likes it very much.  She plans to visit new places around Atlanta.  She likes to listen to music when she drives.  Now, she does not need to get up early to take buses to school!

Toilet Paper and Paper Towel

Verbs: go, to be, wait, sit, put, need, flush, have to, use, turn, dry

Nancy goes to the restroom at school.  Many people are in the restroom.  She waits in a line.  Before she sits on the toilet, she puts a toilet seat cover on top of the toilet seat.  Toilet papers are in every restroom.  She doesn’t need to prepare toilet papers.  In the United States, you can flush toilet papers and used tampon.  The used pads and plastic tampon applicators cannot be put in the toilet.  You have put used pads and plastic tampon applicators in the trash can.

After she uses the restroom, she turns the water faucet and washes her hands with hand soap.  Then, she dries her hands with paper towels.  In the United States, you cannot put paper towels in the toilet.  Used paper towels need to put in the trash can.

How to clean the house

Part 1 – Kitchen and living room

Verbs: clean, go, put, make sure, face, add, close, choose, turn, use, clean, vacuum, sweep, mop

Bob cleans his house.  He goes to the kitchen and puts dirty dishes in the dishwasher.  He puts forks, spoons, and knives in the basket.  Cups, glasses, bowls, and small plates go on the top rack.  He puts larger plates, pots, and pans into the bottom rack.  He also makes sure dishes are facing upside down.  He adds dishwasher detergent to the detergent dispenser and closes the door.  He chooses the proper washing cycle and turns it on.  He uses a rag to clean the counter top.  He uses a vacuum cleaner to vacuum the carpet and sweeps the kitchen floor with a broom. He adds water to the bucket and mops the floor with a wet mop. 

Part 2 – Bathroom

Verbs: go, wear, pour, brush, spray, scrub, rinse, use, wipe

Mike goes into the bathroom.  He wears a pair of rubber gloves.  He pours the toilet bowl cleaner into toilet bowl.  He brushes the toilet with a toilet brush.  He sprays the all purpose cleaner on the bathtub and the shower wall.  He scrubs the wall and the bathtub and rinses with hot water.  He uses a wet mop to clean the floor.  Then, he sprays the all purpose cleaner in the sink and counter area.  He uses a sponge to rinse and wipe the areas.

Conclusion

Verbs: empty, take

Empty all waste baskets in the house and take out the garbage to the garbage bin.

Places to Live

Verbs: to be, have, want, talk, rent

Part 1 – Apartment

(click image to enlarge)

An apartment is a set of rooms or units for living.  It has many homes in a building.  An apartment is usually for rent.  People who want to rent an apartment always talk to the leasing office.

Part 2 – House

Verbs: to be, live

A house is a building.  A small group of people or a family lives in a house. 

Part 3 – Townhouse

 

Verbs: to be, have

(click image to enlarge)

A townhouse is a row house.  A townhouse is one of a group of similar houses in one row. 

A townhouse usually has two or three floors.

Recipe - Key Lime Pie

Verbs: serve, to be, consider

Dessert – Dessert is usually served after the meal.  There are many different kinds of dessert, such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy and pie etc.  In America, a meal is considered incomplete without desserts.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

·         1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

·         3 cups sweetened condensed milk

·         1/2 cup sour cream

·         3/4 cup key lime juice

·         1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

Reference: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Key-Lime-Pie-VII/Detail.aspx

Recipe - Classic Meatloaf

Verbs: to be, make from, form, save, add to, prepare, depend on

Classic Meatloaf – It is a classic American dish.  It is made from ground beef and formed into a loaf shape.  Meatloaf is common and popular because it is a way to save money.  Leftovers, spices, cereal grains, or crackers are added to the meatloaf to stretch the meat.  Nowadays, there are different ways to prepare the meatloaf and it depends on personal preferences and family tradition.

Makes: 8 servings

Preparation time: 10 minsBake: 60 mins

Ingredients

·      1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secret® Onion Soup Mix

·      2 lbs. ground beef

·      3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

·      2 eggs

·      3/4 cup water

·      1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine all ingredients

2. In 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan, shape into loaf.

3. Bake 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes.

For Ketchup Topping: Buy ketchup for topping or combine ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar.

Reference: Lipton® Recipe Secret® Onion Soup Mix

Recipe - Spinach Salad

Verbs: serve, call, to be, introduce

Appetizer - In the American culture, the food or drink served before the main course is called appetizer.  It is light food and usually is a small portion.  We will introduce you to a simple recipe for spinach salad.  It is very easy and convenient. 

Spinach Salad

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients

·         8 to 10  cups fresh spinach

·         3/4  cup  radishes

·         1/2  cup  sliced red onion

·         1/2  cup  shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

·         1/3  cup Italian Salad Dressing 

·         6    slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Directions

1.      In a large bowl, combine spinach, radishes, red onion,
    and cheese.

2.      Pour the Italian Salad Dressing over salad; toss evenly.

3.      Top with bacon. Makes 6 to 8 side-dish servings.

Reference: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/spinach-salad/