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!