A talk with the doctor - Uma conversa com o/a doutor/a - Unit 11 from Compact English Book.

A talk with the doctor

Mr. Keith Smith is having an appointment with Dr. Judith Thompson, an ear, nose and throat specialist.

Judith: What's going on with you, Mr. Smith?
Keith: I've been snoring lately, Dr. Thompson, and this has been an unpleasant thing to my wife.
Judith: Has your wife told you about your snoring or have you woken up with apnea?
Keith: Apnea? What is this?
Judith: It's a temporary absence or a cessation of breathing. Have you had this during your sleep?
Keith: Yes, once in a while, yes.
Judith: Curious... Everything seems absolutely normal. Have you had changed your habits recently?
Keith: Well, I've been eating more than usual at dinner time. That has increased my weight in six kilos.
Judith: Hmmmm... Obesity, enlarged tonsils, chronic nasal congestion, and congenital physical abnormalities are the possible causes of snoring.
Keith: Do you think I'm an obese person? Not yet, but you've got to be careful. What do you mean?
Judith: Try to reduce your eating impulses and keep a uniform diet. Your weight will decrease and the snoring will probably disappear in a few weeks. If the symptoms persist, I will ask for an X-ray of your face.
Keith: Do I have to take any medicine?
Judith: I won't prescribe you any medicine.
Keith: Oh, thank God it's nothing serious. Thank you, Dr. Thompson.
Judith: Don't mention it.

vocabulary
throat— the front part of the neck, containing the pharynx and the larynx
to snore — to breathe through the mouth and nose with noise in sleep unpleasant — disagreeable
once in a while — sometimes
tonsils — the two small internal organs at the back of the mouth
to decrease — to reduce gradually

Check your reading

1. A especialidade da Dra. Judith é:
a) oftalmologia.
b) nefrologia.
c) otorrinolaringologia.
d) ortopedia.
e) geriatria

2. A disfunção física de que trata o texto provoca:
a) dores.
b) falta de apetite.
c) excesso de apetite.
d) falta de sono.
e) Desconforto

3. Dentre as informações contidas no texto, deduz-se que:
a) a apnéia é uma doença do sono.
b) a obesidade pode provocar distúrbios no sono.
c) amídalas largas causam problemas de respiração.
d) há relação entre apnéia e rouquidão.
e) a congestão nasal crônica é uma anormalidade congênita.

4. Na sentença "I've been eating more than usual", de que outra forma o trecho sublinhado poderia ser expresso?
a) I have ate
b) I've eating
c) I'm eating
d) I've eaten
e) I am eaten

5. Quais os substantivos que correspondem aos verbos breathe, prescribe, disappear?
a) breath — prescription — disappearance
b) breth — prescribing — disappearance
c) breeth — prescription — disappearment
d) braeth — prescrivition — dispparition
e) breathingly – prescition — disparition

THE ACE = GABARITO: 1) c; 2) e; 3) b; 4) d; 5) a.

Grammar in Focus - Present perfect continuous

forma AfirmativaSujeito + have/has + been + verbo + -ing
She has been teaching biology lately.

NegativaShe has not (hasn't) been teaching biology lately.

InterrogativaHas she been teaching biology lately?

Interrogativo-negativa
Has she not/Hasn't she been teaching biology lately?

Uso do Present Perfect ContinuousEnfatiza a continuidade de uma ação iniciada no passado e que se prolonga até o presente:
I have been doing my job.
Estou fazendo/tenho estado fazendo meu trabalho.

She has been studying for three hours.
Ela está estudando/tem estado estudando há três horas.
(In: Wilson Liberato; Compact English Book; Vol. Único; Unit 11; P. 152/62)

O Present Perfect Continuous não deve ser confundido corn o Present continuous.

Observe:

Present Perfect Continuous
He has been practicing his English lately.
Ele está praticando/tem estado praticando seu inglês ultimamente.
(A ação de praticar o inglês está ocorrendo ultimamente.)

Present Continuous: he is practicing his English now.
(Ele está praticando seu inglês agora.)
(Neste caso, a ação esta acontecendo no momento da fala.)

Complete as sentenças corn o Present Perfect Continuous ou corn o present Continuous dos verbos entre parênteses.
1. I_____________________ (to call) her since midday.
2. I_________(to try) a solution to our trouble for the last three days.
3. What________ you__________ (to do) now?
4. How long__________ they_______________ (to live) in Brazil?
5. Look at my father! He________________________ (to drink) a lot at this party.
6. Where________ you____________________ (to work) lately?
7. The patient ______________ (to suffer) from this disease since left his last job.
8. She _______________________ (to read) your book for two weeks, but
she hasn't finished it yet.
9. We_______________________ (to wait) your answer since last month.
10. ______ it_______________ (to rain) now?

Indefinite article

a — um; uma
Usado antes de palavras no singular iniciadas por:

· consoante:

a boy; a year; a yellow car; a wall; a horse

· u, eu, ew com som de /ju:/: a university; a unit; a euphemism; a European; a ewe (ovelha)

· h aspirado: a hospital; a housewife; a hut

· one: a one-way bottle (uma garrafa não-retornável) a one-eyed person (uma pessoa caolha)

an — um; uma

Usado antes de palavras no singular iniciadas por:

· vogal: an asterisk; an elephant; an idiom

· h mudo: an hour; an honor (uma honra); an heir (um herdeiro); an honest

· letras que, quando pronunciadas, possuem som vocálico

(f, h, l, m r, s, x): an FM station; an X-ray

Usos de a/an

· antes de nomes de profissões:

She's an actress. He's a reporter.

· em algumas expressões numéricas:

half a dozen/a half dozen (meia dúzia) a hundred (cem; uma centena) ; a lot of (muito; muitos)

· em expressões de preço, velocidade, freqüência:

ten cents a kilo (dez centavos o quilo)

ninety kilometers an hour (noventa quilômetros por hora)
three times a day (três vezes por dia)

· em exclamações:
What a night! (Que noite!)
What a mess! (Que bagunça!)
It was such an awful day! (Foi um dia tão horrível!)