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The Flu
简体
The Flu
流感

Learn English with this flu English lesson

Date: Jan 19 2021

Themes: Health

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

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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.

咽喉疼痛、浑身酸痛、突然发烧。我们很多人都经历过这些症状,而这个疾病也众所周知,那就是流感。对许多身体健康的人而言,患上流感只不过会让自己暂时不适。但对于儿童、老年人和存在健康问题的其他人而言,患上流感却是件很严重的事。对于高危人群而言,流感可能是致命的。

鉴于患上流感后果如此严重,卫生官员呼吁人们接种流感疫苗。这些官员希望防止流感蔓延和流行。但并非所有人都能欣然接受接种疫苗。有些人担心疫苗可能会影响他们的健康。在本节以健康为话题的英语课上,听听萨拉和莉莉分享她们对流感和流感疫苗的看法。

Dialog

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Sara

Sara

Lily

Lily

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.

 

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Discussion

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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?

 

Comments

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La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Well, It’s almost winter here, and the flu is my buddy all along the winter :( I always take medicines over the counter and some herbal prescriptions, but it feels like the more you take them, the less they do the trick, like if the virus grows accustomed. I never took vaccines for flu, and I don’t think people here will give it much attention, because they don’t think it’s a big deal.

01:11 PM Oct 30 2015 |

Auray

Auray

Turkey

Flu!!! Did anyone mention about flu? This is a terrible disease! When you’re caught with flu it’s hard to pull through it doesn’t matter how many times you get. However, the matter is not to catch it with a strong immune system. Therefore sometimes vaccines can be inadequate. I witnessed, and I experienced, lol.

12:00 AM Oct 29 2015 |

Damian4100

Damian4100

Ecuador

right now i have the flu and really really, it is insupportable.

05:23 PM Oct 28 2015 |

1 person likes this

Wuthering

United States

The flu and allergic are nightmare to me ! but I will survive …. lol , somehow , my body knows the timetable about these diseases . Every April and Jan , my body always alerts about it to my brain !! ....

04:37 PM Oct 28 2015 |

NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

I hate the ful. evryone get sick.

12:28 PM Oct 28 2015 |

drdental

drdental

Iraq

Sore throat,fever,muscles aches…it’s terrible disease indeed

10:18 AM Oct 28 2015 |

rabindra shrestha

Nepal

Everybody know very well as the flu is an infectious disease caused by influiza virus. 

05:12 AM Oct 28 2015 |

Lexus_toP

Ukraine

Currently i am getting sick on flu…..this is awful weather in autumn

02:14 AM Oct 28 2015 |

hoseiny

hoseiny

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

chop an onion and take it into your room altough its smell is not good but it attract and absorb flu causes and help the sick to be rid of flu.

10:07 AM Jan 01 2014 |

Waleed1985

Pakistan

appreciable….

07:09 PM Dec 15 2013 |

doubleyan

doubleyan

China

It is the best  that all we are healthy!

05:30 AM Apr 16 2013 |

tiara2tiara

Philippines

Getting sick is the last thing I wanna experience. Given the responsibilities that I have to juggle each day like working and doing the house chores, I couldn’t afford to get sick. Aside from this, I don’t want to idle my time away staying at home and doing nothing but on the bed lying all day long waiting for the pain to subside. It should be the last thing that I would do. Though, I don’t limit the possibility of me getting sick because I don’t have metal surface. I’m human.

02:03 PM Apr 15 2013 |

1 person likes this

pk371369

pk371369

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I doooooooooooooooooon’t like get flu;but…

07:10 PM Apr 14 2013 |

Erise

Erise

Poland

Without a doubt, Influenza, commonly known as “the flu”,is a serious desease. It’s not the best idea to tempt fate by getting no appropriate treatment.People, pressing the luck by ignoring the symptoms of this illness might develop serious life-threatening complications.


Today’s lesson and the most of comments concern the question why some people get sick and others don’t.


I think that everyone does, I mean once in a while.Just the immune system of those who think they never get affected with this illness, reacts differently to the virus.Once infected with flu, the response of their immune system is very active which is followed by sniffles, fever, coughing and sneezing. This is the time when body fights the virus severely and  effectively. Everyone can recall the time when the virus was totally freaking out in the body for a couple of days, or only one achy night.



Of course there are lots of negatives of being affected by a flu virus, but luckily “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. As a result of this fight, a body develops its “secret weapon” against a certain type of flu which protects us in future.


Everything’s written according to my life experiences and limited health literacy. The best way to be safe is to consult a doctor.

04:03 PM Apr 14 2013 |

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

definitely this topic is popular , we are very thankful to discuss with others , the flu is an common disease , we can’t expected what time the flu will comes , but we can avoide some of the side effects if you have a good mentality about it .


Everyone exposed to the flu because of the changes of the weather , as the same time our lives has contains  of diseases , For me when the winter season comes I usually got on ful not only flu my mood has become very badly , I spoke to my doctor what is the solution he told me until If you take the vaccine maybe you will expose to the flu.


Hope all the health to everyone .

02:35 PM Apr 14 2013 |

TranceSoul

TranceSoul

Poland

I have had the flue many times but I think that not getting the flue vaccine isn’t temting fate. In my friends opinions the flue vaccine to cause the flue in a short time. I don’t remember if I had such an experience but I’m not sure if it helps…

02:20 PM Apr 14 2013 |

Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

Even though the flu isn’t very dangerous disease, i get so upset when i get it, it’s so annoying when you get a runny nose and you have to carry a piles of tissues wherever you go even to the bathroom, not to mention having a sore throat and this painful feeling when i swallow anything and the most disturbing thing ever is the headache, it sucks, it makes me feel sleepy all the time so of course we have to get the flu vaccine. Always remember prevention is better than cure.

10:00 AM Apr 14 2013 |

sina1992

sina1992

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i have a sick about 15 days :(

07:40 AM Apr 14 2013 |

Truesearcher

Russian Federation

I don’t think that the vaccine helps you. If you’ve had a flu you already got the best way not to be il again.

11:25 PM Apr 13 2013 |

doa'a

doa'a

Yemen

fluuuuuuuuuuuuu….i hate it sooooooo much….i always get flu….winter or summer or any other season…flu is in my life….speacilay at night…...the fan even can amke me have flu…...and vaccine i dont think they can do the trick….

07:10 PM Apr 13 2013 |

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