Medical myths

So you think you know a little bit about medicine?

Unfortunately, you're probably wrong, according to Dr Keith Hopcroft. Here he explains a number of common misconceptions.

Put butter on a burn

1 C=:J You should put your butter back in the

fridge and turn on the cold water tap instead. After leaving the burn u nder the running water for at least ten minutes, you should cover it with a clean wet tea-towel to prevent infection, and seek medical help.

Don't allow a child with a head injury to sleep This implies that sleep is dangerous for a child who has knocked their head, which is

simply not true. 2 C=:J The best thing to do

i n the case of a head injury is to allow the child to go to sleep, but to wa ke them from time to time to make sure that everything is in order.

You should avoid swimming after a meal This belief probably exists beca use of the fear that some food might escape from your

stomach if you have just eaten and choke

y9u. 3 C=:J Whatever the reason, there is no

medical evidence to suggest that people should not swim after eating.

1rs dangerous to wake sleepwalkers

No it isn't, although wa king them may cause confusion and distress. The safest thing to do is to guide the person gently back to bed and

keep an eye them u ntil they have gone back to sleep again. 4 C=:J

4 G RA M MA R present perfect (simple and continuous)

a Check what you know. Revise the rules.

Then do b.

• present perfect simple

present perfect simple: have I has + past participle (worked, seen, etc.)

past experiences

I Have you ever lost your credit card?

recent past actions

I've cut my finger! He's just arrived at the airport.

with yet and already (for emphasis)

I've already done the exercise but I haven't read the text yet.

unfinished states (non-action verbs)

• just and already go before the main verb in

[+J sentences, yet goes at the end of the phrase in [-] sentences and [?].

• Use How long...?+ present perfect to ask about an unfinished period of time (from the past w1til now).

Use for+ a period of time e.g. for two weeks, or

since with a point of time, e.g. since 1990.

Be careful with been and gone.

She's gone to London. = she went and is there now; She's been to London.= she went and has come back

• present perfect or past simple?

b Read the article again. Complete it with the missing sentences.

There is one sentence you don't need to use.

A Or perhaps people believe that blood will be diverted from the legs and arms towards the stomach, increasing the risk of cramp in the muscles.

B This is important because it is also not true that they never injure themselves.

C This is a bad idea, unless you're planning on changing traditional methods of cooking!

D However, if they are asleep, you are not able to watch out for serious and increasing tiredness which indicates a complication.

E Ifthis happens, there is a very real danger that it might block the person's throat and cause death.

• Use the present perfect when there is a connection between the past and the present.

• Use the past simple to ask or talk about finished actions in the past, when the time is mentioned or understood. We often use a past time expression, e.g. January, last week, etc.

Ill

b Right (.t) or wrong (x)? Correct the wrong phrases.

1 Nathan hasn't already started his new job.

;< hasn't started his new job yet

2 How long have your parents been married?

,/

3 Their train has arrived ten minutes ago. We're late!

4 I can't go out now because I've just washed my hair.

5 We've had this computer for last October. 6 My brother has travelled all over the world.

7 What time have you woken up this morning?

8 They only know each other for six months but they're getting married in November.

c New grammar. Complete the e-mail with the correct form of the verbs inbrackets. Use the present perfect simple or continuous.

Sorry 1 1 haven 't written (not write) for ages, but

I2(have) a lot of work recently and

13__ (be) too exhausted to do anything in

M the evenings once Iget home. Today is a bank holiday though, so I 4 (write) emails all day to try catch up with all my friends.

Guess what! Is_ (move out) of my pa rent's house! I 6 (live) in my new flat for a week now, and I love it! I7 (already I u n pack) all

my things and it's begin ning to feel like home. You m ust come and visit!

The bad news is that Is(split u p) with

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