Homework / Discussion - The Pharmaceutical Business

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This is an English language TESOL classroom discussion about the pharmaceutical industry and drug approval.

We will watch a video by American economist and free market advocate Milton Friedman who gives a critique of the role of the FDA.

We will then discuss some of the points it raises. (Level C1)

FIRST WATCH THE VIDEO. THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON THE WORK SHEET BELOW. 

NOW ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VIDEO:

(Most of the answers to the questions can be found in the video, some need your own personal opinion.)

What was the difference between pharmacies 150 years ago and now?

What is the FDA and what are its powers?

What are the arguments made against the FDA? (By Dr. Wardell)

(Video - minute 03:20) ‘These committees and the agencies for whom they are acting are highly skewed towards avoiding risks.’ Explain the meaning.

What is preferable: safer drugs or effective drugs?

Why does the American lady in the video regularly travel to Canada?

‘The FDA discourages the development and prevents the marketing of new and potentially useful drugs.’ Discuss.

What does the video say about ‘rare diseases’ and ‘high volume sales’?

Should the government also prohibit alcohol and tobacco?

MORE GENERAL MEDICINE & DRUGS DISCUSSION TOPICS

Prepare the vocabulary before your next class.

Look at the photo and tell us what you think about the medicine. Is it correct that this was banned? Would you take it yourself or give it to your children?  

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

prescription (medical) - ricetta medica / prescrizione 

recipe (cooking) - ricetta (cucina)

painkiller - antidolorifico

ache -  dolore

pain - dolore

relief - sollievo

cure - cura

addiction (noun) - dipendenza (sostantivo)

addicted (adjective) - dipendente (aggettivo)

an addict (person) - tossicodipendente (persona)

banned / prohibited - vietato

STUDENTS' CLASSROOM DISCUSSION SHEETS .

VOCABULARY    prescription   recipe    painkiller    ache    pain    relief     cure                    

Student A

Do you ever take any non-prescription drugs or medicines?

Is it OK for patients to self-prescribe drugs? Would you do it?

What is the difference between medicines and drugs?

Explain to a child what a drug is.

What are the typical aches you can get?

50% of the country is on prescription drugs. Discuss.

Have you got a favourite drug?

Have you ever been addicted to any medicines?

How many words can you think of from the word family ‘medicine’?

Student B

Do you ever take any prescription drugs or medicines?

Should drugs be legal? Which ones?

Is alcohol a drug?

Can alcohol be a drug?

How many words can you think of from the word family ‘addiction’?

What’s the difference between an ‘ache’ and a ‘pain’?

Are we all addicted to prescription drugs?

What’s your opinion about alternative medicine?

What kind of drugs does your grandmother (or parents) take?

IN CASE YOU MISSED LAST WEEK'S PRONUNCIATION LESSONS:

Now watch the video and listen to the examples:

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Unstressed syllables

Any vowel letter (A E I O U) can be pronounced as the schwa. It just depends if it is the UNIMPORTANT or UNSTRESSED part.

In the word 'man' the letter 'a' has its full sound - represented by the symbol /æ/.

In 'postman' the syllable 'man' is not stressed and the letter 'a' is pronounced as schwa, represented by the symbol .

Over to you!

Exercise 

Now do the exercise, look at the sentences and decide where the schwa sound is.

It can be found in more than once in each sentence.

1 . It’s for you

2 . It takes a lot of time

3 . How about a cup of tea?

4 . What are you doing tonight?

5 . What time will you arrive at Victoria?

6 . I was going to tell you

7 . The leisure centre is closed for a private function

8 . The airport is not far from the capital city

9 . The book is about pronunciation

10. We need more financial support

11. You need to pay attention all the time

12. It is a very thorough report

Answers at the bottom of the page.

Now watch the video to understand how to use it. 

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Exercise

Now practice saying these words out loud:

DOCTOR     BANANA     TOMORROW     DIFFICULT     SUMMER     LEVEL     PROTECT     SURVIVE     PUPIL     THEATRE     MEASURE     WIZARD

ANSWERS

1 . It’s for you

2 . It takes a lot of time

3 . How about a cup of tea?

4 . What are you doing tonight?

5 . What time will you arrive at Victoria?

6 . I was going to tell you

7 . The leisure centre is closed for a private function

8 . The airport is not far from the capital city

9 . The book is about pronunciation

10. We need more financial support

11. You need to pay attention all the time

12. It is a very thorough report