In this unit, we talk about health and how to stay well. You will learn new words about illness, treatment, and healthy habits. You will also learn how to give advice using should and shouldn’t. At the end, you will read a short text about a nurse who helps her patients stay healthy.
Key Vocabulary
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| healthy | adjective | good for your body | Vegetables are healthy food. |
| illness | noun | a sickness or disease | The flu is a common illness in winter. |
| symptom | noun | a sign that shows you are sick | A headache can be a symptom of stress. |
| treatment | noun | care given to make someone better | The doctor gave him a simple treatment. |
| exercise | verb / noun | physical activity to stay fit | She likes to exercise every morning. |
| diet | noun | the food a person usually eats | A balanced diet keeps you strong. |
| rest | noun / verb | to relax and sleep | You need to rest when you are tired. |
| hygiene | noun | keeping your body and things clean | Good hygiene stops germs from spreading. |
Grammar Focus: Should / Shouldn’t for Advice
We use should and shouldn’t to give advice. It means « this is a good idea » or « this is a bad idea ».
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | subject + should + verb (base form) | You should drink water every day. |
| Negative | subject + shouldn’t + verb (base form) | You shouldn’t eat too much sugar. |
| Question | Should + subject + verb … ? | Should I see a doctor? |
- Should is the same for all subjects: I, you, he, she, we, they.
- The verb after should/shouldn’t never takes -s and never uses « to ».
- We use should/shouldn’t to talk about the present or the future, not the past.
More examples about health:
- You should sleep eight hours a night.
- He shouldn’t smoke; it is bad for his lungs.
- Patients should follow the doctor’s advice carefully.
- Should we wash our hands before eating? Yes, we should.
Reading & Vocabulary in Context
Amal is a nurse in a small clinic in Morocco. Every day, she gives advice to her patients. « You should eat more fruit and vegetables, » she tells an old man with a cold. « And you shouldn’t stay in bed all day. A short walk is good for you. » A young boy comes in with a stomach ache. Amal smiles and says, « You shouldn’t eat too much candy! Drink water and rest for a while. » Many patients say that Amal’s advice helps them feel better quickly. She always reminds them: good hygiene, a healthy diet, and enough rest are the best treatment for most small illnesses.
- clinic: a small place where people go to see a doctor or nurse
- advice: an opinion you give someone about what they should do
- stomach ache: pain in your stomach
- remind: to make someone remember something
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Match each word with its correct meaning: symptom, hygiene, diet, treatment.
Exercise 2 — Use ‘healthy’ or ‘illness’ to complete this sentence: The flu is a common ______ in winter, so eating ______ food can help you feel better.
Exercise 3 — Write two sentences with ‘should’ and two sentences with ‘shouldn’t’ giving advice about health.
Exercise 4 — Correct the mistake in this sentence: You should to drink more water every day.
Exercise 5 — According to the reading passage, what two things does Amal tell the old man to do?
Exercise 6 — Find one word in the reading passage that means ‘an opinion you give someone about what they should do’, and use it in your own sentence.
Answer Key
Answer 1 — symptom = a sign that shows you are sick; hygiene = keeping your body and things clean; diet = the food a person usually eats; treatment = care given to make someone better.
Answer 2 — The flu is a common illness in winter, so eating healthy food can help you feel better.
Answer 3 — Answers will vary. Example: You should sleep eight hours a night. You should eat more vegetables. You shouldn’t skip breakfast. You shouldn’t stay up too late.
Answer 4 — You should drink more water every day. (Remove ‘to’ after should.)
Answer 5 — She tells him he should eat more fruit and vegetables, and he shouldn’t stay in bed all day; instead he should take a short walk.
Answer 6 — The word is ‘advice’. Example sentence: The doctor gave me good advice about my diet.
