BBC Learning English
Words in the News
10th August 2011
Indonesian track treatment
Transcript
People suffering from various ailments in Indonesia's capital Jakarta have been using an unusual
and potentially deadly therapy.
They claim lying on train tracks allows an electric current to pass through their bodies curing
a variety of illnesses.
The trains are in fact powered by overhead lines.
Despite this, and the obvious dangers, some people believe it is the best and most affordable
remedy.
Vocabulary
ailments:
illnesses, usually not very serious
therapy:
treatment for a medical problem
claim:
say that something is true although it has not been proved and many people don't believe it
curing:
making better, healing. The related noun is 'a cure'.
remedy:
'a remedy' is something which helps a non-serious medical problem get better. It can also
used to refer to a solution to a problem or difficult situation.
Watch this video online: Indonesian track treatment http://bbc.in/oqYZJ5
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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Exercise
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from a BBC news
report. Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence
correctly.
ailments / therapy / claim / curing / remedy
1
They _________ to be a variety of different nationalities and speak English with a foreign accent.
2
New European Union rules have come into force banning hundreds of traditional herbal
_______________.
The EU law aims to protect consumers from possible damaging side-effects of over-the-counter
herbal medicines.
3
It also showed that many chose the wrong drugs to tackle common _________.
4
Music __________ can be used to improve treatment of depression, at least in the short term,
say researchers in Finland.
5
Church-appointed doctors agreed that there was no medical explanation for the _________ of
the nun.
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Answers
1
They claimed to be a variety of different nationalities and speak English with a foreign accent.
Source: Police warn about 'con artists' duping motorists on M74 http://bbc.in/riyv78
2
New European Union rules have come into force banning hundreds of traditional herbal
remedies.
The EU law aims to protect consumers from possible damaging side-effects of over-the-counter
herbal medicines.
Source: New EU regulations on herbal medicines come into force http://bbc.in/lJTp1m
3
It also showed that many chose the wrong drugs to tackle common ailments.
Source: Researchers take US temperature via Twitter http://bbc.in/onpFmN
4
Music therapy can be used to improve treatment of depression, at least in the short term, say
researchers in Finland.
Source: Music therapy may help depression http://bbc.in/qEhsdl
5
Church-appointed doctors agreed that there was no medical explanation for the curing of the nun.
Source: Pope paves way to beatification of John Paul II http://bbc.in/igz1uD
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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