[Medical ★★★]
(p1) A new report says playing card games can help stroke patients recover just as much as virtual reality games. Researchers conducted tests on 141 patients to determine whether gaming or traditional games was better at treating strokes. They found that playing cards, games like dominoes, and even throwing paper balls into a basket improved patients’ motor skills. Playing bingo or using a Wii games console also aided recovery. The researchers reported that if the task used to recover motor skills is intensive, repetitive and gets the hands and arms moving, it will help.
(P2) A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. It can lead to death. Stroke sufferers usually experience physical changes such as drooping face muscles, slurred speech and a loss of strength in the limbs. The researchers said it wasn’t clear if virtual reality games or traditional games helped sufferers more. A researcher said: “We…have the tendency to think that new technology is better than old-fashioned strategies, but sometimes that’s not the case. In this study, we found that simple recreational activities may be as effective as technology.”
WORDS: 185
SOURCE: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1606/160630-card-games-5.html
VOCABULARY: stroke, basket, motor skills, repetitive, sufferers, drooping, slurred, limbs, tendency
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Do you like to play card games? Why or why not?
- Should more research be conducted to find a cure for stroke patients? Why or why not?
- Can you think of other games or exercises that use human motor skills?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- How many stroke sufferers were tested in the study?
- Dominos didn’t help patients improve. (T or F)
- Which body parts need to be in motion to help strike victims?
- How does a stroke occur?
- The people performing the study said technology is proven to be better than traditional games to treat stroke patients. (T or F)
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- Just as much as (P1)
- Aided recovery (P1)
- Cut off (P2)
- Old-fashioned (P2)
Image source: by “unknown” http://static.wixstatic.com/media/c56403_7a587a1665ff4788ae43af88352d4d6d.jpg_256