Health and Illness — Unit 6, Beginner English
Symptoms, aches and pains, serious illness, healthy habits, the chemist's, and advice with should.
Reading: Healthy Habits
My name is Emma. I try to be healthy every day. I always eat fruit and vegetables. I never eat too much sugar. I go to bed early and I sleep eight hours every night. I think these are good healthy habits.
Last week, my brother Tom was not healthy. He had a headache. He also had a temperature. He felt very tired. My mother said, "Tom, you should go to bed." Tom said, "I don't want to go to bed." My mother said, "You should rest. You shouldn't go to school today."
Tom stayed in bed all day. He drank a lot of water. He took some medicine. After two days, he felt better. My mother said, "You should eat healthy food. You should exercise. You shouldn't stay up late."
Now Tom is healthy again. He eats apples and oranges every day. He goes to the gym three times a week. He goes to bed at 10.00. He says, "I feel great!"
My father is not so healthy. He works a lot and he feels stressed. Last winter he had a bad cold and a sore throat for two weeks. He didn't rest. He went to work every day. My mother said, "You shouldn't work when you are ill."
In January my father went to the doctor. The doctor said, "You should do more exercise. You should relax in the evening. You shouldn't drink five coffees a day." My father was not happy, but he listened.
Now my father walks to work. It takes 25 minutes. He drinks two coffees a day, not five. On Sunday he doesn't work at all. He plays football with Tom in the park.
My grandmother says, "Health is more important than money." I think she is right.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I'm very well, thanks. | I feel great. |
| I'm fine, thanks. | I feel OK. |
| I don't feel very well. | I feel a bit ill. |
| I feel ill. | I feel sick; it might be serious. |
| I feel sick. / I'm going to be sick! | I want to vomit. |
| Symptom | Example |
|---|---|
| a headache | I've got a headache. |
| toothache | I've got toothache. |
| a cold | Have you got a cold? |
| a cough | She's got a bad cough. |
| a sore throat | I've got a sore throat. |
| a temperature | He's got a temperature (39°C). |
| flu | I think I've got flu. |
| backache | I've got backache. |
| stomach ache | I've got stomach ache. |
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| My head hurts. | I have a headache. |
| My back hurts. | I have backache. |
| I've got a pain in my chest. | It might be serious. |
5 more vocabulary sections in the full unit.
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Beginner — roughly CEFR A0–A1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.