Mr Kowalski's Progress

Word Bank

These words appear in the reading and the exercises below. Hover or click a word to see its definition.

deliver v. follow their treatment phrase guidance n. attend appointments phrase act on advice phrase inactive adj. increase the risk phrase protect from phrasal verb risky activities n. processed foods noun phrase whole foods noun phrase leafy greens noun phrase nuts and seeds noun phrase wellbeing n.

Full vocabulary notes (examples, collocations, related words)

deliver verb · in the reading — to provide something like a service or a message This clinic delivers excellent care to its patients.Collocations: deliver health care, deliver services, deliver results, deliver treatmentRelated: provide, offerNotes: More formal than “give” or “provide”.

follow their treatment phrase · in the reading — to do what the doctor tells you to do Some patients do not follow their treatment correctly.Collocations: follow treatment, follow a plan, follow medical advice, follow instructionsRelated: stick to treatment, comply with treatmentNotes: Collocates with “plan”, “advice”.

guidance noun · in the reading — helpful advice about what to do The website offers guidance on healthy eating.Collocations: health guidance, professional guidance, clear guidance, give guidanceRelated: adviceNotes: Often used in official or formal contexts.

attend appointments phrase · in the reading — to go to a meeting with a doctor or other professional Some patients forget to attend their appointments.Collocations: attend appointments, miss appointments, arrange an appointment, cancel an appointmentRelated: go to appointmentsContrasts: miss appointmentsNotes: Useful in medical contexts.

act on advice phrase · in the reading — to do what someone suggests Few patients acted on the doctor’s advice.Collocations: act on advice, act on information, act on a warning, act on feedbackRelated: follow adviceContrasts: ignore adviceNotes: Good for discussing patient behaviour.

inactive adjective · in the reading — not doing much physical activity People who are inactive may gain weight quickly.Collocations: physically inactive, remain inactive, become inactive, inactive lifestyleRelated: sedentaryContrasts: activeNotes: Often used in health advice.

increase the risk phrase · in the reading — to make something dangerous more likely Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer.Collocations: increase the risk, reduce the risk, high risk, low riskRelated: raise the riskContrasts: reduce the riskNotes: Very common in medical English.

protect from phrasal verb · in the reading — to keep someone safe from something bad Eating well can protect you from many diseases.Collocations: protect from illness, protect from harm, protect from injury, protect from damageRelated: defend fromNotes: Common with “disease”, “harm”, “danger”.

risky activities noun · in the reading — activities that can be dangerous Some young people enjoy risky activities like extreme sports.Collocations: take part in risky activities, avoid risky activities, risky behaviours, risky behaviourRelated: dangerous activitiesContrasts: safe activitiesNotes: Useful in safety and health topics.

processed foods noun phrase · in the reading — Foods that have been put through unnatural chemical processes to make them taste better or last longer I try to avoid processed foods as they are unhealthy and less tasty.Collocations: avoid processed foods, processed foods industryRelated: processed productsContrasts: whole foods

whole foods noun phrase · in the reading — Foods that have not been refined and contain no additives We eat a lot of whole foods, such as brown rice, beans, and lentils.Collocations: eat whole foods, whole foods dietRelated: natural foods, unprocessed foodsContrasts: processed foods

leafy greens noun phrase · in the reading — The green leaves of plants that appear above the soil Spinach and other leafy greens make a good base for a salad.Collocations: eat leafy greens, leafy greens salad, dark leafy greensContrasts: root vegetables

nuts and seeds noun phrase · in the reading — Nuts are fruits with hard shells like almonds or pistachios; seeds are small hard parts of fruits or plants from which the plant grows; often classified together as a nutritious source of protein Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein.Collocations: eat nuts and seeds, nuts and seeds mix

wellbeing noun · in the reading — A state of being healthy and happy The company started programmes to support staff wellbeingCollocations: mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing, employee wellbeing, wellbeing programmeRelated: health, welfareContrasts: illness, stressNotes: Often written well-being

Reading

Read the text, then try the exercises below.

Every Saturday at nine, Ewa Nowicka, a family doctor in Gliwice, meets a group of her patients at the gate of Chopin Park for a fast walk. She started the group because she was tired of giving guidance that nobody followed. ‘You don’t need marathons or risky activities,’ she tells new members. ‘A fast walk three times a week is enough to start.’

Three months ago, Mr Kowalski, a retired bus driver with type 2 diabetes, sat in her office and said he ate ‘quite well’. Ewa asked her usual question: ‘What does your day actually look like?’ He described a healthy breakfast and a light lunch. ‘Good,’ she said. ‘Now the honest version.’ The honest version was white bread, sausages, sweet drinks and a lot of processed foods, eaten in front of the television. He was inactive most of the day, and Ewa explained that this would increase the risk of heart disease and problems with his eyes and feet.

‘Most patients know what to do,’ Ewa often says. ‘The hard part is getting them to follow their treatment when nobody is watching.’ Mr Kowalski surprised her. He decided to act on advice instead of just listening to it. He swapped processed foods for whole foods: porridge, leafy greens, and a small handful of nuts and seeds instead of biscuits. He started to attend appointments every month, and he has not missed a single Saturday walk.

This Saturday, as the group walked past the pond, he showed her his latest blood test results on his phone. His blood sugar was much better, and he had lost ten kilograms. ‘Good,’ Ewa said, smiling. ‘Now the honest version.’ He laughed. ‘Honestly? I feel better than I have in years.’ For Ewa, that was the real result. Healthy habits help protect from much more than the complications of diabetes; they improve your whole wellbeing. A doctor can deliver a hundred warnings, but nothing works as well as a patient who can see his own progress.

Fill in the Blank

Pick the word that best completes each sentence. The sentence may use a different form of the word (a plural, or -ed / -ing).

Matching

Click a word, then click its definition — or drag from one to the other. Use the undo button if you change your mind.

Teacher Notes

All vocabulary in this lesson comes directly from the bank at B2 level, filtered by the topic "health".
Exercise #1 (Matching) practices recognition; Exercise #2 (Gap-fill) practices production in context.
This lesson blends 4 related sub-themes rather than one narrow group -- worth pointing out the connections between them explicitly if students seem to treat the words as unrelated.
Several items have register/usage notes worth raising in class: deliver, follow their treatment, guidance, attend appointments, act on advice.