《ESL Podcast 630 – Making a Medical Diagnosis》.pdfVIP

English as a Second Language Podcast ESL Podcast 630 – Making a Medical Diagnosis GLOSSARY battery – a series of things; a group of many similar things * Applicants have to pass a battery of tests before they are admitted to this special school. to zero in on – to identify one object or explanation among many, usually by eliminating or removing the other options * What are the police doing to zero in on the criminal? to make a diagnosis – for a doctor to identify someone’s illness or other medical problem * Before making a diagnosis, I want to consult with some other doctors who are specialists in this area. symptom – a physical problem that shows one has an illness or disease * A high fever can be a symptom of a bacterial infection. intermittent – coming and going; not constant; present at some times, but not present at other times * As they were driving through the mountains, the cell phone signal was intermittent. to flare up – for a disease to become worse, often with no warning * Omid’s acne flares up whenever he uses sunscreen. under observation – being seen, monitored, or tracked; being watched carefully * We’re going to keep your son under observation overnight to see how he responds to the medication. ambiguous – with more than one possible explanation; confusing and unclear; difficult to understand * That was a horrible test! The questions were so ambiguous that we didn’t even know what the professor was really asking. root cause – the main reason why something is happening * What do you think is the root cause of the recent increase in crime? mystifying – confusing, unclear, and strange; leaving one wondering about something * Her ability to always know what I’m thinking is mystifying. 1 These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of these materials on a