Dr Reamus: Who's this then?

Nurse Shelton: Some drunk who the paramedics picked up on the high street.

Dr Reamus: Oh come on there's no need to be 1)______approving - hospital staff have the highest rates of alcoholism in the country! They are still people, you can 2)______humanise them.

Nurse Shelton: Well according to the statistics, but we don't usually end up collapsed on the street or being arrested for 3)______legal behaviour.

Dr Reamus: Well we'd better have a look at him, let's hope he isn't too far gone.

Mr Jones: What! Where am I? Who are you?

Dr Reamus: You're in the hospital; the ambulance brought you in after you collapsed. How are you feeling?

Mr Jones: How do you think I'm feeling? My head hurts, I feel dizzy and I think I'm going to be sick.

Nurse Shelton: Watch out!

Mr Jones: (being sick) Sorry!

Nurse Shelton: I'll clean it up, but be careful doctor, I think he's 4)______capable of keeping it in.

Dr Reamus: Thank you sister, now Mr Jones let's have a look at you. Do you remember how you fell over?

Mr Jones: No, no you stupid man let me go. Questions, questions I just need to sleep.

Dr Reamus: There is no need to be 5)______polite. We are only trying to help you.

Mr Jones: I'm sorry doctor, I'm so 6)______happy, my wife left me yesterday. I don't normally drink so much, but I was trying to forget. My wife, I mean 7)______wife, says I have no self-control, maybe she's right. Now the police want to charge me and I've been sick all over the bed, I'm really sorry doctor. I don't normally 8)______behave so badly.

Dr Reamus: Okay Mr Jones, take it easy, these things are 9)______relevant here; I need to check you over and see if there are any physical problems. Then I can put you in touch with a counsellor and you can talk through your problems and find a way other than alcohol to solve them.

Mr Jones: Thank you doctor, you'd better make sure I haven't damaged myself too much. It all started this morning when I was drunk at work again, my boss said it was the final straw and fired me, I came home and my wife left me. I really only wanted to get drunk again and forget everything.

Dr Reamus: Well you don't seem to have concussion, and your breathing is normal, I think you better go home and sleep it off. I will get the sister to put you in touch with a local self-help group and maybe you can 10)______come your problems with alcohol.

Mr Jones: Yes doctor, thank you, I'll try to get through things without losing control again. I'm sorry I shouted at you earlier and was sick everywhere, I am really sorry.

Dr Reamus: Well just try and get your life back to together and I hope we don't see you in here again.

Glossary:
drunk - pijani
paramedics - ratownicy medyczni
picked up - zabrani
arrested - aresztowany
far gone - bardzo pijany
self-control - samokontrola
charge - obciążyć kosztami
put you in touch with - skontaktować (kogoś) z kimś
final straw - ostatnia kropla, która przelała czarę
fired - wyrzucił z pracy

Part 2
For each of the gaps 1 - 10 choose a suitable prefix (de, mis, un etc.) to complete each word to make it mean the opposite.

Part 3
Decide which prefix each of the following words takes and put them in the correct column.

possible manage value credit agree logical legible replaceable come perfect excited boyfriend change comprehensible coherent reconcilable judge activate caring realistic

un de dis mis ir il over ex im in

Part 4
Complete the sentences with a suitable word from above (you may need to change the form).

1. The facts were ___________ with his explanation.
2. You need to __________ the alarm before entering the building.
3. His diagnosis is ___________ I really do not understand what he means.
4. My boss was doing his best to _________, but no one else thought I had done anything wrong.
5. I think you have completely __________ the situation; it is not how you think.
6. The patient was suffering from concussion and was speaking ___________.
7. The currency in Zimbabwe is so __________ that doctors' salaries are now worthless.
8. As a doctor he comes across as very _________ and most patients find him cold.
9. Most doctors' handwriting is _____________.
10. What she suggested was ___________ as we would never get the funding.


Key

Part 1
1. He was found unconscious in the street.
2. He has a problem with alcohol and is suffering from stress.

Part 2
1. dis, 2. de, 3. il, 4. in, 5. im, 6. un, 7. ex, 8. mis, 9. ir, 10. over

Part 3

un

caring
realistic

de
value
activate

dis
credit
agree

mis
manage
judge

ir
replaceable
reconcilable

il
legible
logical

over
come
excited

ex
boyfriend
change

im
possible
perfect

in
comprehensible
coherent


Part 4

1. irreconcilable
2. deactivate
3. incomprehensible
4. discredit
5. misjudged
6. incoherently
7. devalued
8. uncaring
9. illegible
10. impossible