The current investigation (Introducing this issue):

We hear so much bad news about cancer, chronic diseases, and health care issues. Have you ever wondered if there is any good news? Two medical researchers share new approaches that offer fresh hope for treating cancer and degenerative diseases.

In the first TED talk researcher Alan Russell holds out hope for treating degenerative diseases like diabetes earlier and thus preventing some of its worst damage. His research also shows it is possible to help damaged tissues re-grow and heal themselves, instead of just treating symptoms as the disease gets worse and worse.

Eva Vertes, who turned 20 years old the day after her talk, describes a new way of looking at cancer and some of the possibilities for new treatments that may come from this changed perspective. You can watch the talk and then take an interactive quiz all on the same page, or follow links to the TED site to read the transcript and to a pdf version of the comprehension worksheet.

There is also a crossword to practice the vocabulary, and an essay and matching game on the Roots of Comparison and Contrast to illustrate and practice words from the Latin roots for comparison and contrast, similarity and difference.

Your First Clue: Vocabulary we’ll Emphasize in this Issue

assurance, attached, ceases, coincide, corresponding, differentiation, elimination, induce, inhibit, injury, integral, minimal, overlap, phase, portion, trigger, widespread.

Several words in this issue are related to starting (induce, trigger), stopping (cease, eliminate-- to completely destroy or get rid of something) or limiting (inhibiting, somewhat like restricting in issue 21.)

Which words do you already know? Which are familiar (you have seen them, or can guess their meanings), but you’d like to know more about them? Which are completely new?

Notice how they are used in the readings and practice activities. Then try to use some of them yourself, in a sentence or two.

Getting the whole story: this issue’s reading/listening practice:

Click here for Russell’s talk on Regenerating the Body.

Eva Vertes’ TED talk and a comprehension quiz. (That page links to TED, where you can read the transcript of the talk. It also has a link to the Comprehension Worksheet pdf version.)

Follow the Clues (Vocabulary Practice):

Here's the crossword. The answers are here.

Word Family Investigator:

Here is an essay and practice with Latin roots for comparison and contrast.

A note if you get gmail: Have you missed any issues of English Detective? if you find English Detective in your “Promotions” box, you can move it to your “Primary” box (if you want) by clicking on it and dragging it there, then clicking ‘yes’ when asked if you want to always get it in the Primary box.

Coming in the next issue: Disease Fighters

In case you missed these: Earlier issues of English Detective have articles on a number of topics, plus practice with all 570 words from the Academic Word List. You can check them out with the link to the back issues page below (or find what words were practiced in each issue here (and on the following 3 pages.)

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