Author: Philip Luo

Summer will officially return to the United States in less than two weeks. For many Americans, this season is an opportunity to wear swimwear and enjoy the sea or a lake. But before doing so, they may want to lose any extra weight gained during the winter. So, where does one get started? Diet is certainly important, but a diet alone will not achieve much without an exercise plan. Health experts have long recognised the importance of physical activity. Exercise improves your appearance. It can also improve your health. It helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases. These include…

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It is also one of the deadliest. According to America’s National Cancer Institute, more than one million people in the United States developed skin cancer last year. If found and treated early, skin cancer is one of the easiest cancers to cure. However, if left untreated, it can lead to changes in a person’s physical appearance and even death. Skin cancer can affect anyone at any age. Former presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all received treatment for skin cancer or precancerous lesions. Elizabeth Taylor, Cybill…

As recently as the 1970s, little research had been conducted into a subject that interests most people at some point in their lives. That subject is pain. However, over the years, medical studies have given patients in pain new hope. An international movement known as hospice care has also helped to raise awareness of difficult-to-treat pain in terminally ill patients. Doctors distinguish between three types of pain: acute, chronic and breakthrough. Acute and chronic pain can be mild or severe. Acute pain develops quickly and usually lasts a short time. It generally responds to treatment. However, chronic pain can last…

Becoming a doctor in the United States is not easy. The first step is to get into medical school. There are more than 120 American schools that offer programmes for those wanting to become doctors.There are many resources from which people can get advice about medical schools. One of these is the Princeton Review. This publication provides information about colleges, courses and job opportunities. According to The Princeton Review, competition to enter medical school is fierce. American medical schools have only around sixteen thousand places for students. However, more than twice this number of people apply for a place. Many…

For years, people have wondered whether they are safe from germs when travelling in small, enclosed spaces. They are concerned about coming into close contact with others who may be unwell. The recent spread of the swine flu virus has exacerbated these concerns. Recently, the World Health Organization raised its warning about the new H1N1 virus to the highest level. Director-General Margaret Chan declared the sickness a pandemic, meaning it has spread to many nations. In light of this information, many people are wondering how safe it is to travel. The answers they are getting may seem conflicting. For example,…

Today, we will be talking about osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, making them more likely to break. Osteoporosis is a silent disease until it develops. If you don’t know you have it, it can cause you harm. Several years ago, a fifty-five-year-old American woman named Jill went skiing. Although she was an experienced skier, she fell on a challenging slope. She tried to get up, but she couldn’t move her leg. She was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered that she had broken a bone in her upper leg. Another discovery was made in hospital. She had osteoporosis. Jill…

There are more than two thousand species of mosquito. Only female mosquitoes bite people to drink their blood. Male mosquitoes do not drink blood. Instead, they drink fluids from plants. The female mosquito uses her thin sucking tube to break the skin, locate blood vessels and inject a substance that keeps the blood flowing.The female mosquito then drinks the blood and uses it to produce up to two hundred and fifty eggs. She leaves the eggs in any standing water. These hatch into worm-like creatures called larvae within two days to a few months. However, some eggs can remain in…

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system. It is progressive. It worsens over time. It affects a small group of cells located in the middle of the brain. This area is known as the substantia nigra. These cells gradually lose their ability to produce a chemical called dopamine.A decrease in dopamine can result in one or more of the general signs of Parkinson’s disease. These include tremors in the hands, arms and legs. Other signs include difficulty moving or maintaining balance while walking or standing. There may also be emotional changes, such as feeling depressed or anxious.…

Asthma is a serious lung condition that makes breathing difficult. According to the World Health Organization, asthma affects around 300 million people worldwide. It is estimated that 250,000 people die from the disease every year. Furthermore, more than 500,000 people are hospitalised. Asthma occurs when the tissue lining the airways to the lungs begins to expand or swell. This makes the airways smaller. The muscles in the airways also tighten. Cells in the airways also produce too much of a thick, sticky substance called mucus. This mucus causes the airways to close even more. This makes it difficult for air…

Today, we present the second part of our series on the history of the English language. Last week, we explored how the language evolved following several invasions of Britain. The first of these was by three tribes: the Angles, the Jutes and the Saxons. A mixture of these languages produced a language known as Anglo-Saxon or Old English. It sounded very much like German. Only a few words remained from the Celtic languages spoken by the people who had previously lived in Britain. Two more invasions added more words to Old English. The first of these was by the Vikings…