Doctors have a new computer helper that can look at pictures of a kind of sickness called cancer. It is really good at telling how bad the cancer is. The computer is better than the old way of looking at a tiny piece of the sickness. People who study sicknesses think this computer helper can make people feel better. They think it can help a lot of people every year.

The computer helper is also good at looking at other kinds of sickness in the body. It can help doctors know what is wrong faster. This means people can get the right help sooner. A lady named Tina said this computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster. Doctors want to use this computer to help people all over the world.

Original news source: Scientists excited by AI tool that grades severity of rare cancer (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., doctors, computer, cancer, sickness) on slips of paper. One student from each team will draw the word on the board without speaking or writing letters or numbers, while their team guesses the word. Each correct guess earns a point for the team.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Ask students to draw an image related to the article, such as a doctor using a computer or a computer analyzing a health problem. Afterward, they should show their sketches to their classmates and describe in simple English what they have drawn, using vocabulary from the article.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Pair up students and assign them roles as a news reporter and an expert (e.g., a doctor or a scientist). The reporter will ask the expert about the new computer helper and its impact on treating sicknesses. Encourage them to use information from the article and to practice simple question and answer exchanges.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “How do you think computers can help doctors?” Give students a moment to think individually, then pair them up to discuss their thoughts. Afterward, have a few pairs share their ideas with the class, encouraging them to use new vocabulary from the article.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Write down statements about the article on strips of paper (e.g., “Computers will become the main tool for diagnosing sicknesses” or “All doctors should use this new computer helper”). On one side of the room, place a sign that says ‘Agree’ and on the other side, a sign that says ‘Disagree’. Read a statement and ask students to move to the side of the room that matches their opinion. Then, ask students from each side to explain their choice using simple English.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What does the new computer helper look at?
2. What is the computer helper really good at telling about cancer?
3. Is the computer better or worse than the old way of looking at the sickness?
4. What do people who study sicknesses think about the computer helper?
5. Can the computer helper look at other sicknesses too?
6. How can the computer helper make it better for people who are sick?
7. Who said the computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Doctors have a new (1)______ (2)______ that can look at pictures of a kind of sickness called cancer. It is really good at telling how bad the cancer is. The computer is better than the old way of looking at a tiny piece of the sickness. (3)______ who study sicknesses think this computer helper can (4)______ people feel better. They think it can help a lot of people every year.

The computer helper is also good at looking at other kinds of sickness in the (5)______. It can help (6)______ know what is wrong faster. This means people can get the right help sooner. A lady named (7)______ said this computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster. Doctors (8)______ to use this computer to help people all over the world.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a doctor?
2. Do you like going to the doctor? Why or why not?
3. What is a computer?
4. How do you feel when you are sick?
5. Do you think computers can help doctors? Why or why not?
6. What is cancer?
7. How would you feel if a computer could tell you about your sickness?
8. Do you think it is good to know about sickness fast? Why?
9. Have you ever seen pictures of inside your body? Did you like it?
10. Do you think it is important for people all over the world to get help from doctors?
11. Would you like to have a computer helper if you were sick? Why or why not?
12. Do you think this computer helper can make people happy? Why do you think that?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. computer
2. pictures
3. cancer
4. sickness
5. body
6. doctors
7. people
8. world

Meanings:
(a) More than one person
(b) Not feeling well, like having a cold or a fever
(c) Images that show what something looks like
(d) People who help you when you are sick
(e) A very bad illness that can make you very sick
(f) The whole planet where we live
(g) A machine that can do math and play games
(h) The part of you that has arms, legs, and a head
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What can the new computer helper look at?
(a) Pictures of animals
(b) Pictures of cancer
(c) Pictures of cars
(d) Pictures of food

2. What is the computer helper good at telling?
(a) How bad the cancer is
(b) How good the weather is
(c) How tall a person is
(d) How fast a car is

3. Who thinks the computer helper can make people feel better?
(a) People who study animals
(b) People who study space
(c) People who study cars
(d) People who study sicknesses

4. What does the computer helper help doctors know faster?
(a) What is wrong with the weather
(b) What is wrong with the body
(c) What is wrong with the car
(d) What is wrong with the food

5. Who said the computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster?
(a) Tina
(b) Sarah
(c) Jessica
(d) Emma

6. What do doctors want to use the computer to help with?
(a) Helping animals all over the world
(b) Helping cars all over the world
(c) Helping people all over the world
(d) Helping food all over the world

7. What kind of sickness can the computer helper look at?
(a) Colds
(b) Broken bones
(c) Cancer
(d) Headaches

8. What do people think the computer helper can help a lot of people with every year?
(a) Toys
(b) Clothes
(c) Food
(d) Sicknesses

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The computer is better than the old way of looking at the sickness.
2. People who study sicknesses think the computer can help a lot of people.
3. It hinders doctors from knowing what is wrong faster.
4. A gentleman named John said the computer would not have helped him know about his sickness faster.
5. Doctors have an old computer that cannot look at pictures of cancer.
6. The computer can make people feel better and get the right help sooner.
7. Doctors don’t want to use the computer to help people all over the world.
8. The computer can also look at other kinds of sickness in the body.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What can the new computer helper look at?
2. Is the computer helper good or bad at telling how bad the sickness is?
3. What do people who study sicknesses think about the computer helper?
4. What did Tina say about the computer?
5. Why do doctors want to use the computer?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What does the new computer helper look at?
The new computer helper looks at pictures of cancer.

2. What is the computer helper really good at telling about cancer?
The computer helper is really good at telling how bad the cancer is.

3. Is the computer better or worse than the old way of looking at the sickness?
The computer is better than the old way of looking at the sickness.

4. What do people who study sicknesses think about the computer helper?
People who study sicknesses think the computer helper can make people feel better and help a lot of people.

5. Can the computer helper look at other sicknesses too?
Yes, the computer helper is good at looking at other kinds of sickness in the body.

6. How can the computer helper make it better for people who are sick?
The computer helper can make it better by helping doctors know what is wrong faster so people can get the right help sooner.

7. Who said the computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster?
A lady named Tina said the computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) computer
(2) helper
(3) People
(4) make
(5) body
(6) doctors
(7) Tina
(8) want
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. computer
Answer: (g) A machine that can do math and play games

2. pictures
Answer: (c) Images that show what something looks like

3. cancer
Answer: (e) A very bad illness that can make you very sick

4. sickness
Answer: (b) Not feeling well, like having a cold or a fever

5. body
Answer: (h) The part of you that has arms, legs, and a head

6. doctors
Answer: (d) People who help you when you are sick

7. people
Answer: (a) More than one person

8. world
Answer: (f) The whole planet where we live
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What can the new computer helper look at?
Answer: (b) Pictures of cancer

2. What is the computer helper good at telling?
Answer: (a) How bad the cancer is

3. Who thinks the computer helper can make people feel better?
Answer: (d) People who study sicknesses

4. What does the computer helper help doctors know faster?
Answer: (b) What is wrong with the body

5. Who said the computer could have helped her know about her sickness faster?
Answer: (a) Tina

6. What do doctors want to use the computer to help with?
Answer: (c) Helping people all over the world

7. What kind of sickness can the computer helper look at?
Answer: (c) Cancer

8. What do people think the computer helper can help a lot of people with every year?
Answer: (d) Sicknesses
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The computer is better than the old way of looking at the sickness. (Answer: True)
2. People who study sicknesses think the computer can help a lot of people. (Answer: True)
3. It hinders doctors from knowing what is wrong faster. (Answer: False)
4. A gentleman named John said the computer would not have helped him know about his sickness faster. (Answer: False)
5. Doctors have an old computer that cannot look at pictures of cancer. (Answer: False)
6. The computer can make people feel better and get the right help sooner. (Answer: True)
7. Doctors don’t want to use the computer to help people all over the world. (Answer: False)
8. The computer can also look at other kinds of sickness in the body. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧