Alzheimer’s Disease

Vocabulary (5 Minutes)

Directions: Try to guess the meaning of the highlighted words based on your knowledge of English. In each set of words, underline the two words that have similar meanings to the words in bold letters on the left. Use your dictionaries if necessary. The first one has been done for you.

1.      supervision

a. guidance

b. control

c. care

2.      merit

a. deserve

b. warrant

c. earn

3.      sibling

a. parent

b. sister

c. brother

4.      decline

a. deterioration

b. worsening

c. drop

5.      flaw

a. error

b. mistake

c. blemish

6.      hinder

a. thwart

b. help

c. impede

7.      progressively

a. slowly

b. movingly

c. gradually

8.      close

a. lax

b. careful

c. minute

9.      impairment

a. injury

b. damage

c. compensation

10.  fatal

a. accidental

b. terminal

c. deadly

Rapid Reading Warm-Up (30 Seconds)

Directions: The exercise below has 25 problems that will help you read faster. You will have only 30 seconds to finish. You will probably not finish all 25 problems, but you are to work as quickly as you can. Be careful not to make any error, so read rapidly but carefully. In this exercise, there are six words: one word to the left of the line and five to the right. Read the word on the left and then find it among the five words to the right. Once you have found it, circle it.

Example

raft

rift

rate

raft

rote

reef

1.      progressive

progress

program

progressive

regressive

aggressive

2.      years

year

ears

yore

years

yarn

3.      control

counter

contra

controls

controller

control

4.      patients

patience

patient

patent

patients

pretense

5.      death

doth

death

dearth

dark

dash

6.      causes

ceases

cause

causing

causes

courses

7.      linked

launched

locked

linked

lanky

looked

8.      form

form

firm

farm

forms

fame

9.      particularly

particular

peculiarly

particle

particularly

peculiar

10.  brain

brine

brawn

barn

break

brain

11.  messenger

messenger

messengers

massage

message

messages

12.  hindering

hounding

hankering

handing

hindering

hinders

13.  theories

theorize

themes

thesis

theories

theorizes

14.  inherited

inheritance

inherits

inheriting

heirs

inherited

15.  molecules

molecule

molecular

molecules

molar

molecularly

16.  free

freeze

freeing

frees

fries

free

17.  cause

cause

course

case

cease

causes

18.  culprit

culvert

culminate

commune

culprits

culprit

19.  rate

riot

rote

rant

rate

raise

20.  course

cause

cease

course

courses

counts

21.  time

tame

tine

thyme

tone

time

22.  perform

performance

prefer

perfume

performs

perform

23.  some

same

summer

some

sane

simmer

24.  mood

mound

moody

mend

mood

moose

25.  sleep

slept

slipper

slap

slung

sleep

 

First Reading (3 Minutes for Preview – 3½ Minutes for Reading)

Directions: Starting with the first sentence of the passage, read as quickly as you can for three and a half minutes. Circle the last word you read when the time is up.

Second Reading (3½ Minutes)

Directions: Starting with the first sentence of the passage, read as quickly as you can for three and a half minutes. Circle the last word you read when the time is up.

Third Reading (3½ Minutes)

Directions: Starting with the first sentence of the passage, read as quickly as you can for three and a half minutes. Circle the last word you read when the time is up.

Fourth Reading (3½ Minutes)

Directions: Starting with the first sentence of the passage, read as quickly as you can for three and a half minutes. Circle the last word you read when the time is up.

Line

No

Word

Count

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

 

20

 

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

 

30

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative and irreversible brain disorder. It is estimated that 2-5 percent of people over 65 years of age and up to 20 percent of those over 8 years of age suffer from the disease. Although there have been advances made in the control of this disease through drugs, it has no definite cure. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from disorientation and intellectual and psychological impairment which eventually lead to death. The exact cause of the disease is still unknown. However, it has been associated with certain causes that merit to be studied, as they lead to devastating and sometimes fatal consequences.

Alzheimer’s disease is linked to the gradual formation of plaque in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus and adjoining cortex. As the disease develops, it destroys chemical messages used by the cells of the brain to communicate with each other. It is though that the disease either disrupts the production of an important neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine or stimulates the over-production of the enzyme cholinesterase, which eliminates the former, thus, hindering its performance.

Various theories have linked the disease to a number of other causes. It is believed that the disease can be inherited. People who have a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s disease were found to be five times more likely to develop the disease as compared to those who did not. Some believe that highly chemically reactive oxygen molecules, known as free radicals, may be the cause. These, which have been blamed for heart disease and cancer, may lead to Alzheimer’s. In addition, other theories claim that physical trauma, such as whiplash injuries, or the body’s immune system may be the culprit.

The rate of decline in Alzheimer patients varies from patient to patient. The disease course runs anywhere from three to 20 years, with eight years being the average life span after diagnosis. However, there are some well-established features of the disease that can be observed during its course. The Alzheimer patient suffers from disorientation to time and place and has difficulty in performing difficult tasks. Some of the more noticeable symptoms are problems with memory, abstract thinking, and language. In addition to suffering from decreased judgment and changes in mood and behaviour, an Alzheimer patient may suffer from sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression.

Adapted from BBC News Online Health, October 15, 2000

 

 

 

51

 

 

 

 

106

 

 

 

154

 

 

 

193

 

 

 

243

 

 

 

 

305

 

 

 

350

 

 

 

383

Reading Comprehension (10 Minutes)

Directions:  Circle the letter next to the statement that best answers the following questions.

1.       The article’s thesis presents _____ Alzheimer’s disease.

a.       the arguments for and against the use of drugs in

b.       the origin of

c.       the causes and effects of

d.       the treatment of

2.       A definition of the disease and background information can be found in _____.

a.       sentences beginning on lines 1 and 4

b.       sentences beginning on lines 1, 2, 4, and 5

c.       sentences beginning on lines 4, 5, and 7

d.       sentences beginning on lines 4 and 7

3.       This article is flawed in that it _____.

a.       switches from topic to topic

b.       has too broad a thesis

c.       has no thesis sentence

d.       has no conclusion

4.       In the brain of an Alzheimer patient, _____.

a.       communication between brain cells in hindered

b.       cholinesterase disrupts the production of acetylcholine

c.       acetylcholine stimulates the over-production of cholinesterase

d.       chemical messengers are revived

5.       How many possible causes of the disease are mentioned in the article?

a.       3

b.       4

c.       5

d.       5

6.       Free radicals _____.

a.       are chemically reactive hydrogen molecules

b.       may lead to physical trauma and whiplash injuries

c.       may cause cancer and Alzheimer’s disease

d.       may affect the immune system of the body

7.       What is the average life span of Alzheimer patients after diagnosis of the disease?

a.       three years

b.       eight years

c.       20 years

d.       not mentioned in the article

8.       From information in the article, it can be logically inferred that _____.

a.       people should choose their parents carefully

b.       Alzheimer patients require close supervision for their own safety

c.       people who eat well balanced diets decrease their chances of developing Alzheimer’s

d.       Alzheimer patients should have their brains scraped regularly

9.       From information in the article, it can be logically inferred that people who begin to experience difficulty in remembering people or events _____.

a.       suffer from Alzheimer’s disease

b.       have three to 20 years to live

c.       should see a doctor

d.       have free radicals

10.   In line 5, “definite” means _____.

a.       ambiguous

b.       vague

c.       significant

d.       specific

11.   In line 13, “disrupts” means _____

a.       stimulates

b.       communicates

c.       destroys


d.       interrupts

12.   In line 16, “eliminates” means _____.

a.       destroys

b.       performs

c.       joins

d.       over-produces

13.   In line 28, “features” means _____.

a.       patients

b.       injuries

c.       culprits

d.       aspects

14.   In line 5, “it” refers to _____.

a.       the cure

b.       the control

c.       Alzheimer’s disease

d.       a drug

15.   In line 16, “the former” refers to _____.

a.       the performance

b.       acetylcholine

c.       cholinesterase

d.       the enzyme

16.   In line 20, “those” refers to _____.

a.       parents

b.       people

c.       siblings

d.       Alzheimer patients

17.   In line 22, “these” refers to _____.

a.       heart disease and cancer

b.       oxygen molecules

c.       free radicals

d.       people