Gastrointestinal system disorders

A Reading revision

Read and fill in the gaps.

Gallstones are solid crystal deposits ___ (1) form in the gall bladder. They can vary ___ (2) size
from very small (a grain of sand) to very large (a golf ball). Eighty percent of all gallstones are
composed ____ (3) cholesterol, a fatlike substance produced by the liver. They usually develop ___
(4) adults between the ages of twenty and fifty. The condition of developing gallstones tends to
___ (5) in families. In addition, high levels of estrogen (female hormones), insulin (hormone that
regulates sugar levels), and cholesterol in the body ____ (6) the risk of developing gallstones. A
diet high ___ (7) fat and low in fiber, heavy drinking, and smoking may also play a part.
Gallstones may block the common bile duct, preventing bile ___ (8) flowing into the duodenum.
Symptoms of a gallbladder attack ____ (9) pain that begins in the abdomen and moves to the chest
and back, chills and sweating, nausea and vomiting, and gas and belching. Gallstones of a small
size may pass out of the body through the urine. So that they may more easily pass out, doctors may
use high-frequency sound waves to break up the gallstones. To treat painful, severe cases, doctors
may surgically ____ (10) the gall bladder and gallstones.

Now read again and answer the questions.

1 What do most gallstones consist of?

2 When in a person’s lifetime do they start forming?

3 Do your parents play a role in your developing gallstones?

4 What are the other risk factors of getting gallstones?

5 What are the common symptoms?

6 What are the treatment options? Is treatment always necessary?






B Endoscopy: procedure, passive voice



2 Rewrite the sentences in task B using verbs in ACTIVE voice.









3 Put the steps in task B in the correct order. Now listen and check if you are right.


Additional disorders activities

A There is one mistake in each sentence. Find it and write the medical term for each disorder.

1 An illness in where the body’s solid waste is more liquid than usual and comes out of the body
more often.

2 A painful burning sensation in the lower chest caused by stomach not digesting food correctly.

3 The condition of having difficulty in getting rid of the solid waste from your body.

4 An inflammation of diverticula in the bowel of the digestive tract, especially in colon.

5 This term describes an accumulation of a fluid in the abdominal cavity.


B Transform the words in brackets so that they make sense in the sentence.

1 Gastroscopy allows doctors to __________ the lining of the gastrointestinal track down to the
stomach. (EXAM)

2 A third of the patients stay awake during the _________________. (PROCEED)

3 The nurse may ____________________ patients’ throats (ANAESTHETICS)

4 __________________ is performed to make patients fall asleep. (SEDATE)

5 Bleeding after a biopsy is less common than ________________ (PERFORATE)

6 Patients with bleeding are ___________________ for about a week. (HOSPITAL)


Additional passive voice exercises