Reading comprehension
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
is, by definition, an alternative to something else: modern, Western medicine. But
the term’alternative’ can be mislead, even off-putting for some people.
Few practitioners
of homeopathy, acupunture, herbalism and the like regard their therapies as
complete subtitutes for modern medicine. Rather, they consider their
disciplines as supplementary to orthodox medicine. The problem is that many
doctors refuse even to recognize ‘natural’ or alternative medicine, do so call
for a radically different view of health, illness and cure. But whatever
doctors may think, the demand for alternative forms of medical therapy is
stronger than ever before, as the limitations of modern medical science become
more widely understood.
Alternative therapies
are often dismissed by orthodex medicine because they are sometimes
administrated by people with no formal medicine training. But, in comparison
with many traditional therapies, western meicine as we know it to day is very
recent phenomenon. Iuntil only 150 years ago. Herbal medicine and simple
inorganic compounds were the most effective treatments available.
Despite the
medical establishment’s intolerant attitude, alternative therapies are being
accepted by more and more doctors, and the World Health Organization has agreed
to promote the integration of proven, valuable, ‘alternative’ knowledgement and
skill in western medicine.
The Vocabulary List
·
Alternative : Cadangan
·
Medicine : Obat
·
Practitioners : Dokter praktek umum
·
Acupuncture : Akupuntur, pengobatan dengan tusuk jarum
·
Supplementary:
Tambahan
·
Substitute : Pengganti
·
Cure : Pengobatan
·
Orthodox : mengikuti cara yang telah menjadi
kebiasaan.
·
Dismissed : Diabaikan
·
Treatment : Pengobatan
·
Inorganic :Kimia organik
Exercise
1.
Answer the following questions using your own words.
a)
Why is the term
‘alternative’ not entirely appropriate when applied to medicine?
b)
Why are
alternative therapies often rejected by conventional doctors?
2.
Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)?
a)
Nowadays, more
and more people are asking for alternative medicine.
b)
Herbal medicine
has been the most effective treatment available for 50 years.
3.
Find a word or phrase in the text which, in context, is similar in meaning to:
a)
Deceptive
b)
a group of people
who have power and influence
4.
Choose a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is correct.
1.
Few practitioners
of alternative medicine
a)
consider their
therapies to he complete replacements for modern medicine.
b)
reject the term
‘alternative’.
c)
refuse to
recognize alternative medicine.
2.
Alternative
therapies
a)
are well regarded
by the medical establishment.
b)
are integrated
into western medicine nowadays.
c)
are becoming more
popular with many doctors.
3.
Western medicine
a)
has existed for a
comparatively short time.
b)
is based on many
traditional therapies.
c)
is practised by people with no formal medical
training.
4.
The World Health
Organization
a)
has an intolerant
attitude towards alternative therapies.
b)
agrees with all
alternative medicine.
c)
will support
effective traditional knowledge and skills.
