PRE-READING:

Look at the title and predict the main ideas of the article. Then, write down three wh-questions about the text.

Ex: What is in coffee that could slow skin cancer?

WHILE READING:

Set a time limit to read this article. An average reader can read at the speed of 250 words per minute. Note down your reading speed regularly to check your progress.

SKIMMING:

Within the time limit, read and summarize the main ideas of the paragraphs in your own words. Do not worry about unfamiliar vocabulary.

COFFEE SUNCREAM COULD SLOW SKIN CANCER

Applying caffeine to the skin in sunny weather may protect against a type of skin cancer, US researchers hope.

Experiments on mice, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that caffeine prevents UV damage.

Tumors took longer to develop and there were fewer of them, the study reports.

But other experts warned there could be an adverse effect on other cancers by using caffeine in this way.

The researchers did not apply caffeine to the mice; instead they genetically modified the animals.

Caffeine is known to interfere with a protein involved in detecting DNA damage called ATR. Scientists modified the mice so they did not produce any ATR in the skin.

Mice were then exposed to UV light three times a week for 40 weeks.

Those without ATR developed their first tumor three weeks later than normal mice. After 19 weeks there were 69% fewer tumors in mice without ATR, although by the end of the study all of the animals had developed one of the most common forms of skin cancer - squamous cell carcinoma.

The study said: "At any given point in time the average number of tumors in [modified] mice was significantly lower.

"Caffeine application could be useful in preventing UV-induced skin cancers," the researchers add.

Coffee tastes good. Is it good for our skin?

Applying caffeine on a beach to a person's skin, however, is not the same thing as genetically modifying mouse skin in a laboratory. Further studies would be needed to show any possible protective effect in humans.

Prof Dot Bennett, professor of cell biology, St George's, University of London, said: "The authors suggest adding caffeine or related molecules to sunscreens.

"First, one might want to check there is no adverse effect of caffeine on the incidence of other cancers, especially melanoma, pigmented skin cancer, which kills over four times as many people as squamous cell carcinoma.

"But caffeine lotion might promote tanning a little, since this family of molecules stimulates pigment cells to make more pigment."

Word count: 343 words

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14530144

SCANNING:

Use your notes to identify where you can find the answers to the questions you made in the pre-reading stage.

POST-READING:

Glossary:

Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.

• Caffeine (n): a substance often derived from tea or coffee and used in medicine chiefly as a mild stimulant and to treat certain kinds of headache (Chất cà-phê-in)

• Tumor (n): an abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells and serving no physiological function; a neoplasm (Khối u)

• To genetically modify (v): to change or alter the genes of an organism (Làm biến đổi gen)

• To interfere with: to create a hindrance, obstacle or intervention (Can thiệp vào)

• DNA (n): deoxyribonucleic acid, the building blocks of life (Tế bào di truyền ADN)

• Squamous cell carcinoma: a subtle type of skin cancer (Chứng ung thư tế bào có vảy của da)

• At any given point in time: any time (Bất kỳ lúc nào)

• No adverse effect: no negative outcomes as a result of (Không có tác dụng ngược)

Grammar:

Look at the following sentences from the text.

1. Applying caffeine to the skin may protect against a type of skin cancer.

2. Experts warned there could be an adverse affect on other cancers by using caffeine.

3. Caffeine application could be useful in preventing UV-induced skin cancers.

4. Caffeine lotion might promote tanning a little.

We can use modal verbs to show how certain or uncertain we are about something.

Use can’t, couldn’t, could, may, might, must and verbs without modals to complete the following statements:

1. Use when you know something is true, i.e. it is fact.

2. Use to express something that you are sure or fairly sure is true.

3. Use /_______/______ to express a possibility which is one of many.

4. Use / to express something that you are sure is NOT true.

Note: To talk about the past we use the modal verb with the present perfect (has/have + past participle e.g. Joe wasn’t at work yesterday. He must have been ill.)

Exercise:

Choose the correct option for these modal verbs of possibility.

1. He left the party early.

a) He must have to work tomorrow.

b) He must to have to work tomorrow.

2. He has to have finished the test by now.

a) He must have finished the test.

b) He might have finished the test.

3. There is new snow outside.

a) It might have snowed last night.

b) It must have snowed last night.

4. He didn't finish the exam on time.

a) He might not had studied.

b) He might not have studied.

5. She doesn't know if she will cook dinner tonight.

a) She might cook dinner.

b) She has to cook dinner.

6. Everyone is smoking outside.

a) You could not be able to smoke in here.

b) You must not be able to smoke in here.

7. He looks very tired.

a) He must have stayed up late last night.

b) He might had to stay up late last night.

8. Everyone received 100% on the math exam.

a) It must have been easy.

b) It could have been easy.

9. That book has her name on it.

a) It might be hers.

b) It must be hers.

10. Who fixed the chair?

a) It couldn't been Jim. He was at work.

b) It couldn't have been Jim. He was at work.

Discussion: Ask and answer the following questions with a study friend.

1. Are you a coffee drinker? What are the benefits of drinking coffee?

2. Do you like sunbathing? Why or why not?

3. Which is the better skin color, pale white or dark skinned? Why?

4. What do you do to keep your skin healthy?

ANSWERS:

Modal verbs

1. verbs without modal

2. must

3. could/may/might

4. can’t/couldn’t Exercise 1. A

2. A

3. B

4. B

5. A

6. B

7. A

8. A

9. B

10. B

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).