Integrated Listening and Reading — 1
Read the text about hiccupping, then watch a video on a similar topic. You will notice that some ideas coincide and some differ in the two materials. Answer questions 1–9 by choosing A if the idea is expressed in both materials, B if it can be found only in the reading text, C if it can be found only in the video, and D if neither of the materials expresses the idea.
Now you have 7 minutes to read the text.
How to Stop Hiccups
Hiccups, these spasms of your diaphragm muscle, are not harmful and usually go away on their own. However, they tend to come at the most inconvenient times, and you might need to use some methods to control them. Here are five time-tested techniques to get rid of hiccups fast.
- Hold Your Breath
Take a deep breath and hold it. When there's a build-up of carbon dioxide in your lungs, your diaphragm relaxes, which should help get rid of hiccups. - Stick Out Your Tongue
When no one's watching, stick out your tongue. This exercise is done by singers and actors because it stimulates the opening between the vocal cords. You breathe more smoothly, quelling the spasms that cause hiccups. - Plug Your Ears
Stick your fingers in your ears for 20 to 30 seconds. Or press the soft areas behind your earlobes, just below the base of the skull. This sends a 'relax' signal through the vagus nerve, which connects to the diaphragm. - Drink Some Water
Take nine or ten quick sips in a row from a glass of water. When you're gulping a drink, rhythmic contractions of the esophagus override spasms of the diaphragm. - Chew up some dill
Here's a simple, pleasant-tasting trick: Slowly chew a teaspoon of dill seeds. This traditional cure may work because swallowing the seeds stimulates the vagus nerve to make the hiccups stop.
- Chewing and swallowing dill seed is one of the traditional cures for hiccups.
- Normally, hiccups resolve without any treatment.
- Breathing more slowly than usual can help get rid of hiccups.
- Swallowing a teaspoon of sugar changes your focus away from hiccupping.
- Experts are still divided on why hiccups occur.
- Increasing carbon dioxide level may stop the hiccup spasms.
- To get rid of hiccups, you may try drinking some water.
- Excessive drinking or eating certain food can trigger off hiccupping.
- Chewing powdered chocolate drink mix could make hiccups stop.
Now watch a video on a similar topic and then do the tasks (1–9), comparing the text above and the video. You may watch the video twice.
Click to see the keys
- Chewing and swallowing dill seed is one of the traditional cures for hiccups. — B
- Normally, hiccups resolve without any treatment. — A
- Breathing more slowly than usual can help get rid of hiccups. — A
- Swallowing a teaspoon of sugar changes your focus away from hiccupping. — C
- Experts are still divided on why hiccups occur. — D
- Increasing carbon dioxide level may stop the hiccup spasms. — B
- To get rid of hiccups, you may try drinking some water. — A
- Excessive drinking or eating certain food can trigger off hiccupping. — C
- Chewing powdered chocolate drink mix could make hiccups stop. — D