THE ROYAL FAMILY

Prince William is just one of many left-handers in the Royal Family. His great grandmother, the Queen Mother, was lefthanded and so was her husband George VI. He wrote with his right hand, but had a severe stammer that may have resulted from being forced to use his weaker hand. Queen Victoria painted with her left hand, but wrote with her right.

(From Speak up nº192 Ano XVI)

GLOSSARY:

stammer - gagueira

Next time you go to the doctor, don’t be surprised if he writes you a prescription for a bag of M & M’s. Scientists at Mars, the company famous for its chocolate candies and candy bars, are investigating the use of cocoa to treat stroke, diabetes, and other illnesses. A recent advance came when doctors at Harvard Medical School identified a chemical in cocoa that improves circulation to the brain.

(From English2Go nº 8)

THE OUCHLESS BAND-AID

Finally a band-aid that won’t rip off your skin and provoke a hearty “ouch” when pulled off. Dr. Steve Koontz of Johnson & Johnson and his team have, in fact, created a liquid version of the traditional bandage that stays on hard-to-cover areas yet won’t come off when you’re in the shower.

Drops of liquid bandage are placed on an applicator swab which is then rubbed over a dry wound. A chemical reaction causes a clear yet hard film to form in just a minute. As the wound heals, the bandage just fades away.

(Adapted from Speak up Ano XVI nº192)

GLOSSARY:

come off = soltar-se

swab = cotonete

rub over = aplicar

wound = ferimento

heal = sarar

fade away = dissolver-se