Vocabulary notes. mental retardation –умственная отсталость

mental retardation – умственная отсталость

cute – привлекательный; умный

maternity – м атеринство, материнский

exclaim – восклицать

arise – возникать

succeed – преуспевать

successive levels – рядуровней (развития)

concurrent – сопутствующий, соответственный

adaptive behavior – приспособительное поведение,

адаптационное поведение

refer – ссылаться, передавать (на рассмотрение),

относиться, касаться

score – счет

defective – лицо с физическими или умственными

недостатками

profound – глубокий, серьезный, основательный, крайний

layperson (= layman) – непрофессионал, дилетант

impact – влияние, сильное воздействие

descriptor – дескриптор, описатель; признак

all-encompassing – всеобъемлющий, всеохватывающий

subtle – слабый, тонкий, неуловимый

albeit (= all though it be (that) – хотя (и)

9.4 Comprehension questions:

1. What terms were used in the text to identify the children

with mental retardation?

2. Why did professionals give up such negative labeling?

3. What do you think about intelligence tests (IQ)?

4. Do they really refer to intelligence?

9.5 Use the expressions in the sentences of your own on the base of the text and use them in the retelling of the text:

Mentally retarded people; IQ test; quality; communication; measure; score; maternity ward; a won­derful nature; distinguish from; severe; harsh terms; research articles; a layperson's speech; neutral terms; imply.

Make a summary of Text 1 in English of 250-300 words in written form.

Text 2

WHAT IS DOWN SYNDROME?

9.7 Read the text and write the annotation to it (all in all 5-8 sentences).

If you are like most people, you probably had little understanding of what Down syndrome meant before your baby was born. Basically, Down syndrome means that your baby has one extra chromosome each of his millions of cells. Instead of forty-six, he has forty-seven. Over six thousand babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States every year and thousands more in other countries. It is one of the most common birth defects. Everyone has heard of children born with other disorders, such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs disease. Of these, only cerebral palsy is more common than Down syndrome. Other chromosomal disorders are far less common.

Because genes and chromosomes play a large part in determining your child's characteristics, this extra chromosome will affect his life. His appearance may be a bit different from other children, he may have some unique medical problems, and he will likely have some degree of mental retardation, although the severity of any of these problems varies tremendously from child to child.

Two things about Down syndrome are clear. First; parents do not cause Down syndrome; nothing you did or did not do before or during pregnancy caused your baby to have Down syndrome. Second, like "normal" children, each baby with Down syndrome is unique, with his own personality, talents, and thoughts. There are few absolutes governing your baby's destiny like other children, he is an individual and will grow to become a distinct personality.

Parents frequently are amazed at how often conception results in abnormal chromosomes. In general, chromosomal abnormalities of one kind or another may occur in as many as four in one hundred conceptions. Most of these pregnancies end in miscarriage. In fact, a quarter of all miscarriages result from chromosomal abnormalities that do not allow the embryo to develop.

Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal abnormality in humans, is one that does allow the embryo to develop. Down syndrome occurs in all races and in all countries. Recent figures place the frequency in North America at about one in eight hundred to one in one thousand births. It can happen to anyone. It happens in both girls and boys evenly.

ORAL PRACTICE

9. 8 Think over the problems:

1. What chromosomal disorders are common for Down syndrome.

2. Do parents cause Down syndrome?

3. What race does Down syndrome occur in more often?