Gateway UNIT 4

B Lizzie

My problem is very unusual and most people have never heard of it. It’s called narcolepsy and it has changed my whole life. Narcolepsy is when people fall asleep anywhere at any time and they can’t stop it. Since the problem started I’ve had to stop working because you can’t do a good job if you fall asleep in the middle of a conversation! My friends have been very supportive but I don't like going out now because I get embarrassed about it and also I’ve had to stop driving as it’s much too dangerous. I go to a special sleep clinic now and they’re helping me a lot.

C Robert

I’ve had this sleep problem since I was a child and I know a lot of people who have the same problem. It’s called insomnia and it means I sleep very badly. Sometimes I can’t get to sleep for hours and sometimes I go to sleep OK, but I wake up in the middle of the night and then I can’t get back to sleep again. It’s horrible because the next day I can’t concentrate on my work. The doctor gave me sleeping tablets, but I don’t like taking them because they make me feel bad the next day.

11 Read the texts again. Are the statements True (T), False (F), or is the information Not Mentioned (NM)?

1 Tony doesn’t make a lot of noise when he
snores. T/F/NM

2 Tony’s wife finds it difficult to wake him up. T/F/NM

3 Lizzie sometimes falls asleep when she’s
talking. T/F/NM

4 Lizzie doesn’t mind having narcolepsy. T/F/NM

5 Robert’s problem has a negative effect on
his job. T/F/NM

6 Robert never takes his sleeping tablets. T/F/NM

Total: /66 points

12 Which person A, B or C, might say:

1 I was in a job interview and I fell asleep. ……B…………

2 I never sleep for the whole night. ………C………………

3 Sometimes the neighbours hear me. …………A……………

4 I want to sleep at unusual times. …………C……………