A New Lease of Life!

BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
A new lease of life
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Finn: And I'm Finn.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about an amazing
scientific achievement – it’s called a total artificial heart.
Finn: That’s a heart that’s made completely artificially – in fact it’s made of plastic.
Something artificial is something that isn’t real.
Alice: This total artificial heart has given a new lease of life to a patient in the United
States – so before we find out more, Finn, I have a question for you. Which of
these creatures has the slowest heartbeat? Ready?
Finn: OK, I’m ready!
Alice: A, an elephant, b, a human being or c, a dog.
Finn: Hmm – I’m really not sure about that. Do different size dogs have different
heartbeats I wonder, Alice?
Alice: I don’t know! I only know which of them has the slowest heartbeat and I’ll
give you the answer at the end of the programme. So let’s find out more about
this total artificial heart. Here’s heart doctor, cardiologist Dr Doug
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Horstmanshof talking about his patient, Troy Golden, a pastor from the United
States who was born with a serious heart condition.
Insert 1: Dr Doug Horstmanshof
He suffers from a disease called Marfan's syndrome that he was born with. Physically,
He wasn't even able to get out of bed anymore, could barely bear weights, could barely
breathe comfortably. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually - he had reached a point so low
that most of us can't even imagine.
Alice: Dr Doug Horstmanshof says his patient suffered badly from his disease. He
had reached a point so low that most of us can’t even imagine.
Finn: A point so low – a condition that is so bad you can’t imagine things getting any
worse.
Alice: Troy Golden was physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally exhausted.
He had been put on a list for a heart transplant in January 2010 but couldn’t
find a donor.
Finn: A donor – somebody who gives you something, in this case a human heart.
Somebody who donates a heart or a liver or kidney is called an organ donor.
Alice: And Troy’s heart was in such a bad condition a normal heart pump wouldn’t
work for him, so Dr Horstmanshof decided to do something incredible in
September 2010. He removed his patient’s heart completely and replaced it
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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with a plastic heart – the total artificial heart. It contains valves, a pump and
also batteries to keep it powered.
Finn: So that was September 2010 – Troy Golden has had his new heart for several
months now. How has it been functioning?
Alice: Let’s hear what he says.
Insert 2: Troy Golden
Yeah, I really have got to the point that I don't even really notice it, other than it's loud.
So... I think for my wife it feels, to her, she can hear it beating so she knows I'm alive, so
it's very comforting to her.
Alice: Troy Golden says his wife can hear the heart beating, and she finds the sound
very comforting.
Finn: Comforting – it makes her feel safe and secure.
Alice: And Troy Golden says he’s got to a point where he doesn’t really notice his
new heart.
Finn: He’s got to a point where he doesn’t notice his new heart, which means he’s
got used to it.
Alice: Another doctor, Dr Kevin Fong, a Consultant Anaesthetist at University
College Hospital in London, says the total artificial heart is almost
unbelievable – he calls it mind-blowing.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Insert 3: Dr Kevin Fong
It's mind-blowing to think that where he once had a heart, there's now a mechanical
device; that it's been replaced with plastic and tubes attached to a pneumatic pump
inside the rucksack on his back.
Alice: Dr Kevin Fong, a Consultant Anaesthetist from University College Hospital in
London, describing the mechanical device which is keeping Troy Golden alive.
Finn: A pneumatic pump – now, a pneumatic pump is an air pump, and this one is
kept in a rucksack on the patient’s back.
Alice: Troy Golden carries the rucksack on his back, and he says it’s great to know
his heart is pumping. He says it’s wonderful to feel alive again.
Insert 4: Troy Golden
It is great to know that my… that the heart is pumping, that my heart is pumping. I
guess it's not mine, but it is wonderful to feel alive again.
Alice: Troy Golden who has been given a new lease of life with his total artificial
heart.
Finn: A new lease of life – that’s new energy and a new sense of happiness.
Alice: So, before we go today, Finn – have you had a chance to think about my
question about the heart rates of different creatures.
Finn: Well, I think the bigger the animal the slower the heartbeat, so I’m going to go
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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for elephant.
Alice: Ah, well done – very good! Apparently an elephant’s heart beats only 25 times
a minute, a human being, usually between about 60 and 90 times a minute, and
a dog, between 100 and 150 heartbeats every minute!
Finn: There you go.
Alice: Yes. So, a chance to hear some of the words and phrases. Finn, would you
mind?
Finn: artificial
a new lease of life
heartbeat
comforting
got to a point
mind-blowing
pneumatic
rucksack
Alice: Thanks for that, Finn.
Finn: You’re welcome.
Alice: Well that’s all we have time for today, and we’ll have more "6 Minute
English" next time.
Finn: Bye for now!
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Alice: Bye!
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Vocabulary and definitions
artificial objects or materials which do not occur naturally, and are
made by people
a new lease of life a new, positive stage in your life
heartbeat the regular movement of the heart as it pumps blood
around the body
comforting reassuring
got to a point reached a position or time
mind-blowing extraordinary or amazing
pneumatic powered by compressed or pressurised air
rucksack large bag for carrying personal belongings, which is
carried on the back
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12422348
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/03/110303_6min_english_heart_page.shtml