5/30 Free Online English Class

Have you ever told a white lie? Is it right to tell a white lie? When we were little, our parents and teachers taught us to always tell the truth and how to tell right from wrong. They always told us we should do the right thing. However after people start working, things don't seem to work that way. Gradually, the line between right and wrong things seems to become a bit ambiguous. So, in this week's class, Let's talk about "do the right thing." Think about the following questions beforehand and feel free to share your opinions with us in class.

Q1: What is "a white lie”? Do you think it is OK to tell a white lie? Why or why not?

Q2: Have you ever told a white lie before? If you have, please describe the story. If you haven’t, please describe under what circumstances people might tell a white lie.

Q3: If you were terminally ill and you only had a few months to live, should your doctor tell you the truth? Why or why not?

Q4: If your loved one has stomach cancer and it is too late to have an operation to save his life, should you tell him the truth? Why or why not?

Q5: If you only had a few months to live, what would you like to do?

Q6: If a person is dying, should his family member inform him or her? Check the ideas you agree on.
(1) No. You can’t tell someone he or she is going to die. He/she would be too shocked. You shouldn’t take away their hope.
(2) It depends. If the patient is mentally strong, he/she should be informed.
(3) Yes. The patient should be able to use whatever time he/she has left.
(4) Yes. The patient has the right to know about his/her disease.
(5) Others.

Q7: What rights do you think patients should have?
(1) to be informed about their disease.
(2) to see all of their medical records
(3) to have an explanation about how the doctor will treat their disease.
(4) to know the doctor’s name and background
(5) to get a second opinion from another doctor
(6) to change doctors or hospitals
(7) to be involved in the decision on how to treat their disease.
(8) not to be informed about their disease.

Q8: Read the following article and make the summary.

Q9: What would you advise Yumi to do if you were Dr. Aoki?

If you have any questions, let me know. See you in class at 9:00 p.m. on May 30.