full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Mike Davis: What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Since 1980, acnetaidcl deaths from opioid overdose have grown exponentially in the United stteas, and opioid addictions have also eepxdlod around the world. While opioid painkiller prescriptions are becoming more closely regulated, cases of overdose and addiction are still increasing, especially among younger people. Many of the early cases of addiction were middle-aged people who became aeddtcid to painkillers they had been psbriceerd, or riceeevd from friends and family members with peitsnoripcrs. Today, young people are often introduced to prescription opioid drugs in those ways but move on to hioern or illicit synthetic odoipis that are cheaper and easier to come by. Beyond tighter regulation of opioid painkillers, what can we do to reverse the growing rates of addiction and overdose?

Open Cloze


Since 1980, __________ deaths from opioid overdose have grown exponentially in the United ______, and opioid addictions have also ________ around the world. While opioid painkiller prescriptions are becoming more closely regulated, cases of overdose and addiction are still increasing, especially among younger people. Many of the early cases of addiction were middle-aged people who became ________ to painkillers they had been __________, or ________ from friends and family members with _____________. Today, young people are often introduced to prescription opioid drugs in those ways but move on to ______ or illicit synthetic _______ that are cheaper and easier to come by. Beyond tighter regulation of opioid painkillers, what can we do to reverse the growing rates of addiction and overdose?

Solution


  1. exploded
  2. opioids
  3. states
  4. prescribed
  5. heroin
  6. addicted
  7. accidental
  8. prescriptions
  9. received

Original Text


Since 1980, accidental deaths from opioid overdose have grown exponentially in the United States, and opioid addictions have also exploded around the world. While opioid painkiller prescriptions are becoming more closely regulated, cases of overdose and addiction are still increasing, especially among younger people. Many of the early cases of addiction were middle-aged people who became addicted to painkillers they had been prescribed, or received from friends and family members with prescriptions. Today, young people are often introduced to prescription opioid drugs in those ways but move on to heroin or illicit synthetic opioids that are cheaper and easier to come by. Beyond tighter regulation of opioid painkillers, what can we do to reverse the growing rates of addiction and overdose?

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
opioid drugs 4
opioid receptors 4
opioid painkillers 3
bodily functions 2
noradrenaline levels 2
noradrenaline receptors 2
risk losing 2
opioid maintenance 2


Important Words


  1. accidental
  2. addicted
  3. addiction
  4. addictions
  5. cases
  6. cheaper
  7. closely
  8. deaths
  9. drugs
  10. early
  11. easier
  12. exploded
  13. exponentially
  14. family
  15. friends
  16. growing
  17. grown
  18. heroin
  19. illicit
  20. increasing
  21. introduced
  22. members
  23. move
  24. opioid
  25. opioids
  26. overdose
  27. painkiller
  28. painkillers
  29. people
  30. prescribed
  31. prescription
  32. prescriptions
  33. rates
  34. received
  35. regulated
  36. regulation
  37. reverse
  38. states
  39. synthetic
  40. tighter
  41. today
  42. united
  43. ways
  44. world
  45. young
  46. younger