Word Pairs

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  • Type the correct word in the boxes from the pairs of words [in brackets].
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The words
One of the [most / must] annoying things in life is an [itchy / itch] that won't go away. Scientists have worked [to / for] decades to find out why we itch, and to find a cure. Researchers at Harvard Medical School in the USA have [discovered / discovery] that skin bacteria make us itch when they [interactive / interact] with our nerve [sells / cells] . Lead researcher Liwen Deng said the bacteria is linked [to / on] many diseases that cause itchiness. The most common disease is eczema. Dr Leng wrote: "It's not [the / a] nicest bug to have on you, for sure. Many patients carry on their skin the [really / very] microbe we've now shown for the first time can cause itching." She added that: "Itches can be quite debilitating [in / of] patients who suffer from chronic skin conditions."

Dr Leng and her colleagues [contracted / conducted] their research on mice. They found an enzyme (which they [dabbed / dubbed] V8) that was responsible for itching [in / on] the test mice. The V8 enzyme triggered a protein that made the [mouse / mice] itch. The scientists engineered the protein and developed a drug to stop [it / them] making the mice itch. The drug could be used to make anti-itch medication. This could [dock / block] the itching process in humans. This is good news for eczema [suffers / sufferers] . Eczema [affects / affecting] around 245 million people globally. As well as itchiness, sufferers often get [readiness / redness] on their skin and a rash. They may also get small blisters and a thickening of the skin. Eczema is twice as [common / commonly] in females as it is in males.

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