The Evolution of Surgical Techniques | Listening Comprehension Practice

by | Aug 5, 2025 | Focus on Listening

Listening Audio

The Evolution of Surgical Techniques

Listening Transcript: Please do not read the transcript before you listen and answer the questions.

Listening Quiz

Keywords & Phrases

Rudimentary

This adjective describes something that is basic, simple, and not fully developed.

How we used it: “In antiquity, surgical procedures were rudimentary and perilous.” This means the early surgeries were very basic and undeveloped compared to today.

Perilous

This is an adjective meaning full of danger or risk.

How we used it: “…surgical procedures were rudimentary and perilous.” This highlights the extreme danger involved in early operations.

Succumb to

This phrasal verb means to fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force. In a medical context, it often means to die from a disease or injury.

How we used it: “Patients who survived the initial shock… would very often succumb to subsequent infection.” This means they would ultimately die from the infection.

Paradigm Shift

This phrase refers to a major, fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline.

How we used it: “The first revolutionary paradigm shift occurred in the mid-19th century…” This emphasizes that the introduction of anesthesia wasn’t just an improvement, but a complete change in how surgery was understood and practiced.

Impervious

This adjective means not allowing fluid to pass through, or unable to be affected by something.

How we used it: “For the first time, patients could be rendered unconscious, impervious to the scalpel’s cut.” This means the patient was completely unaffected by the pain of the scalpel.

Paramount

This adjective means more important than anything else; supreme.

How we used it: “…where speed was paramount to minimize agony…” This means that speed was the absolute most important factor in old surgeries.

Plummeted

This is the past tense of the verb “to plummet,” which means to fall or drop straight down at high speed. It’s often used to describe a rapid decrease in numbers.

How we used it: “Mortality rates on his ward plummeted.” This means the death rates fell very sharply and dramatically.

Dexterity

This noun refers to skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.

How we used it: “…the robotic wrists can rotate with greater dexterity than a human hand…” This means the robot’s hands have a higher level of skill and flexibility.

Haptic Feedback

This is a technical term for the use of touch and sensation as a way of interacting with technology.

How we used it: “…it lacks the crucial element of haptic feedback—the surgeon cannot ‘feel’ the tissues…” The speaker defines it as the sense of touch that is missing in robotic surgery.

Ingenuity

This noun means the quality of being clever, original, and inventive.

How we used it: “…the evolution of surgery is a testament to human ingenuity…” This means the progress in surgery is proof of how clever and inventive humans are.

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