Baldness treatment a step closer (25 October 2013)

BEFORE READING 

HAIRSTYLES: Which one is your most likeable and least likeable?? 

• straight   • closely cropped   • very long   • wavy

• curly   • shaved   • punk   • ponytail

1. SYNONYM MATCH:Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	at hand	a.	unlike
2	suffer from	b.	guarantee
3.	treatment	c.	regarding
4.	different	d.	care
5.	procedure	e.	answers
6.	in terms of	f.	coming soon
7.	solutions	g.	retreating
8.	assure	h.	shake up
9.	receding	i.	be troubled with
10.	revolutionise	j.	method

Help may soon be at hand (or head) for the millions around the world who suffer from and worry about baldness. Scientists from the University of Durham in the UK, and Columbia University Medical Centre in the USA, say they are close to finding a solution to grow new hair. This is also good news for burns victims, who are likely to be those first helped by any new treatment. The scientists have grown new hair follicles in the laboratory. This is different from currently available treatments, which simply transplant hair from the back of the scalp to cover bald spots and areas without hair at the front of the head. Unlike transplants, the new procedure will allow the hair to keep growing naturally in the follicle
.

Researcher Colin Jahoda did not give a timeframe in which his research will be commercially available. He said: "It's closer, but it's still some way away because in terms of what people want cosmetically they're looking for re-growth of hair that's the same shape, the same size, as long as before, the same angle. Some of these are almost engineering solutions." He did assure those with receding hairlines and those thinning on top that there is hope. He said: "I think baldness will eventually be treatable, absolutely." Professor Jahoda's colleague Angela Christiano was equally positive, saying their research could "revolutionise" hair-loss treatment. She said: "The first step is actually showing that it can be done.

COMPREHENSION 

1. TRUE / FALSE:Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Scientists in India are close to finding a solution to baldness.	T / F
b.	The research may help people who have suffered burns on their skin.	T / F
c.	Current methods transplant hair from the body to the head.	T / F
d.	The new method actually grows new hair.	T / F
e.	Researchers said the new treatment would be available from 2015.	T / F
f.	People want hair the same size and angle as before.	T / F
g.	A professor said engineering solutions were needed.	T / F
h.	Another professor said the new treatment was not revolutionary.	T / F