5-minute listening: How the world’s oldest conjoined twins defied medical expectations
- Lori and George Schappell lived full and long lives despite medical expectations to the contrary
- Practise your English with our short listening exercises: play the audio; answer the questions; and check the answers at the bottom of the page
Lori and George Schappell were the oldest living conjoined twins as per the Guinness World Records. Photo: APQuestions
1. How were Lori and George Schappell related?
A. They were neighbours.
B. They were friends.
C. They were siblings.
D. They were colleagues.
2. How old were Lori and George Schappell when they died?
A. less than 30 years old
B. almost 50 years old
C. close to 60 years old
D. cver 90 years old
3. What is an obituary?
A. a news article written about someone who has passed away
B. an ad where people can buy, sell, or find things
C. a publication where people can express their own opinions on a current issue
D. none of the above
4. Which word can replace “distinct” in the podcast?
A. peculiar
B. separate
C. defined
D. unique
5. How did George get around?
A. He had a four-wheeled motorised vehicle.
B. A service animal helped him.
C. He used a walking frame.
D. Lori wheeled him around in a special chair.
6. What was Lori good at according to the podcast?
A. skateboarding
B. singing
C. playing chess
D. bowling
7. Why did Lori stop working?
A. so that George could pursue his career
B. because she was not feeling well
C. because she wanted to become a singer
D. so that George could continue his studies
8. Which of the following have the duo been featured in?
A. a medical drama
B. a talk show
C. a documentary
D. all of the above
9. What did George do when Lori went on dates?
A. He listened to music.
B. He worked on Sudoku puzzles.
C. He read books.
D. He went on a date too.
10. How do conjoined twins form according to the podcast?
A. They happen when each egg is fertilised by a separate sperm cell.
B. They form when identical twins start developing in the same embryo but do not
completely separate.
C. They form when a fertilised egg is split into two exact copies.
D. information not given
11. Where are most conjoined twins typically joined?
A. at the head
B. at the arms
C. at the chest
D. at the abdomen
12. Based on your understanding of the podcast, why were the Schappell twins not
separated when they were younger?
A. because they shared one brain
B. because of religious beliefs
C. because the operation was too expensive
D. because it would endanger their lives
13. If someone “strongly rules out” an idea, they …
A. are very much against it.
B. somewhat support about it.
C. do not really care about it.
D. do not have an opinion about it.
14. What does the phrase “why fix what is not broken” suggest about George’s feelings
on being a conjoined twin?
A. content
B. terrified
C. confused
D. frustrated
15. How many siblings did the Schappell twins have?
A. two
B. five
C. six
D. nine
Answers
1. C
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. C
10. B
11. C
12. D
13. A
14. A
15. C
Script
Adapted from Associated Press
Voice 1: Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died earlier this month in Pennsylvania. They were 62.
Voice 2: The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg. The cause of death was not detailed.
Voice 1: The twins were born on September 18, 1961, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. They had distinct brains but were joined at the skull. George had spina bifida and was 10 centimetres shorter. Lori wheeled him around on an adaptive wheeled stool, and each of them had to go where the other went.
Voice 2: Both graduated from secondary school and took university classes. George went along for six years as Lori worked in a hospital laundry. According to the obituary notice, Lori was “a trophy-winning bowler”, who gave up the job in 1996 so her sibling could launch a country music career. Over the years, they appeared in many documentaries and talk shows, as well as an episode of the medical drama Nip/Tuck.
Voice 1: The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Lori was once engaged to be married, but her fiancé died in an automobile accident. Lori had explained that George would bring along books to read when she went on dates. In a 1997 documentary, the twins said they had different bathing schedules and showered one at a time.
Voice 2: Separation was deemed risky for the Schappell twins, but Lori told the Associated Press in a 2002 interview at the twins’ flat in a high-rise seniors complex that she did not think such an operation was necessary. In the 1997 documentary, George firmly ruled out the idea of separation, saying, “Why fix what is not broken?” The Schappell twins’ survivors include their father and six siblings.
Voice 1: Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births when identical twins from a single embryo fail to separate. About 70 per cent are female, and most are stillborn. Only a tiny percentage are joined at the head, with nearly three-quarters joined at the chest and others at the abdomen or pelvis.