Exercise 9B, page 1 - English File Studetn's book, pre-intermediate, Oxford

Adapted from a website

1 READING

a Look at all the photos in this lesson. Are you afraid of any of these things?

b Read some information from fearof.net, a website about phobias. Complete each phobia with the correct heading from the list.

Fear of butterflies Fear of crowds

Fear of doctors Fear of driving Fear of heights

FEAROF .NET THE ULTIMATE LIST OF PHOBIAS AND FEARS

1 Some people with this phobia find it difficult to pass the test. Others are anxious on motorways or certain roads. In extreme cases, people are afraid of being a passenger in a vehicle.

Comment

2 People say that actress Nicole Kidman suffers from this phobia. It is closely linked to a general fear of insects. People with this phobia are afraid of most insects with wings, and they feel nauseous or they panic if they see them. Comment

3 This phobia is quite common in young children, but adults suffer from it, too. Many are especially afraid of having vaccinations or blood tests. Comment

4 This fear affects nearly one in every 20 adults. People with this phobia usually avoid tall buildings, skiing, or standing on balconies. Comment

5 This phobia affects many people, but women more than men. These people feel very anxious or scared if they are in a noisy place where there are a lot of people, for example a shopping mall or a sports stadium. They often avoid these kinds of places. Comment

c Now read some comments posted on the website. Match comments A-E to fears 1-5.

A I am so scared that I haven't been to see one for more than 15 years. I hate thinking about them! I feel the same way about dentists, too. Carl

B I have a fear of going over bridges, and on motorways at over 60 mph. I'm OK at 45 mph. I once went over a bridge and I had to stop in the middle I was really frightened. I haven't driven that way since then, and that was seven years ago. Becky

C I thought I was the only person that had this fear! I'm OK with the small ones, but I'm terrified of the big ones. I'm OK if they aren't close to me, but as soon as they start flying near me I run away. I like looking at pictures of them because they can be beautiful, but if they fly towards me, especially towards my face, I panic. Mina

D I suffer from this phobia, and what works best for me, if I know that I'm going to be in a situation where there'll be a lot of people, is to arrive early. Then other people arrive little by little, and that helps me. The worst thing is walking into a place that is already full of people. Simon

E I've had this phobia for about 20 years. It started when I was a child, about six I think. I had a bad dream where I was in a block of flats high up on a hill and I nearly fell out of the window. I woke up and started crying. I haven't been to any really high places since then. Even if I imagine I'm in a high place, I feel dizzy. Keith

d Look at the highlighted words in the phobias and comments and match them to the definitions.

1 the noun made from the adjective afraid

2 one adjective which means very afraid

3 two synonyms for afraid

4 an adjective for the feeling that everything is going round in circles

5 to suddenly feel afraid and not be able to think

6 to be badly affected by something

e Do you have or does anyone you know have a phobia? When and how did it start? How does it affect your or their life?

My brother is really scared of flying. He gets very nervous before he flies somewhere. It started about ten years ago when...

а Посмотрите на все фотографии в этом уроке. Боитесь ли вы чего-нибудь из этого?

Ответ:

Yes, I'm a little afraid of heights. Looking down from a high place makes me feel a bit dizzy. I'm not really afraid of the other things, but I don't like injections.

Да, я немного боюсь высоты. Когда я смотрю вниз с высокого места, у меня немного кружится голова. Остального я не очень боюсь, но уколы мне не нравятся.

b Прочитайте информацию о фобиях с сайта fearof.net. Дополните каждую фобию правильным заголовком из списка.

Ответ:

1 Fear of driving - Страх вождения

2 Fear of butterflies - Страх бабочек

3 Fear of doctors - Страх врачей

4 Fear of heights - Страх высоты

5 Fear of crowds - Страх толпы

c Теперь прочитайте комментарии, опубликованные на сайте. Соотнесите комментарии A–E со страхами 1–5.

Ответ:

1 - B

2 - C

3 - A

4 - E

5 - D

d Посмотрите на выделенные слова в текстах о фобиях и комментариях и соотнесите их с определениями.

Ответ:

1 the noun made from the adjective afraid: fear - существительное, образованное от прилагательного "afraid" (боящийся): страх

2 one adjective which means very afraid: terrified - одно прилагательное, которое означает "очень напуганный": в ужасе

3 two synonyms for afraid: scared, frightened - два синонима к слову "afraid": напуганный

4 an adjective for the feeling that everything is going round in circles: dizzy - прилагательное для ощущения, что все кружится: испытывающий головокружение

5 to suddenly feel afraid and not be able to think: panic - внезапно испугаться и потерять способность думать: паниковать

6 to be badly affected by something: suffers - сильно страдать от чего-либо: страдает

e Есть ли у вас или у кого-то из ваших знакомых фобия? Когда и как она началась? Как она влияет на вашу или их жизнь?

Ответ:

My friend is really scared of spiders. It started when he was little and saw a big spider in his bed. Now he can't even look at pictures of them. If he sees a spider in his room, he asks his dad to get rid of it.

Мой друг очень боится пауков. Это началось, когда он был маленьким и увидел большого паука у себя в кровати. Теперь он даже не может смотреть на их фотографии. Если он видит паука в своей комнате, он просит своего папу избавиться от него.