Education
Below
are some sentences and phrases taken from the text, each has
a gap after one word. The definitions for these words are
in the Blue box. Match the definitions to the words.
1.move
slowly 2.harmless 3.easy
to reach 4.beating loudly 5.took
action to deal with a difficult situation
6.took suddenly 7.an
uncontrollable fear 8.scientists who
study insects 9.too easily disgusted
10.physically strong, able to survive
difficult situations 11.moving as a
group 12. give up hope |
a) The
ants were swarming (_________________) all over me.
b) I tackled (_________________) the hill.
c) There was a cockroach crawling (_________________) out
of the drawer.
d) My heart was pounding (_________________).
e) I grabbed (_________________) can of insecticide.
f) I grabbed a handy (_________________) a can of insecticide.
g) The very hardy (_________________) cockroach.
h) A fear of bugs can even become a phobia (_________________).
i) A relatively innocuous (_________________) creature.
j) Entomologists (_________________) despair at this squeamish
attitude.
k) Entomologists despair (_________________) at this squeamish
attitude.
l) Entomologists despair at this squeamish (_________________)
attitude.
What
is a creepy crawly? Read on to find out.
The paragraphs have been mixed up. Can you put them back into
the correct order?
Paragraph
a.
A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just
moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates and saucepans,
when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked
over at the kitchen drawer, where I had put the knives and
forks, and there was a cockroach crawling out of it. I screamed.
Then, my heart pounding, and probably still screaming, I grabbed
a handy can of insecticide and sprayed half of it on the very
hardy cockroach. He ran at me but I jumped out of the way
and he scuttled out of the kitchen and under the nearby toilet
door. It took me three days before I found the courage to
open the toilet door (luckily there was another bathroom in
the house!) to see if he was still alive. He wasn't.
Paragraph
b.
Creepy crawlies are those little bugs that provoke feelings
such as apprehension, anxiety or aversion - they make your
skin crawl. Flies aren't creepy crawlies but spiders are.
Ladybirds are rather sweet but centipedes are scary. Guess
which is a creepy crawly?
Paragraph
c.
Did you know that some people can feel such a fear of bugs
that it can even become a phobia? I recognise that my reaction
was exaggerated. I knew the cockroach wasn't going to harm
me, even though he did seem to be running straight for me
even as I sprayed, but I couldn't help myself. Why did I react
the way I did to a relatively innocuous creature?
Paragraph
d.
Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say it
was an instinctive reaction to a perceived threat, the idea
being that these insects were harmful to us many generations
back and that this fear is harboured in our subconscious.
Others explain it by saying that we associate them with dirt
and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien
to us, that we find them repulsive for their dissimilarity.
A more cultural-specific reason proffered is that in Western
philosophy man is held to be the most important of all God's
creatures and other living creatures are subordinate to him.
Insects, instead, don't follow our rules - they just do what
they want and invade our space. It is interesting to note
that in China, where man is viewed as only one element of
the world and humans and nature are one and the same, aversion
to insects is not as common.
Paragraph
e.
So my plea to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp
on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the
planet and desist!
Paragraph
f.
Well, it isn't easy to give a straight definition so I'll
tell you a couple of stories to try to explain. A few years
ago I was on holiday in Holland. I was on a bicycle trip and
at the very first sign of a hill, I got off my bike for a
rest. I sat down by the side of the road on the grass. A few
seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all
over me so I quickly got up and brushed them off. I had obviously
sat near an anthill and they were protecting their territory
from an invader. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot
about it, got back on my bike and tackled the hill.
Paragraph
g.
Whatever the cause, entomologists despair at this squeamish
attitude towards their object of study. They would like us
to appreciate insects for the benefits they bring, which are
many. Pest control and waste decomposition to name a couple.
Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a very
successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many
other species nowadays, are under threat of extinction. Entomologists
warn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all
kinds of disastrous consequences.
Paragraph
h.
Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer
encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer
is easy: because cockroaches are creepy crawlies and ants
aren't.
Can
you find these words from the text in the box? |
ANTS
INNOCUOUS
SCUTTLE |
CENTIPEDE
INSECTICIDE |
COCKROACH
LADYBIRD |
ENTOMOLOGIST
PHOBIA |
Answeres a-11,
b-5, c-1, d-4, e-6, f-3, g-10, h-7, i-2, j-8, k-12, l-9
1st - f, 2nd - a, 3rd - h, 4th - b, 5th - c, 6th - d, 7th
- g, 8th - e
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(R) thedailystar.net 2004
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