Weird and Funny Phobias (Full Lesson Material)
Weird and Funny Phobias (Full Lesson Material)
Weird and Funny Phobias (Full Lesson Material)
“Never trust your fears – they don’t know your strength.” – Athena Singh
Does standing on the fi h-floor balcony give you weak knees? Is the
mere men(on of spiders enough to make you scream? Don’t worry,
you are not alone; we all have our fears.
The word “phobia” comes from Greek and translates as “fear.” A
phobia is an irra(onal fear of an object, situa(on or living thing. While
fear is a natural response to danger, phobias o en occur in response to
something unlikely to cause real harm. In some cases, a person with a phobia will meet the
diagnos(c criteria for a specific phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder. Someone with a specific
phobia will experience intense fear and anxiety when confronted with the source of the phobia,
which could include blood, heights or specific animals like dogs.
Phobias are characterized by significant distress and o en cause a person to avoid the source of
their fear or suffer from extreme anxiety when faced with it. Someone experiencing a phobia that is
interfering with everyday life should consider undergoing treatment for their phobia, as outcomes
for professional care are typically favorable.
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Post-reading ques ons: Vocabulary
A) Match the meanings on the right with their defini(ons on the le .
C) Choose any three of the above words to form your own sentences.
1. ________________________________________________________________
___
2. ________________________________________________________________
___
3. ________________________________________________________________
___
Comprehension
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1. What is a phobia?
2. What are some examples of weird and unusual phobias?
3. What are the features or characteris(cs of phobias?
4. What should someone suffering from a phobia do?
Grammar
G) Choose the correct answer.
1. Is the _______ men(on of spiders enough to make you scream?
A) sheer B) mere C) brief
3. A person with a phobia will meet the diagnos(c ______ for a specific phobia.
A) criterion B) standard C) criteria
4. It is hard for an individual to __________ daily ac(vi(es without opening their eyes.
A) carry out B) perform C) par(cipate in
5. Phobias o en cause a person to avoid the ________ of their fear or suffer from extreme
anxiety when faced with it.
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A) source B) origin C) cause
Speaking
H) Discuss the following ques(ons.
1. Are you afraid of anything like heights, blood, or lions? (It doesn’t have to be a phobia!
Just normal fear.)
2. How can someone overcome a phobia in your opinion (other than going to a
psychologist of course)?
3. How do phobias even develop? Does someone wake up and suddenly they decide
they’re afraid of needles for example? What happens for them to develop it?
4. What’s the difference between anxiety and phobia?
5. Do you know what islamophobia and xenophobia are?
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