Feel the Fear
I hate spiders. A lot of people dislike spiders, but I'm really scared of them. If there's a spider in
a room, I won't go in. I have stayed at friends' houses three times because there were spiders in
our house. It sounds ridiculous, but if you haven't got a phobia, you won't understand. I have got
a phobia - arachnophobia. Two months ago, I went with my mum to see a specialist called Mark
Tamer. Mark has helped a lot of patients with phobias. Some patients had 'normal
' phobias, like
being frightened of dogs, or snakes, or the dark. Some patients had really weird ones, like
phobias of bananas, or eating in public. He's helped a girl with a phobia of school as well. She
hasn't been at school this year! I've seen the specialist a few times and he's been really helpful.
First, we looked at photos of spiders, and then we watched spiders on a DVD. Next, he gave
plastic spiders to my family and they hid them around the house. That was really unpleasant, but
it's made me much less phobic. I also wrote in my 'spider diary' every time I saw a real spider.
I've looked at hundreds of spiders with Mark and my phobia has improved a bit. That's the idea
of 'exposure therapy'. After you've seen a thousand spiders, you aren't scared of them anymore.
Next week, Mark says that I must touch one. I don't think I'm ready for that! I haven't touched
spider before and I don't know if I can. We'll see...
Read the text again and write true or false.
1 There were spiders at Georgia's house.
2 Georgia was Mark Tanner's first patient.
3 Some people are scared of eating in public.
4 Georgia's family hid real spiders at home.
5 Georgia is less scared of spiders now.
6 Georgia is definitely going to touch a spider.
Task N, 2. Match 1-3 with a-t.
It's a scary film
2 You not have a money
13 They forget my birthday
a I buy a drink
b I be really upset
c I not watch it
Task N.3. Order the words to make questions.
I going to / play / are/ you /tennis / later
2 going to /join/ you and your friends / any teams/ next year / are
3 gol to any tournaments / you / going to / are/ this year
4 your friend / going to /is/go cycling 7 this weekend​