Make Your Way 5, Schulbuch mit Audio-CD und CD-ROM

Talk about the topic 2 What is it that fuels our fascination with the supernatural? Read the text and answer the questions below. 3 Look at these comments about the phenomena in • 1 and match the beginnings with the endings. Which photo or phenomenon is each comment talking about? Use the phrases to discuss whether you think the phenomena are true and try and explain what they might be. • 1 I heard a story/saw a film about 2 I don’t believe that 3 I don’t know anything 4 Can anyone explain what 5 I think it might be a 6 I think it’s probably 7 How do you explain 8 I don’t believe 9 Apparently there’s a 10 As far as I know a about hands-on healing. b just a really good magic trick. c spontaneous combustion is? d things can suddenly catch fire like that. e a plane that disappeared when ... f why so many ships have disappeared there? g giant monkey. h in ghosts that rumble through the house and move objects. i some believe they are messages from aliens. j woman who can predict the future by looking into a crystal ball. Fascination with the supernatural: The vampire You just cannot escape it these days: Vampires, wizards, witches, were- wolves and the like – they are everywhere. Our fascination with the mys- tical and paranormal seems to have reached its peak. But what is it that fuels our fascination with these fantastic creatures? Let us take the phenomenon of the blood-sucking vampires. They are omnipresent in the media, but not in the form of an evil undead monster we should fear and despise – quite the contrary! The vampire of the modern world is described as an enviable creature which often even de- velops into the true hero of a story – frequently one of love and romance. Why Dracula and his relatives have gained such a unique position in to- day’s media landscape remains a mystery in itself. Maybe it is their im- mortality enabling them to witness the different ages of mankind. Or it is their ability to charm and manipulate, to defy the laws of nature by flying or using their numerous other supernatural powers. Do series and books like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries distract us from our own weaknesses and the frustrations of daily life? Is it for these reasons that many teenagers dream of turning into one of them by receiving the “dark kiss”? to fuel: schüren, anheizen omnipresent: allgegenwärtig to despise: verachten, hassen enviable: beneidenswert mankind: Menschheit to defy sth.: sich über etw. hinwegsetzen, etw. trotzen Why do you think people are so fascinated by supernatural • phenomena and creatures? What is your opinion on the hype about vampires? • How were vampires portrayed in the past? • How are they portrayed in movies and books today? 47 3 Extensive unit 3: Unsolved mysteries Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv