What makes you afraid? Does your heart beat faster and do your hands get sweaty when you're alone in the dark? We all get scared sometimes and there's very little we can do about it. Some people even enjoy being a little scared and pay money to watch horror movies or go on roller-coaster rides. Let's face a few fears ...
Favourite phobias
Did you know that the word arachnophobia means a fear of spiders? Or that hydrophobia is a fear of water? There are hundreds of words in the English language that end in 'phobia' and they all mean a fear of something or another. There are words for the fear of heights, enclosed spaces, flying and blood. But there are also words for the fear of numbers, of bees and stepmothers! The list is endless. All these words come from the Greek word phobia which means fear or hatred. Perhaps you could make up your own phobia word. Voldermortphobia would be (obviously) the fear of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Mrschanphobia would be the fear of Mrs Chan (your maths teacher)!
Fred's frightened friends
Fred's friends are a frightened lot. Look at all the things they are afraid of. Can you work out or guess their fears?
1 Would you believe Peter has never been to the top of the Peak? He suffers from acrophobia.
a) fear of flying