Unit 15

UNIT 15 SUPERSTITIONS angel n. An angel is a spiritual creature who is God's servant in heaven. Angels are often shown as people with wings. appearance n. Appearance is the way someone or something looks. They changed their appearance by putting on costumes. beast n. A beast is a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual. The wild beast lives in the forest. crawl v. To crawl is to move along with one's body close to the ground. The creepy spider is crawling across the wall. crescent n. A crescent is a curved shape that is wider in the middle and pointed at each end. The moon is shaped like a crescent in the night sky. elf n. An elf is an imaginary creature in stories that has pointed ears and magical powers. The elf is carrying a book of magical spells. evil adj. Evil means enjoying harming others. People say that the haunted house is full of evil spirits. fairy n. A fairy is an imaginary creature that looks like a small person with wings. The little girl is dressed as a fairy. false adj. Something false means completely untrue. It is a false statement to say the world is flat. ghost n. A ghost is a spirit of a person who has died. He is dressed as a ghost for Halloween.

horn n. A horn is the hard, pointed thing on the head of some animals. I've never heard of a horse with a horn. hunt v. To hunt means to chase animals in order to catch or kill them. I was hunted by a ghost in my dreams. image n. An image is a picture of a person or an idea of how someone or something is. She has an image in her mind of traveling in space. invisible adj. Invisible means cannot be seen. The boy has special powers that make him invisible. legend n. A legend is an old story about people and events that may not be true. In the legend, only the king can pull the sword out of the rock. luck n. Luck is a thing that happens to a person because of chance. She had some bad luck when she stepped in some gum. mermaid n. A mermaid is a mythical sea creature that has a woman's head and body, and a fish's tail instead of legs. The girl is dressed as a mermaid. mysterious adj. Mysterious means strange, unknown, or difficult to understand. We discovered a mysterious tomb built of stone. mythical adj. Mythical means from a story that most people think is not true. The mythical story is about a king elf who lives in the forest. unicorn n. A unicorn is an animal that looks like a white horse with a long straight horn on its head. Unicorns appear in some imaginary stories.

Are Mermaids Real? Most of our planet is covered by water. So, it's no wonder that centuries ago the oceans were thought to hide mysterious creatures, including mermaids. These mythical beings are the marine version of the half-human, half-animal legends. One legend described the appearance of mermaids. It said a mermaid looks like a woman who has a fish's tail instead of legs. Similar to the unicorn, a mythical beast with a horn growing out of its head, the mermaid is an imaginary figure. They only exist in stories. But where did these stories come from? Some scientists believe that sightings of ocean animals, such as manatees, might have inspired mermaid legends. These animals have flat, crescent-shaped tails. They also have two flippers that look like arms. Manatees don't look exactly like mermaids, but many sightings were from far away. Parts of their bodies were invisible under the water. This made identifying a creature very difficult, especially at sunset. This caused reports of mermaid sightings to be made. Of course, these reports would have been false. Now we know that it's impossible to hunt for a mermaid. You cannot prove they exist. But, with any luck, like elves and fairies, mermaids will continue to fascinate us in books and movies.