Page 33 - Reading Success B2

In ancient times, most people believed that the world and the universe were
inhabited by many different gods and spirits. The sun was often thought to be a

god, and the moon a goddess. The winds and rain were also believed to be gods,
and people worshiped gods and goddesses of, wine, hunting, and the sea. There

were gods of thunder and war, and gentle gods of love, marriage, and the
countryside. The stories that tell about the gods and their deeds are called myths.

The study of such myths is known as “Mythology”.
To those ancient people, myths were not just entertaining stories, but part of

their religion. People prayed to their gods and tried to behave in ways that they
thought would please the gods . In those early times, people did not have the

scientific knowledge we have today. So if a river flooded its banks, they believed it
was caused by an evil or angry god. People did not understand nature’s ways. So

they made up the gods and the marvelous stories called myths to explain the
natural happenings. Some myths are also about extraordinary beings, that

perform great deeds. These extraordinary beings are called heroes. Some
mythical beings are demigods (half gods), where one of their parents is a god or

goddess, and the other is a mortal (human being). Myths tell of horrible, fire-
breathing monsters, magic weapons, and fantastic animals that fly. They also tell

of the powers of the gods and the tricks they play on ordinary mortals.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. Heroes that are half human and half god.

b. The fact that people in the past did not have the scientific knowledge we have
today.

c. Gods and goddesses of ancient times.
d. People who worshiped gods and goddesses.

36_Reading Success B 2