Fear of Spiders
1a
The writer is admitting to his fear of
spiders.
vs
The writer is referring to his fear,
repulsion, dislike of spiders.
1b
The writer feels ashamed / embarrassed.
Vs
The writer feels shameful.
2a
He is referring to the answer “because
they have eight legs”.
Refer back to paras 1 – 3.
2b
It seems illogical to base fears on an
arbitrary number [1]
Many spiders do not even have eight legs
to begin with [1]
3
Spiders grow new legs to replace missing
ones
Vs
Spiders grow more legs
4
This is because unlike humans, animals
do not have the capacity to judge whether
something is right or wrong.
Vs
This is because spiders don’t feel the
same pain as humans
5
The writer is referring to the behaviour of
disposing of a leg that gets in its way
without great concern.
Vs
Spiders do not care that they lose a leg.
6
“subjective” / controversial / questionable
7
The newborn spider is born with the
instinct to weave a web flawlessly.
8a
He means that these psychologists have
come up with major theories / elaborate
reasons about the significance of spiders
8b
“supposedly”
9
The way a female spider traps its prey brings to
mind the image of the enemy mother who wants
to dominate over others [1]
The female spider purportedly devours the male
after mating [1]
The female spider creates more intricate webs
than the male. [1]
10
The presence of cobwebs constitutes
evidence of neglect and desertion, since
cobwebs only exist where there is lack of a
human presence. [1]
The cobwebs, being draped across the
walls, also resemble banners in terms of
their visual impact. [1]
11
“soundless” / spectral / unexpected /
invisible
12a
It is the etching by Gustave Dore
illustrating Arachne
12b
Like a birth certificate which marks the
birth of a child, the etching marks the start
of the writer’s phobia of spiders. [1]
In addition, like the birth certificate which is
a concrete document, the etching provides
tangible proof of the origin of this fear. [1]
13
a. Ritual – customary / expected / habitual /
usual / routine
b. Inspire – arouse / evoke / induce
c. Transmitted – passed down/on /
imparted
d. Aversion – strong dislike (degree is impt)
e. Indelible – unforgettable (note spelling)
1.
Summary
THEY HAVE EIGHT LEGS
2. No reason for eight legs to be more repulsive than any other number
3. They often have 7 or fewer legs
4. THEY ARE CRUEL
5. But not more cruel than other animals
6. Unfair to judge the spider for values it does not possess
7. Sympathy on victims is wasted
8. Since they are unlikely to feel pain the way humans do
9. THEY ARE HAIRY AND UGLY
10. We are inconsistent in our dislike of hairy or furry animals
11. Ugliness is subjective / nothing in nature is ugly
12. Although we have been conditioned to perceive harmful creatures as ugly
13. THEY AMBUSH THEIR PREY
14. But this is a moralistic view
15. Miracle of the spider’s instinct to spin webs flawlessly should inspire our
admiration, not horror
16. REVEALS OUR REJECTION OF SEX
17. The spider symbolises dangerous and tyrannical females (devour the
male after mating / impotence of infancy)
18. But this is not based on empirical evidence
19. SPIDERS ARE BELIEVED TO BE POISONOUS
20. This is unfounded as they are mostly harmless
21. But childhood impressions are hard to erase.