Dreams

Vocabulary

1. Consequence (n)
/ˈkɑːnsəˌkwɛns/: an outcome of a situation
Ex: moking can have serious consequences.

2. Interpretation (n)
/ɪnˌtərprɪˈteɪʃən/:explanation of the meaning of something.
The teacher gave his interpretation of the text.

3. Opposite (adj)
/ˈɑːpəsɪt/: completely different
Ex: My co-worker and I have totally opposite approaches to the problem

4. Psychologist (n)
/saɪˈkɑːlədʒɪst/: a person who studies people’s minds and behavior, and who is able to offer counseling for certain problems
Ex: I finally managed to talk her into making an appointment with a psychologist.

5. Anxiety (n)
/æŋˈzaɪɪtiː/: fear or nervousness about what might happen
My wife keeps saying that anxiety has taken over her life.

Reading

For many people, having a dream is simply a common consequence of sleep. They forget about them the moment they wake up. Some, however, take dreams more seriously. Those who can remember their dreams after waking up often try to understand their meanings.Dream interpretation has always been important to people who believe dreams are connected to real life. Centuries ago, all major decisions depended on the dreams of emperors, kings and their advisers. Over time, people began realizing that they dream of some things more often than others. Then they began connecting those dreams to things that happened to them in real life. That is probably why nowadays we believe that dreaming of a pig means good luck, dreaming of a snake means danger, and dreaming of having a tooth pulled out means death.Some people believe that dreams should not be taken literally. They claim that dreams might actually have a meaning that is completely opposite from reality. For instance, if you were sad in your dream, that could mean joy and happiness in your life. Some assume that dreams are, in fact, warnings of what might happen to a person. Psychologists tend to perceive dreams as suppressed desires or anxieties.

1. What do some people think dreaming about a snake means?

2. What do some people think dreaming about having a tooth pulled out means?

3. How do psychologists perceive dreams?

Discussion

1. What do you usually dream about?

2. Why do you think you dream of something or someone?

3. Do you ever try to interpret your dreams? Why?

4. Describe the best dream you can remember.






-Tracy Luu-