Download MYTHS IN OUR MODERN WORLD

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MYTHS IN OUR MODERN WORLD
How many things in your life allude to Greek and Roman mythology?
Write the letter of the mythological character or event next to its reference in the
following story. Some of them will be used more than once. There are 16
references total in the story.
A. Aphrodite (Venus) is the goddess of love, beauty, unity, and peace. The gentle
dove is her symbol.
B. Ares (Mars) is the god of war. Armor, the spear, the dog, and birds of prey are his
symbols.
C. Demeter (Ceres) is the goddess of agriculture.
D. Athena sprang full grown from Zeus’s skull. She was a wise goddess who gave
man many inventions. Her symbols are the owl and the olive tree. Athens was her
city.
E. When this great Greek warrior was a boy, his mother, hoping to make him
immortal, dipped him in the River Styx, but she held him by his heel so,
unfortunately, that part of him remained vulnerable to injury.
F. This Greek warrior was capable of destroying all who came his way. Today, a
powerful cleanser bears his name.
G. Cronos was the father of Zeus. We know him as Father Time, the old man with
the scythe. In Greek his name means time.
H. The goddess Athena taught the young woman Arachne to weave. Arachne
became so skillful that she challenged Athena to a weaving contest and so angered
the goddess that she changed Arachne into a spider.
I. Hermes (Mercury) moved swiftly because he had winged sandals and a winged
cap.
J. Nike, the goddess of victory, rewarded winners of athletic contests. A famous
statue of Nike, found on the island of Samothrace, is called the Winged Victory of
Samothrace.
K. The god of the woods and fields, a lover of entertainment and a satyr, Pan’s name
means all or every. When Zeus was winning against the Titans, Pan shouted with
joy. Later he said that it was the fear inspired by his shout that caused them to run.
L. Poseidon (Neptune) is god of the sea. He is said to have a great palace at the
bottom of the ocean and carry a three-pronged trident.
The Story…
Let’s say that when you got up this morning, you took a shower and
noticed that your mother bought a new type of shampoo called Ocean
Blue with a trident on the label. As your mom yelled up the stairs, you
washed your face with Dove soap before going down to breakfast.
You were in a hurry so all you had time for was a quick bowl of corn
cereal, but it was already too late. You missed the bus. Your mom had
to give you a ride in the Mercury.
In your first class, you took out your Venus brand pencil to do your
algebra. English came next. You were expected to write a paragraph
listing last week’s events in chronological order. In Science, your
teacher explained the characteristics of arachnids. In Social Studies,
your class, divided into hawks and doves, had a lively debate about our
country’s military policies.
After school, you put on your Nike running shoes for track and boasted
to your best friend that you might as well have wings on your feet. You
intended to run that fast. Later, however, your coach told you that your
time was off, probably because your Achilles tendon was still sore from
last week’s injury. There was no need to panic he told you – it would
probably just take a few more days to get back to normal.
Back home, you checked the list your mom left you and saw that she
wanted you to clean the bathroom tub with Ajax. Gross, but at least it
wouldn’t take that long. Later, with chores and homework finished, you
knew you would able to kick back and play video games on the living
room Panasonic flat screen. Maybe your mom would even let you eat
some Wise potato chips while you played. Earlier you had seen the big
blue bag with the owl printed on the front in the pantry.