




Myths and Monsters: Bigfoot

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Do you believe in myths and monsters?

For most people, myths and monsters are little more than the stuff of fantasy and sci-fi books and movies. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Alien all quickly come to mind. But some people believe that they have actually come face to face with the unknown and unexplainable. In fact, sometimes these myths turn out to be reality, as when people in Africa talked about a huge hairy beast in the jungles of the Congo. Finally, in 1902, science caught up with this rumor, and the result was the discovery of the mountain gorilla.

In North America, no large apes are known to exist, or so the science community states. Yet for centuries, reports of a giant man have been recorded. Ancient Native American stories talk about the presence of a protective, hairy man who acts as a go-between with nature. Old paintings also depict a fearsome creature that would feast on children. Native American tribes called this creature "Sasquatch." However, he's more commonly known as "Bigfoot."

US President Teddy Roosevelt wrote about such a hairy being in his 1892 book, The Wilderness Hunter. One man claimed to have been kidnapped by a family of such creatures in 1924. Many other sightings of a large, hairy, bi-pedal monster continued into the twentieth century. But in 1957, in a remote Californian forest, some road workers came across enormous footprints that measured forty-five centimeters long. The footprints and accompanying story received national coverage in the press, and started a craze of monster hunters.

In October 1967, two men were hunting for the monster in northern California. They were not only lucky to spot Bigfoot, but they were even luckier because they filmed him. At first, many people thought the film was nothing but a hoax. But in recent years, with the use of advanced video analysis, scientists and many other people now believe that the video shows actual footage of Bigfoot.

Every year, many people who camp, hike, or just live normal lives in rural communities report sightings of Bigfoot. The creature's height is said to range between 6 and 10 feet (1.8 and 3.9 meters respectively). He is covered in reddish or brownish hair from head to foot. He also of course has very, very big feet. There are many people trying to prove the existence of this being, and they follow up many leads and reported sightings.

Vast area of uninhabited forests and mountains in Canada and the US have yet to be thoroughly and properly explored. Could it be possible that a large, unknown humanoid lives among us? Other countries like Australia, Indonesia, and China have reported similar creatures too. It remains a mystery that may one day be solved.

So if you go for a vacation to the woods in North America, be careful. Keep your camera ready. Myths and monsters may exist.


Step 1: You will listen to an article about Bigfoot. The article is about 4.5 minutes long. Listen only, and don't worry about understanding everything.
Step 2: Read and understand the questions, then listen again. As you are listening, try toanswer the questions in your head. Don't write the answers yet. Next, listen again and write the answers this time. Check your answers with a partner.
Step 3: Read the article. Check in your dictionary any unknown words. Now listen again. Can you understand more?
Step 4: Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to the article on the train or in your free time. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!

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