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Cottingley Fairies Comprehension

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Cottingley Fairies Comprehension Reading comprehension Many people might recognise the pictures featured on this page but many won’t know the story behind them. In fact, it is hard to believe that the girls in these images and the actions they took became so well-known. Read on to find out more about the girls and the infamous ‘Cottingley Fairies’ and then decide for yourself whether you would have been fooled or not! Over one hundred years ago, in1917, two girls – Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (9) – went down to the stream at the bottom of their garden and took some photographs of fairies. The cousins had actually copied the fairies from a children’s book and were paper cut-outs, posed to look like they were playing alongside the children. Yet, despite the photographs seemingly lacking authenticity to the modern eye, these photographs were believed by a huge number of people and the girls became instantly famous! After posing with the sprites, the girls developed the photographs in Elsie’s father’s darkroom before then presenting them to their families as evidence that fairies were real. It is hard to know whether the girls thought that their families would believe them and, whilst their father was scornful, their mother accepted their story as the truth. Two years later, Elsie’s mother showed the photographs at a meeting of the Theosophical Society (a group dedicated to exploring unexplained phenomena). Whilst the photographs can now obviously be identified as a hoax, at the time, the members of the Society (particularly a leading member of the Society, Edward Gardner) accepted the photographs as real and began a campaign to convince the public that the images were valid. Gardner gave lectures on the photographs, copied them and passed them round at various meetings. At first, the press were sceptical; however, during World War I, spiritualism and mysticism gained popularity with a British public who were grieving at the loss of their loved ones. Many were eager to believe that the existence of another, better world did exist and they were keen to communicate with it. grammarsaurus.co.uk Now, many people might assume that it was only the uneducated and most desperate people who believed this tale. That was not the case! Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – a trained physician and the creator of Sherlock Holmes – was a supporter of the notion that the fairies were authentic. Doyle, who was a noted spiritualist, thought the photographs were evidence that it was possible to communicate with spiritual worlds. Surprisingly, Doyle also published an article about the photographs in ‘The Strand’ magazine and sent Gardner to interview the girls and take more photographs of the fairies. Arthur Conan Doyle It would be interesting to know how the girls reacted to the reaction to their fictional beings. In 1983, the cousins finally Were they worried that their simple hoax had got admitted that they had faked the out of hand? Did they enjoy the attention it photographs; however, they garnered? maintained that they had still witnessed the fairies. Frances’ It seems that the girls lacked any sense of guilt as daughter still insists that the they later produced three more photographs, also fairies were real as she doesn’t featuring fairies. Once again, these images are believe that her mother would clearly fake; yet, still, Gardner and Doyle still ever lie! believed the girls. This time, Gardner took a psychic to Cottingley, who said that the whole place was overrun with fairies! Key Facts • Year first spotted: 1917 • Parties involved: Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (10) • Location: Cottingley, near Bradford, England • Supporters: Edward Gardner and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle • Year the cousins admitted it was a lie: 1983 grammarsaurus.co.uk Questions 1. A synonym for ‘infamous’ is ‘dishonourable’. Why might the author have selected this adjective to describe the Cottingley Fairies? (1 mark) 2. Where did the children claim to find the fairies? Circle one. (1 mark) in the forest by the lake in their house next to the stream 3. Were the fairies real? How do you know? (2 marks) 4.a) ‘…despite the photographs seemingly lacking authenticity to the modern eye…’ What does the word ‘authenticity’ mean in this sentence? Tick one. (1 mark) authority colourfulness genuineness wonderment b) ‘…despite the photographs seemingly lacking authenticity to the modern eye…’ What does the author mean by this phrase? (1 mark) 5. What word in the text shows that the father did not believe what was in the girls’ photographs? (1 mark) 6. How might the girls have felt about Elsie’s mother’s reaction? Why? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (3 marks) grammarsaurus.co.uk 7. Link the words from the text to their closest synonym. (3 marks) hoax doubtful convince persuade sceptical trick 8. Why might World War I have caused people to believe in mythical things such as fairies? (2 marks) 9.a) Which famous person believed that the photographs were real? (1 mark) b) Why is it surprising that he believed in it? (2 marks) 10. Explain why the girls’ reaction to the attention might be considered surprising. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (3 marks) 11. ‘’Once again, these images are clearly fake…’ What does this suggest about how the author feels about the validity of the images? Why? (2 marks) 12. When were the photographs revealed as being fraudulent? (1 mark) 13. Which word in the text shows that Frances’ daughter strongly believes that her mother was telling the truth? (1 mark) grammarsaurus.co.uk Answers 1. A synonym for ‘infamous’ is ‘dishonourable’. Why might the author have selected this adjective to describe the Cottingley Fairies? (1 mark) because they were fictional/ made up/ not real/ fabricated 2. Where did the children claim to find the fairies? Circle one. (1 mark) in the forest by the lake in their house next to the stream 3. Were the fairies real? How do you know? (2 marks) No – they were created by the two girls and copied from a children’s book onto paper and then cut out. / No – the girls admitted they were fake in 1983. 4.a) ‘…despite the photographs seemingly lacking authenticity to the modern eye…’ What does the word ‘authenticity’ mean in this sentence? Tick one. (1 mark) authority colourfulness genuineness wonderment b) ‘…despite the photographs seemingly lacking authenticity to the modern eye…’ What does the author mean by this phrase? (1 mark) the photographs were not very realistic particularly to people looking at the photographs in the twenty-first century. 5. What word in the text shows that the father did not believe what was in the girls’ photographs? (1 mark) scornful 6. How might the girls have felt about Elsie’s mother’s reaction? Why? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (3 marks) The girls might have been surprised that Elsie’s mother believed them and was willing to share their photographs with other people. This is because Elsie’s father had not believed them so they might have thought that her mother would have a similar opinion. Also, the girls might have thought that no one would believe them as they had copied the images form a children’s book on pieces of paper and cut them out to use as props and were clearly not very realistic. grammarsaurus.co.uk 7. Link the words from the text to their closest synonym. (3 marks) hoax doubtful convince persuade sceptical trick 8. Why might World War I have caused people to believe in mythical things such as fairies? (2 marks) The war was devastating and caused a great loss of life and people were grieving for those they had lost. This grief might have made them more eager to believe that there was anoth- er, better world, where mythical beings such as fairies existed as this was preferable to the war-torn world that they currently lived in. 9.a) Which famous person believed that the photographs were real? (1 mark) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle b) Why is it surprising that he believed in it? (2 marks) He was a trained physician (doctor) and a famous author. To be a doctor he had to be highly intelligent and yet he believed in these mythical beings. 10. Explain why the girls’ reaction to the attention might be considered surprising. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (3 marks) When the girls were interviewed by someone who held an important position in a Society, they lied and produced more photographs rather than revealing the truth. Rather than being worried at being caught out and told off, they continued with the lie which is surpris- ing, especially for Elsie who would have been an adult by this time. 11. ‘’Once again, these images are clearly fake…’ What does this suggest about how the author feels about the validity of the images? Why? (2 marks) by using the words ‘clearly fake’ it suggests that the author thinks that it was obvious that the photographs weren’t real and that everyone who looked at them should have realised that they had been manufactured. By using the term ‘clearly’ it suggests that those who believed the photographs were lacking intelligence. 12. When were the photographs revealed as being fraudulent? (1 mark) 1983 13. Which word in the text shows that Frances’ daughter strongly believes that her mother was telling the truth? (1 mark) insists grammarsaurus.co.uk.
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