In the distant past, the beginnings of the world and of society were explained inmythology. Mythology is the rich   16    of tales from different cultures about how the world was  17  and why certain things happen. Today the word “myth” is often used to describe something that is made up. Myths tell of gods or other supreme beings, heroes and events that are—or were   18  —believed to be true.Thousands of years ago, humankind did not have the sciences to help them  19  life. They did not know why the sun rises each morning, why the moon changes   20  or why the seasons change. Ancient peoples witnessed sickness, death and natural disasters but they did not know   21    caused them. To explain the world around them, groups of people  22  their own accounts about nature and life. These stories were usually not recorded. Instead, they were part of a(n)  23  tradition, meaning they developed slowly and were  24   , from one generation to another through telling stories. Upon hearing the 25 , people accepted them as the truth.   26  , myths became beliefs. It is for this reason    27  mythology is closely associated with religion.Mythmaking,   28  superstition, is not the sole property of people who lived thousands of years ago. It has traditionally looked to the past to try to make sense   29    the present. Some modem myths look to the future. Storytellers make use of the   30   inventions of the last few centuries to give vivid depictions of what Earth may be like hundreds of years from now. They imagine life on worlds billions of light-years away in space or far in the future.

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