warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in .../includes/form.inc on line 948.

When I try to import using the demo, I get this error

"warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in .../includes/form.inc on line 948."

line 948:

----------------------------------------------------------------

/**
* Format a dropdown menu or scrolling selection box.
*
* @param $element
* An associative array containing the properties of the element.
* Properties used: title, value, options, description, extra, multiple, required
* @return
* A themed HTML string representing the form element.
*
* It is possible to group options together; to do this, change the format of
* $options to an associative array in which the keys are group labels, and the
* values are associative arrays in the normal $options format.
*/
function theme_select($element) {
$select = '';
$size = $element['#size'] ? ' size="' . $element['#size'] . '"' : '';
_form_set_class($element, array('form-select'));
$multiple = isset($element['#multiple']) && $element['#multiple'];
return theme('form_element', $element, '
'. form_select_options($element) .'

');
}

function form_select_options($element, $choices = NULL) {
if (!isset($choices)) {
$choices = $element['#options'];
}
// array_key_exists() accommodates the rare event where $element['#value'] is NULL.
// isset() fails in this situation.
$value_valid = isset($element['#value']) || array_key_exists('#value', $element);
$value_is_array = is_array($element['#value']);
$options = '';
foreach ($choices as $key => $choice) { *<-------------------------****this is line 948****
if (is_array($choice)) {
$options .= '';
$options .= form_select_options($element, $choice);
$options .= '';
}
elseif (is_object($choice)) {
$options .= form_select_options($element, $choice->option);
}
else {
$key = (string)$key;
if ($value_valid && (!$value_is_array && (string)$element['#value'] === $key || ($value_is_array && in_array($key, $element['#value'])))) {
$selected = ' selected="selected"';
}
else {
$selected = '';
}
$options .= ''. check_plain($choice) .'';
}
}
return $options;
}

-----------------------------------------------------

this error seems to happen with a few other modules as well, I can go thru them and find them if required.

I checked, and there seems to be no table in the sql database for import_html. is this a problem?

I am using drupal 5, on an ubuntu system running apache2, php5, mysql, and phpmyadmin.
I have the tidy binary insatlled, and there are no error reports there.
what could cause this error? I am new to drupal, and I LOVE IT. And while I can do a bit of BASIC html, I am still a bit confused on how to make static drupal pages, so this module is very attractive to me. Any help is appreciated!