Chris: Sue, do you know why people say, “knock on wood” when they want to avoid
bad luck?
Susan: It sounds a bit funny. As far as I know, it has a lot to do with ancient Celtic
people. They worshipped trees. Chris: Sounds interesting.
Susan: They thoughts trees would suck demons back into the ground.
Chris: Well, when you think about the deep roots, their belief seems to make some senses. Susan: What?s more, knocking on wood was a way to brag without being punished.
People once thought that evil spirits would become jealous if good fortune was pointed out to them
Chris: Uh, yes, go on.
Susan: well, by knocking on wood three times, the noise could frightened away the
evil spirits, and they couldn?t have to rob the braggart of that good fortune
Chris: I?m afraid those who don?t know this superstition might be frightened away as
well.
Susan: Now here?s a test. Do you know how the custom of kissing under the mistletoe originated?
Chris: I haven?t the slightest idea, but I?m all ears.
Susan: Again this is a custom that dates back to the ancient Celts. Since they
worshipped trees, they conducted many of their ceremonies in the woods in the shade of trees.
Chris: Now I see. Probably it?s under these mistletoe trees that weddings took place. Susan: I wish you were standing under some mistletoe right now. Chris: Luckily I?m not. Touch wood.
MODEL2 Is there any relationship between superstitions and real life? Script
Chris: It?s strange that so many people are superstitious. There must be some
relationship between superstitions and real life.
Susan: You know, Richard Wiseman, a British psychologist researched the
relationship between superstition and luck.
Chris: What did he find? Most people would be interested. At least I would
Susan: He polled ,000 people and fond that people who believe themselves to be
lucky tend to go for positive superstitions .They may wear a ring as a talisman or often say,” touch wood” for good luck.
Chris: Then, what about the unlucky people? Do you mean if they think they ate
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unlucky, they tend to believe in superstitions abut bad luck.
Susan: Yeah. They worry a lot about a broken mirror, a black cat running across their
path, and so on.
Chris: So what is his point? Susan: His point is that people make their own luck by their attitude to life. So, 49
percent of lucky people regularly cross their fingers, compared to 30 percent of unlucky people. And only 18 percent of lucky people are anxious if they break a mirror.
Chris: So, our fate is linked to our attitude rather than to our superstitions. Susan: I think that?s what he is suggesting. Chris: This research seems too complicates. If I were a psychologist, I would conduct a survey to find whether 13 really is an unlucky number. I f there ere traffic accidents or murders on the 13th than on other days, then we have to believe in superstitions.
Susan: What if there weren?t?
Chris: Then I wouldn?t be superstitious. Susan: What a brilliant idea! I never expected you to be as wise as Solomon. Chris: Well as long as you don?t think I?m a fool.
MODEL3 I believe ETs have visited the earth before. Script
Nora: Hey, what?s this picture of yours? It looks like a flying saucer.
Chris: It is. I was visited by aliens last week and this is a picture of their spacecraft. Nora: When I look closer, it resembles a liver Frisbee.
Chris: But it could have been aliens. I believe ETs have visited the earth before. What do you think?
Nora: It would be hard to believe otherwise. Projects like the pyramids are difficult to explain away, given the level of technology that was available at the time Chris: That?s for sure. They are mysterious. Nora: When you consider all those “impossibilities, it?s tempting to infer that some highly advanced civilization assisted humans in their construction.
Chris: Think about this: if you were abducted by aliens and taken up to their spaceship or something …well… Nora: What do you mean?
Chris: I mean, who would believe you? You?d go nuts telling everyone: “It?s true! I
was abducted by aliens!”
Nora: And everyone would think you were crazy, or just making up a story to get attention. Chris: From what I understand, sometimes these people do go crazy, trying to
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convince people about their experiences.
Nora: I believe that in some cases they offer pretty good evidence.
Chris: So, take a closer look at this picture. Do you still think it?s a Frisbee?
Now Your Turn Task 1
SAMPLE DIALOG
Simon: Eliza, do you know why people say” keep your fingers crossed” when they
want to wish others luck?
Eliza: It sounds a bit funny. As far as I know, it?s a lot to do with an ancient
Christian belief.
Simon: Uh, go on.
Eliza: In the Christian belief “making the sign of the cross” would keep away evil
spirits and bad luck.
Simon: I see. When you think about the cross, sign of Christianity, that belief seems
to make some sense.
Eliza: That?s true. That?s why children often cross their fingers when they tell a
small lie. They want to keep bad luck away, or to avoid being punished.
Simon: Sounds interesting. So, I?ll cross my fingers for you before you take the final
examination.
Eliza: Thank you.
Simon: But those who don?t understand this superstition might be puzzled
Eliza: With interesting communications among nations, more and more people can
understand it now.
V. Let’s Talk
Script
Thanks, perhaps, to falling stock markets and unrest in the Middle East, Britons have become even more superstitious than usual, according to a report published today. “There has been a significant increase in superstition over the last month, possible as a result of current economic and political uncertainties,” stated Dr. Dick Armstrong. He launched an Internet Survey of national superstition, and found it to be surprisingly high, even among those with a scientific background. Only more in ten of those surveyed claimed not to be superstitious at all. Three out of four people in Britain feel the need to touch wood, and 65% cross their fingers.
It is interesting to note that lucky people were much less superstitious and tended to take constructive action to improve their lives. Conversely, superstitious people
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tended to regard themselves as among the less lucky, worried about life, had a strong need for control, and could not tolerate ambiguity.
The survey also revealed some unexpected beliefs. For example, one respondent could not stay in the bathroom once a toilet had been flushed.
There was no evidence that superstitious ever worked, even, when people were instructed to carry lucky charms for a week. They didn?t feel any luckier or more stratified with their lives at the end of that week than when they started.
Armstrong attempted to explain this phenomenon: “When students are preparing for exams with a lucky charm, they may trust the charm, rather than doing some extra revision.” Reasons foe More Thanks, perhaps, to falling stock markets and unrest in the Superstitions Middle East, Britons have become even more superstitious than usual Lucky people were much less superstitions and tended to take constructive action to improve their lives. Conversely, superstitious people tended to regard themselves as among the Who are more less lucky superstitious? There was no evidence that superstitious ever worked, even, when people were instructed to carry lucky charms for a week. Do superstitions They didn?t feel any luckier or more satisfied work? Explanation
When students are preparing for exams with a lucky charm, they may trust the charm, rather than doing some extra revision. VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: Horseshoes as a Sign of Good Luck Script
Horseshoes are a traditional sign of good luck. Most people believe this comes from the fact that the horseshoe is shaped like the crescent moon, a period of prosperity and good fortune. One legend has it that the Devil was in disguise and wandering at large, looking for trouble. He happened to call on St. Dunstan, who ea skilled in shoeing horses. St. Dunstan recognized the Devil and tied him to a wall with only his feet free to move. He then set to work shoeing him as though he were a horse, but with such roughness the Devil cried out for mercy. St. Dunstan stopped his work and released the Devil after making him promise never to enter a home on which a horseshoe was fixed. Witches fear horses, so they are also turned away by a door with a horseshoe mounted on it. The big issue regarding horseshoes is whether they should be hung
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