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Superstitions
Superstitions

Learn English with this superstitions English lesson

Date: Dec 27 2019

Themes: Health, Hobbies

Grammar: Imperative Form

Intro

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It’s not uncommon to find superstitions in cultures around the world. In the United States, some people believe that you should carry a good luck charm and you should avoid black cats. In China, the number 8 (eight) is lucky, and the number 4 (four) is unlucky. In Russia, you should never hand money directly to another person, and you should only use your right hand.

It’s hard to know how or why any superstitions were created, but millions of people are dependent on them and believe they are powerful. It can be comforting to feel that there’s a reason that a bad event has happened in your life, and also comforting to feel that you can stop more bad events from happening if you pay attention to superstitions.

Are Lily and Marni superstitious? Find out in today’s English lesson.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Lily

Lily

Marni

Marni

Lily:  Marni, is that a rabbit’s foot?

Marni:  Yes.

Lily:  So, I take it you’re superstitious.

Marni:  I am so superstitious. I have to have good luck charms on me at all times or I believe bad things will happen to me!

Lily:  That must be kind of scary to be dependent on inanimate objects like that.

Marni:  I find it comforting. I mean, I just don’t think anything is a coincidence. I think everything happens for a reason, and the more you arm yourself with good luck charms, and you don’t walk under a ladder or you don’t step on a crack…

Lily:  Definitely don’t break a mirror!

Marni:  Exactly. I really think that if you heed certain things, that good things will happen.

Lily:  So, how did these superstitions come about? Did you just decide to become superstitious one day?

Marni:  Oh, no. It’s been passed down in my family, so I’ve always been very aware of it.

Lily:  OK.

 

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Discussion

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Marni and her family are superstitious. She carries good luck charms, for example, and she’s careful to avoid doing things that will bring her bad luck.

It doesn’t seem like Lily believes in the same superstitions, but she doesn’t make fun of Marni. It’s quite common for people to share the same beliefs, and it’s not like Lily hasn’t learned them, too.

Are you superstitious? What do you believe will give you good or bad luck?

 

Comments

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luciferted

China

I am not superitious, but my mother is very superitions.

01:43 AM Dec 29 2019 |

ShiningSun

ShiningSun

United Kingdom

I’m least superstitious. But I feel that if I don’t treat weak and poor gently it will bring curse on me. I believe kindness and civility bring good luck.
However, I think if someone believe on superstitions, it do work on them; not because of lucky charms or unlucky objects but because they subconsciously react to it accordingly. For instance, if black cat is unlucky object for some people, it will make them scared and this will lead them to clumsy situations.

02:10 AM Jan 31 2018 |

vik32

vik32

India

To be honest i amn’t very much into superstitious things. but sometimes it becomes very hard not to believe or to follow as people around you following that. you might not be following right now but whenever you have a hard time you try to do each and everything to get you good luck back.


here in india i have always been told not to cut off nails on thursday, not to wash clothes on thursday, not to eat non veg on tuesday etc etc. 


i believe everything is in your mind now its upto you. i am neither in favor of this nor against it.

10:00 AM Oct 06 2014 |

Besarta

Albania

In my country it is were common to belive and heed in such an inamate object,you cant imagine even worst it is a thought that you should not cat you nailns on Tuesday evening,next dont pass the same round when cats walk,or turn back three steps after cats pasing road.The old generation feel very comfort attending their opinion and advise young people to heed and arm onself  the think they could prevnt  beliving on superstitions and in this way by telling different stories to make them dependent.

05:10 PM Jan 22 2014 |

1 person likes this

Staisy

Staisy

Russian Federation

Superstitions connect us with ancient time and even now they are still powerfull, and impact on our behaviour.I remember coming to visit my friend and suddenly a bird flew in. After we  turned  it out,my friend became sad, as she thought that it was a bad sign to her. I think, all this beliefs are so much deep in our conscience, that it is difficult to get rid from them at the moment. Logically I know, that it is an absurdity to search for any connection among a black cat, crossing a road in front of you in the morning, and  your  failures in the evening, but in fact I  feel myself a bit uneasy when see it on my way.By the  way, I used to think that to see a black cat was a bad sign only in Europe,  but from the lesson it is clear now, that this kind of superstition is spreaded more widely.


There is a great numer of different superstitions in my country for getting luck, money, happyness, grief, leaving and so on. All our wishes and fears are reflected there.


However, I dont consider superstitions to be absolutely negative, as they add some mystery in our life and make it not so much rational.



03:35 PM Jan 06 2014 |

ahmet55

ahmet55

Germany

Well. Certainly, there are some superstitious thoughts in my local culture however i’ve never believed them at all. It’s hard to accept things without making sense tome. Generallyspekaing , I should say i’m not superstitious  boy . 



One of incredible believes is to see a cat in the morning. People with this attitude thing that sth will go wrong with them and they will be inbig  trouble if it happen to them. I saw some cats at twilight and even black ones though, but it was a normal day to me like other days. It’s weird, han.



It’s not usual in here to use good luck charms although rarely a few guys use some kinds of necklace to protect them. That’s odd. The truth is that most of the possible events are based on probabilistic theories like probability laws in the statistic science. 

07:55 PM Jan 01 2014 |

1 person likes this

marwa89

marwa89

Syrian Arab Republic

just try to read ” Law of Attraction”and “The Secret” then u come to believe in superstitions; thinking and (believing) in good things bring u good luck.


Believing not that easy process by the way, u need to have strong heart and clear mind

07:26 PM Dec 29 2013 |

asalam25

Pakistan

                 I don’t believe in any superstitious influnces, it is over good and bad deeds that comes in different faces some time  good and some time in wicked shape.

06:35 PM Dec 29 2013 |

idioms

idioms

United Kingdom

I don’t trust superstitius things, I am not superstitius at all.

02:00 PM Dec 29 2013 |

Zuxraxon

Zuxraxon

Uzbekistan

i think, its up to God if some event happens or dont..if you are lucky or not..and etc. 


Superstition is just people’s imagination, in my opinion!

01:26 PM Dec 29 2013 |

hamri abdelkhalak

Algeria

god is the greatest

06:37 AM Dec 29 2013 |

sweetsweeta12

Pakistan

I don’t believe in superstitions… I m not superstitious….I belive in God…

06:27 AM Dec 29 2013 |

hamri abdelkhalak

Algeria

the superstition is like a chains prevents the human of thinking and working free

06:00 AM Dec 29 2013 |

hamri abdelkhalak

Algeria

these superstitions are unbelievable in islam … in the islam there s no place to these lies and superstitions…we just believe in god and his angels and his books and his all prophets and messengers and the last day and the good or the bad destiny 

05:43 AM Dec 29 2013 |

rosaura

Costa Rica

I amnot supertitious at all

04:51 AM Dec 29 2013 |

theargentine

Argentina

Very superstitious, writings on the wall, Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall ♫ :D

11:06 PM Dec 28 2013 |

merllan

merllan

Bulgaria

I am sometimes superstitious. When my right eye winks good things happen to me.

10:17 PM Dec 28 2013 |

Memmo

Memmo

Egypt

I have never think of superstitions. I only believe in Allah. and think of real things, and work hard to achieve my goals.


09:36 PM Dec 28 2013 |

kenlin16

kenlin16

Taiwan

I  believe if one need a great success, he/she must need lucks or a big luck. Being heavily spurestitious seems to be uneccessary.I am a litte suprestitous about how a couple  go through  an obsatckle . I belive it is a good luck they go through it in the same dirction whether it is right or left, as long as they don’t go seperate ways which is a symbolism of seperation or the end of a relationship .

06:45 PM Dec 28 2013 |

sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I believe in luck cause i am such a bad luck person…


I think luck is sth which is true for every one but being superstitious is sth different!


I’m not superstitius and i don’t believe in things like black cat or other things!

03:32 PM Dec 28 2013 |

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