Superstitions: video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quOdF1CAPXs

1_Before watching: Match the phrases with their definitions.

1 be familiar with A a kind of number used in ancient Rome

2 avoid doing something B the reason why something is done
3 origin C a favour or protection from (a) god
4 to be common D a Chinese language
5 blessing E to try not to do something
6 Roman numeral F the chance that you’re going to remember is high
7 Cantonese G where something comes from
8 purpose H to be the reason for something
9 absentminded I to know something
10 to cause an accident / a cause for J not thinking about what you’re doing at the moment
11 to cling to something K to be the same for many people
12 to be irrational L to keep yourself from doing something you want to
do
13 to resist something M to keep holding on to something
14 to be likely to remember N not using logic to think about something

2_Before watching: Look at the questions and try to guess the answers. Mark them with a pencil.
1) What is the origin of the fear of the number 13?
a) there were 13 people in a plane that crashed
b) there were 13 people at the Last Supper in the Bible
c) there were 13 floors in a building that collapsed

2) What is triskaidekaphobia?
a) a fear of being arrested
b) a fear of living on the 13th floor
c) a fear of the number 13

3) Why is knocking on wood supposed to be lucky?

a) people believed the tree spirit would bless them
b) people believed they could become a tree spirit

4) Which numbers are believed to be unlucky in Italy and China? Why?

5) Which superstition was once good advice?

a) don’t step on a crack in the pavement
b) avoid the number 13
c) don’t whistle in the theater

6) What is the superstition connected to smoking?

a) you should not smoke three cigarettes at once
b) three people should not smoke together
c) you should not light three cigarettes with one match

7) How could superstitions help sportspeople?

a) they don’t think about losing so much
b) they believe they are better and so they really are better
c) they won’t remember when they’ve lost
8) Where do many common superstitions come from?
a) medicine
b) sports
c) religion

3_After watching: go through the questions again and correct your guesses.

4_After watching: complete these sentences by choosing the correct phrases/words from nr. 1:

1_Whether or not you believe in them, you’re probably familiar / irrational with some of these superstitions.

2_Many of the superstitions have weirdly specific blessings / origins.

3_Now, the fear of the number 13 is so irrational / common that many buildings skip the 13th floor.

4_People believed a tree spirit would give them a purpose / blessing.

5_In Italy, the number 17 is feared because the Roman numerals / Cantonese for 17 spelled out “My life had
ended”.

6_The word for the number 4 sounds almost identical to the word for “death” in Roman numerals/ Cantonese.

7_Some superstitions made sense until we forgot their original purpose / blessing.

8_ Absentminded / irrational whistles from other people could cause / remember an accident on stage.

9_So why do people cause / cling to these coincidences or advice? Aren’t they being totally irrational / familiar?

10_It’s easier to follow the superstition than to cause / avoid it.

11_You’re more likely / familiar to remember hitting a home run while wearing your lucky socks.