Unit Four: Friday the 13th

UNIT FOUR
FRIDAY THE 13th

BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Long considered a harbinger of bad luck, Friday the 13th has

inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th -century
novel, a horror film franchise and not one but two unwieldy terms —
paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia —that
describe fear of this supposedly unlucky day.

The Fear of 13
Just like walking under a ladder, cr ossing paths with a black cat or
breaking a mirror, many people hold fast to the belief that Friday
the 13th brings bad luck. Though it’s uncertain exactly when this
particular tradition began, negative superstitions have swirled
around the number 13 for c enturies.

(Source: https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/friday-the-13th)

NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY!

Click the following link > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGWDMKOH3l4

< Then listen to it carefully. You may repeat it several times.

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 Unit Four: Friday the 13th

AFTER YOU LISTEN

 Do You Know?

A Brief History of Friday the 13th

The number 13 has been unlucky for centuries. Some historians peg the superstition
to the 13 people who attended the Last Supper (neither Jesus nor Judas came out of
that one O.K.), but ancient Babylon's Code of Hammurabi omits the number 13 in
its list of laws, so the superstition dates back to at least 1700 BC.

The number's association with Friday, however, didn't take hold until the 20th
century. In 1907, eccentric Boston stockbroker Thomas Lawson published a book
called Friday the Thirteenth, which told of an evil businessman's attempt to crash
the stock market on the unluckiest day of the month. Thanks to an extensive ad
campaign, the book sold well: nearly 28,000 copies within the first week. In 1916 the
book was turned into a feature-length silent film.

For further reading, go to:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1879288,00.html or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th

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 Unit Four: Friday the 13th

T.G.I.F
Going out for a drink (- usually means an alcoholic beverage) after work is usually
reserved for Fridays or special occasions. On Fridays in the U.S., you may hear the
expression “T.G.I.F.” This means “Thank Goodness/God It’s Friday! (the end of the
work week for most people). Because most people have to drive home, they usually
have only one or two drinks. Many people prefer to have coffee or a soft drink (- is a
non-alcoholic beverage, of carbonated) instead of an alcoholic drink.

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