bring you seven years of misfortune. The reason behind this belief stems from the old idea that a person's soul is in their reflection, so if you smash your mirror, your soul will be damaged too, dooming you to an early death, and not giving you entry to heaven. Is there any way to reverse this bad luck? Yes, if you very carefully pick up all the broken pieces of the mirror and throw them into a river or stream, then the bad luck will be \

Of all numbers, 13 is the most associated with bad luck. Some people claim that the number is bad luck because 13 people sat down for the Last Supper before Jesus was crucified, and with this in mind few hosts will serve dinner with 13 at the table. And according to an ancient Norwegian tale, 12 gods had gathered for a feast when a 13th, Loki, entered. After the meal, Loki killed Baldr, who was the most beloved of all the gods.

Friday the 13th of any month is considered especially bad or unlucky, and Friday the 13th of March is the worst of them all.

The number seven also has some superstition connected to it. It is said that God created the world in seven days, and any association with the number is lucky. The seventh son of the seventh son is said to be the luckiest of men, and when people talk about the \itch\

mean that every seven years a person undergoes a complete change in personality.

Unit 6 listening in task 3

Thanks, perhaps, to falling stock markets and unrest in theMiddle East, Britons have become even more superstitious than usual, according to a report published today. \has been a significant increase in superstition over the last month, possibly as a result of current economic and political uncertainties,\Internet survey of national superstition, and found it to be surprisingly high, even among those with a scientific background. Only one in ten of those surveyed claimed not to be superstitious at all. Three out of four people inBritainfeel the need to touch wood, and 65 percent 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 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 superstitions ever worked, even when people were instructed to carry lucky charms for a week. They didn't feel any luckier or more satisfied with their lives at the end of that week than when they started.

Armstrong attempted to explain this phenomenon: \students are preparing for exams with a lucky charm, they may trust the charm, rather than doing some extra revision.\

falling stock markets even more superstitious much less

constructive action less lucky worked

more satisfied exams trust revision Let's talk Task 1 mystery inside out largest three million outside inner his theory used up the base 137-meter purpose tall, narrow 100,000 or so radar