Thursday, 8 December 2022

Superstitions

Complete each gap with an appropriate form of the root word in brackets. You may need to add a prefix or suffix or use a plural form to fit the sentence. 

1. This place has such great ______________ for me. I remember the wonderful holidays we used to have here when I was a child. (associate) 

2. My parents were really happy when my sister got engaged. They gave her their ________________. (bless) 

3. Henry? Is that you? I can’t believe you’re on holiday in the same hotel as we are, during the same week. What a ________________ ! (incident) 

4. I’m sorry, but I’ve got an ___________________ fear of dogs. I don’t know why I feel this way, but I just can’t be near them. (rational) 

5. She uses ___________________ from the fashion industry to make beautiful handbags. (remain) 

6. You think we know what we’re doing? I’m afraid not - it’s all an ________________ ! (illusory)

Complete each gap in the notes with three words from the video. 

 

1. Many superstitions have ________________ origins. 
2. Because of the Last Supper, having 13 people ___________________ was seen to be bad luck. 
3. Today some buildings miss out ________________________. 
4. In Indo-European folklore, you could receive _________________from wood spirits by touching a tree. 
5. While some superstitions are religious, others are based on _______________________. 
6. Italians associate the number 17 with the phrase "my ._____________________" 
7. _______________________________ reminds Chinese speakers of the phrase "must die." 
8. In the past, whistling backstage at a theatre could ______________________ . 
9. _________________________ from the same match could be dangerous for soldiers during war. 
10. If you have learned to avoid walking under a ladder, doing this will ______________________ even if you know it’s not logical. 
11. Knocking on wood doesn’t  _________________ so people carry on doing it. 
12. Believing that your lucky socks make you play better gives you the illusion of _________________________ over events. 

Read these sentences from the talk and complete the gaps with a suitable discourse marker from the list. Then listen again to the talk or use the transcript to check your ideas. 
  • After all
  • Along the same lines
  • believe it or not
  • Besides
  • Of course
  • Similarly
  • So
  • somehow
  • Well 
1. _______________ how did it happen that people all over the world knock on wood, or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks? 
2. _______________ , although they have no basis in science, many of these weirdly specific beliefs and practices do have equally weird and specific origins. 
3. _______________, many people consider the story of the Last Supper to be true but other superstitions come from religious traditions that few people believe in or even remember. 
4. And _______________, this tradition survived long after belief in these spirits had faded away. 
5. _______________, the word for the number four sounds almost identical to the word for death in Cantonese ... 
6. And _______________, some superstitions actually make sense, or at least they did until we forgot their original purpose. 
7. _______________ , lighting three cigarettes from the same match really could cause bad luck if you were a soldier in a foxhole...
8. _______________, no one is born knowing to avoid walking under ladders or whistling indoors... 
9. _______________, superstitions often do seem to work.

We use these words to make predictions about the future, often based on superstitions. Read these sentences and then underline four verbs and circle four nouns that relate to this function. 

1. A high fever presaged more severe or long-term effects of the disease in some patients. 

2. This is a sign that the economy is recovering. 

3. High unemployment may foreshadow social unrest. 

4. I saw a rainbow on my way to the job interview. This must be a good omen. 

5. It doesn’t bode well that the hotel has lost our booking. 

6. Many people see this company as a bellwether showing important trends for the future of this market. 

7. Some people say that a red sky at dawn is a portent of bad weather. 

8. Your marks on the practice exam augur well for the future

KEY:


VOCABULARY:1. associations 2. blessing(s) 3. coincidence 4. irrational 5. remnants 6. illusion 

LISTENING: 1. weird and specific 2. at a table 3. the thirteenth floor 4. protection or blessing 5. coincidences and associations 6. life had ended 7. The number 14 8. cause an accident 9. Lighting three cigarettes 10. make you uncomfortable 11. require much effort 12. having greater control 

WRITING:LINKERS: 1. So 2. Well 3. Of course 4. somehow 5. Similarly 6. believe it or not 7. Along the same lines 8. After all 9. Besides


Very superstitious,
Writing's on the wall,Very superstitious,Ladders bout' to fall,Thirteen month old baby,Broke the lookin' glassSeven years of bad luck,The good things in your past
When you believe in thingsThat you don't understand,Then you suffer,Superstition aint the way
Hey
Very superstitious,Wash your face and hands,Rid me of the problem,Do all that you can,Keep me in a daydream,Keep me goin' strong,You don't wanna save me,Sad is the soul
When you believe in thingsThat you don't understand,Then you suffer,Superstition ain't the way,Yeh, yeh
Very superstitious,Nothin' more to say,Very superstitious,The devil's on his way,Thirteen month old baby,Broke the lookin' glass,Seven years of bad luck,Good things in your past
When you believe in thingsThat you don't understand,Then you suffer,Superstition ain't the way,No, no, no

Karaoke training: https://es.lyricstraining.com/play/stevie-wonder/superstition/HFPTX6wxWF#a7w 

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