EXERCISE 1 | Horoscopes
| Cancer _______________
Sagittarius _______________ Capricorn _______________ Aquarius _______________ Pisces _______________ Aries _______________ |
Leo _______________
Taurus _______________ Gemini _______________ Scorpio _______________ Libra _______________ Virgo_______________ |
EXERCISE 2
Some superstitions involve everyday incidents. Do you know whether the following are considered omens of good or bad luck? Tick the right column.
| good luck | bad luck | |
| walking under a ladder | ||
| finding a penny | ||
| opening an umbrella in the house | ||
| putting new shoes on the table | ||
| hanging a horseshoe in your house | ||
| breaking a mirror | ||
| seeing a black cat crossing your path | ||
| a four-leaf clover |
Can you think of any more superstitions? Do you think they should be taken seriously?
EXERCISE 3
The following are expressions connected with luck. Can you match the expression with the situation in which it is used?
| 1. Break a leg! | A. When someone is going to take an exam, go to an interview, start a new job, etc. |
| 2. Beginner’s luck. | B. In the theatre, actors say this to one another to bring good luck. |
| 3. Best of luck. | C. When you have narrowly avoided misfortune |
| 4. Better luck next time. | D. When someone fails a test or exam |
| 5. A lucky escape. | E. When someone wins at a game, and has never played the game before |
EXERCISE 4 | Ways of predicting the future
Match the method with its definition:
1 Palmistry 2 Astrology 3 Graphology 4 Tarot
A. The study of handwriting which claims to be able to reveal secrets about the person’s life and/or personality
B. Predicting the future by studying the movements of the stars and planets
C. Revealing secrets about an individual’s past, present and future by means of a set of special cards
D. Using the lines on the palm of the hand to predict future events
EXERCISE 5
Match the following to make expressions connected with prediction:
| 1. to wish | A. in fate |
| 2. to believe | B. tea leaves |
| 3. to predict | C. a crystal ball |
| 4. to read | D. the future |
| 5. to gaze into | E. someone good luck |
EXERCISE 6
Now match the following with their opposites:
| 1. good luck | A. logic |
| 2. belief | B. misfortune |
| 3. lucky | C. disbelief |
| 4. superstition | D. unlucky |
EXERCISE 7
Fill the gaps in the following sentences with the correct word:
1. By __________, I had my camera with me at the time of the accident.
2. I hope I have the ___________ to meet your parents over the weekend.
3. They say you’ll have bad ___________ for seven years if you break a mirror.
4. He worked hard at his career and fame and ___________ seemed to follow him wherever he went.
5. At these low prices, everything’s a ____________.
EXERCISE 8 | QUIZ – How superstitious are you?
Do this simple quiz to find out whether you depend on logic or superstition to get you through life!
| 1. Do you ever have your coffee grounds or tea leaves read?
A. never B. sometimes C. often |
| 2. Do you read your horoscope?
A. never B. sometimes C. often |
| 3. Do you have a ‘lucky charm’, i.e. something you carry around with you or wear to bring you good luck?
A. yes B. no |
| 4. Do you ever wish others ‘Good Luck’?
A. never B. sometimes C. often |
| 5 Do you have, or do you believe you have, a lucky number?
A. yes B. no |
When you have answered the questions, add up your score using this simple points system:
| never | no | sometimes | often | yes |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Conclusions
0-5: You are a true sceptic! Your feet are firmly on the ground and you don’t wait for luck to come to you; you go out and get it for yourself!
6-11: You are quite superstitious, but you have a logical head on your shoulders.
12-15: You are extremely superstitious. Look out for those ladders!