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молитвой (Dying for their beliefs: Christian Scientist Parents on trial
in girl’s death), предрассудки и суеверия (Black cats and broken
mirrors), понятие чуда в религии (What miracles mean), современ-
ные исследования в попытке найти останки поселений древних
богов (In search of the Gods), обращение в ислам (Why I converted to
ISLAM after September, 11).
Рекомендуется при выборе текста учитывать текущую разго-
ворную тему, изучаемую на аудиторных занятиях. Так, например,
текст «The life of Buddha» следует соотнести с темой Buddhism,
либо использовать
в качестве урока на повторение этой темы и т. д.
Упражнения следует выполнять в представленной последо-
вательности.
6
TEXT I
Read the text and do all the tasks given below.
BLACK CATS AND BROKEN MIRRORS
Do you think that it is bad luck to walk under a ladder or break a
mirror? Do you think that black cats and the number 13 are unlucky?
There are over one million superstitions, and most people believe at
least one or two of them.
Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that
there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. The number 13 is often
considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th
floor and streets have no houses with the number 13. In Japan, 4 is con-
sidered unlucky because in Japanese the word «four» is pronounced the
same as the word «death.» Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four
napkins, or four of anything. What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a
lucky number in many places, and 8 is considered lucky in Japan and
China. In China, businesses often open on August 8 (8-8), and many
couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8. Supersti-
tions about numbers are so widespread that some people – called nu-
merologists – make a living giving advice about numbers. In 1937,
when the Toyoda family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they
asked a numerologist if «Toyoda» would be a good name for the com-
pany. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that «To-
yoda» took ten strokes of the pen to write, and 10 was not a lucky num-
ber. «Toyota,» however, took eight strokes to write, and eight was a
very lucky number. The numerologist recommended «Toyota» as a bet-
ter name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, mil-
lions of people drive «Toyotas» and not «Toyodas.» In addition to su-
perstitions about numbers, there are many other kinds of superstitions.
There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing, and itching.
There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.
There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions tell
people how to reverse bad luck.
For example, in many parts of the world spilling salt is
bad luck.
Throwing salt, however, is good luck. So, people who spill salt throw a
молитвой (Dying for their beliefs: Christian Scientist Parents on trial TEXT I
in girl’s death), предрассудки и суеверия (Black cats and broken
mirrors), понятие чуда в религии (What miracles mean), современ- Read the text and do all the tasks given below.
ные исследования в попытке найти останки поселений древних
богов (In search of the Gods), обращение в ислам (Why I converted to BLACK CATS AND BROKEN MIRRORS
ISLAM after September, 11).
Рекомендуется при выборе текста учитывать текущую разго- Do you think that it is bad luck to walk under a ladder or break a
ворную тему, изучаемую на аудиторных занятиях. Так, например, mirror? Do you think that black cats and the number 13 are unlucky?
текст «The life of Buddha» следует соотнести с темой Buddhism, There are over one million superstitions, and most people believe at
либо использовать в качестве урока на повторение этой темы и т. д. least one or two of them.
Упражнения следует выполнять в представленной последо- Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that
вательности. there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. The number 13 is often
considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th
floor and streets have no houses with the number 13. In Japan, 4 is con-
sidered unlucky because in Japanese the word «four» is pronounced the
same as the word «death.» Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four
napkins, or four of anything. What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a
lucky number in many places, and 8 is considered lucky in Japan and
China. In China, businesses often open on August 8 (8-8), and many
couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8. Supersti-
tions about numbers are so widespread that some people – called nu-
merologists – make a living giving advice about numbers. In 1937,
when the Toyoda family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they
asked a numerologist if «Toyoda» would be a good name for the com-
pany. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that «To-
yoda» took ten strokes of the pen to write, and 10 was not a lucky num-
ber. «Toyota,» however, took eight strokes to write, and eight was a
very lucky number. The numerologist recommended «Toyota» as a bet-
ter name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, mil-
lions of people drive «Toyotas» and not «Toyodas.» In addition to su-
perstitions about numbers, there are many other kinds of superstitions.
There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing, and itching.
There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.
There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions tell
people how to reverse bad luck.
For example, in many parts of the world spilling salt is bad luck.
Throwing salt, however, is good luck. So, people who spill salt throw a
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