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Reading 1/2:
Passage 1
Read the following passage and choose the letter representing your answer from the choices given.
Questions 1-8
The number 13. black cats, breaking mirrors, or walking under ladders, may all be things you actively avoid - if you're anything like the 25% of people in the US who consider themselves
superstitious. Even if you don't consider yourself a particularly superstitious person, you probably say "bless you when someone sneezes, just in case the devil should decide to steal their
soul as our ancestors thought possible during a sneeze.
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Superstition also explains why many buildings do not have a 13th floor - preferring to label it 14, 14A 12B or M (the 13th letter of the alphabet) on elevator button panels because of concerns
about superstitious tenants. Indeed, 13% of people in one survey indicated that staying on the 13th floor of a hotel would bother them - and 9% said they would ask for a different room. On
top of this, some airlines such as Air France and Lufthansa, do not have a 13th row. Lufthansa also has no 17th row - because in some countries such as Italy and Brazil - the typical
unlucky number is 17 and not 13.
What is superstition? Although there is no single definition of superstition, it generally means a belief in supernatural forces such as fate - the desire to influence unpredictable factors and a
need to resolve uncertainty. In this way then, individual beliefs and experiences drive superstitions, which explains why they are generally irrational and often defy current scientific wisdom.
Psychologists who have investigated what role superstitions play, have found that they derive from the assumption that a connection exists between co-occurring. non-related events. For
instance, the notion that charms promote good luck, or protect you from bad luck.
For many people, engaging with superstitious behaviours provides a sense of control and reduces anxiety - which is why levels of superstition increase at times of stress and angst. This is
particularly the case during times of economic crisis and social uncertainty - notably wars and conflicts. Indeed, Researchers have observed how in Germany between 1918 and 1940
measures of economic threat correlated directly with measures of superstition.
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F
Touch wood. Superstitious beliefs have been shown to help promote a positive mental attitude. Although they can lead to irrational decisions, such as trusting in the merits of good luck and
destiny rather than sound decision making. Carrying charms, wearing certain clothes, visiting places associated with good fortune, preferring specific colours and using particular numbers
are all elements of superstition. And although these behaviours and actions can appear trivial, for some people, they can often affect choices made in the real world.
G
Superstitions can also give rise to the notion that objects and places are cursed. Such as the "Annabelle the Doll - who featured in The Conjuring and two other movies - and is said to be
inhabited by the spirit of a dead girl. A more traditional illustration is the "Curse of the Pharaohs," which is said to be cast upon any person who disturbs the mummy of an Ancient Egyptian
