II- Reading

COMMON SUPERSTITIONS

There are many strange superstitions in the world. The most common one is related to black cats, (1) ____ are the source of hundreds of unlucky superstitions. It’s a sign of bad luck ( 2) ____ they walk in front of you or you step on their tails. They even bring bad luck into a house if they sneeze inside! This superstition dates (3) ____ to the Middle Ages when they became associated with witches and evil spirits.

Another common superstition is about walking under a ladder. A more (4) ____ explanation can be traced back to ancient Egypt. The (5) ____ Egyptians believed that the shape of the Pyramids had a special power. It was considered very bad luck to break the “power” of this shape and that’s exactly what walking under a ladder would do!

In addition, in Roman times, people (6) ____ the habit of looking at themselves in pools of water. Some believed that these reflections were in fact “glimpses of the soul”. Any disruption to the water in the pool would bring bad luck to the person looking in it. This superstition lives on with the fear of bad luck from breaking a mirror.

1. A. which                B. who                        C. when                      D. where

2. A. although           B. because                 C. if                            D. unless

3. A. on                      B. in                            C. back                       D. for

4. A. mystery            B. mysterious            C. mysteriously        D. mysteries 

5. A. late                    B. recent                    C. past                        PD. early

6. A. had                    B. took                       C. raised                    D. became