1、Click Here for Support with using Interactive PDFsDaily NewsFriday the 13thAre you a superstitious person?If you are,you might have noticed that today is Friday the 13th.Friday the 13th is considered by many people to be an unlucky day.However,no one is quite sure where the tradition comes from.The
2、number 13 has often been seen as an unlucky number in western culture.but why?Some people have suggested this has its roots in the Bible.During the Last Supper,Jesus sat down with his disciples.The 13th guest at his table was Judas,who would go on to betray him.Similarly,in Norse mythology,Loki,the
3、trickster god,was the 13th guest at a dinner table for the gods,before he plunged the world into darkness.Whatever is behind the mistrust of the number 13,the superstition continues to this day.Some buildings do not have a 13th floor.The floor exists but the numbers labelling the floors skip from 12
4、 to 14.Also,some aeroplanes dont have a 13th row!Friday has a weaker history of being unlucky but it is also thought to have come from the Bible.It is thought that Adam and Eve ate the fruit that got them kicked out of the Garden of Eden on a Friday.It is also thought to be the day on which Cain kil
5、led his brother Abel.Whatever the reasons,Friday the 13th has become so well known as an unlucky day that theres even a name for people who have a phobia of it-Paraskevidekatriaphobia.Strangely,it is not the only date that people worry about.In Greece and Spain,they fear Tuesday 13th and in Italy,th
6、ey are wary of Friday 17th.So what do you think?Will you be wearing some good luck charms today,or is it all just a silly superstition?Photo:In some countries people think crossing the path of a black cat is good luck and in others bad luck.Glossarysupernatural Something science cannot explain.irrat
7、ional Not based on logic.Norse mythology The old pagan religion of Scandinavian people.charmsObjects which are thought to have magical properties.Special report World News 13th May 2022What is a superstition?A superstition is an irrational belief in a supernatural power that can give you good or bad
8、 luck.For example,some people think carrying a four-leaf clover can bring you good luck and some people think that walking under a ladder brings you bad luck.visit Questions1.Find and copy a good luck superstition named in the article.2.In the phrase people who have a phobia of it-what is meant by t
9、he word phobia?3.Tick to show whether the statement is a fact or an opinion.FactOpinionFriday the 13th is an unlucky day.Some people consider walking under a ladder unlucky.In Norse mythology,Loki was a trickster god.Superstitions are silly.4.How do you feel about Friday 13th?Explain your answer.5.Name two things that are sometimes missing the number 13,that are mentioned in the article.6.Summarise the key information in the article in 15 words or fewer.Friday the 13thvisit
