Unit 4. Shall we believe it?

Introduction Your Superstitious Beliefs

A Quick Check

Task 1. Do this quiz with a partner.

1. Do you believe it is unlucky to walk under a ladder?

2. When you tell someone about something that you hope is going to happen, do you ever touch wood or cross your fingers, or do you feel a strong urge to do so?

3. Are you the slightest bit bothered by the number 13?

4. Have you got a lucky number?

5. Do you read your horoscope regularly?

6. Have you ever consulted a fortune teller, palmist, etc?

7. Have you ever thrown a coin into a wishing well?

8. Have you ever made a decision after consulting a deck of cards, playing patience, etc?

9. Is there a particular day of the week which is lucky or unlucky for you?

10. Have you ever changed your plans because of a dream?

11. Have you any kind of talisman or lucky object?

12. Do you believe in any other superstitious customs of your own country?

Analysis

Points:

For every no: 0

For every yes: 2

For every doubtful answer: 1

Less than 4: You are very hard-headed and have virtually no trace of superstitious tendencies or beliefs. This is very unusual. Are you sure you answered the questions honestly?

Between 4 and 12: This is a very low score and suggests you are a very practical person and perhaps in a profession where facts and figures are more important than hunches and inspirations.

Between 12 and 24: People in this bracket usually have a good mixture of scepticism and flexibility in the way they relate to the unexplained areas of experi­ence. For you, the superstitions of today may well be the facts of tomorrow.

Task 2. With a partner make notes on your beliefs on the following subjects.

Do you believe in them? Yes or No? If yes, what evidence? If no, why not?

• Ghosts

• Astrology

• Talking to plants to make them grow better

• Dowsing

• Faith healing

• Telepathy

• Mediums

• Other

Strange but true

Task 1. Have you ever witnessed a strange phenomenon? Read this account. Can you explain what the phenomenon is?

GLADYS HUGHES of Colwyn, North Wales, was driving home in her car one June evening when she ran into a bank of mist rolling off the river. She suddenly saw a glowing ball of translucent green light about the size of a football, spinning forwards like a wheel, with four spikes of light radiating out from it. It slid up to about a foot away from her side window.

Wondering if she had gone mad or if aliens were visiting from outer space, she slowed the car down, and, in perfect synchrony, the ball slowed down too. She then accelerated and again the ball kept perfect pace. No matter what she did she could not shake the thing off, and only when the mist faded away did the ball suddenly shoot up and away out of sight.

Fearing that her sanity would be questioned, Gladys didn't even mention this at home, but her husband had witnessed something similar – a glowing green ball shooting up high into the sky, at about eight o'clock. And in the next few days, news seeped out that several others had witnessed the strange green light rocketing into the evening sky.

Task 2. If this experience happened to you, how would you feel afterwards and why? Here are words to help you:

elated perplexed

exhausted unaffected

nervous terrified

Task 3. Lexical cloze

Great Balls of FIRE

electrical evidence hot

glowing floating lightning

strange thunderstorm gracefully

voltage light energy

Some years ago, a professor of electrical engineering witnessed a (1)_________ ball aboard a plane. It came (2)__________ down the aisle, gliding from the cockpit and exiting (3)__________ through the rear toilets. Several electrical workers have also witnessed (4)__________ glowing balls during their work, which often involves high (5)__________ equipment.

So what is ball (6)__________? At a recent conference, scientific experts grew increasingly (7)__________ under their academic collars, their explanations ranging from glowing micro-meteorites to fields of (8)__________ that condense into balls of (9)__________ at their centre. Yet the sheer volume of (10)__________ does point to one very neat theory. Many sightings happen towards the end of a ferocious (11)__________. The balls often precede a huge bolt of lightning. The current which leaks before the flash is in the form of a glowing ball that is attracted to (12)__________ equipment in confined spaces – hence its floating into aircraft and houses.

9 LISTENING

Task 4. You will hear five people talking about phenomena they have witnessed. Decide what each person is talking about, choosing from the list.

Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3 Speaker 4 Speaker 5

ball lightning a shooting star an earthquake an avalanche corn circles the Northern Lights a UFO a solar eclipse

Task 5. Now listen to the tape again and answer these questions.

1. What was it like in the cabin, according to Speaker 1?

A chilly

B airless

C damp

2. Why was Speaker 2 troubled by the event?

A Her room was damaged.

B It woke her up.

C She hadn't predicted it.

3. How does Speaker 3 sound?

A rather perplexed

B totally calm

C extremely elated

4. Why didn't Speaker 4's group expect to witness anything?

A It was the wrong time of day.

B The weather was getting cloudy.

C They had waited for so long.

5. Which word best describes Speaker 5's feelings?

A disappointed

B unenthusiastic

C insecure

Task 6. In this section, you have come across phrasal verbs with up and out (for example, shoot up and get out). Here are some other verbs which combine with up and out. Fit the most suitable phrasal verb into the gapped sentences, choosing an appropriate tense.

run break make take

up out

1. Nobody believed Edward when he told them about the UFO. They thought he ____________ the whole story.

2. She's been house-bound for so long, she really needs to be ____________ for the evening.

3. After months of careful planning, the three convicts finally managed to ____________ of the top security prison.

4. Would you mind going to the shops for me? I ____________ of milk.

5. Her daughter ____________ a huge phone bill without her knowledge.

6. The sea was so rough and stormy that they could barely ____________ the island in the distance.

Task 7. A Role play. You have witnessed a possible UFO sighting. You and another witness are being interviewed about the event on local radio. Unfortunately, your accounts don't quite match! Listen to the other witness's version and interrupt tactfully if you think something is incorrect.

Student A. Read the details and be ready to tell your side of the story:

You saw up to six UFOs – you can't be sure about the exact number because they were moving too fast.

They were spherical in shape and metallic-looking.

It was 11.30 at night – you know that is correct because a radio programme you were listening to on your personal stereo had just finished.

You had been inside your tent but came out when you heard your friend – you were worried by the hysterical screaming.

Student B. Read the details and be ready to tell your side of the story:

You definitely saw eight UFOs – you counted them. They were like large oval discs of light, very colourful. It was well after midnight.

You were outside as you couldn't sleep – you had walked down to the lake and were on your way back to the tents.

You felt very calm when it happened.

Student C (the interviewer) should prepare some questions to ask the other two. Cover these aspects:

• when the event took place

• where each person was

• how many UFOs were seen

• their size, shape, colour

• how each person reacted.

Here are some suggestions for ways to interrupt. Which ones seem the most tactful?

Excuse me, but that isn't quite right.

Just a minute! It wasn't like that at all...

No, no, you've got that wrong. Listen ...

Could I just say something about that?

Hang on, get your facts straight...

That's absolute rubbish!

What really happened was...

I don't think I agree with you there...