She Says/He Says(U1B1) reading she says: Boys are so different from girls! They never show their emotions

　　What do a black cat, a rabbit’s foot, and a broken mirror have in common? Why do people knock on wood or try to find a four-leaf clover? The answer is simple─they are all related to superstitions. There are superstitions connected with nearly every aspect of human life, and human societies have more than one million superstitions.

　　For instance, most societies have ancient superstitions about numbers, and these superstitions still play a part in the ways that we act today. The number thirteen is often cited as a notorious example, especially in the West. However, nobody really knows why. Some people assume that this superstition came from the story of the Last Supper. In the story, Jesus dined with his twelve apostles, and one betrayed him.

　　Days of the week can be considered unlucky as well. British sailors have always regarded Friday as an unlucky day to make a voyage. Even so, the British navy tried to dismiss this as nothing more than a superstition. It is said that the navy built a ship called the Friday and ensured that it set out on its first voyage on a Friday. However, during its first day at sea, the Friday vanished and was never seen again. The ship’s disappearance is still a mystery, but it is part of the gossip and riddles surrounding many common superstitions. In fact, no one even knows why British sailors began to consider Friday to be unlucky. Superstitions are superstitions, and they don’t need data or historical facts to support them.

　　Furthermore, many modern customs are based on superstitions. The practice of holding a housewarming in Britain is one example. For ancient people in Europe, it was vital for a new house to attract good spirits. Since the fireplace was believed to be the home of good-luck fairies, people would take a few pieces of wood from their old home’s fireplace and burn them in their new one. Today, it is still traditional for British people to invite friends and relatives to a housewarming. However, most people seem to think that the word “warming” means “giving a nice, warm feeling to a new house,” not knowing that the custom and its name originated from this primitive superstition.

　　Another convention based on a superstition is the practice of cutting crosses on bread. In old times, bread was a basic and important food. If the dough failed to rise in the oven, people thought this would be bad luck because the devil seemed to have hidden inside. Therefore, a cross, the symbol of the Christian religion, was cut on top of the dough to help it rise and keep the devil out. Although few people nowadays remember the origin of this superstition, many types of bread and buns still have crosses cut on top of them today.

　　These days, people may claim that they are not superstitious at all. Nevertheless, they are often unaware that many customs they follow are based on superstitions. In addition, there is evidence that many people are still actively superstitious. In the United States, statistics show that the number of weddings booked on a Friday the thirteenth usually decreases by nearly fifty percent. Would you dare to get married on that day?
I. Reading for the Main Idea―Skimming

Skim the reading and choose the best answer to the question.

( )

What is the main idea of the reading? (A) Many modern people are still actively superstitious today. (B) There was once a ship called the Friday, and it sailed on a Friday. (C) Knocking on wood and trying to find a four-leaf clover are both superstitions. (D) Human societies have superstitions related to nearly every aspect of human life.

II. Reading for Details─Scanning

Scan the reading and choose the best answer to each of the following questions or statements.

( )	1.	Which of the following is thought to be unlucky in the West?
		(A) The third Wednesday. (C) The fifth day of the month.	(B) The number thirteen. (D) The number five.
( )	2.	Which of the following is NOT true?
		(A) Friday is an unlucky day for British sailors. (B) It is said that the British navy once built a ship called the Friday. (C) The Friday returned safely after its first voyage. (D) No one knows why British sailors consider Friday to be unlucky.
( )	3.	Which of the following about the practice of holding a housewarming is true?
		(A) The kitchen is believed to be the home of good-luck fairies. (B) People would take a few pieces of wood from their new home’s fireplace and burn them in their old one. (C) Most people now think “warming” means “giving a warm feeling to the new house.” (D) Today, British people don’t invite friends and relatives to a housewarming.
( )	4.	How is the practice of cutting crosses on bread related to religion?
		(A) A cross is the symbol of Christianity and is thought to be able to fight the devil. (B) Ancient Europeans believed that bread had been first introduced to Europe by Jesus. (C) In ancient times, people made dough and baked it in the church’s ovens. (D) In ancient times, bread was a basic and important food in a church.
( )	5.	According to the reading, which of the following is true?
		(A) Nowadays, people have stopped believing in superstitions. (B) Nowadays, people never worry about getting married on Friday the thirteenth. (C) Most customs today are based on historical facts, not superstitions. (D) Superstitions have had a strong influence on many customs today.

Unit 8 (Book6) The Truth Inside You

READING

　　I once had an enemy at school who always accused me of things in order to insult and wound me: I wasn’t a good student; I talked too loud; I acted like a boy, and so on. I tolerated what she said for a long time until one day I couldn’t put up with her anymore. Thus, I turned to my father for sympathy.

　　He listened to me quietly. Then he asked calmly, “Are the things she says true?”

　　“True?” I frowned and thought frantically. “I want to get back at her. Why does the truth matter?”

　　“Mary, why don’t you make a list of everything the girl said and mark the points that are real? Then you will know what you are really like.”

　　I did as my father suggested and discovered to my surprise that about half of the things were actually true. Some of them I couldn’t change, but a good number I could and suddenly wanted to change. For the first time in my life, I had a pretty accurate picture of myself.

　　I brought the list back to my father. Unexpectedly, he didn’t want it.

　　“That is just for you,” he said. “When something said about you is true, you’ll instantly feel it inside you. Even if it hurts, you must listen so that you can learn from it.”

　　My father’s advice has benefited me at many significant times in my life, such as the time when I went to Hollywood to break into movies. I tried out for every acting job in town. However, for two years, I auditioned without getting a job. One of the directors who was tired of seeing me even said, “Your nose is too big, and your neck is too long. You’re just not charming enough for the movies.”

　　That was the truth, but it wasn’t the constructive kind. In order not to be defeated, I simply swore to work twice as hard so that I would succeed, regardless of those useless comments.

　　The kind of truth I needed finally came from an intelligent man named Jerome Kern. He was holding auditions for a show, and, definitely, I was there. I still didn’t get the job, but he took me aside and said, “You must learn to sing in your own way.”

　　At first, I was too discouraged to give his words much thought. Then, I listened for the truth again and felt it inside me. I realized that I had been copying all of the popular ways of singing. If I was ever going to achieve success, I would have to be myself.

　　A few weeks later, I went to an audition again. This time I didn’t try to imitate someone else. I wore a simple black skirt with a white shirt, abandoning any attempt at glamour. I sang out the way I had learned back in my hometown, and I got the job.

　　Success came immediately after that, and I soon had a triumph on Broadway. Advice, praise, and criticism came from not only friends but also professional critics. However, I always attempted to listen for the truth inside me. In the end, I learned to listen and to trust my inner feelings about what is true.