Текст на английском про суеверия

A superstition is a strange belief. Some people think that some things are lucky or unlucky.

In Russia, a black cat is unlucky. People don't like it when a black cat crosses the road.

In Britain, people say 'touch wood'. They touch a table or a door for good luck.

Some people think that the number thirteen is unlucky. Some buildings have got no thirteenth floor!

My grandmother likes superstitions. I don't believe in them, but I like them. They are funny and interesting.

My grandmother is the most superstitious person I know. She has a rule for almost everything.

Before a long journey, our whole family must sit down for a moment in silence. Last summer we nearly missed the train because my grandmother made us sit down again when my dad forgot his phone and came back home.

She also says that whistling indoors means you will have no money. When I whistled in the kitchen, she looked at me as if I had broken a plate!

My favourite superstition is about exams. On the night before a test, you put your notebook under your pillow, and then you remember everything better. I tried it last year, but I still got a three in maths.

I don't really believe in these rules, but I follow some of them because it makes my grandmother happy. When I have children, I am probably going to tell them the same stories.

Superstitions exist in every culture, and although most people say they don't believe in them, many still knock on wood or avoid certain numbers. Comparing British and Russian superstitions shows that some beliefs are shared, while others are completely different.

Some superstitions are found in both countries. Breaking a mirror is thought to bring bad luck, and in Britain people even say it lasts for seven years. In both countries, people knock on wood to avoid tempting fate after they have said something positive about the future.

However, the black cat is a good example of a difference. In Russia, a black cat which crosses your path is a bad sign, but in many parts of Britain a black cat is traditionally considered lucky. The British also believe that walking under a ladder or opening an umbrella indoors brings misfortune.

Some Russian superstitions surprise foreigners. Russians never shake hands across a doorway, they give an odd number of flowers as a present, and they rarely celebrate a birthday early. A British visitor who brings a bunch of twelve roses may be politely told that even numbers are for funerals.

I have met many people who laugh at superstitions but still follow them. If you visit a Russian home, you will avoid embarrassment by learning a few of these rules first.

We live in an age of science, yet superstitions show no sign of disappearing. Footballers wear the same socks for every match, students refuse to wash their hair before an exam, and well-educated adults still glance nervously at a black cat. The obvious question is why intelligent people cling to beliefs which they themselves admit are irrational.

Part of the explanation lies in the way our minds work. The human brain is remarkably good at spotting patterns, and it tends to find them even where none exist. If you happened to pass an important test while wearing a particular jumper, you are likely to remember the connection and forget the dozens of times the jumper made no difference at all.

Superstitions also give us a sense of control in situations that are largely beyond it. An exam, a job interview or a long journey involves risks we cannot fully manage, and a small ritual, such as sitting down in silence before setting off, reduces anxiety even if it changes nothing else. Seen in this light, superstition is less a failure of logic than a coping strategy.

Finally, many superstitions survive because they are woven into family life. Not only do they connect us with grandparents and with the past, but they also serve as a shared language within a culture. Few Russians genuinely fear the consequences of shaking hands across a threshold, yet almost all of them avoid doing it.

Personally, I see no harm in harmless rituals, provided that they do not replace thought or effort. Had I relied on a lucky pen instead of revising, I would certainly have failed my exams. A superstition can calm the nerves, but it cannot do the work for us.