S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

Track 1
 

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30
35
40
45
50
older people in the survey. For people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-
four taking the survey, 64 percent claimed to be at least a little superstitious. But 
for seniors 65 and older, only 30 percent admitted to believing any superstitions. 
It might be 
expected
that people with more education would be less 
superstitious, but results from the survey indicated almost equal numbers of 
believers between those with and without college degrees. Of those survey 
respondents
who never finished or only finished high school, 42 percent 
reported being at least a little superstitious. For those with a college education, 
47 percent claimed the same 
minimal
level of belief. 
In the survey, ten 
common
superstitions were listed for the people who 
responded. Of these superstitions, five were related to good luck and five to bad 
luck. Respondents were then asked to 
check
the ones they believed. Of the 
superstitions in the list, good-luck superstitions were more 
widely
held. The top 
superstitions related to good luck that most people followed “very much” were 
picking four-leaf clovers (79 percent), knocking on wood (72 percent), picking up 
pennies (70 percent), and crossing fingers for luck (59 percent). Of the bad-luck 
superstitions, the most common belief was that breaking a mirror 
brought bad luck (82 percent). Other bad luck superstitions 
listed in the survey included seeing black cats, walking under 
ladders, seeing the bride before the wedding, and doing 
anything on Friday the 13
th
. 
Many people would like to think it could not hurt to do 
something like knocking on wood or