We say Good luck! to people we wish well. And many of us have our own good luck charms and rituals. But does any of it make a difference? Do we really make our own luck?
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the quetions below.
1 Why have human beings always believed in luck?
2 What does one in five Americans do to prevent bad luck?
3 Why are optimistic people luckier, in Karla Starr's opinion?
4 How long had John Hamm been an average actor before luck came his way?
5 What two jobs does Michael Kearns do?
6 Why isn't a good idea to buy lottery tickets?
7 Why did Fieldwork get lucky?
8 In sociologist Duncan Watts' opinion, what does success depend on?
9 How did he feel when he first saw the Mona Lisa?
10 Why did the Mona Lisa become famous?
Whether you’re hitting the slots in Vegas or running for president, you probably could use a little luck.
How would you define luck?
Luck itself is beating the odds. You have a power over your destiny.
But that’s a very powerful thought!
It is a powerful thought, and I think we all have it in some way.
Mathematician Joseph Mazur harnesses his luck by writing about it. He says there’s a reason why people have believed in luck since the caveman days: It helps us cope with life’s uncertainties.
We know the present, we know the past, but that future is really… we want to be sure that we have it all under control. Many people have some lucky charm, like a rabbit’s foot.
Or whatever else gives them that elusive feeling of control: One in three Americans believes that finding a penny brings good luck. One in five knocks on wood to ward off bad luck; and about that same number avoids walking under ladders. Is this nuts?
There are things that you can do to increase your luck, and increase your chances.
But that implies that we have control over luck.
Exactly.
Do you think we do?
I think we do, absolutely!
This is good news!
Unlike the superstitious masses, writer Karla Starr claims to have luck down to a science, even naming her blog The Science of Luck.
Do you think you are lucky?
Yes, absolutely!
It’s that upbeat attitude that makes lucky people lucky, she says. Think positive, and things will turn out that way.
There’s a lot of research showing that optimistic people do make their own luck, because they have a higher self-esteem, and so they’re more likely to persist after failure.
Take actor Jon Hamm, before he landed his starring role on Mad Men, Hamm had been acting in relative obscurity for more than a decade. He simply kept at it.
All it takes is that one audition.
But is that luck?
I think for anything in the arts, or anything where there’s that little element where someone has to be chosen by someone else, there is an element of luck, there is a little bit of randomness that is outside of your control.
So this is the science of luck?
If we are lucky, it will end up being a little bit of it, perhaps.
For University of Pennsylvania professor Michael Kearns this is what luck really looks like.
This is basically a curve representing a kind of a representation of your payoff as a function of a probability of event.
He writes algorithms designed to control luck in investing.
Many people on Wall Street take a pretty scientific approach to thinking about luck and to shaping their luck.
Along with teaching, Kearns works for a hedge fund coming up with luck-shaping formulas combining a stock’s history with the client’s appetite for risk.
I’m gonna compute what the optimal portfolio or mixture of stocks would have been to maximize your payoff.
To make me lucky!
That’s right. Exactly.
But the science of luck goes out the window when it comes to other get-rich-quick schemes we love. Take the lottery ... no, on second thought, don’t!
Your expected payoff is negative, right? You expect to lose your money.
You never bought a lottery ticket?
I have never bought a lottery ticket.
Come on! Everybody…
I have never bought a lottery ticket.
Not one lottery ticket.
Not one lottery ticket.
You don’t like lotteries much as an investment strategy?
No, I don’t.
OK, so by now you’re probably feeling pretty lucky. With the right algorithm and a little optimism, you, too, can be rich and happy, right? Not so fast. At your local bookstore, you may find an entirely different story, like the one behind the award-winning novel.
There is a book called Fieldwork... It did okay, it didn’t do very well.
Until it got an astonishingly lucky break ...
Stephen King walks into a bookstore…
The Stephen King?
The Stephen King. He picks up this copy of a thing called Fieldwork. He goes on, reads it, he thinks it’s wonderful and he writes for Entertainment Weekly, he said this is… essentially he’s saying, this is the great American novel.
And that’s probably all it took?
He was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Talk about luck!
Yeah!
In other words, luck is not something we control. Stuff just happens.
The world, in some sense, is just intrinsically random.
Sociologist Duncan Watts, a principal researcher at Microsoft, says success is mostly arbitrary.
So the Mona Lisa is probably my favourite example of the role of luck in success. It’s probably the most famous painting in the world and the most famous painting in history. And yet if you’re like me and millions of other people, and you went to the Louvre, and you finally saw the Mona Lisa, you might have been just a little bit disappointed. You sort of look at this painting, and you think, Really? That’s what all the fuss is about?
The fuss all began with a series of chance occurrences.
The Mona Lisa really only started to bet famous in the last century. It sort of sat in, you know, in palaces of kings for, you know, a couple of hundred years. This young Italian who was working at the Louvre was apparently disgruntled that this, you know, masterpiece that rightfully belonged in Italy was sitting in France. And so he stole it. It sort of became this kinda media fiasco and really drew a lot of attention to this painting.
You’re saying that absent that, it might never have become famous?
I suspect that absent that, it would never have become famous.
So the Mona Lisa got lucky?
So the Mona Lisa got lucky!
But what about the actual painting? Was Leonardo onto something, or is the Mona Lisa’s fame just blind luck?
I could do a painting and, you know, no matter how much hype it got, it’s unlikely it would be put in the same category with the Mona Lisa.
It’s not that the things that succeed don’t have to be good in some sense. It’s that there are many things that are equally good and could equally have been as successful, and we’ve never heard of any of those things.
So if you could rewind the world and let luck play out again, Watts says there might not be a Mona Lisa or a Bob Dylan or Harry Potter, all of whom benefited from being at the right place at the time.
There’s some little random accident that happens early on and then that builds on itself, and that builds on itself, and then many years later, we have this huge effect that we are unable to explain except by saying this thing is unique and special.
Do you think you’re lucky?
Oh, absolutely!
Our CBS News poll found seven out of ten Americans feel the same way. They are mostly lucky, and as luck would have it, that includes everyone we interviewed.
What about you?
I do think I’m a lucky guy.
Really?
Yeah.
Do you consider yourself lucky?
I do.
Some things are just luck.
Many, many things are just luck.
Key:
1 it helps us cope with uncertainties in life
2 knocking on wood, avoiding walking under ladders
3 because they have a higher self-esteem, and so they’re more likely to persist after failure
4 a decade
5 he teaches (University of Pennsylvania professor) and works for a hedge fund
6 we expect to lose money, so we'll never be lucky
7 because Stephen King wrote a very good review of it
8 arbitrariness
9 disappointed
10 because it was stolen from the Louvre museum, which attracted a lot of media attention
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Superstitions. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Superstitions. Mostrar todas las entradas
martes, 15 de noviembre de 2016
lunes, 30 de marzo de 2015
Listening test: English superstitions
In this week's listening test we will be practising the open-ended questions that students sometimes have to answers in exams.
Listen to this BBC radio programme about English superstitions and answer questions 1-7 below.
Example:
0 What should you touch if you want good luck? Wood
1 What doesn’t Alice like doing because it brings bad luck?
2 What example does Alice give of a lucky charm?
3 What do the seagulls following boats represent in Scotland?
4 What does each of the calls of the cuckoo represent?
5 What do they have in Switzerland, Germany and Austria?
6 What advice does Alice give for when you hear a cuckoo?
7 How does Alice define the superstitions known as old wives’ tales?
Rob: Today we're talking about superstitions. Superstition is the belief that certain events can bring good luck or bad luck. For example, a lot of people think that the number 13 is unlucky, or that you can avoid bad luck if you touch wood.
Alice: Mm, in fact people even say 'touch wood' if they're hoping for something good to happen.
Rob: That's right. So Alice, are you superstitious?
Alice: Well I am, a bit. I don't like (1) walking under ladders for example.
Rob: Me too. Now animals, birds and nature feature a lot in British superstitions. We've already mentioned that people touch wood or knock on wood for luck. So could you tell us a few more British superstitions involving nature Alice?
Alice: Well one that I can think of off the top of my head is a (2) lucky rabbit's foot. Apparently if you carry a rabbit's foot around it will bring you good luck. It's what we call a lucky charm. So a rabbit's foot is a charm that brings good luck to the person carrying it.
Rob: But not to the rabbit! Dr Paul Walton, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, spoke to the BBC about some superstitions surrounding birds in Scotland. Here he is talking about seagulls and the traditions associated with them.
Partly it must be because Scotland's such a fantastic place for birds, I think over the years these superstitions have developed because these are the living things that we share our lives with. For example, there's a long tradition in Scotland among sailors and fishermen of seeing the gulls that follow the boats as actually being the embodiment of (3) dead sailors, and to kill a gull is still in many places considered to be very back luck.
Rob: So it's bad luck to kill a seagull in Scotland because they're the embodiment of dead sailors. Let's listen to another bird superstition from Scotland. This is Paul Walton again talking about another of his favourite superstitions. Listen out for the bird noises in this clip and see if you can identify which bird he's talking about. What you should do when you hear its call?
One of my favourites is the cuckoo [Cuck-oo cuck-oo] If you hear a cuckoo calling and then you start to run away from it as quickly as you can, the number of times you hear the cuckoo calling before it fades into silence is (4) the number of years you've got left to live.
Rob: The cuckoo is a bird with a long tail and a very distinctive cry.
Alice: You can find (5) cuckoo clocks in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, with the cuckoo making a distinctive cry every hour.
Rob: But in Scotland, if you hear the cuckoo calling then you should run away from it as quickly as you can. And the number of times you hear the cuckoo is the number of years you've got left to live.
Alice: Oh dear. So surely you should (6) walk away very slowly – then you'd hear more calls and live longer? It seems like a very odd superstition to me – it's a real old wives' tale. An old wives' tale is what we call superstitions that are (7) totally untrue and ridiculous sometimes.
Rob: Thanks Alice.
Alice: See you next time!
Both: Bye!
Listen to this BBC radio programme about English superstitions and answer questions 1-7 below.
Example:
0 What should you touch if you want good luck? Wood
1 What doesn’t Alice like doing because it brings bad luck?
2 What example does Alice give of a lucky charm?
3 What do the seagulls following boats represent in Scotland?
4 What does each of the calls of the cuckoo represent?
5 What do they have in Switzerland, Germany and Austria?
6 What advice does Alice give for when you hear a cuckoo?
7 How does Alice define the superstitions known as old wives’ tales?
Rob: Today we're talking about superstitions. Superstition is the belief that certain events can bring good luck or bad luck. For example, a lot of people think that the number 13 is unlucky, or that you can avoid bad luck if you touch wood.
Alice: Mm, in fact people even say 'touch wood' if they're hoping for something good to happen.
Rob: That's right. So Alice, are you superstitious?
Alice: Well I am, a bit. I don't like (1) walking under ladders for example.
Rob: Me too. Now animals, birds and nature feature a lot in British superstitions. We've already mentioned that people touch wood or knock on wood for luck. So could you tell us a few more British superstitions involving nature Alice?
Alice: Well one that I can think of off the top of my head is a (2) lucky rabbit's foot. Apparently if you carry a rabbit's foot around it will bring you good luck. It's what we call a lucky charm. So a rabbit's foot is a charm that brings good luck to the person carrying it.
Rob: But not to the rabbit! Dr Paul Walton, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, spoke to the BBC about some superstitions surrounding birds in Scotland. Here he is talking about seagulls and the traditions associated with them.
Partly it must be because Scotland's such a fantastic place for birds, I think over the years these superstitions have developed because these are the living things that we share our lives with. For example, there's a long tradition in Scotland among sailors and fishermen of seeing the gulls that follow the boats as actually being the embodiment of (3) dead sailors, and to kill a gull is still in many places considered to be very back luck.
Rob: So it's bad luck to kill a seagull in Scotland because they're the embodiment of dead sailors. Let's listen to another bird superstition from Scotland. This is Paul Walton again talking about another of his favourite superstitions. Listen out for the bird noises in this clip and see if you can identify which bird he's talking about. What you should do when you hear its call?
One of my favourites is the cuckoo [Cuck-oo cuck-oo] If you hear a cuckoo calling and then you start to run away from it as quickly as you can, the number of times you hear the cuckoo calling before it fades into silence is (4) the number of years you've got left to live.
Rob: The cuckoo is a bird with a long tail and a very distinctive cry.
Alice: You can find (5) cuckoo clocks in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, with the cuckoo making a distinctive cry every hour.
Rob: But in Scotland, if you hear the cuckoo calling then you should run away from it as quickly as you can. And the number of times you hear the cuckoo is the number of years you've got left to live.
Alice: Oh dear. So surely you should (6) walk away very slowly – then you'd hear more calls and live longer? It seems like a very odd superstition to me – it's a real old wives' tale. An old wives' tale is what we call superstitions that are (7) totally untrue and ridiculous sometimes.
Rob: Thanks Alice.
Alice: See you next time!
Both: Bye!
viernes, 27 de junio de 2014
The Luckiest Unlucky Man To Ever Live
This is the strange but true story of Frane Selak.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video through and note down the timeline of the lucky-unlucky events in Frane's life. Also, note down the different means of transport involved in each accident.
After checking the answers, retell Frane's story in your own words.
You can check your answers by reading the transcript below.
Meet Frane Selak, an elderly music teacher from Croatia. And depending on how you look, at it either the world’s unluckiest or the world’s luckiest person to ever live.
His unbelievable yet true story begins on a cold winter’s day in 1962. Traveling from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik, a fault with the line caused his train to jump the track and plunge into the freezing river below. While other passengers were killed in the crash or drowned in the sinking wreckage, suffering a broken arm, Frane managed to escape and swim to shore. Little did Frane know at the time, but this incident marked the beginning of a series of bizarre events that would occur over the next 40 years of his life.
The following year while travelling aboard a small plane bound for Rijeka, disaster struck for a second time. Mid-flight, both engines stopped working, cabin pressure dropped, and the plane began losing altitude.
You might have thought that this was probably the worst thing that could have happened, but you’d be wrong. While the plane plummeted towards the ground, a malfunctioning door blew off, and poor Frane was sucked out of the aircraft. Tumbling through the air without a parachute, Frane must have thought he was a goner. But while the plane crashed into the side of the hill, killing all 19 on board, Frane somehow managed to land in a haystack and survived with only minor injuries.
Another two years went by before Frane’s next brush with death. This time while travelling by bus, ice on the road caused the wheels to lockup and the vehicle skidded through the safety guard and into the valley below. Four passengers were killed, but not Frane.
Tired or perhaps terrified of public transport, Frane began to travel mostly by car but that didn’t seem to help either. In 1970, his car engine burst into flames, but Frane was able to jump free before it exploded. Then three years later in 1973, the fuel pump in his new car ruptured causing another engine fire. But this time the flames were blown straight at him through the air vents, needless to say he survived this too albeit with less hair than he began with.
In 1995, he survived being hit by a bus. And in 1996, a careless truck driver forced him off the side of a mountain road. His car plunged 300 feet and exploded in a ball of flames but Frane wasn’t in it, having somehow jumped out of the window, he was found clinging to a tree, somewhere down the cliff face.
Now Frane’s story may have ended there, as since then Frane hasn’t been involved in any other death defying incidents, however there is one last twist to this man’s incredible story.
In 2003 at the age of 72, Frane bought a lottery ticket. His first one in over 40 years, he won the jackpot, safely securing his place as the luckiest, unlucky person to ever live.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video through and note down the timeline of the lucky-unlucky events in Frane's life. Also, note down the different means of transport involved in each accident.
After checking the answers, retell Frane's story in your own words.
You can check your answers by reading the transcript below.
Meet Frane Selak, an elderly music teacher from Croatia. And depending on how you look, at it either the world’s unluckiest or the world’s luckiest person to ever live.
His unbelievable yet true story begins on a cold winter’s day in 1962. Traveling from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik, a fault with the line caused his train to jump the track and plunge into the freezing river below. While other passengers were killed in the crash or drowned in the sinking wreckage, suffering a broken arm, Frane managed to escape and swim to shore. Little did Frane know at the time, but this incident marked the beginning of a series of bizarre events that would occur over the next 40 years of his life.
The following year while travelling aboard a small plane bound for Rijeka, disaster struck for a second time. Mid-flight, both engines stopped working, cabin pressure dropped, and the plane began losing altitude.
You might have thought that this was probably the worst thing that could have happened, but you’d be wrong. While the plane plummeted towards the ground, a malfunctioning door blew off, and poor Frane was sucked out of the aircraft. Tumbling through the air without a parachute, Frane must have thought he was a goner. But while the plane crashed into the side of the hill, killing all 19 on board, Frane somehow managed to land in a haystack and survived with only minor injuries.
Another two years went by before Frane’s next brush with death. This time while travelling by bus, ice on the road caused the wheels to lockup and the vehicle skidded through the safety guard and into the valley below. Four passengers were killed, but not Frane.
Tired or perhaps terrified of public transport, Frane began to travel mostly by car but that didn’t seem to help either. In 1970, his car engine burst into flames, but Frane was able to jump free before it exploded. Then three years later in 1973, the fuel pump in his new car ruptured causing another engine fire. But this time the flames were blown straight at him through the air vents, needless to say he survived this too albeit with less hair than he began with.
In 1995, he survived being hit by a bus. And in 1996, a careless truck driver forced him off the side of a mountain road. His car plunged 300 feet and exploded in a ball of flames but Frane wasn’t in it, having somehow jumped out of the window, he was found clinging to a tree, somewhere down the cliff face.
Now Frane’s story may have ended there, as since then Frane hasn’t been involved in any other death defying incidents, however there is one last twist to this man’s incredible story.
In 2003 at the age of 72, Frane bought a lottery ticket. His first one in over 40 years, he won the jackpot, safely securing his place as the luckiest, unlucky person to ever live.
sábado, 24 de mayo de 2014
Reading test: Horoscopes can be bad for you
For our bi-weekly reading activity we have selected a Telegraph article on the negative effect of horoscopes on people.
Seven sentences have been taken out of the text. Insert them in the corresponding gap in the article. There is a sentence you do not need to use, and 0 is an example.
Astrology may seem like harmless fun , 0… .
Consumers who read their horoscope daily were found to be more likely to exhibit impulsive or indulgent behaviour when their zodiac was negative, the research suggested. The reason why is 1… . The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, showed that those who believed their fate could change were more prone to erratic decision-making following bad news in their zodiac.
It has long been thought that reading your star sign can improve mood and encourage people to undertake selfless activities. However, 2… . A number of participants were presented with unfavourable star sign readings and asked to choose between either going to a party or cleaning their home. Participants who selected going to a party were seen as having made an indulgent decision and those who chose to clean their home were categorised as having made a virtuous one.
The study found that 3… were more likely to choose going to the party over the more virtuous activity. Researchers had expected participants to choose a more virtuous action to prevent the unfavourable outcome presented in their horoscope.
“Conventional wisdom might suggest that for people who believe they can change their fate, an unfavourable horoscope should result in an attempt to improve their fate,” the authors of study, Hyeongmin Kim of Johns Hopkins University, and Katina Kulow and Thomas Kramer of the University of South Carolina, said. “Our results showed that 4… .” The researchers found that those who believe they have a fixed fate 5… and instead remained focused on their day ahead.
Earlier this month, Arch Crawford, a former Merrill Lynch trader who earned the nickname “crash Crawford" after predicting the “flash crash” of 1962, revealed that he has used astrology to guide his trades. A study released in November this year suggested 37 per cent of the public read their horoscopes before making big decisions. The same study revealed 6… .
The psychic industry in the United Kingdom is worth an estimated £100 million a year. Madonna is said to be a keen advocate of horoscopes and psychics, 7… . Naomi Watts, who played Princess Diana in the recent film adaptation, has also spoken about using psychics and claimed she had received permission from the late princess to play the part.
Example: 0-C
A although they seem to be reluctant at first and have to be helped in the process.
B because reading a poor outcome in your star sign makes you more susceptible to temptation, it is believed
Cbut a new study suggests following your star sign could be bad for you
D having been said to have consulted a psychic before adopting her daughter
E reading an unfavourable horoscope actually has the opposite effect on a person
F scientists at the University of South Carolina and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found the opposite effect
G showed little change in their decision making
H those who had read a negative horoscope before making their choice
I women were also found to be twice as likely to visit a psychic than men
Key:
0C; 1B; 2F; 3H; 4E; 5G; 6I; 7D
Seven sentences have been taken out of the text. Insert them in the corresponding gap in the article. There is a sentence you do not need to use, and 0 is an example.
Astrology may seem like harmless fun , 0… .
Consumers who read their horoscope daily were found to be more likely to exhibit impulsive or indulgent behaviour when their zodiac was negative, the research suggested. The reason why is 1… . The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, showed that those who believed their fate could change were more prone to erratic decision-making following bad news in their zodiac.
It has long been thought that reading your star sign can improve mood and encourage people to undertake selfless activities. However, 2… . A number of participants were presented with unfavourable star sign readings and asked to choose between either going to a party or cleaning their home. Participants who selected going to a party were seen as having made an indulgent decision and those who chose to clean their home were categorised as having made a virtuous one.
The study found that 3… were more likely to choose going to the party over the more virtuous activity. Researchers had expected participants to choose a more virtuous action to prevent the unfavourable outcome presented in their horoscope.
“Conventional wisdom might suggest that for people who believe they can change their fate, an unfavourable horoscope should result in an attempt to improve their fate,” the authors of study, Hyeongmin Kim of Johns Hopkins University, and Katina Kulow and Thomas Kramer of the University of South Carolina, said. “Our results showed that 4… .” The researchers found that those who believe they have a fixed fate 5… and instead remained focused on their day ahead.
Earlier this month, Arch Crawford, a former Merrill Lynch trader who earned the nickname “crash Crawford" after predicting the “flash crash” of 1962, revealed that he has used astrology to guide his trades. A study released in November this year suggested 37 per cent of the public read their horoscopes before making big decisions. The same study revealed 6… .
The psychic industry in the United Kingdom is worth an estimated £100 million a year. Madonna is said to be a keen advocate of horoscopes and psychics, 7… . Naomi Watts, who played Princess Diana in the recent film adaptation, has also spoken about using psychics and claimed she had received permission from the late princess to play the part.
Example: 0-C
A although they seem to be reluctant at first and have to be helped in the process.
B because reading a poor outcome in your star sign makes you more susceptible to temptation, it is believed
C
D having been said to have consulted a psychic before adopting her daughter
E reading an unfavourable horoscope actually has the opposite effect on a person
F scientists at the University of South Carolina and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found the opposite effect
G showed little change in their decision making
H those who had read a negative horoscope before making their choice
I women were also found to be twice as likely to visit a psychic than men
Star signs Photo: Alamy
Key:
0C; 1B; 2F; 3H; 4E; 5G; 6I; 7D
miércoles, 9 de octubre de 2013
Talking point: Food rituals and food issues
Today's talking point is a follow-up from last week's about your favourite restaurant. We continue talking about food, but this time we are going to focus on food rituals and controversial topics around food.
The idea came to me when I watched The New York Times video clip below about food rituals. Just watch the video and read the accompanying article by Catherine St Louis, Rituals Make Our Food More Flavorful to get acquainted with idea. If you want to fully understand everything on the video, you can read the transcript below.
Now before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet your friends and you can work out vocabulary difficulties beforehand.
Do you have any food rituals or know anyone who has?
Do you agree with the idea that rituals make our food tastier?
If you were a food, what food would you be? Why?
Were there any foods you particularly loved or hated as a child? Do you still love/hate them?
What kind of food or drink would you associate with the following situations? Why?
being in love - waiting at an airport - rainy days - summer - your grandmother’s house
Food issues
How do you feel about slow food (also called 'free range food' or 'organic food' or 'biodiversity food')?
How do you feel about 'fast food' and 'ready-made food' (or processed/convenience food)?
What's your take on the controversy between 'sustainable organic farming' versus 'industrial agriculture'?
What do you think about the following?
I’m Catherine Saint Louis from The New York Times. My story is about new research about food rituals. Four experiments show that the little things we do before eating our food enhances its flavour and help us savior what we eat and drink.
In this study, participants were asked to knock on a table, take a deep breath before eating a baby carrot. It turned out that those people reported enjoying their baby carrots more than the group that didn’t perform the ritual. Science may just be catching up with what many of us have known for a long time.
These things, or oysters or anything, I don’t necessarily chew them, I just shallow them.
I used to, as a kid, drink milk and soda, I can’t believe I’m telling you this, milk and soda, which was made popular by Laverne, on “Laverne and Shirley”
One milk, one Pepsi.
Excuse me.
Milk. Pepsi.
Half milk, fill it with Coke. But no ice. You have to put the milk first. If you do it any other way, [it] just doesn’t taste the same. It’s like mixing a martini, you know, just throw things into a shaker and shake it up. You know, it has to be done in a certain order sometimes and stirred in a certain way, and if you do it the right way it’s gonna taste better than what it would doing it in the glass. Sometimes it’s a mental perception. It might not always physically make the food taste better, but if you believe it tastes better that way, then it will.
How do you eat your eggs?
I take my fork and I cut it all up and mix it all together.
How long have you done that?
My dad taught me to do that when I was very young and I still do it that way.
I have a…
Ritual?
Not a ritual.
Yes, it is.
It’s a schedule. It’s really more of like a how I eat. The first time I see all the different sauces that I like I have to put them in the top of the sushi container and mix them together with the chopsticks, ok?, and then I deconstruct every single piece of sushi as I eat it, from the top to the bottom.
What about barbecue? Do you eat barbecue?
I love barbecue, but I will not touch it with my fingers.
So how do you eat barbecue?
Knife and fork, and there’s nothing left on the bone when I get done.
Are there any other foods that you eat in a particular way or a particular order?
You know what else Dad you eat bagels like a sandwich.
I plead the fifth amendment on that one.
What do you mean he eats them like a sandwich?
Like when I’m just getting ready. When I eat an egg sandwich I take it apart a hundred per cent, I take the eggs off, the cheese and…
You deconstruct them!
And then I eat each piece of bread separately.
I don’t eat them as halves I eat the whole bagel, with the filling and that way you don’t need…
Wait, wait just second, egg sandwich just when there’s cream cheese on it?
Yes, exactly, then you don’t touch the cream cheese, you’re just touching the bagel
I’m sensing a theme here?
Yes, I have some issues.
The idea came to me when I watched The New York Times video clip below about food rituals. Just watch the video and read the accompanying article by Catherine St Louis, Rituals Make Our Food More Flavorful to get acquainted with idea. If you want to fully understand everything on the video, you can read the transcript below.
Now before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet your friends and you can work out vocabulary difficulties beforehand.
Do you have any food rituals or know anyone who has?
Do you agree with the idea that rituals make our food tastier?
If you were a food, what food would you be? Why?
Were there any foods you particularly loved or hated as a child? Do you still love/hate them?
What kind of food or drink would you associate with the following situations? Why?
being in love - waiting at an airport - rainy days - summer - your grandmother’s house
Food issues
How do you feel about slow food (also called 'free range food' or 'organic food' or 'biodiversity food')?
How do you feel about 'fast food' and 'ready-made food' (or processed/convenience food)?
What's your take on the controversy between 'sustainable organic farming' versus 'industrial agriculture'?
What do you think about the following?
- Healthy drinks
- Low fat options
- Labelling of ingredients
- Fraud in food
- Traditional cuisine
- Cuisine globalization
- Nouveau cuisine
- Fair trade products
- Local food suppliers
- Danger of food additives and preservatives for health
- Popularity of cooking TV programmes
- Celebrity chefs
- World-famous restaurants
I’m Catherine Saint Louis from The New York Times. My story is about new research about food rituals. Four experiments show that the little things we do before eating our food enhances its flavour and help us savior what we eat and drink.
In this study, participants were asked to knock on a table, take a deep breath before eating a baby carrot. It turned out that those people reported enjoying their baby carrots more than the group that didn’t perform the ritual. Science may just be catching up with what many of us have known for a long time.
These things, or oysters or anything, I don’t necessarily chew them, I just shallow them.
I used to, as a kid, drink milk and soda, I can’t believe I’m telling you this, milk and soda, which was made popular by Laverne, on “Laverne and Shirley”
One milk, one Pepsi.
Excuse me.
Milk. Pepsi.
Half milk, fill it with Coke. But no ice. You have to put the milk first. If you do it any other way, [it] just doesn’t taste the same. It’s like mixing a martini, you know, just throw things into a shaker and shake it up. You know, it has to be done in a certain order sometimes and stirred in a certain way, and if you do it the right way it’s gonna taste better than what it would doing it in the glass. Sometimes it’s a mental perception. It might not always physically make the food taste better, but if you believe it tastes better that way, then it will.
How do you eat your eggs?
I take my fork and I cut it all up and mix it all together.
How long have you done that?
My dad taught me to do that when I was very young and I still do it that way.
I have a…
Ritual?
Not a ritual.
Yes, it is.
It’s a schedule. It’s really more of like a how I eat. The first time I see all the different sauces that I like I have to put them in the top of the sushi container and mix them together with the chopsticks, ok?, and then I deconstruct every single piece of sushi as I eat it, from the top to the bottom.
What about barbecue? Do you eat barbecue?
I love barbecue, but I will not touch it with my fingers.
So how do you eat barbecue?
Knife and fork, and there’s nothing left on the bone when I get done.
Are there any other foods that you eat in a particular way or a particular order?
You know what else Dad you eat bagels like a sandwich.
I plead the fifth amendment on that one.
What do you mean he eats them like a sandwich?
Like when I’m just getting ready. When I eat an egg sandwich I take it apart a hundred per cent, I take the eggs off, the cheese and…
You deconstruct them!
And then I eat each piece of bread separately.
I don’t eat them as halves I eat the whole bagel, with the filling and that way you don’t need…
Wait, wait just second, egg sandwich just when there’s cream cheese on it?
Yes, exactly, then you don’t touch the cream cheese, you’re just touching the bagel
I’m sensing a theme here?
Yes, I have some issues.
miércoles, 28 de agosto de 2013
Talking point: Superstitions
Today's talking point is superstitions. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below, so that ideas flow more easily when you hold the discussion sessions and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
Look at the pictures. What do these situations suggest to you?
Do you follow any special rituals when:
• you are about to take an exam?
• you are travelling by train or car?
• you are playing or watching a sport?
• you are choosing an important number (e.g. a lottery number)?
• someone wishes you good luck or mentions something unlucky?
Do you regard yourself as lucky or unlucky? For example, do you often win competitions or are you accident prone?
Some people say you 'make your own luck'. Others say you are 'born lucky’. What do you think?
Some experts say that luck does exist and ‘our attitude to life is the key'. How far do you agree? Think of your own experience.
What advice would you give to someone who complains that they ‘never have any luck’?
Have you ever consulted a fortune teller, palmist, etc.?
Do you read your horoscope regularly?
Have you got a lucky number?
Are you bothered by the number 13?
Have you ever thrown a coin into a wishing well?
Have you ever made a decision after tossing a coin?
Is there any particular day of the week which is lucky or unlucky for you?
Is there any particular piece of clothing which is lucky or unlucky for you?
Have you ever changed your plans because of a dream?
Have you got any kind of talisman or lucky object/charm?
Do you know any jinxes?
Do you know funny superstitions from around the world?
To gain further insight into the topic, you can read this BBC article on superstitions in sports.
Look at the pictures. What do these situations suggest to you?
Do you follow any special rituals when:
• you are about to take an exam?
• you are travelling by train or car?
• you are playing or watching a sport?
• you are choosing an important number (e.g. a lottery number)?
• someone wishes you good luck or mentions something unlucky?
Do you regard yourself as lucky or unlucky? For example, do you often win competitions or are you accident prone?
Some people say you 'make your own luck'. Others say you are 'born lucky’. What do you think?
Some experts say that luck does exist and ‘our attitude to life is the key'. How far do you agree? Think of your own experience.
What advice would you give to someone who complains that they ‘never have any luck’?
Have you ever consulted a fortune teller, palmist, etc.?
Do you read your horoscope regularly?
Have you got a lucky number?
Are you bothered by the number 13?
Have you ever thrown a coin into a wishing well?
Have you ever made a decision after tossing a coin?
Is there any particular day of the week which is lucky or unlucky for you?
Is there any particular piece of clothing which is lucky or unlucky for you?
Have you ever changed your plans because of a dream?
Have you got any kind of talisman or lucky object/charm?
Do you know any jinxes?
Do you know funny superstitions from around the world?
To gain further insight into the topic, you can read this BBC article on superstitions in sports.
miércoles, 7 de diciembre de 2011
The Origins of 7 Superstitions
Superstitions are a very traditional lesson in all English courses. That's English! students specifically study superstitions in Module 6 unit 7 of the Intermedio 1 year.
Neatorama has published an article to explain the origin of the 7 British superstitions listed below. As they say, whether you’re superstitious or not, discovering the origins of these common beliefs is a fascinating look at religion and human psychology.
Friday The Thirteenth
Breaking A Mirror Causes Seven Years Bad Luck
Knock On Wood
Black Cats
Walking Under A Ladder
Throwing Salt Behind Your Shoulder
Lucky Rabbit’s Foot
Neatorama has published an article to explain the origin of the 7 British superstitions listed below. As they say, whether you’re superstitious or not, discovering the origins of these common beliefs is a fascinating look at religion and human psychology.
Friday The Thirteenth
Breaking A Mirror Causes Seven Years Bad Luck
Knock On Wood
Black Cats
Walking Under A Ladder
Throwing Salt Behind Your Shoulder
Lucky Rabbit’s Foot
viernes, 13 de mayo de 2011
Superstitions in England and America
Superstitions in England and America is an interesting interactive activity which tries to put to the test our knowledge of this cultural trait while developing our listening skills.
First match the words to the pictures on the slideshow, then listen to Emma, an American girl working as an assistant in Decize (France), who will tell you whether this superstition is lucky or unluckly.
Then do the second part of the activity to see how much you know by ticking the correct answer.
First match the words to the pictures on the slideshow, then listen to Emma, an American girl working as an assistant in Decize (France), who will tell you whether this superstition is lucky or unluckly.
Then do the second part of the activity to see how much you know by ticking the correct answer.
H/T to Michelle Henry.
Friday 13th
The BBC Learning English site has this interesting self-study activity on superstitions, which comes in handy, as today is Friday 13th.
Self-study activity:
As you listen to the audio file, try to answer these questions:
1. Which religion seems to have the most reasons to think of the day 'Friday' and the number '13' as being unlucky?
2. At what time was the unfortunate space craft 'Apollo 13' launched?
3. Kate mentions 3 important things that her clients wouldn't do on Friday the 13th; what are they why wouldn't they do them?
The Learning English site also makes a point of including some vocabulary task, so that students can improve their grasp of English words and expressions. The following items are explained in the activity on Friday 13th.
to be superstitious
anxiety/to feel anxious
utter dread
bad luck/to be unlucky
a coincidence
to tempt fate
potency/potent
You can read the transcript of the audio file here.
Self-study activity:
As you listen to the audio file, try to answer these questions:
1. Which religion seems to have the most reasons to think of the day 'Friday' and the number '13' as being unlucky?
2. At what time was the unfortunate space craft 'Apollo 13' launched?
3. Kate mentions 3 important things that her clients wouldn't do on Friday the 13th; what are they why wouldn't they do them?
The Learning English site also makes a point of including some vocabulary task, so that students can improve their grasp of English words and expressions. The following items are explained in the activity on Friday 13th.
to be superstitious
anxiety/to feel anxious
utter dread
bad luck/to be unlucky
a coincidence
to tempt fate
potency/potent
You can read the transcript of the audio file here.
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