The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

330 Chapter 10 Word Elements: Thought and BeliefUnlike the number thirteen and Friday, salt was considered lucky.Because salt was used to preserve food, people believed that it would driveaway bad spirits. However, spilling salt was thought to invite evil. In fact,(4) dropping a salt container could make nonchalant diners suddenlyfrantic. To avoid disaster, they had to take the salt into their right hands(the side for one’s lucky spirit) and throw it over their left shoulders.(5) Any deviation from this procedure would invite the invasion of theevil spirit, who was always lurking on the left.Cats have held a special place in our superstitions. While ancientEgyptians worshiped cats, (6) these creatures have had a star-crossedfate in Europe. The fact that cats’ eyes reflect light in the dark causedEuropeans of the Middle Ages to think that the animals were evil spirits.Cats were often pictured as witches’ companions and confidants. Somepeople believed that, after seven years’ service, a cat might even becomea witch! Since black was the color of the devil, black cats inspired especiallyintense fear. God-fearing people walking at night might see a blackcat cross their path. Certain that they had met the devil, (7) they wouldbreak into a veritable panic. A cat that crossed from left to right was particularlyfrightening.People often made ridiculous claims about cats. For example, in1718 a man named William Montgomery claimed that two elderly womenhad been found dead in their beds on the morning after he had killed twonoisy cats. (8) Montgomery deluded himself into thinking that the catshad been these women in disguise.A less harmful, though no less silly, superstition revolved aroundmirrors. The ancients believed that breaking a mirror would bring sevenyears of bad luck, avoidable only if the pieces were quickly buried. Thelength of the bad luck stemmed from the Roman tradition that the humanbody renewed itself every seven years. Throughout history, peoplehave feared that a mirror would steal the weak soul of a sick person or anewborn. Of course, this had no veracity, yet some people would notallow infants to see a mirror until their first birthdays.(9) Such superstitions have been discredited; still, an occasionalmodern high-rise lacks a thirteenth floor. (10) Some people throw spilledsalt over their left shoulders, even if it is a tongue-in-cheek gesture orthey no longer know why they are doing it. Perhaps you know people whoshiver with fright when a black cat crosses their paths at night and flashesits fiery eyes. Whatever the origin of superstitions, it’s clear that somehaunt us even today. Do you think they have any credibility?■ ExerciseEach numbered sentence corresponds to a sentence in the passage. Fill inthe letter of the choice that makes the sentence mean the same thing asits corresponding sentence in the passage.1. No scientist has these superstitions.a. determined the truth of b. experimented withc. shown the silliness of d. criticized people forCopyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.