Symbols - Heinle

Exercise 1
Read the following sentences. Some are thesis statements, and some are
details. Put check marks next to the thesis statements.
1. People have always been superstitious about cats.
2. In certain parts of Asia, people believed that they became
cats when they died.
3. It was thought that to cut your nails on Sunday would bring
you bad luck.
4. There are many superstitions that are similar in several
countries around the world.
5. There is a superstition among sailors that says wearing
earrings will save a sailor from drowning.
6. It is believed that our health and physical condition have an
effect on our dreams.
7. It is said that to knock over the salt on a table is to meet
trouble.
8. Throughout history, the luck of odd numbers has been a
matter of superstitious belief.
9. Dreams of fields, the sea, the country, and difficult roads
and journeys are believed to be signs of heart trouble.
10. Many superstitions can be traced to ancient civilizations.
24 Unit 1 ■ Symbols